This is How a Typical Day on Safari in Africa Looks Like

Few experiences invoke images of romance, incomparable beauty, and a vast sense of exhilarating adventure as a safari in Africa does. And for those travellers who have journeyed to Africa and have savoured her sweeping landscapes, untamed wildlife, absolute tranquillity and a jaw-dropping sense of escapade, the mighty land beguilingly summons one to return again and again. Like a passionate love affair, a safari enthrals, excites and enchants. The desire to experience the same, and more, make firmer imprints into your conscience.

In the past few years, the world of Safari has changed a lot – much more variety of accommodations that have started operating has made the competition fiercer than ever. However, this is a good thing because it has raised the bar for everyone in the game. 

The current variety of accommodations includes sites in major cities that generally serve as gateways to national parks and reserves. Other options include hotels, lodges, villas, houseboats, small camps with chalets or bungalows, permanent tented camps, seasonal mobile tented camps and private mobile tented camps.

When it comes to safari camps and lodges, there is a wide range of comfort and style, varying in the choice from unassuming simplicity, rustic bungalows to extravagantly indulgent suites with private swimming pools. 

The size of the accommodation and the tour is paramount while selecting the lodges or camps. In smaller camps and lodges, you will receive more personal attention and are often more willing to amend their schedules according to their guests' preferences. However, larger accommodations tend to be less expensive, but the downside is they tend to stick to a set schedule almost all the time. Where you choose to stay during your journey will make a monumental difference in the experience that will ensue. 

Upon arrival at your chosen lodgings, you will be informed of the upcoming activities before being escorted to your room or tent. Take some time to settle in and pace yourself with the native vibe. If you are wondering what it’s like to be in Africa.

A typical safari itinerary will offer two or three activities per day. It will usually start with the morning and then afternoon game drives operated by the guide in four-wheel-drive vehicles that will take you on an exploration of the land and search for interesting animals. Each drive can be anywhere from 2 to 5 hours, during the early morning hours or in the afternoon and early evenings—when the wildlife is most active. You can also book a private vehicle and guide to enjoy the freedom of taking a packed luncheon feast and stay out all day on safari, discovering areas that are too far for a shorter game drive. Or maybe bask in the quietude in the wide savannah during times when other visitors are back at camp for lunch.

With the first day in Africa, the adventure begins. You wake up to a knock just outside your tent by a friendly camp guide serving a steaming cup of coffee or tea to help kick-start your engine. And of course, the biscuits, rusks or muffins – the perfect accompaniment to that first cup of perfectly brewed dark roast. The day starts early in the bush, but it’s worth it.

The Rising Sun

There is something undeniably sweet about waking up with the dawn with a hot cup of coffee in your hand and see the sun rising, only a thin layer of canvas between you and the wild African savannah. Every sound is so clear – the rustle of the zebras heading past your tent on their way to the river or the breaking of twigs as the elephants or maybe giraffes feed just outside your room. This is Africa, and a spectacular day is just beginning. 

Morning Safari

An interesting alternative to start the day is with a very early hour drive before breakfast, where you venture in the wild in the remote parts. The animal kingdom has woken up and is moving around. The cold air before sunrise chills your nose as the open-air vehicle roams the dirt tracks with your guide searching for wildlife at a leisurely pace. As life-changing drama plays out in front of you, it embraces you in its fold. Feel yourself becoming a part of an environment where wild animals are born free, where they roam free as they have done from the dawn of time. Elephants, lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, buffalos and a large variety of antelope and gazelles, sometimes encountered in enormous groups—once these fascinating creatures are encountered in the wild, they are never forgotten. Moreover, it will sadden you to see them in cages in future.

Coffee Break & Savannah

After the classic sightings of spectacular wildlife on open savannah plains and in deep green forests, you realize it is after sunrise, and that rumble in your stomach tells you that it’s time for a morning coffee break. The guide will pull up at the edge of a water hole dotted with hippos and the most colourful birds you have ever seen. While the cup of coffee and freshly baked treat settles the rumble, you reflect on what you’ve already seen in the past few hours: maybe the giraffes play-fighting, a cranky elephant arguing with trees, and the regal leopard basking in the golden morning sun. By this time of the morning, you will be surprisingly hungry, and breakfast awaits.

A Royal Breakfast

Expect a royal treatment as far as a scrumptious breakfast is concerned. Tucking into a cheesy omelette or Eggs Benedict with some Cheese and Herb Scones and Cinnamon Flapjacks with Honey. It may be exactly what you need after an intoxicating campfire ‘bush tales’ the night before or after coming from a very early morning drive. With everyone looking remarkably enthusiastic this early in the morning, you sit down to a delicious breakfast.

Lunch is Served

When you return from your morning drive, there is a much-needed perfumed face towel and a cold drink awaiting you at the bar. The lunch menu is strategically placed next to your drink to whet your appetite with enough options and variety to keep everyone’s taste buds satisfied. Few pleasures come close to what you encounter on a safari, such as enjoying lunch in the shade of an old tamarind tree overlooking a flood plain packed with wildlife. A view from the tableau of the wildlife going about their schedule that you might get to see in the middle of your lunch being served could be a herd of elephants making its way to the water hole just in front of the camp. Although the food is delicious but not as engaging as the live show in front of you, leaving everyone mesmerised as the gentle giants quench their thirst only a few metres away. 

After that delicious lunch and some generous glass of wine, it is time to retire to your tent for a few hours. 

Siesta or More?

If you want more exposure to savannah, then for midday activities, you can opt for a walking safari, and your guide will get you closer to the intimate details of the wilderness, wildlife or even the local settlement that are often overlooked when moving quickly through the plains. It might include spending time in a “hide” observing wildlife coming to a waterhole or river. The excursion will give you a thrilling experience as you quietly walk through the tall grass towards a vantage point to find signs of wildlife you may not have noticed earlier. Your guide will unveil a quieter side of the safari that allows you to hear the subtle movements of the beasts. Additional activities you may undertake is visiting a local village or school.

Or, of course, if you prefer to relax, you can opt to laze around the swimming pool or take a nap.  Although this is the ideal time if you are a book lover to catch up on the book you have been dying to read, on the lounge chair looks like the perfect spot for the occasion to immerse in the serenity of Africa, including the fresh air, big sky and seeing nothing but wilderness whenever you look up from your book. Take time to write about your experiences in your journal while watching the birds and game as they pass by your tent or lodge.

Sunset Cruiser & Sundowner

After the afternoon refreshing sleep, it is time for a cup of redbush - rooibos tea to energize those sleepy bones and ready yourself for the afternoon’s adventures.

Although afternoon high tea is a very English tradition, it is now a safari tradition too, so along with tea, you will find a traditional scone with jam and clotted cream or a more modern fruit smoothie, but there will be something to your liking.

The guide, by this time, will round up everyone and escort you on the game drive or sunset cruiser. There is a safari tradition that is practised religiously, involves a salute to the setting sun and a celebration of another glorious day in Africa coming to an end. The ‘sundowner’ is like a happy hour, usually involving a glass of your favourite cocktail as you watch the sunset over the African Bush and nibble a handful of moreish snacks like flavoured peanuts, Sun-dried Tomato Pinwheels or Beetroot and Soft Cheese Samoosas that you somehow seem to find space for. One thing is for sure, though; it needs no arm-twisting to ensure a healthy attendance to this timeless gathering.

Wild Date in the Evening

Once the sun has set, it is time for another adventure: this time, a hunt for the creatures of the night. And if you are lucky, which you usually are, a hunting predator will cross your path before your search is over. As the darkness begins to deepen at the end of an exhilarating drive, you will return to the lodge or camp. After freshening up, Gather around the bonfire where you can revel in the day’s adventures over a pre-dinner drink and a few more delectable tidbits like Fish Frikkadels with Wasabi Tartare Sauce or Lemon and Chilli Olives, Sweetcorn Fritters. There is nothing better than that moment when you’re sitting around the fire and sharing the experiences of the day: how close you got to that lion and who was lucky enough to see that pack of wilds dogs on the hunt. It is truly remarkable when you realise how much you have seen in one day. As you sit and contemplate and slowly take it all in, you are mesmerised by the dancing flames, and for a moment, you are nowhere and everywhere, all at the same time.

Dinner with Old Friends and New

While you are all enjoying yourselves around the fireplace, your waiter will appear in time to invite you for dinner where you can savour delicious European or Pan-African dishes. More often than not, a safari dinner is a communal affair because everyone enjoys sharing their stories around the dinner table. You are also graciously hosted by your guide, who always have some interesting ‘bush tales’ to share.

With service comparable to any five-star experience, your wine glass stays full, and your three-course meal is beautifully presented. Some of the famous African dishes will find a place on your table like Vegetable Tart, Bobotie, Senegalese Fish Yassa, Mozambican Spiced Calamari, Chicken Jolof, African Pot Roast Chicken With Vegetables, Roast Guinea Fowl, Braised Duck With Orange And Lime Sauce, Spiced Lamb Chops, Mutton With Sweetcorn And Beans, Roast Loin Of Pork With Fennel Bulbs, Beef And Vegetable Pie. Side dishes of Savoury Rice, Chutneys, types of Potatoes and Salads are served along.

Star Gazing

Africa’s big open sky and vast wild expanses set the perfect stage for awe-inspiring views of the clear night sky. A cloudless night offers a splendid opportunity to gaze and identify various interesting constellations and noteworthy stars. One or more of the planets, Venus, Jupiter or Mars, will be visible at any given time. The Milky Way is quite stunning when viewed through binoculars! As the warmth of the fire comforts and the cool breeze entices, you wonder what tomorrow will bring. Sitting under a canopy of stars and musing over life is one of the most serene ways to spend a night in the bush. 

An End of the Journey….For Now.

All big and small things make a safari so precious. Every day is a chance to seize a new adventure. As the “cradle of mankind”, our deepest roots are embedded here; the African continent communicates with our very souls. Travellers return home with a sense of nostalgia, a feeling of belonging, a sense of awe and a broader world understanding from having experienced nature in the raw. And you will find yourself already planning your next trip before you come to the end of this one. Perhaps Uganda to come face-to-face with a silverback gorilla? To witness the epic wild animals roam across a veritable moonscape while lush, tropical greenery covers the Caprivi in the far north-eastern corner of Namibia. Or maybe Botswana, where you will drift silently through the magical Okavango Delta? One thing is for certain though, safari gets into your blood, and once you’ve been enamoured, it will turn into a lifelong love affair.