SAFARI TIPS: What to take, when to go...
Make the most of your animal-spotting adventures
It was a tough job, but some of our team agreed to head off to Africa in search of the most special safaris. And here are some insider tricks we picked up along the way...
PACKING TIPS
Clothing
It may be Africa, but you’ll still need some warm clothing; early-morning game drives can be chilly. In winter, you’ll need a fleece and scarf and maybe even gloves and a hat. In summer, take a jumper, a waterproof (their hottest season is also their rainiest), and a cap or safari hat (and sunglasses) to keep the sun out of your eyes and protect your head. Most camps have swimming pools or plunge pools, so you’ll want to bring your swimwear, too. You’ll need long sleeves and trousers in the evening to protect yourself from mosquitoes – they’re at their hungriest at dawn and dusk.
Laundry
Most lodges have a free laundry service, so cut down on your packing. If you fly on one of the smaller aircraft (Federal Air, Nelair in SA and Star of Africa or Air Zambia in Zambia), your luggage allowance will be between 12 and 20 kilos: check before you travel. You can leave extra bags in the lock-away at Johannesburg international airport on the lower-ground floor within the car park for R40 a day per case. Alternatively, if you’re staying a night in a Jo’burg hotel, they are often happy to store any extra luggage for you – check before you travel.
Toiletries
Take a good sunblock and chapstick: the sun in the day is scorching. Don’t forget insect repellent. Use 50 per cent Deet, especially in malarial areas. Every night before you go for dinner, spray your room and the inside of your mosquito net with repellent so you're bug-free at bedtime.
Medication
If you’re visiting a malarial area, it is vital that you take precautions. See your doctor at least two weeks before you travel to discuss which pills might be best for you, and which have the least side effects. Remember to complete the course of pills on your return, and if you experience any symptoms, be sure to consult a GP and advise him about your recent trip.
Binoculars: you’ll never find a better excuse to use them; some camps provide them. You regularly get close to the animals so you don't necessarily need a long-lens camera but if you are into photography then this is the place to make the most of your zooms. If you do take a digital camera, make sure you have extra memory – we took over 600 photographs in a week. Pity the poor souls at home who get the slide show.
SAFARI ADVICE
Morning glory: if you plan to limit your game drives, make sure it’s the afternoon one you ditch. Although the morning starts are very early, they tend to offer better viewing.
Insects: If you are not a fan of bugs, July and August are the best months to go to Africa. While it means you will see less scorpions, snakes and frogs, etc, the big game viewing is just as good during these months.
Walking safaris: make sure you ask to do a scout around on foot on one of your days, as you'll get to see a different side of nature. Wear long trousers, no matter how hot it is – your legs get very scratched if you end up tracking a rhino through the bush.
Expectations: it is magical whatever you see, but remember that to make a Discovery programme where the stars of the show make kills, have cubs and are generally very entertaining takes years of watching the animals.
Tips: a good tip for a tracker and ranger team is about £25 a day per person. You should be able to add this to your bill.
TIME AS A TWOSOME
Being on safari can get a bit ‘communal’ – you are often in vehicles and eating meals with other couples. If you’re in a honeymooning frame of mind, most camps are happy for you to request a private dinner in your room or elsewhere in the lodge if you’re not in the most sociable of moods.
And if you run out of conversation, here's a quiz for you to play: name the collective noun for the following animals: rhino, zebra, warthog, giraffe, hyena, hippopotamus. (Answers: a crash of rhinos; a dazzle of zebras; a sounder of warthogs; a tower of giraffes; a clan of hyenas; a bloat of hippopotami.)
GET OUT THERE
Now that you're fully genned up on all the safari-style bushcraft you could ever need, book the nature trip of a lifetime at one of the fabulous lodges and camps in the Smith Safari Collection. Our picks include:
Chiawa Camp Lower Zambezi, Zambia
Etali Safari Lodge North West Provice, South Africa
Lion Sands, Ivory Lodge Kruger National Park, South Africa
Royal Malewane Kruger National Park, South Africa
Singita Boulders Kruger National Park, South Africa
Singita Ebony Kruger National Park, South Africa
Singita Lebombo Kruger National Park, South Africa
Singita Sweni Kruger National Park, South Africa
Tintswalo Kruger National Park, South Africa
Expert advice provided by Tamara Heber-Percy, James Lohan, Katy McCann and Laura Mizon.
