The most common mistakes people make during their first safari vacation

• Two safari travel agents shared common mistakes travelers make on their first visit to Africa.
• Mistakes include sticking to overcrowded destinations and overpacking your itinerary.
• The experts urged travelers to go off the beaten path and approach their trips with open mindsets.

There's a lot of pressure when it comes to a safari vacation.

The average vacationer spends between $5,500 and $6,500 on a safari, according to travel company Go2Africa's 2023 safari report.

Many North American travelers who travel to popular safari destinations like Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Botswana spend 30+ hours getting to the destination.

And trips are typically planned months — if not years — in advance.

The effort means that, naturally, there's hope the trip will go flawlessly.

While Meg van Niekerk, a safari planner for Go2Africa, said that's not always the case, she added that it's impossible not to fall in love with the vacation style.

Van Niekerk and Shaun Stanley, the owner and founder of the luxury safari planning company Stanley Safaris, shared with Business Insider some common mistakes travelers can avoid on their first safari vacation.

When it comes to planning, don't do it by yourself

Travel agents help clients get to destinations all around the world, but a safari, in particular, benefits from the help of an expert. That's because planning a safari involves endless options and often confusing logistics.

Stanley said that working with a travel planner allows you to curate the best vacation for you. That might mean a trip centered on adventure and adrenaline or relaxation and over-the-top luxury.

"We don't send out a quote to a guest unless we've spent time talking to them and understanding who they are," Stanley told BI. "And that's what gives us that opportunity to really offer them that personalized service."

Beyond finding the best lodges for a traveler, travel agents know which places positively impact the surrounding communities and ecosystems and the best times to visit for specific animal sightings.

Travel agents will also coordinate transfers and work with budgets since safaris often have hidden costs, such as conservation fees, park fees, and tipping expectations.

Van Niekerk added that the travel agent's support extends beyond securing the right itinerary for the traveler.

An agent will ensure their clients don't forget any timely tasks as the trip approaches, including securing visas, booking vaccination appointments, and sharing packing guidelines.

Finally, if a part of your trip doesn't go as planned, your agent is there. Van Niekerk connects with her clients via WhatsApp, so if I flight is delayed or something goes wrong, she's just a message away.

Some guests fail to consider off-the-beaten-path destinations

Many parts of Africa are overpopulated with tourists. Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve increased park entrance fees to deter overtourism. Other places, like Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area or South Africa's Sabi Sands, are also experiencing overcrowding.

Not only does overtourism put negative stressors on the environment, but it's often not the ideal place to vacation.

"There are really cool places out there that are not in the mainstream," Stanley said. He encourages travelers to look beyond Africa's most popular parks and destinations and consider places with fewer tourists.

Stanley might suggest the Republic of Congo to a traveler focused on adventure over more popular destinations like Kenya or Tanzania.

If you insist on traveling to a popular area, consider where you'll stay. Many luxury lodges operate on private game reserves, protected wildlife areas, or in private concessions.

For example, TAASA Lodge, at the edge of the Serengeti National Park, is located in a private game reserve where travelers can offroad, go on nightly game drives, and avoid overcrowded animal sightings.

Don't try to squeeze too much into your trip

Both van Niekerk and Stanley encouraged first-time visitors to travel slowly.

"You don't want to spend half your trip on transfers," van Niekerk said.

Instead, she recommends evaluating your top vacation priorities and carving out enough time to truly experience them. If you really want to see leopards or cheetahs, make sure you're spending enough time in the region where those animals live. This might mean only visiting one country for a weeklong safari instead of checking off two or three countries.

"We try to tell people to slow down, spend time in each place, and get to know it," Stanley said.

Stanley said travelers will leave feeling more connected to a place, its people, and its animals. Avoiding timely transfers and flights will also make the trip less stressful.

Don't just stick to driving safaris

While it can be tempting to adhere to a schedule of daily game drives, Stanley urges travelers to try other ways of exploring the bush.

For example, a safari lodge might offer walking safaris. Here, guests can hike into the bush with a guide and gain a new perspective on the landscape. They might learn about medicinal plants, spot bugs and new creatures up close, and view animal behaviors that can't be seen from inside a car.

"Bringing all of that to life is incredible, and you can miss that on a vehicle," Stanley said.

Beyond guided walks, Stanley said visitors should also consider nighttime game drives, boat safaris, and visits to villages, where travelers can interact and learn about new cultures.

"I try to get guests to understand that there is more to Africa than spotting the big five, sitting in a vehicle, ticking boxes, and trying to find animals," Stanley said.

Van Niekerk said she also encourages travelers to know what lodges offer.

Some luxury lodges include massages or sauna visits within their rates. Other lodges might offer sunset drinks in the bush or laundry services.

"Take advantage of all the things you're paying for," she said.

Unrealistic expectations could set you up for disappointment

Finally, van Niekerk and Stanley stressed that visitors should go in with an open mindset. Since aspects of safaris like animal sightings and weather are unpredictable, they encouraged visitors to be mindful of their expectations and enjoy their time in the bush.

"It starts with it being a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but you will come back," van Niekerk said. "There's something incredibly special about Africa."