How we planned our perfect Safari (without using a travel agent)

When people found out we were going on an African safari, the first question was almost always the same: Did you use a travel agent?

The answer: No!

I spent months researching, comparing lodges, reading reviews, stalking Instagram and watching YouTube videos until I truly believe it was our dream safari. It was not the easiest trip I have ever planned but it was by far the most rewarding.

If you are dreaming of your first safari, here is exactly how I planned ours - and what I would recommending to anyone doing it for the first time.

Step 1: Decide What Kind of Safari Experience You Want

Not every safari is the same.

Before looking at destinations, ask and answer these questions:

• Do you want luxury or adventure?

• Is seeing the Big Five your top priority?

• Do you want to avoid crowds?

• Is photography important to you?

• What is your budget?

• How far are you willing to travel for a safari?

For us, our priorities were:

• we wanted affordable luxury with adventure

• this was our first safari experience so seeing the Big Five was important to us

• we wanted to avoid big crowds - when you go on a safari, the land that your lodge is on is more important than you think. If your lodge is on a National Park, then you are ONLY allowed on the roads designated to cars. If your lodge is on a private game reserve, then you have free rein on where you can drive which means you are able to get closer to the animals (as long as the animal is okay with this)

• photography was important to use which is also why we wanted to be on a private game reserve so that we could get as close to animals as they would allow us

• we had a budget and we were able to stick to that budget but still get EVERY AMINITY we wanted

• we did not want to spend our entire trip traveling - we were able to take a one hour flight from Johannesburg to Madikwe Game Reserve with a 15 minute drive to our safari lodge

These priorities helped us eliminate a lot of options. Sometimes knowing what you do not want is just as important as knowing what you do want.

We truly felt at home at Madikwe Safari Lodge.

Step 2: Pick the Right Country

Africa has incredible safari destinations, but each offers something different.

We ultimately chose South Africa because it checked all of our boxes AND it allowed us the most time at our Safari lodge due to geographic location. We booked our flight from the US to Cape Town, South Africa. We did not want to spend our entire vacation traveling from place to place which is why we decided to stay in the country of South Africa. South Africa is also Maleria free which was a great selling point for us!

Step 3: Choose Between National Parks and Private Game Reserve

I mentioned this earlier but this is a very importance decision.

National Parks often cost less, allow self-driving, have more visitors, cover massive areas.

Private Game reserves typically offer: smaller number of vehicles, off-road driving, more personalized game drives and luxury lodges.

For our first safari, we wanted the full experience so we chose a private game reserve. This also meant fewer crowds and incredible up-close wildlife encounters.

Being able to truly track the animals was such a cool experience and so rewarding when you "found" them.

Step 4: Read... then read more... then read even more.

I head hundreds of reviews. Google. Travel Blogs. Instagram. ALL OF IT.

I wanted to know:

• Which lodges had the best guides?

• Which lodges had amazing food?

• Which camps felt crowded?

• Which camps had a watering hole?

• What was including in the "all-inclusive pricing"?

• Were the rooms worth the price?

The more I read, the more confident I became in my decision.

We received a complimentary water bottle when we arrived. The details were perfect.

Step 5: Compare A Few Lodges

Instead of booking the first beautiful lodge I found, I created a comparison list. However, you will start to realize that there are more lodges out there than you think! It can get overwhelming so find a few and compare - once you find the one that checks all your boxes, book it and do not look back!

Things I compared including:

• What did the room include? Bath tub? Private Pool? Twin beds or Kind bed?

• What was the price? Is this per person or per night?

• What was including in the "all-inclusive pricing"? Wine? Meals? Snacks? Airport transfer? Game drives? Walking Safaris? Pool? Watering-hole? Big Five sightings? Spa?

This made is even easier to narrow down our options.

One thing I really wanted was a watering hole and it did not disappoint.

Step 6: Think Beyond the Safari

One mistake people make is focusing only on the lodge. You need to think about the entire tip.

For us, our itinerary became: fly into Cape Town, enjoy wine country in Franschhoek, enjoy the Safari and end the trip in Seychelles. This combination gave us adventure, wildlife, incredible food, mountains, wine, beaches and relaxation all in one vacation.

Quick flight!

Step 7: Do Not Forget the Logistics

Safari planning involves more than booking a room.

You also want to think about: flights, luggage restrictions, travel insurance, currency, vaccinations, ect

When we chose our lodge we were able to book flights through the lodge which also involved airport transportation! We were able to book travel insurance if necessary and no vaccinations were required. Win, win, win!

Step 8: Book Early

The best safari lodges often book out months - even a year - in advance.

If you have your heart set on a specific lodge or travel during peak season, do not wait. The earlier you book, the more choices you will have.

Was Planning it Myself Worth it?

ABSOLUTELY. Planning every details made the trip feel even more rewarding.

Would I Do It Again?

ABSOLUTELY. Without a question. And I would not change a thing about the safari we went on.

I will come back here one day. Thanks Madikwe for the perfect safari experience.

One of the best pieces of advice I can give is "The Safari you go on will be the best Safari you have ever been on"

We stayed at Madikwe Safari Lodge in South Africa. We booked our flights from Johannesburg to the Safari and were able to get transportation from the airport to the lodge. While we were on property all meals, all drinks, all snacks, all mini bar extras, EVERYTHING was included in the "all-inclusive price" except for the spa. One afternoon we did go to the spa and it was AMAZING. Our pool overlooked a watering hole which made for animal sitings everyday. We were able to get fantastic pictures of animals as they drank water - so cool!! In addition to the animals at the watering hole, we got 2 game drive experiences everyday (one starting at 6:30am and one starting at 3:30pm). Our guide was EXCEPTIONAL. Truly one of the most knowledgeable people I have encountered which made our game drives even better. The people at Madikwe Safari Lodge made our stay. They treated us like family. They also were VERY aware of my husbands allergy and made sure they took extra precautions with our food. I can not say enough positive things about Madikwe Safari Lodge.

If you have any questions, please email me at thebalancedtravelers01@gmail.com. I am getting no incentives with this blog post except to help people plan their vaction. I truly loved the planning expereince and am happy to help anyone!!