Go On Safari

The adventure

The tent flap is still dark when you hear it: a deep, rolling series of grunts carrying for miles across the bush. A lion. By the time the coffee is poured and the vehicle is loaded, the sky is turning pink, and your guide already has a hunch where the pride will be.

Safari days run to the rhythm of the animals. Mornings bring elephants filing past to drink, giraffes browsing the acacia tops and cheetahs scanning the grass from a termite mound. In the midday heat everything rests, including you. Then the afternoon drive slides into sundowners as the light goes gold, and the night belongs to hyenas, leopards and a sky full of unfamiliar stars. You'll go out hoping for the Big Five, and come back talking about a dung beetle, a honey badger or a lilac-breasted roller.

Why it’s epic

• The Big Five, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, can all be seen in parks such as Kruger and the Serengeti.
• Gliding through Botswana's Okavango Delta in a mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe.
• Walking safaris in Zambia's South Luangwa, the place often credited with pioneering them.
• The Great Migration in the Serengeti and Masai Mara, the biggest wildlife spectacle on Earth.

What it is

An African safari is the chance to see lions, elephants, giraffes and much more in the wild.

How to do it

Popular choices include Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.

Top tip

Pack neutral colours and a pair of binoculars.

Need to know

• Most parks are best in their dry season, when grass is short and animals gather at water; the timing varies by country.
• Check malaria advice and vaccinations with your GP or a travel clinic well before you travel.
• Many light-aircraft transfers limit you to around 15 to 20 kg in a soft bag.

Do it yourself

• Small-group adventuresMuch Better AdventuresActive small-group trips run by local experts.
• Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide

Kit I'd pack

Most of a safari is spent looking, so the best thing you can pack is something to look through.

• 10x42 binocularsAmazonTurns a dot on the horizon into a leopard.
• Wide-brim sun hatAmazonOpen-top vehicles and midday sun.
• Rugged power bankAmazonCamera batteries die fast and camps don't always have power.
• 50% DEET insect repellentAmazonDawn and dusk game drives are mosquito time.

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My experience

There are thousands of options if you want to go on safari, primarily the location and time of year due to weather should be what guides your choices. Countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique all offer fantastic opportunities to have incredible experiences.

Budgets also play a part as some locations offer exclusive luxury lodges for thousands of pounds (or dollars) per night. Fear not, there are many cheaper ways to experience the excitement of a a safari without taking out a mortgage.

I am a massive animal lover, if I could, I would spend every day out in the wild with the animals that roam the plains of Africa.