Safari travel advice
Photography tips
Dereck and Beverly Joubert are internationally renowned filmmakers, conservationists and National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence. Here is their advice for taking better photographs on safari: "When people arrive with short lenses, the problem is that they push to get closer to the animals. But with digital cameras today, you don’t have to be as close as you think. You can always crop later on. The key is really to get natural behaviour by standing back a little bit and letting these things pan out. If you push too hard you will destroy the animals’ natural behaviour and your opportunities as a photographer."
Our Safari Vacations
Namibia and Botswana safari vacation
Namibia & Botswana lodge safari Caprivi Etosha Okavango
From
US $3845
21 days
ex flights
Ten day wildlife safari, South Africa
Award winning wildlife safaris in South Africa
From
£2660 to £2675
10 days
ex flights
Tanzania Selous safari vacation & Zanzibar
Off-the-beaten track safari experiences & paradise beaches
From
£2150
10 days
ex flights
South Africa safari vacation, 14 days
Award winning safari in South Africa
From
£4120
14 days
ex flights
Gorilla and game safari in Uganda
The great Silver back Gorilla & wildlife all in one package!
From
£3050
10 days
ex flights
Botswana camping safaris
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe
From
US $2035
14 days
ex flights
Namibia safari and vacation
A fabulous small group guided trip in Nambia
From
£3145 to £3715
12 days
ex flights
Uganda wildlife vacation
This you cannot miss while in Uganda -The wild and beautiful!
From
£2650
8 days
ex flights
Serengeti Trail, Kenya & Tanzania safari
Overland truck safari
From
US $1870 to US $2105
8 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and Victoria Falls
An unforgettable wildlife and scenery experience
From
US $3853
11 days
ex flights
Gorilla Safari & the Masai Mara
Superb safari and trip to see gorillas
From
US $4979
16 days
ex flights
Namibia and Botswana camping safari
Camping safari to Namib desert, Caprivi, Etosha & Okavango
From
US $2815
21 days
ex flights
Namibia self drive vacation, big cat conservation
Self drive trip taking in Namibia's highlights
From
£2000 to £4000
14 days
ex flights
Swaziland wildife and culture tour
Explore Eswatini, one of the smallest countries in Africa
From
£2575 to £2695
12 days
ex flights
3 day Rwanda gorilla safari
A gorilla safari taking in some of Rwanda’s iconic locations
From
£1250
3 days
ex flights
Big game safari in Tanzania
Big game safari including luxury private camping
From
£3970
8 days
ex flights
Botswana and Zimbabwe Ivory Route lodge tour
Classic journey adventure safari Botswana, Zimbabwe Namibia
From
US $4750
15 days
ex flights
Selous safari & Mafia Islands diving vacation
Africa's largest game park
From
US $3700
13 days
ex flights
The Masai Heartlands safari
An amazing and great value 2 week truck safari
From
US $3030 to US $3420
15 days
ex flights
Botswana highlights and Victoria falls
Great value safari adventure covering Botswana & Zimbabwe
From
US $4180
11 days
ex flights
Vacations to Uganda
See the incredible primates of the African jungle
From
£3895 to £3995
12 days
ex flights
Botswana safari, lodges and mobile camps
Wildlife lodges, mobile tented safaris & Victoria Falls!
From
US $6615
13 days
ex flights
Zimbabwe & Botswana safari, elephant paths
Follow in the paths of one of Africa's most iconic creatures
From
US $3555
11 days
ex flights
Namibia Desert & Caprivi camping safari
Safari covering the highlights of Namibia & Caprivi
From
US $2250
15 days
ex flights
Uganda gorilla tracking and wildlife safari vacation
A wonderful gorilla and wild life experience in Uganda
From
£1700
10 days
ex flights
South Africa vacation
Explore Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route
From
£2300 to £4500
15 days
inc UK flights
South Africa and Swaziland safari
Lodge safari all encompassing South Africa & Swaziland
From
US $2545
17 days
ex flights
Tanzania Safari and beach vacation
Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park & Mafia Island
From
£4400 to £6920
12 days
ex flights
Culture tips while on safari
Will Fox is the founder of our supplier On Track Safaris, and a conservationist specialising in leopard behaviour. Here's his safari travel advice: "So many people come back from Africa and say, "that was nice, but I wish I'd been more involved." They don't want to just be shown animals, it's not Disney World. Safaris shouldn't just be about seeing animals and staying in a nice lodge with a spa. That's wonderful, but it should also be about understanding the real issues in Africa and learning more about whatever it is you're keen on. We teach our guests a few native words. If you thank the lodge staff in their own language, you'll get such a beaming smile. They're just so impressed that someone has learned a few words of their language."Tips on avoiding crowds – and saving money
Richard Madden, author of the Telegraph’s Bush Telegraph column, shares his advice for going on safari off-season: "Consider picking up a bargain and traveling outside the peak (dry/winter) season. If you travel during the wet season, the bush is actually greener, lusher and more beautiful and the summer storms can be an intoxicating experience leaving the bush feeling fresh and revitalised. While the wildlife is more dispersed and not so focused around the waterholes, you will still often see huge herds of antelope and all the large predators."
Advice on watching wildlife – properly
Andrew Appleyard, from our supplier Exodus, shares his safari travel advice for watching the Great Migration: “It is incredible to see the huge migration lines. On one of my last safaris we saw the Big Five within a few hours and so I asked the group what they wanted to do. They asked me “what would you do?” I said I’d park the vehicle up in the middle of the migration, turn the engine off and sit there for two or three hours and just watch it pass. That would be my top tip. I’d also ban photography for an hour – get everyone to put their cameras down. Too many people just shoot Africa through a lens and come back with 7,000 images – but don’t actually just sit there and take it all in. So I make everyone put their cameras down and watch it with their engines off.”Our top Safari Vacation
Namibia and Botswana safari vacation
Namibia & Botswana lodge safari Caprivi Etosha Okavango
From
US $3845
21 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2021: 10 Jan, 14 Feb, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 11 Apr, 23 May, 30 May, 20 Jun, 27 Jun, 11 Jul, 18 Jul, 22 Aug, 5 Sep, 12 Sep, 26 Sep, 3 Oct, 17 Oct, 24 Oct, 7 Nov, 12 Dec, 26 Dec
2021: 10 Jan, 14 Feb, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 11 Apr, 23 May, 30 May, 20 Jun, 27 Jun, 11 Jul, 18 Jul, 22 Aug, 5 Sep, 12 Sep, 26 Sep, 3 Oct, 17 Oct, 24 Oct, 7 Nov, 12 Dec, 26 Dec
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Safari or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Health & safety on safari
HEALTH
SAFETY
Check the FCO website for the most up to date travel advice on each destination.
Safari advice from our travelers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful safari travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful safari travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation - and the space inside your suitcase.
Take a pair of binoculars - and good ones - we were very glad we were not fighting to see the animals![]()
- Alice Crawley
Safari clothes are that dusty green because whatever you wear you will end up that colour if you do any serious traveling in Africa! - Jane Lloyd Francis in Namibia
If you go during the wintertime, do not forget warm clothes. A woollen cap is not a "gadget", especially in the south. - Denis Robin in Namibia
I learned a new method of washing clothes, stamp on them when you are in the shower - environmentally friendly as well. Remember an alarm clock. - Demelza Potter in Namibia
Packing earplugs might just help you sleep when the lions and jackals are conspiring against it! - Sarah Schmitz in Namibia
If you go during the wintertime, do not forget warm clothes. A woollen cap is not a "gadget", especially in the south. - Denis Robin in Namibia
I learned a new method of washing clothes, stamp on them when you are in the shower - environmentally friendly as well. Remember an alarm clock. - Demelza Potter in Namibia
Packing earplugs might just help you sleep when the lions and jackals are conspiring against it! - Sarah Schmitz in Namibia
Talk with the guides - they are a min of information.![]()
- Stuart Sutcliffe
Pack less than you think, you really don't need it! Don't forget the right kind of travel adaoptors so you can charge your camera battery. - Danila Mansfield in Namibia and Botswana
You don't need a fleece in Selous. It's warm, at least in September! US dollars accepted everywhere. Don't bother exchanging for Tanzanian schillings. Lightweight trainers are fine for this vacation. - Ann Evans in Tanzania
Travel lightly, both in clothing and intent - minimise your own impact by being mindful of the culture and facilities (or lack of) in the country you are visiting. Enjoy every moment, especially encounters with the warm, friendly people as well as the animals. – Angie Polkey in Uganda
Where possible,and within reason, take advantage of going out and exploring the local area and interacting with the localpeople – Heather Evans in Kenya
You don't need a fleece in Selous. It's warm, at least in September! US dollars accepted everywhere. Don't bother exchanging for Tanzanian schillings. Lightweight trainers are fine for this vacation. - Ann Evans in Tanzania
Travel lightly, both in clothing and intent - minimise your own impact by being mindful of the culture and facilities (or lack of) in the country you are visiting. Enjoy every moment, especially encounters with the warm, friendly people as well as the animals. – Angie Polkey in Uganda
Where possible,and within reason, take advantage of going out and exploring the local area and interacting with the localpeople – Heather Evans in Kenya
More about Safari
The best time to go on safari will obviously depend on the seasons & wildlife watching potential which is why we’ve introduced our Africa map of safari regions to help you decide the best time to go on safari.
Our safari travel guide has been designed to help you, the responsible traveler, live like a local and learn from a brief history of safaris as well as taking account of what we rate & what we don’t.
Finding the best place to go on safari for you will always include being able to make the most of your time away from home as our interactive Africa safari highlights map, and recommendations as to where to go from our experts, go to prove.
Some of the best safaris in the world are set against the wide-open vistas of Africa.
If you want to know how to choose a safari or find out what type of safari is best for me then read our sections on bush camp safaris, lodge safaris, and family safaris, to name but a few, and discover how to choose a safari that makes sense for the right reasons.
Electric safari vehicles are transforming the game drive experience into something quiet, smooth and environmentally responsible.
It’s really important to heed advice for families on safari, as safaris with kids will inevitably lead to a whole lot of situations that you might not necessarily be naturally prepared for.
Responsible safari vacations aren’t just ticking a box, they’re designed to help you understand what you’re seeing and enable you to travel right while on safari so the wildlife & environment are left as you found them and what you can do to help is a ‘real thing’ not just another signed e-petition.
Find all of our safari guides in one place, for safari in particular countries such as Tanzania and Botswana or perhaps you would like to know more about the different types of safari vacations such as budget, self drive or gorilla safaris.
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Photo credits: [Page banner: Wild Frog Photography] [Photography : kaythaney]
[Avoiding crowds: Matthew Cramblett]
[Cheetah cub: Eric MacDonell]
[Review 1 – Alice Crawley: alaina buzas]
[Review 2 – Stuart Sutcliffe: Marc Smith]
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