How Safaris Work

The word "safari" was introduced into the English language by 19th-century English explorer and linguist Sir Richard Burton (not to be confused with the more famous 20th-century movie star). Burton got the word from Swahili, an African language. It's derived from the older Arabic word "safariya," which means "a voyage or expedition" [source: Skinner].

British hunters like Cornwallis Harris and Charles Baldwin began venturing into sub-Saharan African in the mid-1800s in search of game, and their accounts of spectacular adventures spurred others to organize trips following in their footsteps. One prominent late-1800s safari enthusiast was the German hunter, naturalist and photographer Carl Georg Schillings, who took some of the first spectacular photographs of lions, elephants and rhinos in their natural environment. By the beginning of the 1900s, entrepreneurial British and European settlers in Africa -- who became known as "white hunters" -- were organizing and promoting safaris for affluent outsiders who wanted to bag some of the continent's spectacular game [source: Herne].

One of the most famous safaris was staged on behalf of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and his son Kermit, between April and June of 1909. The two Americans, accompanied by a British "white hunter" and 250 African porters and guides, landed in Mombasa, Kenya, and trekked westward across what was then British East Africa into the Belgian Congo. They then turned back northeast and finished in Khartoum in the Sudan. Along the way, the Roosevelts shot more than 500 animals, including 17 lions, 11 elephants and 20 rhinos. The former president published a 1910 book, "African Game Trials," which further enhanced the allure of safaris with its breathless, colorful accounts of adventures. For example, Roosevelt wrote of his up-close confrontation with a rhino: "The big beast stood like an uncouth statue … he seemed what he was, a monster surviving over from the world's past, from the days when the beasts of the prime ran riot in their strength, before man grew so cunning of brain and hand as to master them" [source: Eyewitness to History].

But that was then. On the next page, we'll look at today's safari experience.

Obviously a lot has changed since Teddy Roosevelt's day. With Africa's exotic wildlife increasingly threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and climate change, today's environmentally-conscious visitors tend to be thrilled just to catch a glimpse of a rhino in the wild, and have no desire to bring back heads or horns to hang over a fireplace. Moreover, African countries increasingly are working to develop wildlife watching and ecotourism as sustainable industries that bring in much-needed income and create jobs in local communities.

In South Africa, for example, where millions of tourists visit annually in search of the "big five" animals -- elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard -- there are 14 locally-owned-and-controlled safari operations certified by Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa, an organization that promotes ethical travel practices. And while local safari entrepreneurs once offered fairly rustic accommodations, they're increasingly developing more comfortable bush camps and luxurious safari lodges, where wildlife watchers can relax and dine in comfort after a day of adventure [source: Van Wyk].

Today's safaris make great family vacations (provided that the kids are at least 8 or 9 years old, the minimum age allowed by most companies). There are a wide range of variations in accommodations, from the luxury lodges available in some social networking site for various African safari operators.

Here's a taste of three types of safari lodging:

There are a great many fascinating destinations in Africa for a visitor, but most of the best opportunities to experience the continent’s incredible diversity of wildlife and natural habitat are in the eastern and southern regions. Various African nations have their own advantages and attractions for Safari goers. Kenya, which probably is the most developed country in terms of economic and tourist infrastructure, is most famous for safaris. But neighboring Tanzania, the locale chosen by Ernest Hemingway for one of his most famous safari stories, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," has an equally rich diversity of wildlife and safari opportunities. South Africa has been working hard to develop and promote its safari industry, and offers numerous locally-run safari operations. Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, and even the obscure African kingdom of Swaziland are rich in animals and birds, and offer a range of possible trips and safari operators from which to choose. Uganda now offers gorilla-tracking trips, an option that's gaining rapidly in popularity among those who are interested in our endangered primate cousins.

In fact, you may want to think of your trip to Africa as just an introduction to a continent that you can visit again and again. For your initial safari, you might choose to visit Kruger National Park in South Africa or the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Both of those parks afford you with a good opportunity to see the so-called big five animals -- lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros -- and are the best places to get a classic safari experience. If you're able to return to Africa again, you can pick a different locale, and perhaps pay more attention to other denizens of the African wild, such as birds and insects, and to the diverse flora [source: Harrison]. See the map to give you some idea of the continent's geography and climate, and the location of some prime safari areas.

Each country in Africa offers its own set of exotic beasts and natural wonders. Here's a primer of what you might encounter on safaris in the African countries that are most popular for safari adventures:

Whether you're staying at a posh lodge or a rustic tent at a temporary campsite, each day, you'll make it out into the wild to catch a glimpse of the wildlife. There are many ways to venture out. Here are some examples:

There are so many different possible options for your safari that it's difficult to set a rule-of-thumb for what you should spend. Instead, first, you should do some research to determine what you'd most like to see in Africa, and then balance that against your vacation budget. Don't forget to factor in your age, fitness level and expectations for comfort. If you're accustomed to staying in posh hotels on trips, for example, the backpacker-style accommodations that you'll find at some cut-rate camps in the bush will come as a major shock.

Fodor's writer Julian Harrison advises spending six to nine months planning your trip, and a year in advance isn't unreasonable. Harrison also cautions travelers that self-serve Internet booking isn't as reliable in Africa, where the travel infrastructure isn't as sophisticated as in other places. If you book online, you may set yourself up for some logistical nightmares. You'll also want to set aside money for gratuities and vaccinations that you'll need to protect you against diseases. You'd probably do well to enlist the services of a travel agent who's experienced in African adventure tourism [source: Harrison].

According to Harrison, there are price ranges to suit almost every budget. At the high end, a traveler who wants luxury can book accommodations at a fancy travel lodge for $1,500 a night. At the other end, travelers can get by spending about that much for an entire eight-day budget safari, as long as they're comfortable pitching a tent with the group out in the wild [source: Harrison].

One major expense to factor in is air travel. At press time, one major carrier, South African Airways, advertised prices of around $1,000 each way for flights from New York City to several South African cities [source: South African Airways]. But of course, those prices are subject to change. Your agent may be able to find you a cheaper package deal.

Generally, it's easier to get around in Africa during the dry season, which in east and southern Africa runs between late June and October. During that time, animals tend to congregate around water holes and rivers, so they're easier to spot. Plus, the foliage is less dense, so you can get a better view of them. One downside to the dry season, however, is that's also the part of year when lodges and camps are most crowded, and prices are often the highest.

In truth, though, the ideal time to go on a safari ultimately really depends on which parks and preserves you want to visit, what animals you hope to see, and what mode of local transportation you're interested in using. If you're primarily a bird watcher, for example, the rainy season is the best time to visit many areas. Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is the rainy season home for the vast herds of hoofed animals who migrate there in search water. So in that particular area, the rainy season is the best time to see the greatest abundance of wildlife, including the park's famous lions and other predators.

You should be forewarned, though, that if your ambition is to see a specific event, such as the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, timing your visit can be tricky. Those events vary in date from year to year, based on climatic conditions, and are difficult to predict accurately in advance. So it's good to have a plan B in mind, as well [source: Fitzpatrick, et al].

You probably already know that you'll need a passport and visa for your travels, prophylactic shots before you leave, comfortable khaki-colored clothes, and that a luggable, durable duffle bag is essential for transporting your stuff. But here are some other things you'll need for almost any kind of safari:

Are you ready to start planning your African safari trip? For more information on travel adventures and exotic animals, visit the links on the next page.