What Types of African Safaris Are Available Today?
Safaris make great family vacations although most companies have a minimum age (usually 8 or 9). While there are all kinds of variations on the safari theme (safaris by elephant, camels, ponies, bicycle, hot air balloons and on foot), there are basically three types of organized vehicle safaris:- Permanent camp -- On these safaris, you are based in a permanent tented camp or lodge from which you experience game walks and drives and even hot air balloon safaris during the day (especially in the morning and late afternoon, when the animals are most active). Most of the national parks have ideally-situated lodges and/or permanent tent "hotels," where visitors can eat, sleep and relax with all the comforts of home with some gourmet meals thrown in. (Obviously, this type of safari is considerably more expensive than most camping safaris. We'll talk more about cost later.)
- Mobile permanent camp -- In this case, you visit several different camps and lodges, traveling from one location to the next via Land Rover, six- to eight-seater minibuses with roof hatches or open-sided trucks or by air in light aircraft.
- Mobile -- On a mobile camping safari, you stay in a temporary camp each night. These camping safaris often cater to budget travelers who don't mind roughing it a bit (no flush toilets or running water) in exchange for the chance of a hippo or an elephant to wander through their camp at night. Another advantage is that you'll probably find yourself with travelers from the four corners of the globe. However, the quality of accommodations runs the gamut from basic to ultra luxurious with 30-foot tents, showers, bathrooms, furniture and silver service.
Organized safaris, many of which focus on the importance of preserving wildlife and their environs, are available in 2-15 day packages. Longer trips can be arranged; these often include traveling into nearby countries. Since there are no guarantees about animal sightings, a five-day or longer safari will give you the best opportunity to see them.
