How do I go about organising a 4 week safari for myself to africa (not south!) next June? I live in Ireland

Question

How do I go about organising a 4 week safari for myself to africa (not south!) next June? I live in Ireland

Answer 1

You've already started to answer this question - by asking for advice from people who may have done it before.

Another way of finding out how to do this is to buy Lonely Planet and Rough Guide books for East Africa / Kenya / Tanzania etc.

The first thing to bear in mind is the climate - eg June is still the wet season (just about) in Kenya , so make sure that you check this first, as this will affect the type of clothing you need to take, the animals you will see, and the price.

Once you have researched the climate for the country you intend to visit, the next thing is to try and find a trustworthy local guide to help you with bookings. Don't pay the full asking price until you arrive, but do offer to pay a small deposit to secure the booking.

Furthermore, if you are visiting during the wet season, make sure you recieve a discount. Also, if you are travelling alone, also inform the local tour agent that you are willing to share with other travellers - this will also save you money.

It is not necessary for you to book prior to arriving in Africa, as you will be inundated with offers of safari when you arrive, and the hotel / hostel you stay in will be able to organise this for you.

I have backpacked around Kenya twice in the last few years, and can recommend Nairobi as a place to start any type of safari.

The Milimani backpackers (google them for contact details) hostel in Nairobi is an affordable base from which to start from / finish at. The owners Andy and Patricia are able to offer local expertise and help with bookings and other travel arrangements.

You won't regret staying with Milimani, but you may regret staying in a bad hostel in Nairobi - its not called Nairobbery for nothing!

It may be cheaper for you to travel via the UK as Somak tours (google again) provide a flight only option for 7, 14, 21, 35 or 42 days with Monarch airlines from Manchester and Gatwick. Although it may be cheaper to book through www.travelrepublic.co.uk These flights fly in to Mombasa, but this gives you chance to explore the coastal area, and to go to Tsavo East & West parks on the way to Nairobi, or you can get on the overnight train to Nairobi (definitely an experience).

Other than that, just relax & enjoy the experience. Oh don't expect everything to go according to plan, remember that everything happens in african time, which is not always on time (if ever) and is never efficient.

Ensure that you have adequate insurance, and pack a med pack including clean syringes and needles etc - just in case!

Try and learn the local language for which country you will be visiting, at least learn to say, hello my name is ...  (Kiswahili - Hujambo, jino langu ni .....) etc, to break the ice when you get lost / things go wrong.