How Much Money Should I Budget for a 10-Day Safari?
Planning your first African safari is exciting, but one question usually comes up before anything else: How much money should I budget for a 10-day safari? For a 10-day safari in Kenya or Tanzania, a realistic budget can range from roughly $2,500 per person for a budget trip to $10,000+ per person for a luxury…
Should I Do Masai Mara or Serengeti First?
If you’re planning a Kenya and Tanzania safari, one of the first itinerary questions you’ll probably face is: Should I visit the Masai Mara or Serengeti first? The good news is that there isn’t one universally correct answer. The better choice depends on your arrival airport, the time of year you’re traveling, your safari priorities,…
Can I Do Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar in 14 Days?
Yes, you can visit Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar in 14 days. But there is an important catch: you need to keep the itinerary focused. Trying to see every major national park, spend several days in Nairobi, visit the Masai Mara, explore the Serengeti, climb Kilimanjaro, tour Ngorongoro, and spend a week on Zanzibar in the…
Serengeti Photography Guide: Best Animals, Light & Safari Camera Settings
The Serengeti is one of the world’s great wildlife photography destinations. The landscape is enormous, the wildlife is extraordinary, and the quality of light can change dramatically within minutes. One moment you may be photographing a lion resting beneath an acacia tree. A few hours later, you could be watching elephants cross the plains, cheetahs…
Best Places to Photograph Kilimanjaro: Sunrise, Viewpoints & Camera Tips
Mount Kilimanjaro is one of Africa’s most recognizable landscapes. At 5,895 meters, Africa’s highest mountain rises dramatically above northern Tanzania, with its snow and ice-covered summit contrasting against the surrounding plains. For photographers, however, seeing Kilimanjaro is not always as simple as finding the mountain on a map. Clouds can cover the summit. The mountain…
Nairobi → Masai Mara → Isebania → Serengeti → Ngorongoro → Zanzibar: Our East Africa Route Explained
There are plenty of ways to plan a Kenya and Tanzania safari. You can fly between parks, stay entirely in one country, build a luxury itinerary around private air transfers, or take the slower overland route across the Kenya–Tanzania border. For this route, the idea is simple: Nairobi → Masai Mara → Isebania → Serengeti…
First Safari From America: What Nobody Tells You Before Your First African Safari
Your first African safari is likely to be one of the most memorable trips you ever take. You may already have the picture in your head: waking before sunrise, climbing into a safari vehicle, watching elephants cross the road, seeing lions resting beneath an acacia tree, and ending the day with a sunset over the…
How Jet Lag Affects an East Africa Safari: What First-Time Travelers Should Know
A safari in East Africa is often the trip of a lifetime. But for travelers flying from the United States, there is one challenge that is easy to underestimate: jet lag. Flying thousands of miles to Kenya or Tanzania can disrupt your sleep, energy levels, appetite, concentration, and overall mood. When your itinerary also includes…
Flying From the USA to Kenya: What to Expect on Your First Trip
Flying from the United States to Kenya is the beginning of an unforgettable East African adventure. For many first-time travelers, however, the journey can feel complicated. How long is the flight? Are there nonstop flights? Which U.S. airports offer the best connections? What happens when you arrive in Nairobi? Do you need an eTA? And…
What Does a Typical Day on an African Safari Actually Look Like?
If you’ve never been on an African safari before, you may have a lot of questions about what the experience is actually like. What time do you wake up? Do you spend the entire day in a safari vehicle? When do you eat? How many game drives do you do? Do you have time to…