Planning a Tanzanian safari to the Serengeti? Check out these seven tips to help make your Tanzanian safari a success.
Prior to my most recent trip, I had never been on a safari. I’d seen a lot of movies, tv shows, and read a lot of blogs before I left but nothing really prepared me for my trip. I want to change that for all of you.
My trip included seven days of safari game-viewing drives in three of Tanzania’s National Parks: Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater.
Tarangire is most known for its high population of elephants, bird watching, and Baobab trees. Ngorongoro Crater is most famous for being the largest inactive volcanic caldera in the world it is also your best chance of seeing the almost extinct black rhino. And finally, the Serengeti, which is probably the most well-known and most visited. It’s known for being the location of the great migration where over two million, wildebeest, zebra, and antelope complete their annual migration.
These three amazing national parks are why Tanzania is a top destination for wildlife photographers, wildlife enthusiasts, and people who just want to see the big five in the wild.
While I felt mostly prepared for the trip but found there are a few things that are a must for not only a first-timer but also a seasoned veteran.
Below are my seven tips for a successful Tanzanian safari.
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1. Bring binoculars
If you follow me on Instagram, you know how many animals I saw up close and personal. If you don’t follow me on Instagram, you should!! I post a lot of my photos and videos. I did however find I wish I had better binoculars. So my first Tanzanian safari tip is to bring binoculars, and not just any binoculars but good binoculars.
I had a pair of binoculars with me but they were not very strong. I could see some animals but I had to borrow others in my truck to see certain more elusive animals. Like the leopard and black rhino. Some of the big five are a lot harder to find than others.
The black rhino for example is almost extinct with only around 300 left in the wild. Odds are low you will see one but if you do, it may not be up close and personal like other animals.
Binoculars are also a MUST if you are a birder. But if you are a birder, you probably already know this.
2. Bring a camera
I realize that much like the black rhino, the concept of a camera that is not your phone is almost extinct. The exception is old people (sorry for anyone who does not think they are old but uses a camera), and both professional and amateur photographers. I fit into that last bucket. Phew, I’m not old yet.
There were fourteen others at my safari campsite. All had different brands and models of cell phones. They all agreed on one thing, the camera on the phone didn’t do the beauty of the park any justice.
There were plenty of opportunities to get pictures of animals up close but they missed out on the bird sitting on the wildebeest’s head, the baby elephant eating morning glory flowers, or the leopard in the tree.
Those amazing moments are just a bit too far for the phone’s zoom capabilities. I highly recommend bringing a camera if you have one or can borrow one!
3. Bring a raincoat
Ok, this is one I really messed on. My third Tanzanian Safari Tip is to bring a raincoat. I had it on my Tanzanian Safari Packing List. But forgot to put it in my suitcase. I didn’t realize it until I was already in Tanzania but didn’t worry because it was the dry season.
Three days later I woke up to the sound of rain on the roof…
Thankfully the rain slowed to a drizzle as I headed for breakfast and was done by the time we loaded into the safari trucks. I did feel uneasy the rest of the trip waiting for the rain to come again.
While I lucked out, I highly suggest you bring a packable raincoat even for the dry season. Just to be safe.
4. Most important Tanzanian Safari Tip – Be patient!!
In hour one of day one of my Tanzanian Safari, we saw a lot of elephants, in the distance. I was SO excited!! They were way off in the distance but it was a large pack and I thought I would die of excitement. I took at least 50 photos.
Little did I know, I would continue to see more and more elephants closer and closer to the truck. By the end of the trip, I had 100’s of elephant photos and ended up deleting more of the first ones I took. I had much better ones later.
The same thing happened with the lions. We saw several large prides of lions but off in the distance. I felt myself getting disappointed because I didn’t get that great photo of a lion. Several days in, however, we started to see more and more lions.
Trust me, be patient, you will see a lot of animals closer than you ever imagined possible.
5. Less is more when packing
Many Tanzanian Safari operators will limit your suitcase size and weight. This forces the less is more when packing tip. However, I still found I overpacked.
Other than having extra undergarments, you can and will find yourself hand-washing clothing though out the trip. I had not planned on doing any wash but after a long day, sweating and covered in dust, I wanted to clean my clothes. Mostly so it would not get my other clean clothes dirty. And to keep the smell to a minimum.
Once the clothes were clean, I put them back into the rotation and wore the same outfits multiple times. Save room for spices and knickknacks, and pack light.
6. Tanzanian Safari Tip learned the hard way – Bring a First Aid Kit
No one wants to think about getting hurt on any vacation. But no one really wants to get hurt when you are camping in the Serengeti and have no quick access to medical assistance. This is exactly what happened. Not to me but to my travel buddy.
We stopped at the “Serengeti National Park” sign to take a picture and she tripped over a rock. Falling face-first into the gravel. She scraped up her knee and scraped most of the skin off her palm.
Not fun under normal circumstances but the only clean water we had was bottled. Including showering and washing hands for five days.
We lucked out and someone else in the camp was a retired nurse and had a better-than-average first aid kit. I had some Band-Aids, bacitracin, and a couple of cleaning wipes but nothing close to what we actually needed to keep her wounds clean for the rest of the trip.
I got home and ordered a new first aid kit for my next trip.
7. Final and least favorite Tanzanian Safari Tip – Embrace Early Mornings
I HATE mornings and I LOATHE early morning! However, on my Tanzanian safari vacation, I got up early and super early every morning. I realize the definition of early is different for everyone but some mornings wake-up call was 5:30 am. The day of the hot air balloon ride was 4:00 am.
I know now, however, you will see some of the coolest things early in the morning. The animals are more active in the cool of the morning. They also are ready to hunt after a long night’s sleep.
And as much as I hate to admit this, I really started to enjoy watching the sunrise over the plains. Absolutely beautiful and something I often miss because I like to sleep in.
Bonus Tanzanian Safari Tip
Just sit back and enjoy. The peace and beauty Tanzania has to offer is not something you should miss. Just relax and watch the world around you.
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Happy travels and remember the world is full of adventures all around you.
I am not a professional in any of the topics discussed on Adventures at Home and Away. All content on Adventures at Home and Away is for informational and educational purposes only. All comments made are my personal opinion and should not be used as professional advice.
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