There is nothing quite like an African safari adventure. It is a life-changing experience. Here are the top ten things to make sure you bring with you when you go.
#1. Sense of Adventure and Awe
Going
on safari in Africa is not like going to a zoo, or to Disney's Animal Kingdom,
where the animals are sort of -- on demand. On safari, this is the real
deal. The animals are out there living their lives in the wild, and you
are trying to find them. That means sometimes you don't see much for a
while. It also means, sometimes you come around a tree, and standing right
in front of you is an eighteen foot tall giraffe, which is so big that as it
walks past you, you can actually look up and see the underside of it's
stomach. Or you round a bend and find yourself in the midst of a herd of
African Buffalo who are a little ornery because a lion just tried to attack
them. That's the beauty of safari; you never know what you're going to
experience, or when it's going to happen.
There is also a different pace to life in Africa. Neither the animals,
nor the people are frantically running around like the world is on fire.
Life moves in a more tranquil fashion, a pace more in harmony with nature.
This is a good thing, although to some type A personalities who get frustrated
when the line at Starbucks takes more then four minutes to get through, it can
take a little getting used to.
Here's the trick, at any time during your experience when you start to feel a
little out of sorts, take a long deep breath, look around, and think to yourself
"I'm in Africa. I am in Africa! How cool is this." Then just
marvel at everything around you.
#2. Good digital camera of video camera
You are going to see some amazing sights on your
trip. Sights which you'll want to capture so you can re-visit them
later. If you don't have one already, invest in a good digital camera, or
video camera. Most newer cameras of either variety have the capability to
take both still and video shots, so you won't need two cameras, just one good
one.
I also recommend taking two of the largest memory storage device you can buy
for the camera. For example, if it's an SD card, they now come in 8 Gig,
and that will probably be 10 or 16 Gig before long. I recommend two
because when you are out on safari you won't be able to buy another one, so if
it gets broken, or malfunctions in some way, you'll have a backup. Plus it
enables you to take lots of shots without worrying about running out of disc
space. You can always go through and delete the extras, but you certainly
don't want to have a lion walk right in front of you carrying a baby giraffe,
click the button, and get the "No More Memory" message.
I will throw one note of caution to you regarding cameras. I've seen
people get so engrossed in taking photos of the animals, that they don't really
experience the animals. While I absolutely think it's great to get some
memorable shots, don't forget to collect some memories as well.
#3. Journal
Experiences are
interesting in that as you go through them, you think you'll remember them
forever. Two or three years later you remember the major points of the
experience, but not much else, and by the time five years has passed, you can
barely remember the highlights.
In truth, you haven't forgotten any of it, you've just buried it under all
the new stuff that's happened, and so you can't easily recall the details of the
experience. What's amazing though, is that if you take a few minutes each
night on safari to journal about your experience, then five years later when you
read it, not only will you remember everything you read about, but all kinds of
other memories spring to life as well. It's almost like you are priming
the memory pump and the rest of them flow through the same tube.
Without the journal entries to get the pump going though, the tube pretty
much stays closed, and that's a shame, because when you re-live an amazing
experience, you get many of the same joys from the re-living, as you got from
the actual experience.
As a side note, you'll find as you are going through your safari experience
and looking for the African Big Five, that you're likely to gain some clarity
about your own Big Five for Life™. As my friend Sam Horn says, "Muse it,
or lose it." In other words, you want to write down your epiphanies when
they happen, or you just might forget them. Having the journal handy
guarantees you'll have a place to jot them down.
#4. Animal Spotting Guide
You
will be amazed at how many new animals you see on safari. One of the fun
things to do is to figure out what exactly you are looking at, or just saw, and
note it. An excellent way to do that is to carry with you an animal
spotting guide. My favorite kind of guide is one that's about the size of
a magazine, but with only 20 pages or so. I like this size guide because
the pictures or illustrations of the animals are bigger, so it's easier to
quickly glance and see whether you just saw an Eland, a Bushbuck, or a Thomson
Gazelle.
I recommend getting one that is in color because many of the differentiating
characteristics of the animals are their colors, so a black and white guide
isn't nearly as effective. Keep a pen or pencil handy, and each time
you see a new species, put a little check next to it with the date, and maybe
the location where you saw it. It makes for another great keepsake of your
safari experience.
#5. Appropriate Clothes for the Weather and Circumstances
It snows in Africa. Many people don't
realize that. Depending on the time of year, elevation, and specific
country you are in, the weather can range from below zero to over one hundred
degrees Fahrenheit. There is typically also a large temperature difference
between the heat of the day and the temperature at night. Before you go on
your trip, do some research and find out what the typical weather is like for
where you are going, and at the time of year your trip is taking place.
As a general principal I take some kind of a sweatshirt or jacket with me no
matter where I go on my travels. Very few times have I gone an entire trip
without needing it at least once.
I'm also a huge fan of special travel pants that have two unique
characteristics. The first is that they zip off at the knee, so that with
a quick unzip on each leg, your pants become shorts. A great way to pack
less, but still have the right clothing for warmer and cooler situations.
The second feature I look for in my travel pants are double zip, or double
Velcro pockets. Basically, it's like a pocket within a pocket. (I've
had special custom ones designed for me that have double Velcro and a zipper,
which is great also.) The purpose of this feature is that it makes it
practically impossible for you to get pick pocketed, or for something to
randomly fall out of your pants pocket. I take these with me every time I
travel, because then I never have to worry about my money or passport. I
always have them with me, and they are always secure.
#6. A Tilley Hat
The story of me and
my Tilley hat is an entire article in and of itself. Suffice it to say
that after having backpacked around the world on $40 per day with my wife, the
concept of paying $72 for a hat seemed a bit outrageous. Having gone on to
purchase the hat and put it through some serious tests in the Amazon Jungle,
China, and Mexico, and Peru, I am a customer for life. This is quite
frankly a travel necessity. It floats, you can crush it in a pack and it
comes back to form almost instantly, it stands up to the most unbelievable
torrential rain storms (see Amazon Jungle), and the protection from the sun is
superb. Trust me, you will never buy another hat after you try one of
these.
#7. Medications -- Malaria, Shots, and Others.
While going on safari now is worlds apart from the
pith helmet days of the 1800s, you still need to be very careful about
protecting yourself from diseases. A few shots and perhaps some malaria
pills will do it, so my advice is to talk with your tour operator and see what
they recommend, and then follow it. If you are going on a long trip
without a tour operator, or if your tour operator suggests you contact your
local medical center, I recommend doing a search on the web for- health services
for travelers -- and whatever major city you are in or close to. Where I
live there is a specific office set up specifically for travelers, and they are
able to pull up a list of what I need for each country I travel to.
Cipro, which is an antibiotic, is often prescribed for travelers as a form of
treatment for food poisoning. Ask your doctor about that as well, and it's
a good idea to always have a few Imodium, or similar over the counter medication
on hand.
In terms of other medications, bring whatever you need with you. You
can't count on being able to refill any medication while on your trip.
#8. Snacks and Water
By this I don't
mean bring snacks and water from home. This is a tip for once you are
already in Africa and getting ready for your safari rides or treks each
day. Depending on the type of adventure you are on, you might be out for
long periods of time. Sometimes it's planned, and other times it
isn't. My wife and I have literally gotten up at 5:30 a.m. and because we
were having such an amazing experience, not returned to our camp until
sunset. That's a long time to be out and about without food or
water. As a general rule, I suggest carrying a liter of water for each
person and enough snacks to last you for three to four hours. If you know
you are going to be out all day, double that.
When you are out on the savannah it isn't like you can take a quick trip to
the drive through to solve your case of the munchies. Even with all
inclusive luxury safari lodges, it never hurts to be prepared. An energy
bar or something similar is easy to carry and lasts you for a long time.
#9. Someone Important to Share the Experience With
experience. I've never met someone who felt otherwise. There is just
something so amazing about being out among the animals, and the nature, in a
place where human history dates back more than three million years. It is
an energy all its own.
While you can certainly enjoy the experience while running solo, and better
to experience it on your own, than to not go because you don't have someone to
go with, it's a pretty amazing thing to be able to share it with someone
important in your life. It is certainly an experience that will be a
permanent bond between you and whoever you go with.
#10. Binoculars
Many of your animal
experiences will be up close and personal- so up close that you have no need for
binoculars at all. There are other times though, especially when you are
on walking safari, when the binoculars give you a chance to see things you
couldn't with your naked eye. Even with the animals that are up close, I
often like to look through the lenses and check out the specific features of the
animals, like the patterns on leopards, or the trunk of an elephant for
example.
I don't recommend bringing small little binoculars. They just aren't
powerful enough for what you want. I've tried them, and much prefer using
a good professional series type. Many tour operators have them available
for guests either for rent, or as part of your package, so check into
that. If not, I'd recommend picking up a pair.
#11. Although not in the top ten,
hiking boots, sunscreen, insect repellant, a very thick paperback from your
favorite author, and an LED head lamp are permanent parts of my travel pack as
well.
About John P. Strelecky
John is the best selling author
of numerous books including href="http://www.bigfiveforlife.com/products/item8.cfm">Life Safari. He
has done many long duration adventure trips including a nine month, around the
world, backpacking excursion with his wife, which encompassed almost seventy
thousand miles. For more about John, visit href="http://www.bigfiveforlife.com">www.bigfiveforlife.com.