When to Start Planning Your Safari
There are many things to consider when looking to book your African safari vacation and one of the biggest factors is when to start planning. Kusini Safaris talks through the process, how to start and how we can help curate your dream vacation.
When is the Ideal Time to Start Planning Your Safari?
This is a slightly different question but still related to ‘when to go on safari,?’ When thinking about planning your safari, we’re not talking about the time of year you will be on safari, dry season, wet season and so on, but when you should start planning and actually booking your vacation.
It’s important to think about when your window for travel is. This is usually somewhere around 6 to 12 months ahead of when you want to travel. In line with other types of vacations, a lot of folks like to book their summer holidays just after Christmas in January and February. However a safari can be a big complex trip and for peace of mind, you might take your time in the ideas stage before moving on to planning and booking 1 to 2 years out. For instance, guests are booking safaris for 2024 now. Equally, it’s not impossible to book a safari very last minute, just weeks in advance in fact as long as you’re happy to be flexible and let us do the work, you can even find some very healthy savings this way.
Planning Your Safari Itinerary
As your safari plans begin to grow, try to keep the momentum moving. The more you look around online, have conversations and recommendations from your friends which begin to twig your interest, move into some more serious planning discussions. It can be difficult to decide what you want and to make sense of all the available information so get in touch and start a conversation with us where we'll be happy to talk you through ideas and options.
The more you can tell us and the more questions you ask, the better we can design and build your safari together. The planning stage of your safari is just an important and exciting part of the journey as the safari itself, follow your gut - if you've always dreamt of a particular experience make that a 'must have' part of your trip. If you're completely stuck on where to start, take a look at some example safari itineraries to help work out what your non-negotiables are for your trip.
Take Into Account Your Group Size
Generally speaking, the larger your travel group, the further out you should start planning. Here at Kusini Safaris, we only work with small safari camps and lodges and they get busy. The later you leave your planning and booking, the harder it can become to find spaces for 6,8,10 plus people at multiple properties - especially if you are looking at exclusively booked private camps and adventures.
Consider Your Bucket List Activities/Destinations
If you want to go to the big ticket destinations and experiences like The Great Migration in the Serengeti, gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Botswana’s Okavango Delta - it’s never too early to book. Space here fills up fast and in the case of gorilla and chimp trekking, permit numbers are strictly limited. The same is true if you have a favourite camp, location or activity that is a must for you, book early to avoid disappointment. If you want to go somewhere more off the beaten track, there will be less accommodation available and more elaborate logistics involved, so again, it pays to get started early.
Booking early can save you money. If we can get you your ideal safari the first time, we don’t have to chop and change for different options that might cost more. You can also lock in prices and protect yourself against rises in things like fuel costs. Booking last minute can also save you money. Safari camps can give away rooms at substantial discounts if they know they will go empty otherwise.
When the time is right, don’t hesitate!
Let's Talk
With so much information available and such a vast number of incredible opportunities at your fingers tips, it can be overwhelming to try and narrow down what you want to do on your safari vacation. Here at Kusini Safaris part of our role is to create completely bespoke safaris that fit your budget and your dream list. Get in touch with us today and we can kickstart your safari plans by providing first-hand insight, knowledge and tips and tricks to ensure you have the trip of a lifetime.