You may ask; how long should a safari be? There is no one correct answer to this question. Tourists are different. Some want to spend more time in the African wilderness. Others want to see some wild animals and go back home. Some want to explore several places. Others want to explore their preferred destination. So, we cannot say that a safari should last for 7 days. No, some people enjoy a 4-days safari. Others enjoy a 14-days safari. The perfect number of days for a safari depends on you.
How Long Should a Safari Be?
Several factors determine how long a safari is. Let’s look at some of these factors.
- Country
Africa has 54 countries. Each of these countries has some great tourist destinations. But some countries are more popular than others. Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa are known as great safari destinations.
The area you want to visit will determine the length of your safari. If you choose to visit one country, you may need fewer days. But this is not always true. One country may have great destinations. To visit all the places, you will need more days.
- Destinations
There are many destinations to explore while on an African safari. Each destination needs a certain amount of time to explore. A larger national park will need more time. For example, you may need more days to explore Masai Mara National Reserve. This is compared to the time you need to explore smaller parks. It may take a few days to explore Naivasha National Park.
You may want to visit several places while on safari. For example, you can choose Masai Mara, Serengeti, and Kidepo Valley national parks. Visiting more places will need more time.
So, how long should a safari be? Well, it depends on many things. The number of places you want to visit will tell how long your safari will be.
- Target wildlife
Africa is rich in wildlife. It is home to the big five. You can see leopards, hippos, buffaloes, lions, and elephants. You can see primates such as chimps, apes, baboons, and gorillas among others. You can see different types of snakes. Africa is rich in other wild animals such as giraffes, zebras, wild dogs, and impalas, among others. The continent is also rich in birdlife. It has over 2,500 bird species.
How long is a safari? The answer will depend on the wildlife you want to see. If you want to see most of the animals, you will need more days. This is because you may need to travel from one place to another. For example, Masai Mara is perfect for the Big Five. But it may not be the best for gorilla trekking. Instead, Uganda or Rwanda are perfect for gorilla trekking.
Other animals are endangered. This means that it may be hard to spot them. You may need more time to locate them. For example, it may not be easy to see a black rhino. You may need to visit the right place to see one.
- Budget
We must think about budget when answering the question; how long should a safari be? You need money for air travel, transfers, accommodation, and upkeep. The overall cost will depend on several factors. These include the number of places you visit, mode of transport, and accommodation. You need to pay entry fees in most places. Traveling by road may be cheaper than air travel. But air safari offers more comfort. Sharing a safari vehicle may be cheaper. This is compared to using a private safari vehicle. A safari van may also be cheaper than a Land Cruiser Jeep. The cost of where you stay also varies. Budget camps are cheaper than mid-range ones. But mid-range camps or lodges are cheaper than luxury ones.
If you have more money, you can spend more days in Africa. If you want to spend less money, you can stay for a few days. With proper planning, you still get to visit your preferred places. Just choose a good tour operator. We can help you get the best out of your African safari.
- Available time
How long is a safari? We cannot answer this question not knowing your travel time. How much time do you have for the African safari? If you spend more time traveling, you may need more safari days. Air safari can reduce travel time. This means you will spend more time visiting places. You will end up spending fewer days in Africa. If you choose to use the road, you may need more resting time. This means you will need more days to explore Africa.
We would love to answer the question; how long should a safari be? But you will not find a definite answer to your question. As stated, several factors will determine the number of days you may spend while on safari. These factors include host country, destination, wildlife, budget, and travel time. Luckily, tour operators offer many safari packages. You can choose packages depending on your situation. You can choose shorter packages such as a 4-days safari. You can choose longer packages such as 7-day packages. You can choose even longer packages such as 16-day packages.
With any package, you will have memorable experiences in Africa. Just ensure that you travel with the best tour operators. But it is up to you to choose how long you want your safari to be. Contact us for any help with African safari tours.