Five mistakes first-time safari travellers make

After years of planning safaris, here are the patterns we see — and how to avoid them.

A safari is one of the most rewarding trips you can take — and one of the easiest to get wrong if you don’t know what to look for.

1. Trying to see too many parks

Two parks, well-spent, almost always beat four parks rushed. Travel days eat into game-drive time more than people expect.

2. Booking a lodge before checking the conservancy rules

National parks are crowded at sightings. Private conservancies allow off-road driving, night drives, and walking safaris — a different experience entirely.

3. Going at the wrong time

The migration is in the Mara from roughly July to October. If you book in May, you’ll have a beautiful trip but you won’t see the river crossings.

4. Skipping internal flights

Driving between parks in East Africa is long. A short bush flight saves you a day each way.

5. Cheaping out on the guide

The single biggest variable in safari quality is the guide. A senior guide finds animals others miss and reads behaviour you wouldn’t notice. It’s worth the extra.