r/AfricaTravel

I will be flying into Nairobi on September 24th and will have 2 days to spend in Nairobi before I start my safari on the 26th and I was wondering what things there are for me to do and any recommendations. I’m a single male 61 years old. Thank you for your time

I was super skeptical of the San (bushman) experience. I was afraid it would be an awkward touristy bust. Totally wrong. It| was a fantastic 2 hours in the bush with the most amazing story tellers I have experienced. A legit picture of how they survive in the Kalahari.

Hello
I am thinking of planning a holiday to Africa, maybe to Kenya or does anyone else have any suggestions where too?, hopefully get something plan and sorted for next year
Thank you and feel free to DM me

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are planning a Kenya safari from 6–16 December, covering Amboseli National Park and the Masai Mara. We've contacted 3–4 tour operators so far, and the quotes we've received range from USD 4,440 to USD 5,400 per person , excluding international flights.

Does this sound like a reasonable price for December, or is it possible to find a good package in the USD 1500-2500 Per person range (excluding flights) without compromising too much on the experience?

If anyone has recommendations for reliable local tour operators or has done a similar trip recently, I'd really appreciate your advice. Thanks!

Any way possible to cut costs on my dream vacation in Africa?

So this is something I've wanted to do ever since I was a teen. So this is a trip 20 years in the making. In a year or two (three at the most) I want to go on a big trip with my husband. Is there anyway to get things cheaper. I've seen the cost for flights around $10,000 for both of us.

The places I would go to would be as follows

\\-Bamako

\\-Kinshasa

\\-Kampala

\\- Kigali

\\-Bangui

\\-N'Djamena

\\- Mogadishu (of if this is not possible Hargeisa)

If possible I'd like to also go to Lagos, Ouagadougou and maybe Niamey

Id like to experience as much as possible and ideally as cheaply as possible. Any travel tips or advice we can do?

Hi!

For those who have been Gorilla trekking - which company did you go with and would you recommend them?

Thank you!!

Hi all, just a quick question out of genuine curiosity.

When you plan a trip to Africa, what is the main driving force behind it? I’m interested in hearing the variety of reasons whether it’s classic tourism, visiting family/friends, heritage travel, or work.

Which countries do you usually head to, and what makes that specific destination special to you? Thanks in advance for sharing!

We are planning a safari from Arusha, visiting Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. Since we are going in early September, we want to try to catch the Mara River crossing.

Our first safari operator option has given us the following itinerary:
- First day depart from Arusha and game drive in Tarangire
- Second day game drive in Central Serengeti
- Third day game drive towards Northern Serengeti and Mara River crossing in late afternoon
- Fourth day in Northern Serengeti for Mara River crossing in the early morning and then drive to Ngorongoro surroundings
- Fifth day in Ngorongoro and return to Arusha

We know Mara River crossings are unpredictable and we could be lucky to catch a crossing during our short window there or not be lucky and see nothing. To increase our chances, another safari operator option has suggested an additional night in the Mara River surroundings, so a six-day safari instead of a five-day one.

The thing is we only have nine full days available in Arusha so we would have to cut one of our days there to fit an extra day of safari. Also, the operator that quoted us the five-day safari is charging USD 2110 per person (we are a group of four) with the first night in a proper lodge, the second in public camping, the third in tented camping, and the fourth in public camping. Meanwhile, the other operator is quoting us USD 1900 per person with the first night in a proper lodge and the other four in a tented lodge.

The lower price for the same service, with an extra day of safari and better-sounding accommodation, sounds a bit suspicious but we have no idea how to gauge the provider’s quality because it is being offered directly by our accommodation in Arusha whereas the more expensive and shorter option with less comfortable accommodation is from a safari tour operator I found online with really good ratings.

From your experience doing safari in Tanzania, especially in the Serengeti, which option would you go for?

Important detail: we prize our days in Arusha too because we lived there as kids for two years and this is our first time back in 21 years so we are looking to show our spouses where we lived, where we went to school, etc. I also have a few friends there from school that I haven’t seen since 2005.

I’ll be traveling to Kenya and stay for 30 days but I would love to visit countries if I’m able to if people can tell me what villages are best to have a great time!!?

Hi, my friends and I are trying to plan a trip to the transkei. My friend and I are American and we were planning on driving from Cape Town to the transkei. I know that there are large protest and potential for riots happening on June 31, and I don’t know if it’s the safest time for us to drive on July 1. It will only be us 3 girls. any recommendations or advisories we should caution about? Should we just go somewhere else? I’m not sure if it’s the right time to do this transkei adventure but my friend really wants to go.

Hi everyone, I would like to do spend my holidays starting 27 of July for about 10 days. I would like to do a safari and spend some days in a sea location with coral reef. Give me links or if there is anyone that could offer as a guide. Thank you very much!!!

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Hello all. Last year I went on safari in Tanzania, spent time on Zanzibar, went on safari in Botswana, and saw Victoria falls (both the Zimbabwe and Zambia sides). I had an absolutely amazing time, and would really like to see South Africa next year. I'm hoping to spot some of the animals I didn't see last time, and lots more of the same I've already seen since they were amazing.

Last year I went on two G Adventures tours (I have now been on 4 altogether), plus a few days here and there outside the tours, and would have been booking their tour that includes 8 days around Kruger and area plus 11 days on the Garden Route, but they will no longer be doing the Garden Route when I am planning to go (September 2027), so I am looking into alternative companies. I have also now discovered that some companies also include Eswatini and Lesotho, so I'd very much like to do a tour that includes these.

I like G Adventures because they really focus on giving back to local communities and always have local guides who are born and raised in the areas. I am also open to occasional camping where it makes sense, but would like to be in hotels or lodges as well. I also would like a good focus on local cuisine.

I have seen an itinerary through Nomad Africa that is 19 days starting in Johannesburg and finishing in Cape Town and including both Eswatini and Lesotho, and I am wondering if anyone has any experience with this company or has any other suggestions? I'm open to longer tours as well. The more I can see, the better. I prefer having small groups, and would really like to be in proper safari vehicles for safari days rather than some tours that just use their overland vehicle for safaris.

Thanks to anyone who can provide good insight on this.

We are heading to Kenya in early November for my long awaited dream safari holiday. I’m booking a private tour for my husband, myself and our 20yr old daughter. Planning around 8-9 days. I have quotes for two different levels of accommodation (mid range and higher end) and from what I can tell, one of the differences with the more expensive package is that most places seem to have a swimming pool. I’m quite sure there are other differences that warrant the higher price for more luxury accommodation but I’m also sure we would be very comfortable with the less expensive option, so I’m wondering if it’s worth a bit extra to have a pool to cool off in after a long day out on a game drive.

The difference in price for the whole safari is about $900US (so about $300pp for the whole trip)

It’s my dream holiday so I don’t want to skimp, but also don’t want to waste money on something we’re unlikely to want or need. Like I said, early November so not peak heat.

Would love to hear from anyone who stayed at places with a pool whether you appreciated it or think it’s not worth it?

Anything you think is more important or worth paying extra for?