For older travellers who still want the excitement of a new challenge but who also want to relax and enjoy their holiday, a safari provides an ideal opportunity to fulfil their dream. For younger travellers taking an early morning African safari where they will be tracking African wildlife during the day and night and then in the evening enjoying the local nightlife is no problem but for those wanting a more sedate safari experience there are plenty of opportunities for relaxation that are available. Many safari locations have luxurious spa hotels where treatments can be booked, and facilities can be enjoyed.

When on an African safari the day usually starts with an early morning game drive as this is usually the ideal time to spot the magnificent wildlife on the reserve. After a late breakfast there is usually time to relax in the comfortable surroundings of your chosen safari holiday accommodation either in your own room or in the well-appointed lounge areas. Another game drive is often offered in the afternoon for those who want another chance to see the wildlife.

The majority of the evenings in the safari accommodation are spent socialising with other guests over dinner and possibly enjoying a game of cards if this is something you enjoy.

Taking a once in a lifetime safari holiday should be an amazing and exciting adventure so do not let a little thing like a mosquito spoil it for you. As some mosquitos carry malaria it is important that you are prepared and take as much care as possible to avoid getting bitten and making your dream holiday turn into a nightmare.

If you are travelling to parts of Africa that has a mosquito problem you will probably need to get vaccinated and so it is worth checking with travel company and your doctor a few months before you travel. There are however a number of safari camps located in malaria-free zones and if travelling with children, you should definitely select one of these resorts to be safe.

The main pointers to avoid getting bitten are to make sure that you cover up as much of your skin as possible, making it a lot harder for the mosquito to bite you. Mosquito repellent should be worn but be sure to buy one that is a DEET or picaridin based repellent as these will offer the best protection from the awful bites. It is worth asking the locals what they use when you arrive as often from experience they have found something that works.

The holiday accommodation will probably have mosquito nets around the beds for visitors to use and when used with plugin repellents in the room the mosquitos should stay away.

So many of us are desperate to go on a holiday abroad, but it is likely that holidays to South Africa may be off the cards for a little while. South Africa is currently on the red list for travel and therefore it is advised against. If you do have to travel to South Africa (this should only be for certain medical reasons etc) then you must have a negative test within the previous 72hrs of departure. You must also isolate for two weeks upon your return in an isolation hotel and take two further Covid tests. You will also need to pay for all of these tests which can be around £85 each and the hotel which can cost in excess of £1000. This is in addition to the costs of the safari holiday which are usually not cheap to start with but well worth the expense.

If you are keen to get away on a safari trip to South Africa, but cannot afford the extra time off work or costs then why not book one for later on next year when hopefully rules and regulations will be a lot more relaxed than they are now.

If you love photography and wildlife then why not combined the two. Many safari destinations offer photography trips where you will go out with an expert photographer and improve your skills whilst embarking on a safari trio. What better way to learn than on a safari where you will get to see and capture some magnificent animals in their own environment.

Learn about angles, aperture, shutter speeds, ISO, lighting (including night time photography) and more on location. After you day out in the wilderness you can head back to the lodge where the photographer can go through and critique your images and also provide lessons in editing, should you request them. This stage of photography can make a huge difference to the quality of your images and you can take away tips from the lessons that will hep you in the future.

If you don’t have your own equipment or don’t want to take it with you, you can often hire the photography equipment to use when you are there.

This is an amazing opportunity for anyone with an interest in photography. It will also look great in a portfolio if you are looking in to a career in photography later on down the line.

Safari holidays are often a once in a lifetime opportunity and something that you want to ensure you get the most out of. They often cost a lot of money so you want to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. We all love a good holiday but often the planning and preparation (not to mention the cost) of a holiday can seem a little stressful at times.

In order to make your holiday stress free you need to do some planning. Booking a safari holiday in advance will give you more time to prepare for it. You need to make sure that you do your research and find out where is most suitable for you to go. South Africa is by far one of the most popular choices, but if travelling with children you do need to make sure you to go to an area that is within a malaria free zone. If you are worried about the money, then often places will allow you to spread the cost out of the holiday, making affordable monthly payments instead.

Packing is often one of the most stressful jobs to do and for this reason many of us leave it until the last minute. Ideally get your suitcases out a week or two before you go and start to plan your outfits you want to take. With a safari holiday you may need to take different clothing to what you would usually wear so you need to give yourself time to get all of this.

Are safari holidays safe for children and would they enjoy them? As a parent, this is a question you will have to ask yourself if you are thinking of going on a family safari holiday.

Family safari holidays in Africa can be a great way for children to get to grips with nature and encounter many different cultures. They can often learn a lot from seeing animals in their natural habitat, much more than they would from seeing them in a zoo or in a safari park. It allows them to understand why it is so important to look after the animals and their habitat.  It is important that when booking your family safari trip, you find a place that not only allows children but is set up to accommodate them.  You will need to make sure that you are going to a malaria free area as this is very important.

Not all safari trips will be suitable for children. Some types of trips may be a bit boring or may not fit in with your schedule, but there certainly are trips that are perfect for kids. Often going on for a shorter period of time is the best option for children. Self drive safari holidays can be perfect for safari trips with children as you can decide how long you go out for an what time of the day

Africa is such a diverse country. There are so many different types of places within Africa that it can feel like you are on a different continent when you are just in a different country only short distance away.

South Africa is known for its amazing, eye opening safari experiences. People flock from all over the world to go on a safari here. The ideal climate and array of wildlife make it the perfect option for a safari holiday.

It’s not just South Africa that has amazing wildlife to offer. Located in central Africa, Congo is the hike to the African Rainforest. A rainforest can be quite different from other sorts of forests you may have been to before. As the rainforest lie across or close to the equator they are usually very hot. They also have a fair amount of rain and as the trees cover much of the ground, the ground stays wet for a long time. There are a number of different types of animals, birds and insects that can be found in the rainforest, some of which are native to Africa.

Always book your tour with a reputable firm and be sure that they have conservation at the forefront of their ethos.

If you love wildlife and want to get a true experience of what it is like to see them in their natural environment then a safari holiday is just for you. South Africa is one of the if not the most popular destination for a safari and this is due to its diverse wildlife and climate. Many of the safari tour groups in South Africa have years of experience so can ensure you have an amazing experience.

You need to spend some time researching the different areas in South Africa and time of year you are thinking of going to get a true picture of what type of wildlife you will expect to see. Some people automatically assume that they will see Lions, Elephants, Wildebeests etc no matter when or where they go but this is not always true.

Some animals are found in some areas and not others and often they are more likely to be seen at certain times of the year. Your tour operator will be able to discuss with you when is best to go to see the animals you want to see.

If you really want to see the gorillas then you may want to consider booking a gorilla trek rather than a jeep safari as this is the only way to get up close to the animals.

A safari holiday can be an amazing experience and although it is not something you may be able to do at present with Covid restrictions, it doesn’t mean you cant still plan for it and do your research.

Certain wildlife is native to particular areas and often you will find a higher population in one area to another. If there is a specific animal you wish to see then you need to check that not only are they found in the place that you are going but also during that time of year. The time of year you go affects the amount and types of wildlife around as some animals prefer to be out in the hot wet climate whilst others are more active in the cooler, drier months. During the drier months in places such as South Africa, animals tend to congregate around the water holes.

Before booking a safari holiday have a chat with the tour operator and explain what experience you are looking for and what animals you would like to see. Although they cannot guarantee what experience you will have, they know the places to go to give you the best opportunity.

Every day on a safari is different, so if you do not see what you hoped to the first time you may well the next.

Although South Africa is not currently allowing tourists to fly there following the Covid outbreak, it won’t be long before people are able to enjoy the amazing sights and sounds that an African safari has to offer.

When going on a safari you will probably be expecting to see some of the most common types of animals such as the lions, elephants and buffalo, but what about the other animals that are not so common that you may encounter?

Nocturnal, secretive and decreasing in numbers, the Pangolin is difficult to spot in the wild. The animal is covered in scales that overlap and when it feels threatened it rolls up into a ball that is very hard to penetrate to protect its underside.  They usually walk on their back legs and its tail is important for balance.

If you are very quite and ideally have a decent pair of binoculars then you might be lucky enough to see an elephant shrew. With its long trunk like nose, it is easy to see where it gets its name from. It is one of the fastest small mammals on earth reaching speeds of over 28kmh! Because of this, you may only ever get a quick glimpse of them.