This summer we crossed off one of our bucket list trips…an 8 day Safari in Tanzania. IT. WAS. EPIC. We had been planning the trip for a few years, waiting for the kiddos to get a little older, and it was 100% worth the wait. Not only did they get more out of the experience, which was once in a lifetime, it’s also just easier to travel with older kids. We have taken ours on a number of overseas adventures…. Ireland when they were 3, Spain and Portugal when they were 5, and I have zero regrets. Exposing them to other parts of the world is important to us. But Africa was something we wanted to do when they were old enough to hold onto to some, if not most, of the memories. My parents, my sister and her family, and my brother and his family all traveled together, so this truly was a special trip. I did a lot of sharing on social media while I was there, and I did get some questions about planning and logistics, so instead of just posting all the pretty pictures, I’m covering a few things I thought were noteworthy should you find yourself planning an African Safari :)

What Safari Company Did You Use?

This is a big decision. I cannot stress enough the importance of a company with plenty of experience. We booked through Africa Dream Safaris and we were blown away by the level of service. After speaking with us to gauge our expectations, they built us a custom itinerary and then helped us with every little step along the way to make it happen. They helped us book our flights and apply for visas on an appropriate timeline. They booked all of our lodging, and every single camp was amazing. They sent us videos about what and how to pack. The list goes on. It really was a “white glove” experience and I know not all safari companies are as accommodating. That’s before I even mention our driver guides. These guys are probably the most crucial part of your entire trip. You will be with your guide all day every day; they quite literally become part of the family. They’re also the people you rely on to find the animals, which is the whole point of a safari. So on top of being just all around cool people, you want them to be knowledgeable. You WILL have questions and you WILL want to get as close to the animals as possible. You’ll need to leave the vehicle several times throughout the day to use the bathroom, and you’ll want to feel safe doing that (yes, you literally pop a squat behind the cruiser when you have to go). So to get the most out of your safari, you’ll need an experienced driver. The driver for my little family was just top notch, they all were (we had 3 for our group of 13). They had an answer to every single question I threw at them. Ema could also spot an animal from a mile a way. We often found drivers from other companies stopping to ask our guide questions so we definitely felt like we were in great hands. Ema (Emanuel), Peter, and Fazal were our drivers and I would recommend any one of them if you get a choice in guides :)

AFRICA DREAM SAFARIS

What Camps Did you stay at?

There are a ton of camps and lodges to choose from. We stayed mostly in nicer, permanent tented lodges but did spend a couple of nights in a mobile camp which was cool to experience.

River Camp
Serengeti Camp (tents and bush showers…definitely more rustic)
Sematu Camp
Lions Paw

How Did You Get There?

I will admit that travel days on this trip were tough on my 42 year old body. Yes, it was worth it. But it hurt. Ha. Travel logistics from home to the Serengeti looked like this…

Tampa to NYC - about 2 hours
NYC to Nairobi - about 14 hours
Nairobi to Arusha - about 1 hour
Arusha to Serengeti National Park (bush plane) - about 2 hours

Our drivers met us with Land Cruisers as soon as we got off the bush plane in the park. From that point forward, they took us everywhere we needed to go. We had a pre arranged itinerary, but because it was a private safari, we could also veer from that itinerary when we wanted to.

**This flight itinerary had us using Kenya Airways, partnered with Delta, and I’ve never had a worse travel experience in my life. I believe there is a KLM flight option with a layover in Amsterdam. I would 100% recommend going that route instead.

Weight Limits on Luggage?

Yes, there is a 33 pound per person weight limit on luggage. As a mom and a photographer, this one made me nervous. My camera bag alone is insanely heavy, plus packing for four people for two weeks? Nightmare. BUT, it wasn’t that bad. The only time you truly have a 33 pound per person weight limit is on the bush plane. Makes sense. And we just purchased an additional seat on the plane to cover the overage in weight. It was a matter of a few hundred dollars and it saved everyone a lot of headaches. None of the other planes we traveled on were a concern as far as weight goes. We did however ONLY PACK CARRY-ONS. The statistics for lost luggage between New York and Arusha are just too high, and no one wants to be out in the bush for 8 days without any stuff. Aside from that, if you keep it to a carry-on and a personal item per person, everyone’s luggage will fit in the back of the cruisers as you migrate from camp to camp. There is an opportunity to do laundry at just about every camp, so you really can keep it light.

What to pack

Keep in mind that we traveled during the dry season (July), which is also the winter season in Africa. Mornings were in the 40’s and afternoons were in the 80s. The weather will be different in the rainy season. Aside from common sense stuff, these are just some helpful things I wouldn’t have normally thought about…

Layers!! You’ll want a lightweight fleece that you can shed later in the day. Long pants/sleeves are great and also help with sun exposure. Moisture wicking material is ideal.
Neutral + Earth Toned colors!! Don’t be the guy in the bright red shirt that freaks all the animals out. You want to blend in with your surroundings. You also don’t want to wear black or navy blue because it attracts tsi tsi flies. Pre treating all your clothing with Permethrin spray before leaving is an excellent idea.
Bug Repellent WIPES (better than the spray)
Hand fan!! This was clutch for me in the tents at night. It takes a while for the rooms to cool back down after sunset. My husband was fine, but I would have died without it ;)
Eye drops (for the dust)
Plenty of underwear (Tanzania is culturally very modest, and while they will clean your underwear for about $4/pair, they don’t really love to do it. We brought a lot of extras and hand washed when necessary)
Tip Money!! The staff at all the lodges make their living from tourists. Embracing tourism as a fiscal resource has allowed the government to drastically reduce poaching in the country. Why kill the animals when the tourists with money come to see the animals? So tipping is appropriate and expected. Our Safari company told us exactly how much to tip each person we would come into contact with, so we knew how much cash and in what denominations to bring along with us.
Cash for spending!! Credit cards are not always accepted, and even when they are fraud has been an ongoing problem in East Africa. So we brought cash for everything. American money is accepted and preferred, so you don’t even have to convert anything. They do prefer newer bills in good condition though, so check your money before you leave.

Fun Facts About Tanzania

Single use plastic is illegal in Tanzania. Not only will you not receive it, you shouldn’t even bring it…so plan and pack accordingly. This was such a refreshing change of pace for me and I desperately wish we could adopt the same policy here in the states. When you get home from a trip like that, you really start to see how carried away we all are with the plastic.

You cannot drink the tap water. You can’t even brush your teeth with it. It’s a simple matter of the bacteria being different over there than it is here. Our stomachs are not used to it and unless you want to be dealing with raging diarrhea on your game drives everyday, it’s best to avoid it. All of the lodges that we booked had purified bottle water in all of the bathrooms so you could use it for personal hygiene. They also…and this is a big one…rinse ALL of their produce in purified water. So when we were out in the bush, we didn’t have to worry about what we were eating. In Arusha (before and after your actual safari), you’ll want to avoid fresh fruits and veggies that may have been washed with tap water. If you use a different Safari company you may want to be careful as well.

Hot water. Yes, you will have hot water to shower with. Some of these camps are straight up luxurious. But all the power is provided via solar panels and that includes the hot water, so it’s limited. Once it runs out, it takes a few hours (or until the sun comes back out in the morning) to reheat it. Most camps had plenty of hot water for a couple of hot showers at the end of the day, but with 4 people in our group, someone was inevitably taking a cold shower by the end of the night. Not a huge deal really, but it’s always a good idea to manage expectations :)

Ladies, say goodbye to the hot tools for the week. The solar power they use to electrify all the camps is not strong enough for hair dryers or straighteners. They simply won’t work. Some of the camps do provide hair dryers, but even then you have to call the front desk before you use it so they can turn on a generator for you. And then call when you’re done so they can turn it back off. One of our four camps had hair dryers and I did take advantage. It was lovely. But it’s not something that’s realistic for every night of the safari. The good news is, nobody cares what you look like and you’re most likely there with the people that see you at your worst anyway. Embrace the freedom!

Safety at camp is not something they take lightly. You’re out in the bush with all the animals and you have to be smart. First rule at every camp is that you NEVER go outside alone at night. If you need to get to or from your room to the main lobby, you have to call for an escort. Typically, a local Kuria or Massai warrior will come and walk you wherever you want to go. They are armed with bows and arrows (some are even coated in black mamba venom) and can take down an animal in under 3 seconds or so. We heard plenty of animals in the evenings, including roaring lions that were right outside our tent, so we were happy to follow the rules. They also keep a fire going at all the camps to help deter the animals. They smell the smoke and will generally go elsewhere.