Three continents, three women, and a fierce desire to share Africa with travelers. Check out these safari tips from the adventurous women behind the safari company &Three Collective.
Safari Basics
Plan Ear
Lead time is everything for first picks. Ideally, one to two years out, particularly around the holidays (though we’ve been known to put something together with only three weeks notice).
It’s complicated.
Travel to Africa is a different beast—it is quite complicated as safari entails a lot of internal maneuvering: flights and transfers, differing accommodations, park fees, guide fees and permits.
Sticker shock.
Going on safari is expensive. It is important to remember that the price of a safari includes everything—food, drinks, accommodations, internal flights and transfers, park fees, guide fees and activities.
Less is more
On safari, guests travel from location to location on small planes with weight restrictions
on luggage so you really have no choice but to pack light. Worry not, daily laundry service
is included in your stay at most lodges and camps.
Safety first
It begins at the planning stages with choosing which country or countries to visit, and your travel style. We handpick all of our private guides and match them to your group—not only are they a bonus for their wealth of knowledge and fun but they also serve as an insurance
policy should anything go wrong.
Kids on safari
We are all about flexibility, so if little ones want to stay behind or cut out early, we’ve got you covered.
Be prepared for transformation
If you return home not having changed or been humbled in some way, then we haven’t done our jobs.
Must-Haves from &Three
If you only go to Africa once…
“I would combine South Africa and Botswana. I would start in Cape Town and the winelands, move onto the Kruger or the Sabi Sands where you are virtually guaranteed to see your “big five.” And then head to a tented camp in Botswana for pristine wilderness and incredible game viewing—often in the water!” -Lanné
“For overall amazingness, my pick is Botswana: world-class game and guiding, five-star camps, incredible food and wine, tribal culture, safety and warm people. The Okavango Delta is a wetland located in a desert with an incredibly biodiverse ecosystem and a rich concentration of animals in such a pristine environment.” -Stephanie
“For me, Kenya is magic. It is romantic, nostalgic Africa at its best. Wild and free. No rules. The variety of ecosystems, landscapes and wildlife is amazing. And the coast! The Kenyan coast is off the charts. Crystal blue water, white sand beaches and off the charts marine life. I would combine bush and beach for my ultimate safari.” -Claudia
My Bucket List Trip…
We are all very much looking forward to one of our collective bucket list trips this May to the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. I am particularly excited to stay at the Serra Cafema camp in the north—on the border of Angola—and to spending time there with the Himba community. -Lanné
We’ve been talking about returning to Tanzania and going deep. I’d love to visit the less obvious areas—the Ruaha and the Selous and then hit the islands off of Tanzania for bright blue water and white sand beaches. I’m also keen to visit the new Singita Kwitonda Lodge in Rwanda (opening August 2019). -Stephanie
The Democratic Republic of Congo. Unrefined and raw, the DRC is not for everybody. I am a primate freak. I would love to visit the baby orphaned apes at the base of the Virunga Mountains. The forest is full of colobus monkeys, blue monkeys and chimpanzees. You can see gorillas and elephants at the same time. -Claudia
