Take Notes

Write down what you see as you go. You will forget! I opened up the Notes app on my phone and added to the list as we went. This was especially helpful for all the birds we saw along the way. If you can, bring binoculars for long-distance sightings, too.

Clothing

You can wear whatever you want when riding in a safari truck. The classic travel advice is to wear khaki, or other neutral colors. But we saw no one kicked out of a car because of the dress code. Our safari driver said that if you’re in a vehicle it doesn’t matter. In fact, the animals see the vehicle like it was one big animal (as long as no one dangling their limbs out or calls to the animals).

I still would avoid reflective gear or neon colors, but it is more important to dress warm and cover up against insects than to worry about particular colors. On the other hand, if you are in an area with tsetse flies, they are especially attracted to dark blue clothing!

Phone Case

If you use your phone as a camera I recommend putting a strap on it. I bought a case where my phone is attached to a lanyard. I loved having this while out on game drives. The road is bumpy and it meant I did not have to worry about dropping my phone, or putting it in my pocket when I didn’t feel like holding it. The truth is, you want your camera ready at every moment of the drive because amazing sightings can appear suddenly!

Talk to your guide

Don’t be shy. Ask questions. Ask for a stop or a different angle. The guides love to talk and they are there to ensure you have the best experience possible. One afternoon we were viewing an ostrich and I asked if we could get a better view. The guide started the engine and slowly drove us closer.

They will also seek out the wildlife you’re excited to see. For example, in Madikwe Game Reserve I really wanted to see wild dogs. It’s quite a rare sighting but they’re so cute. I had shared this with the guide and the next morning we found and stayed with a pack of wild dogs for like 40 minutes. It was incredible!

Enjoy all the Nature

The Big Five animals are exciting but the smaller ones are so cute. Warthogs are darling! Maybe because I’ve watched the Lion King more times than I can count, but I liked watching them trot around with their little legs and goofy grins. I was also surprised to enjoy photographing wildebeest. Don’t focus on seeing the Big Five that you miss out on enjoying all the other wonderfully unique animals – like the spotted hyena.