HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED ON SAFARI? (and what most people do wrong)

One of the most common questions people ask when planning a safari is how long to go for — and it’s usually where things start to go slightly wrong.

On paper, it often looks straightforward. In reality, it depends on how you want the trip to feel — and how much time you actually want to spend doing early mornings and game drives. A lot depends on the country you’re visiting, how many days you actually want to be away (particularly if you’re adding in some beach time at the end of your trip) as well as your budget. In practice, most people find that beyond a certain point, the early mornings and rhythm of safari can start to feel a bit repetitious. Much also depends on your appetite for wildlife-viewing. Personally, I never get tired of it - as each time you leave the camp expectantly never knowing what you’re going to see. But I’m very aware that not everyone feels the same after their sixth early start.

Apart from the different animals you’re likely to see on each game drive, your days are going to be very similar – an early morning game drive, relaxation back at the lodge and then a second late afternoon/early game drive. In certain places there may be the odd visit to a local village or a walking safari – but your days will be largely the same. So, you need to think about how many days would be suitable for you.

I’d say that you should visit at least 2 different National Parks, preferably with contrasting scenery and landscapes and, as a result, with different wildlife populations. I’d recommend a 3-night stay in each location so that you have 2 full days of game viewing (normally 4 game drives). So, I’d say that the minimum time you should be on safari is 6 nights. And if you have the time (and resources) I’d suggest a 9-night holiday staying in 3 different locations. For me, that’s the perfect length of time before the early mornings and bumpy jeep rides become a bit wearisome. And then you could finish your holiday with a few days at a beach.

In Kenya, I’d want to combine a stay near Amboseli National Park with time in the Masai Mara, potentially in 2 different locations. In Tanzania I’d definitely include time visiting Tarangire National Park (famous for its herds of elephants) and the Serengeti – potentially 2 different locations here – and a stay in Ngorongoro. And it’s quite possible to combine the 2 countries in one trip – the Serengeti and the Masai Mara are adjacent to each other! One of my client’s doing this next month. Botswana has contrasting scenery – so you could spend time in the Okavango Delta with a stay in Chobe National Park as well as visiting the Kalahari. The only exception to my rule of thumb for 2 different national parks would be South Africa, because people usually want to incorporate a few nights on safari (either in the Kruger or in the Eastern Cape) as part of a wider tour around the country.

If you’re trying to work out what feels right for your trip, it’s one of those things that’s much easier to talk through than guess — so feel free to get in touch and we can have a good chat and get the ball rolling.