Mistakes first-timers should avoid on South African safaris

I try to avoid travelling during the holidays as it tends to be more crowded. Unfortunately, we ended up booking during the Easter holidays which coincided with the end of summer in the southern hemisphere.

The accommodations were full and busy, with lots of kids, and the prices were higher. We still had a great time, but if we had booked on other dates (perhaps during a low season), we might have paid less for a more private experience.

Our morning safaris began before dawn in an open jeep.

The safari guide was wearing shorts so I thought I would feel comfortable matching them. Boy was I wrong! I was really cold on our first trip.

I quickly learned that even though it was summer, a hat and down jacket would have been comfortable during the trip.

I knew I wanted to have my camera on hand at all times when I went out for a drive, but after several hours of driving, we were getting close to the gate and I put my phone away.

That’s when we turned a corner and saw a large white rhino in front of us in the middle of the road. It was a dramatic moment that I captured in my head, but I didn’t have time to take a photo before it scurried off into the bushes.

Next time I’ll be better prepared for any animals that might appear near the exit.

The terrain of the safari changed depending on the destination the guide took each day and some routes were quite dusty.

After a day of exploring, I felt like I had dust in my ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. Sunglasses helped protect my eyes, but I wish I had brought a bandana to cover the rest of my face.

Our safari adventure included visits to three different wildlife reserves and we rented a car to travel between them.

On each transition day, we did a morning game drive, then the drive to get to the next reserve and then an afternoon game drive there.

I sat for a long time and was tired by the time I got to the evening safari. Next time, I might spread out my schedule more.

At one point, I put my bags in my accommodation and left the door open. When I came out, the neighbours were taking pictures of a monkey inside my car.

It was quick because luckily I didn’t have any food in the car so I could just run out.

Now I know I need to be mindful of locking and closing my car doors when I’m on a game reserve.

Animals can be unpredictable and safaris are not like a zoo. I learned how quickly a situation can change while watching a herd of elephants feeding in Kruger National Park.

They started to cross the street in front of my car and one of them, a large one, turned to look at us and started shaking his head. He seemed clearly displeased with our presence.

I put the car in reverse faster than you can say “elephant,” but it was a terrifying moment.

Night safaris include a stop in the forest at dusk for a sunset drink. One night, my drink turned out to be too liquid for my bladder.

The problem was that we were following a pride of lions, so there was no way to get out of the truck to relieve myself.

I was able to handle it, but next time I will be more careful with the amount of liquids consumed before and during trips through the forest.

Power blackout is the name given to scheduled power cuts in South Africa that help prevent the power grid from becoming overloaded.

Some places have backup generators or solar panels to alleviate power outages, but I’ve learned not to expect that to always be the case.

When the power went out during our trip, I found myself sitting in complete darkness. I scrambled for my phone’s flashlight, but I could have avoided the panic by plugging in the emergency light provided to me.