Is an African safari safe for older travelers? Malaria, medical care and travel insurance

I took malaria pills on my first trip to Africa. They did not sit well with me. I got very ill.

So when a client asks me, "Is safari safe? Is it healthy? And what about insurance?"... I get it. I've asked the same things.

After 31 years as a travel advisor, several trips to Africa of my own (South Africa twice, plus Botswana, Zambia and Kenya), and clients in their 70s sent on safari, this is how I answer those questions.

Is safari safe for travelers in their 70s?

Yes. We've sent clients in their 70s on safari, and their health is rarely what we end up talking about.

We talk about the roads.

Game drives are bumpy. Some of the drives between camps are rough dirt tracks, and a few hours of that can be hard on a back or a pair of knees. So before I pick a camp, I ask how your back is doing. How are your legs? Can you climb up into a tall safari vehicle a couple of times a day?

Your answers shape the whole trip. Sometimes that means flying between camps on small planes instead of driving.

It's also why I usually book a private vehicle. With a group vehicle, you go where the group agrees to go. With your own vehicle, you decide. When I said yes to a cheetah that was a bit away, nobody had to vote on it. And if your back has had enough for one morning, you can head back to camp.

Do you need malaria pills for safari? My honest take

Most of my clients take malaria pills. Most of the classic safari areas I love (Kenya's Maasai Mara, Botswana's Okavango Delta, and the Kruger area where MalaMala sits) are malaria zones.

Here's how we handle it. Before you go, talk to a travel clinic like Passport Health. They'll tell you which medication is suggested for exactly where you're going.

And if the first one doesn't agree with you (like mine didn't), there's more than one kind of malaria pill. Ask your clinic about the other options.

Whether you take them is a very personal decision, and it belongs to you and your doctor. We leave it up to you.

The malaria-free safari option

For some people, the pills are the deciding factor. That's OK. South Africa has malaria-free reserves where you can still see the Big Five:

Madikwe Game Reserve, up by the Botswana border

The Eastern Cape, including reserves like Shamwari, which pairs beautifully with Cape Town and the Garden Route

The Waterberg, about 3 hours' drive from Johannesburg

Cape Town itself is malaria-free too. I always say South Africa has Europe with Cape Town... so you can do the city and a malaria-free safari on one trip and never think about the pills.

Do you need vaccines for an African safari?

Usually fewer than people expect. There are very few places where you have to have a vaccine to get in. Yellow fever is the one that comes up, and it depends on which countries are on your itinerary.

We'll always tell you if you need one. Your travel clinic covers the rest, including any routine shots they suggest for your trip.

What happens if you get sick or hurt at a remote safari camp?

This is the one that worries empty nesters (and their grown kids) the most. You're hours from a city. What if something happens?

MalaMala, Tanda Tula, Tuba Tree, King's Pool, Mahali Mzuri: every camp I've stayed at had satellite radios and an airstrip close by.

Some camps have a medic on site. The rest can reach a medic by satellite phone, 24 hours a day, and they can get you out of camp very quickly. In East Africa, many of those flights are handled by AMREF Flying Doctors, an air ambulance service based in Nairobi.

So the bush is remote. The help is closer than you'd think.

Do you need travel insurance for an African safari?

Yes. And for us, it's a firm rule.

Every safari company we work with requires travel insurance. They won't book clients without it... so we don't work with clients who won't get travel insurance for an African safari.

When you shop for a policy, make sure it has medical coverage that works outside the U.S. (Medicare generally doesn't cover you overseas) plus emergency medical evacuation.

The extra layer I like: emergency evacuation coverage

We also offer emergency evacuation coverage on top of regular travel insurance. Many travel insurance plans get you to the nearest appropriate hospital. A separate evacuation plan gives you more say, like leaving and going to the doctor of your choice.

For a lot of our clients, that peace of mind is what makes them comfortable saying yes to Africa.

Why I'm so serious about insurance

Barbara and Michael are why.

Barbara BROKE HER BACK in Tahiti. I got on the phone with our partners right away. We got Michael a hotel while Barbara was in surgery. Once she was cleared to fly, we got them both home in lie-flat seats.

And travel insurance paid them back in full. For the win!!!

That's what you're hiring us for. We take care of you ON the trip and when you get back. The trip is amazing, but it's secondary.

Your health questions are part of the planning

You don't need to have the answers before you reach out. Malaria pills, bumpy roads, which insurance to get... that's my job.

So tell me: what's the one health question that's kept you from planning a safari? 🐘

Safari health and insurance FAQ

Is an African safari safe for seniors? Yes. We've sent clients in their 70s. The bigger question is usually how your back and legs handle bumpy game drives, and we plan around that.

Do I need malaria pills for safari? Most safari areas in Kenya, Botswana and the Kruger region are malaria zones, and most of our clients take pills. Talk to a travel clinic like Passport Health about which medication fits your trip.

Can I go on a malaria-free safari? Yes, in South Africa. Madikwe, the Eastern Cape and the Waterberg are malaria-free and still have the Big Five.

Do I need vaccines for safari? Very few places require them. Yellow fever comes up for some itineraries, and we'll tell you if you need it.

Do I need travel insurance for an African safari? Yes. The safari companies we work with require it, so we do too.

Is emergency evacuation coverage worth it? We offer it on top of travel insurance. It gives you more say in where you go for care, including the doctor of your choice.