If you have your heart set on visiting Africa for the first time, in the near future and are looking for helpful tips which will make your first trip to Africa an enjoyable experience simply continue reading to discover a few handy tips on planning your first trip to Africa!
Invaluable tips on planning a first time trip to Africa:
- Make sure to pack a smart casual outfit as well as warm layers
While most parts of Africa boast warm, sunny days many tourists are caught off guard when the sun goes down and the temperature plummets. So while it’s wise to pack summer clothes, it’s also worth packing 1-2 pairs of jeans a sweater and a warm jacket.
Also, make sure to pack at least one dressy outfit as you’ll have plenty of chances to dress up and experience fine dining. Either at your hotel or safari lodge or at an urban restaurant.
- Make sure to visit your doctor before your trip, to receive any necessary vaccinations
Depending on the region of Africa which you elect to visit, you may need to receive a few vaccinations in order to protect yourself from diseases such as malaria. If you’re unsure of which vaccinations you need to get, it’s well worth booking an appointment with your family doctor, well in advance of your trip to Africa.
- Choose your safari company carefully
If you’re in the process of planning your first trip to Africa, it’s highly likely that you plan to book a Uganda safari excursion. In order to see the big five roaming around their natural habitat. If so it’s well worth deciding whether you’d prefer to book a private tour or whether you’d prefer to book a group tour.
If you’re short on time and want to ensure that you get a chance to spot your favorite African animals, it’s well worth considering booking a private tour. As your experienced tour guide will make tracking down your favorite animals a priority.
However, if you’re on a budget, you may be better off booking an inexpensive group tour, which will still give you plenty of opportunities to view as many African animals as possible. If you’d like to see a pride of Lions up close, you’re in luck as most tour guides try to track down lions as the highlight of their tours as most international tourists are keen to check seeing a lion in the wild off their bucket list.
- Don’t pack white items of clothing
If you don’t want your favorite white shirt or white dress to be coated in a fine layer of dirt and dust, which will be impossible to wash out, it’s well worth leaving your white items of clothing at home. Instead opt for beige colored clothing such as trousers, shirts, and shorts. Or wear old items of clothing, which you’ll be able to throw away at the end of your African trip.
- Make sure to get permission, before you take photos of locals who you meet
In many parts of Africa, especially in tribal villages its rude to take photos of people without their consent. So make sure to ask individuals if they are ok with you taking photos of them before you pull your camera out of your daypack.
If you follow the five simple tips listed above, you’ll be sure to have the time of your life, when you visit Africa for the first time.