“Safari” in Kiswahili means “journey” and if you’ve got the travel bug like I do, I have always dreamt of journeying to Africa. Luckily for me, I got the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Tanzania and work at an all-girls secondary boarding school for 3 months. But before heading to my work placement, I had to check some things off the old bucket list! One major item being going on an African Safari. I had vision of vast plains with all kinds of animals roaming peacefully while the Lion King soundtrack played quietly in the background. With some planning and a little help from Spotify, the end result was a dream come true.

Here’s everything you need to know to plan your own African dream vacation:

Tips for Planning an African Safari in Tanzania

Top rated National Parks & Game Reserves:

Below are the top rated National Parks and Game Reserves for your African Safari. To get you up to speed on safari lingo, you should know that the Big 5 are a big deal and they consist of the African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, African Lion, African Leopard, and the rare Black Rhino.

Ngorongoro Crater National Park:

• Animals: Big 5, abundant wildlife year-round
• Vibe: classic safari vibe

Serengeti National Park:

• Animals: Big 5, many big cats
• Vibe: Great for wildebeest migration

Lake Manyara National Park:

• Animals: 4 of the Big 5 (no rhinos), some big cats
• Vibe: classic safari vibe

Ruaha National Park:

• Animals: 4 of the Big 5 (no rhino)
• Vibe: good spot for cheetahs and wild dogs

Mikumi National Park:

• Animals: 4 of the Big 5 (no rhino)
• Vibe: classic safari vibe

When to visit

Best Time

• June to October (dry season)
  • June-July & January-February are great in the Serengeti for the wildebeest migration and calving season, respectively

Low Season

• March to May (wet season)
  • Many lodges close down during this time

 Insider tips

Now that I’ve crossed “go on a safari” off my bucket list, there are a few things I’ve learned and some things I wish I had known before I went.

Before you go: 

1. Packing. Even though the African heat is sweltering during the day, nights in the plains are very cold. Bring breathable and light weight clothes for the day but bring clothes to bundle up at night. You will be so happy you brought that cozy sweater!
2. Portable chargers. Some safari vehicles are equipped with charging ports but I would still recommend you bring a portable charger for your phones and cameras. On days when you’re out on an all-day game drive, you will be thankful you had the extra juice.
3. Travel days. There are many options when it comes to choosing the length of your safari. We opted for the 5-day safari and I think it was the perfect length. 3 days is not enough time to see the different parks, landscapes and animals in each one but after 5 days… you’ve basically seen it all!

During your Safari:

1. In the wild. Don’t forget you are in the wild! Your safari guide, as hard as they may try, can’t control what you see or don’t see on your safari. Your safari guide is however, your best chance at seeing all the animals the African plains have to offer. They know their parks really well so if they suggest leaving at 6am for a morning game drive, do it!
2. Patience. Along with listening to your guide, be patient! Animals, especially the big cats like leopards and lions, move slooooowly. Leopards take their sweet time stalking their pray and hunting. Lions are lazy cats during the day and don’t tend to move around much. Stick it out and you might see something incredible. Our guide encouraged us to be patient with the cats and we saw two leopard hunts and a lion that was doing n-o-t-h-i-n-g for the first 15 minutes we watched him but then he led us to his baby cubs and his entire pride of lionesses.
3. Tents. Stay in a tent in whatever park you go to/has that option available. We stayed in a glamping style tent for 2 nights in the Serengeti at it was unreal! In the mornings we were greeted by chirping birds and baboons and at night we could literally hear the hyenas laughing from our beds. An experience I will never forget.

 Tour companies

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There are a million and one different safari companies to choose from. Unfortunately, many of these companies are not locally owned. Countries such as China and India have created huge tour companies that spit out safari trips like there’s no tomorrow. I can’t speak to the quality of these outsider safari companies but I always like to support local businesses anyway. Especially when dealing with something as personal and sacred as mother Earth.

We used African Legends. A mom and pop tour company from Arusha specializing in safaris and all things Tanzania. The “pop” even came to our hotel the day we got in to make sure we were ready for our safari the next day! I have nothing but excellent things to say about our experience with African Legends. 

Going on a safari was one of the most unique experiences I’ve had in a while. If you’ve ever thought of traveling to Africa to go on a safari, book those tickets! You won’t regret it.