August has always been one of my favorite months to be on safari in Southern Africa, the early mornings are starting to warm up and the long dry season is starting to take its toll on the vegetation. August is always the windy month, the horizons at sunset start to take on their deep red colors as smoke and dust collects in the higher levels of the atmosphere. Africa may feel a world away with the US heading toward a cold winter and Africa heading towards a hot summer but I read an article yesterday that highlights the connections that we all share:

Winds in North Africa carry dust from the Sahara across the oceans to settle in the Amazon rain forests, providing essential nutrients to the Amazons heavily leached soils. The author of this article was discussing the impact of long term weather patterns in North Africa on CO levels around the world, the wetter North Africa becomes the less potential for growth and the dry North Africa becomes the greater potential for growth in the world’s largest oxygen factory; the Amazon jungle.

Have a great week

Mark

Asking a traveler where they want to go and what they want to see in Africa is a loaded question that’s often difficult to realistically answer right off the bat. Some travelers might dream about enjoying 3-days of luxurious wine tasting via horseback followed by a mobile safari through the Serengeti—but if these travelers are bringing their young children, these activities might be difficult or even prohibited to take part in.

Therefore, it’s important to ask yourself a variety of questions prior to planning your trip, and be sure that you consult with a trusted travel agent who specializes in trips to Africa. These questions include: “What’s my budget?,” “Who am I going with?,” “What do my travel partners and I want to see and do?,” and “What type of accommodations do we want to stay in?”

Each and every answer to these questions has an influence on the answer to the next question. In order to plan the perfect vacation around your specific preferences, here is what you’ll need to know:

What’s your budget?

This is a big one and is the very first thing you must consider before planning your trip to Africa. Taking a vacation to Africa is quite an investment—one that is well-worth the money and the time it takes to travel. Nonetheless, you must be realistic about your budget and understand that creating a completely customized itinerary pulls in a variety of financial factors such as flights, transportation within Africa, accommodations, activities, reserve and park fees, tours, and more.

If you want to experience a highly personalized and luxurious vacation, you must have at the very least $5,000 per person in your budget.

After you’ve decided on your budget, it’s time to figure out the fun stuff.

Who are you going with?

Are you going to Africa with your spouse? Or are you going with your family? Perhaps you’re visiting with a group of friends. Whomever you’re going with, deciding on activities that are appropriate for everyone in your party is a must.

For example, if you are bringing children to Africa, they might be too young to participate in safari tours such as game drives, wine tasting tours, or canoe safaris—and sometimes, children under the age of 12 are not allowed to stay at certain accommodations. Therefore, it’s important to either make prior arrangements for the children while you are on safari, or create an itinerary for the entire family that consists primarily of child-friendly activities.

Or, if you are going to Africa with a group of friends varying in age and physical endurance, you might want to consider the physical requirements for certain activities you want to take part in such as mountain biking, hiking, horseback safaris, or walking safaris.

What do you want to see and do?

Do you want to discover ancient architecture, swim with penguins, relax at a luxury spa, or enjoy spectacular game viewing?

Deciding what you want to see and do has a huge influence on the countries and regions you will visit while in Africa.

For example, there is only one place in Africa where you can swim with the penguins and that’s Boulder’s Beach in South Africa. And, wine tasting can’t be enjoyed just anywhere in Africa—you must go to Cape Winelands to take part in the best of wine tasting.

Also, game drives cannot be experienced everywhere in Africa. This is why it’s important that you weigh your activity preferences to determine which ones you are top priority while in Africa.

What type of accommodation do you want to stay in?

Africa is full of various types of accommodations ranging everywhere from mobile camps to non-mobile camps, rustic lodges to lavish hotels, and extravagant bandas to romantic bush tents. Because each of these accommodations varies dramatically in terms of adventure and comfort, you must gage your personal preferences and consider your comfort zone and desire for extreme exploration.

If you want to sleep in plush beds surrounded by regal interior décor, visit the spa, enjoy fine dining in elegant restaurants, and have luxurious amenities at your disposal, a mobile camp, rustic lodge, or bush camp probably isn’t for you. Rather, you might want to consider extravagant bandas on the water’s edge or a luxurious hotel in Cape Town or the Garden Route, South Africa.

But if you are interested in experiencing the wilderness or are an adventurist at heart, you’ll love the mobile safaris and rustic lodges.