Choosing Your Safari
The best place to start. Ask yourself, "What do I want to see?"
For most visitors the focus is on the Big 5 - lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. Safari operators have borrowed the term that big game hunter's used for
their most desirable trophies. The Kruger National Park in South Africa and Kenya's Lake
Nakuru and Masai Mara are great places to go in search of the Big 5 and for other mammals
and birds. Both the black and the white rhino are endangered, the black rhino more so. The best sightings of white rhino are generally in South Africa and for the black rhino we recommend Namibia's
Etosha National Park and Damaraland. Elephants are hugely appealing, some of the largest
herds in the world can be found in the Chobe National Park and Linyanti regions of Botswana. Primates, especially gorillas and chimpanzees are charismatic animals and often a focus for the
wildlife traveller. If this is your main interest then head for the pristine forests of Uganda, Rwanda
and Tanzania.
Predator sightings, particularly the big cats, are always a magical experience and a highlight of any safari. During the famous
wildebeest migration in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the
Masai Mara in Kenya expect superb predator action, in particular lions and cheetah. Leopards are
best observed on night drives in the Kruger Park in
South Africa, the Okavango Delta in Botswana and the South Luangwa in Zambia.
Once you've decided on your game viewing priorities it is time to choose how you wish to experience it. Ask yourself, "What type of experience am I after?"
For guidance on the different types of safari experiences see below:
There are a wide variety of styles from luxury tented lodges to simple fly camping. The categories above offer luxury, basic and midrange options. Contact our specialist team to discuss the safari that would suit you best.
Lodges
Generally, lodges in most parts of Africa are larger
than other options such as tented camps but offer more amenities such as swimming pools, shops and perhaps a choice of restaurants, just like a large hotel. One
of the most important considerations is location. We often recommend Tanzania's Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge and
Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana. They offer good value and an abundance of scenery and game viewing, especially
important for families and groups. Lodges, however, can also be ultra luxurious such as in the case of South Africa's
Singita lodges in the
Kruger Park and Shamwari lodges in the Eastern
Cape.
Tented Camps & Bush Camps
Tented Camps and Bush
Camps are the perfect way to experience the African bush. This is the most popular choice with Mahlatini's discerning clients! Sleeping under canvas reminds you
that after all you are in Africa, but there is no need to compromise on comfort. Indeed most of our luxury options are tented for example Sausage Tree Camp in Zambia, Migration Camp in Tanzania, or Mombo Camp in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Most 'tents' consist of large bedrooms and bathrooms including all the modern amenities that you would expect in a luxury hotel. Also popular are semi permanent
tented camps which are best used where seasonal migrations are the focus for game viewing for example during the
wildebeest migration in the Serengeti. Camps such as Sayari and
Olakira remain in place for up to 3 months at a time before moving
to a separate area of the park to follow the animal herds.
Luxury is just as much about experience as material extravagance and many of the bush camps we work with are in very remote wilderness areas, for example Zambia's
South Luangwa's Mchenja Bushcamp. These camps and lodges
are often owner managed rather than being part of a safari camp chain, you are guaranteed personal friendly service from people with a passion for the surrounding
wilderness and wildlife.
Which Country?
Each country in southern and eastern Africa offers a different and unique safari experience to the other around it. Now that you have read up on the different
types of safari available, choose a country to view our sample safaris.