What to expect from a Summer safari

If it’s your first time going on a safari, you’re in for an experience of a lifetime! Going on a safari is something you’ll treasure forever. You’ll be truly immersed in nature, experiencing the hot African climate, and watching the beautiful wild fauna roam freely around you. Nothing in the world quite compares to this fantastic experience, and it’s truly unforgettable.

But if it is your first time, you might not know what to expect. Brochures and photographs certainly capture a small portion of the beauty you’ll experience, but they’ll never be as good as the real thing! It’s a sensible idea to prepare for a safari. Knowing what to expect will help you be ready to enjoy your adventure, with only positive surprises!

It’s normal to be a bit nervous if it’s your first safari. But you’ll be with a highly experienced guide who will answer any questions or concerns. This isn’t their first rodeo! The safari can also be tailored to your personal preferences. For example, if wild camping isn’t your thing, then the trip can skip out any fly camps and can be altered depending on what you’d like to do. Although we can almost guarantee that once you get there, you won’t want to miss out on seeing anything…

Your safari experience will differ depending on whereabouts you’re going in Tanzania. The experience itself is magical no matter which safari you choose – but the species of animals and the layout of the area might differ depending on which part of the country you are adventuring to. Nomad Tanzania operates safaris in the Northern, Western and Southern parts of the country.

Northern Tanzania
The most popular area of Tanzania for safaris, the Northern part of the country is home to the Ngorongoro Crater and enormously vast natural parks like Serengeti. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch the Great Migration too! Northern Tanzania has got the highest concentration of wild safari animals in the world. Nomad Tanzania’s Northern safari guides have got an extensive amount of shared experience between them – with over 200 years of combined knowledge.

Western Tanzania
See chimpanzees in the wild Mahale Mountains. Explore Lake Tanganyika and Katavi to see some of the most remote places in Africa. Teeming with wild animals, with little civilization, the Western safaris allow you to experience the remote and untouched landscape of Western Tanzania.

Southern Tanzania
The safaris in the South are about really getting out there into the wilderness. With the opportunities to sleep in fly camps which really get you out there immersed in nature and sleeping under the stars. Kiba Point and Nyerere. Dry season game viewing in Ruaha is also a popular option – packed with fascinating animals.

But even though you’ll see different things on each safari, stay in slightly different places, and witness different scenery, the experience is still magical. No safari is better than the other, it just depends on what you’re interested in seeing while you’re there!

You’ll experience different species of animals, different flora, and the logistics of the safari will have some common patterns throughout it all these experiences combined will guarantee you – safari animals, beautiful views, living in nature

No matter which one you opt for, you will see some life-changing visions of beauty and have an experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life!

But what else can be expected from a safari?

Waking up at first light

Your camp will wake up at first light. This is because the African climate can soar up to some pretty sweaty temperatures during the daytime. The day begins as early as possible, so more can be done in the cooler temperature to avoid overheating during the day. For the same reason, the animals are far more active during this time! Plus, the early start is totally worth it. You’ll forget about any lost sleep when you see the most breathtaking sunrise. Summer safari sunrises across the Tanzanian terrain is really something else; watching a golden sun slowly emerge from the horizon line makes the early start completely worth it.

Hot, dusty, and sweaty -but fun!

This goes without saying, but the African climate is really very hot! Wearing paler colours will help deflect the heat of the sun and keep you cooler than dark colours. You should also expect dust, dirt and sand and heat. Wear something you don’t care about getting dirty and sweaty in.

Phone Coverage – No Electricity Although the camps might have Wi-Fi, the Tanzanian wild certainly won’t! Remember you’re not going to be able to access the internet or have phone coverage while you’re on a safari, so it’s best to just use it for taking photos and keep it off until you get to the camp.

In-between activities

You won’t just be in the back of the vehicle observing the safari animals 24/7. You’ll be back at the camp, hiking, getting some downtime, eating delicious food, taking lunch out on the safari, and perhaps taking to a boat trip. If you’re wild camping, you’ll be making fires and chatting over an open wildfire.

Get away from the city – if you’re used to urban living this might seem surreal to begin with, but we can assure you won’t want to leave after the last day!

Long drives

The wilderness is vast and long, so it takes a long time to travel to different places. Be prepared for lengthy journeys to get in-between locations by making sure you’ve got plenty of food and water to replenish you for the journey.

Deeply immersed in wild nature

An African safari is truly an immersive experience! Live amongst some of the world’s most beautiful wild animals and gain appreciation for the natural beauty around you. Do expect to meet some tsetse flies and mosquitoes while on safari. Don’t worry, they look more harmful than they are, and they’re more irritating than they are harmful. Bear in mind that they can bite, so wearing longer sleeves and using DEET based inspect sprays might be a good idea.

If you’re an urban dweller, the safari living may seem like a dream at first. Get used to sipping your morning coffee whilst watching a giraffe wander past you or waking up to the sound of African birds outside. The safari experience allows you to experience some of the world’s most gorgeous scenery and most precious animals. With true off-grid living, you’ll have limited phone coverage.

Taking it truly back to basics is good for the soul, and helps you connect with the natural beauty around you. Many adventurers discover that they are so immersed in the surrounding stunning scenery, that the rest of the modern world seems very far away.

Sleep underneath the clearest night skies and watch the most golden sunrise against a hazy purple morning. Get away from it all and be as embedded into Africa as you possibly can be.