18 Nov Comparing African Safaris & Tips You Can’t Miss!

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Drew and I have been lucky enough to experience two African safaris (one in South Africa and one in Zambia) and we’ve gathered some tips you don’t want to miss!

Our first safari was at the tail end of our honeymoon in 2013. We purchased a solo tour from Lion World and spent five wonderful days touring around Cape Town (hello private driver to wine country!) and then spent four days at Jackalberry Lodge outside Kruger National Park.

In 2016, we headed to Zambia for work and decided to tack on a safari at the end. South Luangwa National Park is definitely one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been and it feels just a smidge more remote than Kruger.

At Jackalberry, we stayed and dined in luxury at a camp surrounded by an electric fence. Our accommodation, which was an individual casita, offered everything you could want, including a four-poster bed with curtains, corner soaking tub, outside private shower, and beautiful slate floors — romantic! Flatdogs Camp was a bit different. Because it’s open (read…no electric fence keeping out the animals that want to eat you) you are required to have escorts to and from your tent whenever it is dusky or dark. In the mornings before game drives, you lean out of your tent and wave around your flashlight (or “torch” as they call it) and a guy with a pretty solid weapon comes to take you to breakfast to eat your Weetabix and tea. Similarly at night, as soon as you’re ready to retire to bed, an escort takes you back to your tent where you’ll be the rest of the night.

While we were at Flatdogs, we stayed in both the standard and luxury safari tents. Retiring after dinner (about 9pm) seemed confining in the standard tent because there is no space other than the bed or the bathroom. But morning game drives come early, so there are worse things than getting to bed early.

Your morning and afternoon game drives will depend on when the sun rises and sets. At Flatdogs they are also dependent on when the South Luangwa National Park opens, which is a little later than you really want to get started because animals are extremely early risers! Jackalberry was private – with its own land – so you could head out whenever was best.

The temperature on drives can vary a lot, especially at certain times of the year, so bring layers, and many vehicles will offer blankets. Each drive lasts about 3-4 hours and you’ll stop halfway through for potty breaks (find a bush), beverages, and snacks. Don’t forget to bring lots of sunscreen and bug repellent.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_single_image image=”17270″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” qode_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_single_image image=”17253″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” qode_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
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How to Save Money on an African Safari

Go Off-Season

If you’re seeking out the luxury experience some camps provide, going during the off-season is a great way to get a competitive rate. Many camps close up during the rainy season but some will offer spectacular deals that you can take advantage of.

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Another option is to stay in smaller lodges, many of which are owner-operated, because they lack the high overhead of the larger chains.

Luangwa Valley in Zambia has ample options for smaller lodges, and because my husband and I were around Mfuwe for work we decided to stay in the area.

We started looking for accommodations about three weeks out and everything was booked (Tip: book early). But we were able to take advantage of great last-minute rates at a few lodges and ended up choosing Flatdogs Camp which is situated right on the Luangwa River.

Our last minute booking meant that we had a change tents halfway through, but our second location was much … quieter. The first tent overlooked a watering hole that is frequented by elephants, giraffe, hippo, puku, and bushbuck.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_column_text]And that’s the absolute coolest…until you hear the hippos brushing up against your tent at 2AM and you think you might die. Laugh all you want, but almost 3,000 people are killed every year by these little pudgy cuties! Also, there were several run-ins with baboons and elephants keeping us out of or in our tent. “Picky, picky,” you say, until you are three days into a safari and you can’t get into your tent because a baboon has dislodged the power and defecated on the roof of your tent. (Watch the video here!)

Yeah, that happened.

That being said, there is nothing like dozing off in the afternoon after an early-morning safari ride, and waking up to find an elephant family spraying themselves off almost close enough to reach out and touch.

At Flatdogs, all of the tents have the same amenities, but the pricier tents have nicer appointments like a larger/more comfortable bed, better bathroom, and just generally more space.

Check Package Options at Your Safari Lodge

The food at Flatdogs Camp is nothing to write home about, but it’s not bad either. The package you select for your holiday will determine the number of meals you receive in a day. You can negotiate for a cheaper package by only signing up for two meals instead of three like we did. Just remember, don’t bring anything edible into your safari camp because any food item – even including gum – attracts the elephants.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_single_image image=”16863″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_single_image image=”18288″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_single_image image=”18291″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_single_image image=”18290″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_single_image image=”18289″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_single_image image=”16859″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” qode_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_column_text]

Watch Our African Safari Adventure

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