Preparing for Safari

Okay, let me be totally transparent. I stunk at planning this trip. My last international flight was New Year’s 2024. For someone who loves to travel internationally, that was a long time ago. If you read one of my previous posts, you know I have been carrying some extra baggage for a while. Much as I’d love to, I haven’t been able to leave some of those items behind. So, when it came to this trip, I had two main goals…return to international traveling and lighten my baggage.

I knew if I was going to be successful, I needed my go-to travel partner–Jenny. Jenny and I have been on enough trips together that I knew my lack of planning would be complemented by her intense level of planning. I knew that our combined excitement of going on a trip would be the needed push to make our trip successful, and with my above confession (the stinking part) I will lay out our planning process specific to this trip.

Timeline–Trip Began July 12, 2025

EARLY JULY 2024

I texted Jenny. I said (in part)…”I’m thinking of travel. My top choices are Australia (or New Zealand), the Safari that we talked about, or China (only because it’s a different culture). I’m not stuck on any of them, but if you are open to traveling with me again, I thought I’d start the brainstorming :).”

Jenny told me of the three options she’d be most interested in a Safari. I sent her a few links to Safari tours, but I also knew she had a neighbor who leads tours in South Africa (Hemingway Safaris). After reviewing the sites I sent for us to peruse, we decided the cheapest option would be camping. Jenny let me know she’d reach out to Brian, her neighbor.

***At this point I’d like to highlight the advantages of networking. If you know someone who is an expert for the place you want to travel, that is ideal. Talking with others who have experienced the trip you are planning is also a great place to start. They can give you both the successes and setbacks from their travels. There are also travel message boards where you can ask questions. Really, do more than I did :)…network.

LATE SEPTEMBER 2024

Jenny and I touch base again. Both of us started back to work. I’m an elementary librarian, and she is a chemistry teacher in a high school. We took some time to get back into the swing of things and then we texted again. I mentioned I have a few contacts with people in Kenya, and I’d look into it. Jenny reached out to her neighbor but hadn’t heard back.

MID-NOVEMBER 2024

I looked online again and sent more links to Jenny. Jenny suggested we should narrow our search to Botswana, so I started to look for more trips focused in that area. We wanted to camp/glamp, and we wanted the trip to be long enough to be worth a long trip abroad. ***Friendly Tip: For those who want a low stress travel planning experience, booking the trip by now would have been a great suggestion. Many people plan a year in advance because tours and hotels/campsites begin to fill up. However, Jenny and I love the stress and did not yet have plans.

JANUARY 26, 2025

Jenny sends me a text to let me know she has met with Brian. He has a few tours we can join in June, but unfortunately I won’t be done with summer school until June 30, and Jenny won’t be finished teaching until the last week in June. Brian lets Jenny know he will look into options for us outside of his company.

I text Jenny, “I love that. Having an expert help out eases my mind. It’s overwhelming because there are so many options.” ***FYI (repeat advice)…finding someone who knows the area can really be a benefit. Not only can they give great recommendations, but they can potentially find you cheaper options for your travel.

JANUARY 31, 2025 10:32AM

Brian finds a guy who can take us on a private Botswana tour. We need at least three people, so Jenny’s husband agrees to go with us. He’s not a lover of travel, but if he is willing to go, I’m all for it. I start asking a few friends to see if they want to go. Keep in mind, this trip is in less than six months, and it’s not the cheapest trip you can take. My chances of finding a friend are slim.

JANUARY 31, 2025 4:07PM

To Jenny: “It’s crazy how fast this is going now. I will do everything I need to do, so let me know. I’m just confirming that we are a go. If so, I will transfer my deposit.”

Jenny meets with Brian again, and she places her deposit. Soon after, Mark (Jenny’s husband) begins to question his desire to go. We are both hoping he stays the course.

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

I have my ticket to Johannesburg. We still have a few more flights to book. Johannesburg to Maun, Botswana…and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to Johannesburg. During this time there’s a bit of stress because Mark had uncommitted to the trip. He hasn’t ruled it out, but he’s not sure. Please refer to With Whom Will You Travel? in case you are in the same situation as us :). Because Mark will not commit, we put off our purchases of the additional tickets.

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

Jenny and I finally talk on the phone to book our flights to Maun and back to Johannesburg as Mark has finally given the go ahead. We book our flights then receive word from Brian’s company that the Air Botswana flight was not recommended. Apparently, Air Botswana is unreliable. When we searched online, it was significantly cheaper, so we went for it. I spent the next few months worried about this flight. SPOILER ALERT: The flight was on time and worked out perfectly…whew!

FINAL THOUGHTS

In the following weeks we had a few more things to do. We were required to purchase travel insurance. Both Jenny and I went with Tin Leg. This insurance was mostly to pay for medical costs in case we were injured on the trip. I also received the recommended shots which included the rabies shot. I laughed at this because I figured if a lion was going to bite me, I’d really not be worrying about rabies. And, as most companies request, we had to make our final payment within 90 days of our trip. I had never used Zelle before (the company’s preferred method of payment), so I scheduled the payments in increments and mailed the final payment to them. Thankfully Jenny knew the owners, so they were fine to wait for my final payment (a week late due to mailing it). It was a bit of a hassle, but everything worked out just fine.

SUGGESTED ITINERARY

• 12+ months before travel–decide where you want to go and start researching; if using a company research different travel agencies; if planning yourself, find a great guidebook or two to help you decide your itinerary–the Internet is great too
• 6-12 months before you travel–start booking hotel rooms especially if you are going to a popular location OR commit to a travel agency who will book your travel; take note of cancellation policies on hotels and travel companies
• 2-8 months before you travel–secure flights, travel insurance, and make a more detailed research plan. There might be sites you want to see that require advanced ticket purchases. Nailing down your itinerary will help you with the advance purchases.
• 1-3 weeks before you travel–review your proposed packing list to make sure you have all the items you will need prior to traveling. For this trip I tried to rely on fast shipping but had two packages that did not arrive in time.