r/safaris

Hey everyone! I’m planning my first ever safari in November to masai mara. And had a few questions, since there is so much information and options available online. Due to my work, I’d only be doing a 4 day safari.

1. Is November a good time to spot the big 5? I’m mainly interested in lions, elephants & crocodiles. I don’t mind not being able to see the migration.

2. How crowded would the public reserve be? I’m seeing so many comments that prefer private conservancies. But that makes the cost for me a bit too high. Would there really be such a huge crowd difference in November?

3. How do you book a private conservancy safari? I only see camps, but what about the safari, the airport pickup & drop, etc.

4. Which are some good camps/conservancies for me to visit based on good sightings & price point?

Any help would be great, thank you!

Hi all! My partner and I (two adults from Germany) are planning our first trip to Africa and would love your advice and experiences.

**Fixed dates:** Dec 24 – Jan 23 (can't change them, we know it's peak season?!)

**What we'd like:**

1. **Safari**: the main highlight. A mix of a few nights in a nice lodge and some self-drive/camping with a rooftop tent.
2. **Self-drive road trip**: rental car (4x4 with rooftop tent is fine) for most of the trip.
3. **Active first part**: we're happy to be on the move and see a lot different things.
4. **Beach at the end**: roughly the last week (more or less, depending on your advice) just relaxing on a great beach.

**Flexible:** Domestic/regional flights are no problem.

**Budget:** maximum. € 10k per person, excl. international flights

**Our questions:**

- Which country/region works best for self-drive safari in late Dec/January (rainy season, heat, wildlife viewing)? South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, or a combination?
- Lodge vs. rooftop tent: where is each worth it?
- Garden Route / Cape region over the holidays: worth it, or too crowded and better skipped?
- Beach week: Zanzibar seems best weather-wise in January. Is Mauritius risky because of cyclone season? Any other good options (Mozambique, Seychelles, South African coast)?
- where and how to book?

Thank you!!

Any body has experience booking a safari with Maasai Wanderings?

They have been great and very responsive, however, to proceed with the deposit they only accept wire transfers in USD and our bank can’t complete the transfer due to unknown bank fees from their Maasai Wanderings bank.

When ask if we can make the payment in local currency, PayPal or credit they did not accept any other option.