One of the beauties of digital is that you get instant feedback, and you can try again if you don't like the results.

I've been shooting for many years with cameras with lots of different settings, but have gravitated toward an essentially single setup that works for me and makes my SLR's almost point and shoots--important when shooting wildlife because you usually don't have time to be fiddling with menus and settings.

Whatever you do, take lots of snaps before going on your trip and try different setups until you find one that works for you most of the time. Then, have a plan for changing parameters for conditions that are outside the norm (eg. changing the ISO setting in low light--a simple adjustment). Again, take lots of pics. For low light conditions, while a higher ISO will get the shot in low light, quality will suffer as the ISO is increased beyond a certain point. There's no free lunch.

Jim