Planning an African Holiday has been misunderstood and many think it is the most difficult thing to do. Such people have then fallen victim to overpriced Safaris because of ignorance (pardon my sincerity). However, for those intending to visit Africa and are looking around for the most practical advice on Planning an African Holiday, you just stumbled On the most resourceful Article – you will bear witness after you read it to the end – hang in there! Planning an African Holiday
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Save some cash for your travel to Africa.
For most people intending to travel to Africa, many worry about Africa being an “Expensive Destination”. Yes & No. Africa can be an affordable destination to visit depending on the list of places and or things you want to see and do on your safari to Africa.
While Africa ( the continent) has numerous destinations (countries) to visit, each country has a variety of things to see & do. For example: If East Africa is your destination, there is a lot to do; Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee Tracking, Mountain Climbing, Safaris, whitewater rafting, Bungee Jumping etc…. and for each activity you choose, the cost goes up – it is for this reason that travellers that want to do everything at a go find the cost of their travel to Africa very expensive. Planning an African Holiday
My advice to travellers is to draw a bucket-list (am sure you know this), with the most sought after experience being at the top of the list.
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Decide where you want to go on your African Holiday
A lot of first-time travellers only know that they would like to go to Africa someday, but have no idea if asked “where in Africa do you want to go?”
Africa is a big continent with 54 countries each with quite a variety of things to see and do. It is for this reason, that we like to advise that you take time and decide what you want to do, and where or which country(ies) you can visit to see and do the things you want to do. While African safaris and holidays are generally a given and can be done in almost all countries, you need to decide on what each country has to offer. For example; Are you interested in getting “intimate” with a family of mountain gorillas? Then Uganda might be your best pick. Alternatively, if watching the Great Wildebeest Migration on your Bucketlist, then the Masai Mara or Serengeti might be your choice of place to visit. If you are a hiker and love to summit high mountains like the famous Kilimanjaro, then Tanzania has got to be on your list of places to visit in Africa.
Browse our list of things to see & do in East Africa to get an insight into what each of the East African destinations we go to has to offer.
You may also make time and look at our sample itineraries. These will give you an idea of what to see and do, and where to do this.
Also considerably ensure you check (https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations) to know the places you should avoid – for safety sake!
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Decide when you want to go Planning an African Holiday
Depending on what you do for a living or as a job, you might suffer some restrictions on when you can actually schedule your travel to Africa. For example, if you are a school teacher, then the only time available for you to travel might be summer holidays. However, if you are not limited by time, then you need to further make time to understand the best time to visit the destination of your choice. Being East African Safari experts, we know the best time to visit Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
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Decide on the Intended length of your African Holiday
The length of your travel will be determined by how much time you have available from work or even school if you are a student.
If time is not your worry, and you have it in abundance, then the budget might limit you on how long you can visit a destination(s). Depending on what you want to see and or do, one thing you should be sure is the more things you plan to see and do, the quicker your budget might run out. So just be warned, Africa is an amazing place with a lot to see and do, and you might end up spending more than you initially planned to spend on your African Holiday.
For many, going to Africa feels like a once in a lifetime thing and most prefer to do it all in one go. But to be honest, it doesn’t have to be like a do it all once project. You can visit in bits to avoid “breaking into a bank”.
Its Costing time – let’s know what your Holiday to Africa might cost you.
This is the stage where we recommend working with a trusted local tour operator like Realm Africa Safaris™ to assist in the costing your African Safari Holiday. Traditionally Realm Africa Safaris™ will give you an all-inclusive costing unless you request otherwise. Our costings include; permits if going to trek gorillas or chimps, hike Mountains, accommodation & meals, local transfers and ground transportation. We can even go an extra mile to assist you to solve your “tipping mysteries“ by adding local tips to your cost (only on request).
Its, however, important that you understand that you will have additional pre-travel costs which include but are not limited to; Vaccination costs, visa application fees, travel gadgets/equipment and clothing. Then there’s also malaria tablets and travel insurance whose cost will depend on how long you are going to visit Africa.
There are few local tour operators that will include flight costs to your costing. This is often your cost to worry about. We recommend doing this yourself – well in advance is obviously better! Visit Skyscanner to search for flights, and to try and get the best deal by searching the whole month. If you have some flexibility, you may be able to save a bit of money! They also allow you to search flying into one airport and flying out of another, so if you’re planning to overland, this is a great option.
Bring Some Cash
Although our trips are all inclusive, they don’t include extras like drinks (beer, sodas, whisky etc). Unless requested during the trip costing stage, tips are also not included in the trip cost. So carry some cash for tips and any other Extras including souvenir shopping.
For Dollars, we recommend, brings small denominations of $5, $10, $20 and $50 bills. However, you need to ensure the notes are clean from any ink writings, are Not torn, and are of 2009 and above – the foreign currency policies in Africa are somewhat frustrating.
