deebubb

I've been wanting to go to Africa and explore with my husband, but I just don't know where we would go or really what to do. We really know nothing about Africa. I would love to go on a safari and see the beautiful wildlife and nature. Where is the place to be? What is the best safari tour? Any other suggestions/thoughts are greatly appreciated!

TracksBerg2013

Kenya is definitely the place to be.
Its impossible to capture the spirit and culture of an entire country in one paragraph, but in a brief overview Kenya is the most popular African safari destination which offers vast plains and roaming packs of extraordinary wildlife

Diversity
You could climb a mountain, lie on a pristinely white beach, enjoy the lively activity of the cities and towns, spot game amongst the plains & savannah, and learn about the many cultures and their way of life. Kenya really is like Africa all in one, with endless possibilities within her borders.

For the best tour, the general rule is to allow at least 2 nights [3 days] at each safari location, though there are locations where 1 night [2 days] is practical. The minimum suggested length of safari in any African country is at least 7 days. A more complete trip would need at least 14 days.

KathBC

Research,research and more research! Which for some like myself is half the fun!

Only you can decide what will work best for your interests and budget.

There are plenty of trip reports on here to comb thru to get some ideas. Fodors "The Complete African Safari Planner" is a must read and a good place to start.

From there you narrow down your choices, decide on a budget and come back here with more specific questions where you will get invaluable info.

That's what I did for my first trip to Africa and am now planning my 3rd!

KathBC

Here's the trip report on my 1st trip to Kenya, Tanzania & Zanzibar.

It's a bit long but was geared for 1st timers such as myself at that time.

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...ejune-2011.cfm

deebubb

thanks everyone!! great info!

sandi

Remember also that there are seasons even in Africa, where prices vary and game moves from place to place.

You'll have to decide whether you wish to go on a 'group' trip, or private, realizing that many decide on private as they don't have to concern themselves with set departure dates, length of trip, type of accommodations someone else selected, and decision by committee.

With private, you can design your own safari and know these are available at all budgets, from basic camping, to budget accomm, but also those in the mid-priced range and, of course, luxury properties.

So at KathBC mentions - you've gotta do your own research, lots of it, in order to determine what will work best for your style of travel.

Then, if any questions... return here for comments.

Good luck!

uhoh_busted

It is probably best to determine WHEN you want to travel, and how long you want to go, and how you want to get there and back. (if you are in the US, you can fly direct to South Africa in 15-16 hours, or you can fly to London, or Frankfort or Paris or Amsterdam, maybe do an overnight there, and then take the next long flight to Capetown or Johannesburg (or Nairobi, etc.) Also, do you plan to use airline miles or just buy tickets? What kind of budget do you have? There are group trips or you can go independently.

It is a WONDERFUL trip, and you will, like many of us, probably go back again. Because it is a long flight, I suggest you plan on at least 10 days, especially if you decide to go to South Africa and want to see some of Capetown, etc. Read trip reports from this forum to see whether you want to concentrate on East Africa (Kenya/Tanzania) or Southern Africa (SA, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia). Planning is great fun, so enjoy!