First Time Safari Tips & Tricks
YOU’RE GOING ON A SAFARI! This is SO exciting. I don’t know too many people who don’t have an African safari at the top of their bucket list, and for good reason. An African safari is the most incredible experience. You’ll feel like you’ve been sucked into your TV after watching too much Animal Planet.
Keep reading for my best first time safari tips and tricks so you can get the most out of this once in a lifetime experience.
What To Bring On Safari
Safari game drives are pretty long. At a minimum you’ll be out for 3 hours, but they can last pretty much all day, from dawn until dusk. You will want to make sure you have everything you need to maximize your experience.
Water bottle – Like I said, the drives usually last at least 3 hours so it’s important to stay hydrated! Just don’t drink TOO much because you can’t just hop on and off the truck whenever you need a bathroom break.
Snacks – Maybe don’t bring a 10lb rare steak that might attract a lion, but a granola bar could be a real lifesaver even on the shorter drives. Sometimes you’ll be asked to bring an entire bagged lunch for the full day drives.
Sunscreen – The top pops off the safari vehicle, so there will be a lot of direct sun exposure coming in, and nothing ruins a good time quite like a sunburn.
Bug spray – The windows are usually open, too, so who knows wha’ll be flying in and looking for something to snack on. Newsflash, that’s you! You are most definitely a snack. 😉
Sunglasses – It is SUPER dusty and get pretty windy when the truck is moving fast. It can hurt your eyes after awhile so sunglasses are a lifesaver out there.
Cell phone – I mean let’s be honest none of us go anywhere without our phones anyways! Animals can come and go in the blink of an eye so phone are great for capturing that fleeting moment very quickly.
Camera – What you will see on a safari will blow your mind, and you’ll be pretty bummed if you didn’t capture it in high definition! Don’t forget an extra battery & memory card just in case. If you can, splurge on a zoom lens (200mm minimum) so you can crisply capture even far away animals.
A jacket – Often times game drives will start at dawn and won’t end until dusk, and it can get pretty chilly. It can also help protect your cute safari clothes underneath – because no one told me you’re not supposed to wear white! Layers are the way to go.
Something to hold your hair back – Whether you bring a hat, hair tie, or claw clip, it will definitely save you from eating your hair all day as the wind blows nonstop into the jeep.
What To Wear On A Safari In Kenya
To wear or not to wear, that is the question.
An African safari is not just a normal Tuesday for most of us. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to take full advantage and turn this not only into a photoshoot for the wild animals, but one for yourself, too. How else will 600 of your closest Facebook friends know how adventurous and exotic you are?!
First, let’s start with what not to wear on a safari.
As for what colors to wear on a safari, this is completely up to your preference. I am always a big fan of white/off-white as a timeless classic, but I was actually warned against this (a little too late as you can tell by my photos). Because there is so much dust and dirt flying into the vehicle, it can have that pink-sock-in-the-washing-machine effect on your tight whities. But some places this will reign more true than others. For example, this was a real problem for me in East Tsavo National Park because the dirt was RED red. No amount of OxiClean is getting that out!
If you forget or if you absolutely MUST wear white for whatever reason, I suggest bringing a jacket or a blanket to coverup with while the car is in motion. Long sleeves and pants are also your best bet against fending off those pesky mosquitos.
I tried to go for a Jane Goodall meets Laura Croft meets Indiana Jones type of look. This means lots of neutral colors like beige, brown, dark greens. Khakis and sensible shoes are always a good idea, too. But at the end of the day, wear whatever you feel best in because NOTHING can ruin the awesomeness of a safari.
Safari Photography & Camera Tips
I cannot emphasize enough how going on a safari is an incredible, once in a lifetime bucket list experience, so you’re definitely going to want to capture those amazing memories! Here’s what I suggest.
If you’re using a professional camera, get a zoom lens. I invested in a 70-200mm lens with f-stop 1.8 for that beautiful blurry background, and it did not disappoint The auto stabilization was also super helpful because this lens is HEAVY.
PLEASE don’t forget an extra battery and memory card. Sometimes game drives are ALL day, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Luckily I didn’t have to use either of these things, but it’s certainly possible that you might need them.
Bring a camera strap! Those roads can get pretty bumpy, and again, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You should also bring something to cover your camera while you’re not using it because it gets pretty dusty out there which can get inside your camera body and tamper with the lenses. A small blanket will do the trick. Plus, this way you don’t want to worry about getting in and out of the bag constantly and potentially missing a major animal sighting.
Even if you are using a professional camera, bring your cell phone, too. If you’re as shaky as I am, it’ll be pretty hard to get crisp video on your camera without professional videography equipment. This is where your phone comes in handy! Most of my video footage from Africa was taken on my iPhone 12. Also, sometimes you might not have time to switch lenses for the perfect shot so it’s better getting it on your phone than not at all!
If you follow all these tips, your photos could look something like this:
Things No One Tells You About Going on a Safari
An African Safari will be everything you dreamed of and more, but it definitely comes with some twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. Here’s what REALLY happens on a safari that no one really talks about:
- Getting so many bug bites it looks like you have the Chicken Pox
- Yelling at your driver to “STOOOOOP GIRAFFFFFE!” By the way, if you want to see giraffes up close, don’t miss my post all about visiting Giraffe Manor.
- Taking 500 pictures of the same elephant because he’s so darn cute and looking right at you
- Getting really excited about a rustle in the bushes a hundred yards away
- Crowding into a huge pile up of safari vehicles anytime a big cat is seen
- Wanting to sit down but standing up every other minute so you don’t miss anything
- Holding your pee for hours because you can’t risk getting eating by a lion for a pitstop
Did any of this surprise you? If you’ve ever been on a safari, did anything happen that you didn’t expect? Let me know in the comments!
the Animals
What animal would you be most excited to see on an African safari?
The big 5 are the lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant. I was lucky enough to see all of these except the rhino and leopard. BUT I did see a cheetah, and I think the two are pretty darn close.
I also saw giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, ostriches, flamingos, hyeenas, warthogs, baboons, antelope, hippos, alligators, and lots more whose names I don’t even know.
Which animal would you be most excited to see?
Now you have all my first time safari tips and tricks, so you know WAY more than I did when I went on my first safari. And since you’re so well prepared now, go check out my post on the best safaris in Kenya and start planning your trip!