How To PLan Your Safari
GOING ON SAFARI IS ONE OF LIFE’S BEST EXPERIENCES
This is a holiday that will stimulate all your senses. But to get there, you need to plan it properly. You need to plan it with the experts – right from the outset.
The Process
Call Us
The best option, ring us now and we’ll walk (or run) you through it. That’ll save a lot of time
Browse Itineraries
Have a look at our itineraries section and see if there’s something that inspires you
Wish List
Read through our country/lodge pages and create your own wish list
You contact us to create your own bespoke safari. Not something off the shelf. Something as individual as you and what you will experience. Together we discuss what you want to see / do / get out of the trip, when you want to travel, how much you want to spend.
By talking, we can get a better understanding of you so we can create the right sort of trip. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a clue on where to go or if you’re a safari aficionado, we will put together the best itineraries for you. You let us know what suits and together we can keep tweaking until we end up with exactly what (perhaps you didn’t know) you really wanted.
HOW TO GET THERE?
WHAT TYPE?
Tented camp or fixed structure? We recommend tented simply because this will give you a more genuine safari experience. Tented accommodation can be as basic or luxurious as you fancy/can afford but the least you can expect is a decent bed. Most camps have power and fresh water with a proper loo and shower facilities en suite.
Mobile or camp based safari? This will depend on where you travel or where you travel could depend on your preferred accommodation type. A northern Tanzania safari tends to be mobile allowing you to stay in different camps as your safari builds. Most other safaris see you setting off at dawn from your camp and returning for lunch before setting out again for an afternoon/evening safari.
Vehicular, boat or walking safari? All an option. Plus, at some camps, you can simply sit on your terrace and watch the circle of life play out in front of you.
Call us to discuss what type of safari is best for you.
WHEN TO GO
Africa spans massive seasonal climate and weather variations so any time of year is an option.
There are seasonal variants in each country so it is best to consider whether you need good weather (heat, dry) as well as good animals. Remember, low season means cheaper prices. Also peak times, such as Christmas/New Year and July/August attract inflated air fares and hotel prices.
Call us to discuss best times to travel and more.
HOW MUCH?
A safari holiday can cost as little as £900 per person (excluding flights) for a 3 day trip. However, you will neeed to consider the cost of international flights (about £700 from UK) and whether you wish to add on a beach holiday / extend your safari experience. Realistically, you are looking from £2,500 per person, all in, up to about £10,000 per person, largely depending upon length of stay, luxury and time of travel.
See our itinerary examples for the type of prices to expect: US$1,500>, US$2,500>, US$3,500.
Remember: we pay in US$ so quote you in US$. You can pay in £ / Eur / US$ so get the exchange rate of the day allowing for non inflated prices.
Call us now to discuss prices and get a quote.
WHY SAFARI&BEACH?
safari&beach does “exactly what it says on the tin”. We organise safari and beach holidays to Africa.
We are no frills so you get what you pay for. No fancy marketing gimmicks just our pure honesty. We are so confident in our prices, we have a price guarantee.
We believe our expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm for organising travel to Africa is unrivalled. In our experience, customers want to quickly get an idea of holiday options with the choice of reading up on the detail later. We provide both a snapshot summary and full detail of every destination.
We want you to find planning your holiday an enjoyable experience and leave you excited about your forthcoming trip. See more.
Give us a ring 01548 854125 Let’s start planning.
HOW WE WORK
We manage your holiday from your very first contact through to gaining feedback upon your return home. That means planning your trip, booking and confirming accommodation , plus arranging flights and transfers where necessary. Our ground operators will be on hand for you to tap into as required. For continuity, you will speak to the same consultant throughout (unless your request a change!), who will immediately know all the intricate details of your trip.
Although we enjoy getting our teeth stuck into planning multi destination trips, we are also happy to book one-off lodges or hotels. Further, if you are already committed to another operator but want to ask us a few questions, do feel free to contact us.
We pride ourselves on being unbeaten on price. We like to think of our relationships with our hotel and lodge as partnerships (but many are friends), which means our guests are amongst the first to benefit from any special offers or partnership discounts. Indeed, if ever you should find something cheaper, we want to hear about it.
We prefer not to book international flights, although we can help you secure these. This helps with our price transparency. We also find our customers usually prefer to organise flights themselves, often using their own air rewards schemes.
PLANNING A SAFARI
Safaris operate in different ways in different countries.
Many of the safaris are lodge based which means you may leave your lodge early in the morning or late in the afternoon to catch the animals as they start/end their day at the water hole or spying on their prey. Alternatively you may wish to track the nocturnal habits of many of the animals as they get up to all sorts of mischief whilst we normally sleep. During the day you will have the opportunity to chat about your spottings, enjoy the camp ambience or take a little nap.
However, mainly in Tanzania, you will also have the option of a more mobile style safari. You will have your own private vehicle with one of our appointed guides. This guide will be a well trained driver as well as an expert in how to find the best game in the area, with radio contact for recent spottings or emergency contact. The guide will take you to your various camps and lodges as you cross the parks, experiencing the different animals and their habitats.
Fly-camping is also a recommended option for those wanting to gain a deeper safari experience. This may be a night away from a chosen camp (usually more luxurious) or we may set up camp (more practical) on the way from one lodge to another.
Planning a beach holiday
Your requirements for a beach style holiday will differ enormously but from chill-out to deep-water diving/fishing the options are enormous, as are the style and comfort and corresponding cost. You may wish to stay in the same spot for a couple of weeks or perhaps explore the coast or islands. The choice is, of course, yours. Key destinations might include beach holidays in Zanzibar, Mozambique and The Seychelles.
HOW LONG TO STAY?
For as long as you like! Usually we recommend staying in a lodge for no more than 3-5 nights but lodges vary enormously with differing levels of interest, including yours. We would normally recommend staying in a few lodges to maximise your experience. But this is not prescriptive – we are set up to find the right and very individual solution.
NEXT STEPS
Please phone us at any stage to discuss your holiday requirements – but the sooner the better. We want you to get the right trip but this depends largely on your brief and availability. We can plan as many itinerary options as is reasonably required. We will email these to you for your consideration. Accommodation and domestic flights often get booked up in advance, especially in peak periods, so we recommend you consider your options very quickly.
PAYMENT
When your trip itinerary has been agreed and you are happy to proceed, we will require a 25% deposit to allow us to confirm with suppliers plus 100% of international flight costs if appropriate. The 75% balance will be payable 60 days prior to travel.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
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Important factors to consider for your next holiday.
Explore these important factors when starting your holiday planning, please get in touch with any questions you may have.
Safari & Beach is committed to creating the most environmentally and socially responsible experiences possible, helping conserve every location.