First Time on Safari?
It is choosing the finer detail correctly that can transform a merely exciting experience into a truly magical and memorable one. It is for this reason that we have chosen to focus on Zambia as our safari destination of choice, since, to our mind, this truly beautiful and peaceful African country combines all that is desirable about the African experience, with few, if any, of its dangers and drawbacks. See Reasons to Visit Zambia. AfricaAway is confident that it can put together a ‘first time’ trip – which may well prove to be your only such experience of Africa – that cannot be surpassed. See Our Safaris
Our concept of the ideal first time safari is based around the premise
that most people will primarily want to secure good sightings of big
game. For this reason we recommend 4-5 nights in one or more ‘base camps’
– lodges offering good facilities and excellent opportunities for game
drives, by day and evening. Once this initial hunger for game viewing is
satisfied, then it is time to think about other matters.
One of the most popular activities is the walking safari (initiated in, and still largely restricted to, Zambia). Although some people will be apprehensive about taking to the bush by foot, it is perfectly safe, provided that the guide knows what he is doing, and can add an entire new dimension to the wildlife activity. Having hopefully already seen the famous ‘big five’ (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino - forgive us, but we have been unable to resist adding the ferocious tiger fish to this list ), you will be able to make the acquaintance of some of the corresponding ‘little five’ (ant lion, leopard tortoise, elephant shrew, buffalo weaver bird and rhinoceros beetle), and ‘green five’ (lion ear flower (leontides), leopard orchid, elephant grass, buffalo thorn and rhino thistle).
Other activities can also include ‘cultural’ ones, such as a visit to the
local village or school (always immensely rewarding – the kids are just
great), together with the opportunity to visit such natural phenomena
as Victoria Falls. Indeed, when visiting Zambia for the first time we
recommend a visit to Livingstone and the Falls at the start of the visit,
before departing on the safari itself.
Walking safaris typically take place from more remote and basically constructed ‘bush’ camps, staying at which is an epic activity in its right, and is recommended to be undertaken even if walking is not on the agenda. However, after several days in the bush, with few other people around, we do recommend ‘winding down’ before returning to civilisation, by spending one or two further nights at a base camp or lodge.
To assist the first time safari visitor in putting together an itinerary that can work for him or her, AfricaAway has devised an innovative modular approach, in which the various safari components – game viewing, walking and so on – can be individually selected, based on duration, content and price, and then combined together to form the complete itinerary [ link]. This daft itinerary can then be submitted to us for detailed planning and pricing. Alternatively we can design the entire itinerary for you, given an indication of your interests and budget – just ask!
Please read more at Choosing a Safari.
