Wildlife, Landscape or Culture? How to Plan the Right African Safari for You

When we start planning a safari in Africa, I ask every client to think about 3 things.

Wildlife. Landscape. Culture.

Almost everyone says wildlife first. And I get it. On my first trip to Africa, at MalaMala, a male lion walked within a few feet of our open vehicle and I could hardly breathe.

But after 31 years of planning travel, I can tell you the safaris my clients talk about for years have a lot more going on than a checklist of animals.

What do you want it to feel like?

When someone tells me they want to go on safari, I want to know what they're picturing.

Wide open plains full of animals? Scenery so dramatic that the trip between camps is half the fun? Time with local communities, learning about the people who live there?

Most people want some of each. But knowing which one matters MOST tells me where we should go, how long you should stay and what kind of trip to build around you.

Wildlife: tell me what you've been dreaming about

If there's an animal or a moment you've always wanted to see, I want to hear about it.

Maybe it's the Great Migration. Maybe it's elephants. If it's elephants, I'm going to talk to you about Botswana. We stayed at Tubu Tree and King's Pool, and those are the best elephants you'll see almost anywhere (outside Amboseli).

Or maybe this is your first safari and you just want great game viewing with lots of variety. That's a perfectly good answer too.

Each of those points to a different place, because wildlife changes a lot by destination and by season. Going at the wrong time of year is one of the most common safari mistakes I see.

And once I know what you want to see, I'll ask how you want to see it. From a vehicle? On foot? From the water?

The landscape changes the whole trip

This is the one first-timers underestimate.

Kenya's Maasai Mara, where I stayed at Mahali Mzuri, is the big open plains you've seen in every safari documentary. Botswana's Okavango Delta is water channels and islands… wide open, no fences. And South Africa lets you add Cape Town and the Winelands. It has Europe with Cape Town.

Some of my clients fall hard for those endless plains. Others want water, mountains or a mix of everything across the trip.

The landscape decides more than the view. It shapes which animals you'll see, what you can do (game drives, walking, boating) and how you get from one camp to the next.

Culture is the one people forget

Culture gets overlooked when people first start dreaming about safari. And for some travelers, the people they meet end up being the part they talk about most.

For some of my clients, that connection is a must. Others want every possible hour out in the remote bush. Both are completely fine. I just need to know which one is you.

Your neighbor's perfect safari may not be yours

I hear this all the time: "My friend went here and loved it."

I love a personal recommendation. It's a great place to start. But copying someone else's safari is how people end up on the wrong trip.

Your friend might love early mornings and packed days while you want a long afternoon at the lodge. They might be all about photography while you're there for the scenery. They might love a really remote camp while you'd be happier with more comfort.

Even the pace changes how a safari feels. I saw it with my own parents on my first trip to Africa. The camp Dan and I loved in Botswana was the wrong camp for them.

I want to plan YOUR safari.

You first, then the destination

After 31 years, I still start every trip with the traveler.

Once I know what excites you, what you're curious about, how you like to travel and what you want to remember when you get home, I can match you with the right destinations, camps and experiences.

Africa has more options than any one trip can hold. My job is picking the ones that make sense for you.

About 5 years ago, Patty and Dave came home from their Kenya safari and called me right away: "When can I go back?" That's the reaction I'm planning for.

So if Africa is on your someday list, start with one question.

Which matters most to you: wildlife, landscape or culture?