Frequently Asked Questions
Planning, booking and just understanding how safaris work can be a bit of a minefield, especially if this is your first safari. Here some of the most common questions are answered. If your question isn't answered, or if you would like a bit more information, please get in touch.
Planning
What does a bespoke tailor-made safari look like?
Where is the best place to go?
Are your trips financially protected?
On Safari
What will I do on safari? What is a typical day like?
What will I see? Are the big 5 guaranteed?
What are the big 5 and what does game mean?
What are safari camps and lodges like?
What are the tents/rooms like? Will I have a hot shower and flushing toilet?
Will I have a mobile signal? Is there wifi at the safari lodges?
Planning
How much does a safari cost?
This all depends on where you go, the level of luxury of the camps and how long you stay. Our trips start from around £2-3,000 per person, but for a longer more luxurious trip you could easily spend £10-15,000+ per person. To get an idea of what to expect, you can see some example trips with costs here.
What does a tailor-made safari look like?
Morena Safaris doesn't do pacakages or set departures, everything is completely flexible. Your itinerary will be personally trailored for you, so you can depart on any date, individually select all of the areas and properties that you will visit and go for the length of time that suits you. Every element of your holiday is fully tailored from the airport you will fly from to the activities you will do. Please get in touch to start planning your own adventure,
How long should I go for?
This is really up to personal preference. Some people want to go to one safari lodge for a couple of nights, others go to multiple lodges over a period of weeks. That's the beauty of the flexibility of bespoke trip planning.
We recommend going to at least 2-3 lodges for the best range of experiences and to expand your wildlife viewing opportunities. It is typical to stay in each lodge for 2-4 nights.
Our average trip length is 10 -14 days, commonly with 6-10 days on safari and then some time in non-safari areas like Victoria Falls, Cape Town or the Winelands to add variety to the trip. We can arrange accommodation, guides and activities in these destinations too.
Some people like to go to a beach destination such as Mauritius, Zanzibar or the Seychelles after their safari and we can help with this too.
What is included?
Generally speaking our trip costs cover everything from when you arrive in Africa until you leave the continent. Transfers, accomodation and activities are all included.
Most of our guests book their own international flights, but we can arrange these too if you prefer.
Most safari lodges are fully inclusive of all meals and drinks, but if your itinerary includes some time in town or city hotels, these may be B&B only.
The main additional costs that are not included in intial quotes are travel insurance, visas and any tips that you might want to leave for guides, camps staff and drivers.
The details of all inclusions and exclusions will all be detailed in your quote and documentation.
Are your trips financially protected?
Yes, we have supplier failure insurance through our membership of the Travel Trust Association, and for UK clients, our trips are also ATOL protected. With these industry leading protections, you can book with Morena Safaris with confidence. You can read more here.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes, it is a requirement of booking with Morena Safaris that you have adequate travel insurance in place. If you need a medical evacuation by aircraft from a remote part of Africa and/or repatration home, the medical costs can be very high.
It is important to make sure that your policy includes repatration and includes all the activties that you plan to take part in. Flying in light aircraft and activities such as walking safaris are commonly excluded from standard policies, so you may need to pay an additional premium to make sure that you are fully covered for your trip.
Morena Safaris doesn't sell insurance, but we can give you guidance on making sure that you get the right travel insurance policy,
How do I book a trip?
The first step is to get in touch and we can have a chat about what you are thinking about. We highly reccomend an initial call as it really speeds up the process of getting to your perfect itinerary. However, if you prefer we can stick to email.
After a call or answering questions by email, we will provide a personalised reccomendation of some trip options. There is normally then a bit of back and forward to refine the details. Once we have a finalised trip settled, we will provisionally hold rooms for you.
To confirm a trip, we require a 30% deposit. The balance is due to by 6 weeks before your departure date.
On Safari
What will I do on safari? What is a typical day like?
Typically safari involves early morning starts. You can expect to get up some time between 5 and 7am to be ready to go out on a game drive around sunrise.
Most commonly you will go for a longer activity in the morning, and a shorter activity in the late afternoon. The cooler parts of the day in the early morning and late afternoon/evening are when animals are most active. Commonly, you will come back to the camp around late morning for brunch/lunch and a bit of free time, but at some lodges you may have the opportunity to stay out all day if you wish. Please let us know at enquiry stage if this is something you are interested in.
The most common safari activity is a game drive. Normally game drive vehicles will hold a maximum of 6-8 people and are open like the one in the photo above, but in some areas closed vehicles are used.
While out on game drives, your guide will take snacks and selection of drinks. It is common to stop for a sundowner drink at sunset, and night drives to seek out nocturnal animals may be an option.
Other safari activities that are availavble in some areas include walks, boats, mokoro (traditional open canoe), helicopter/balloon flights, horse riding and quad biking. If you ware interested in any of these, please let us know when you enquire.
What will I see? Are the big 5 guaranteed?
This will depend on the area that you will go to. Since safari is in real wild environments, sightings aren't guaranteed, but there are certainly areas that you can go where you will have a high chance of seeing the big 5.
What are the big 5 and what does game mean?
The big 5 are elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo.
Game refers to wild animals that live freely in nature that you will observe when on safari.
What are safari camps and lodges like?
The design varies greatly from rustic tented accomodation to very high luxury of the standard of a 5 star hotel. Typically the properties that we use have just 3-12 bedrooms with a central main area with a bar, lounge and seating for dinner.
Most camps have a small pool in the main area to cool down in during the heat of the day. Some of the more luxurious camps have private plunge pools on a deck at the rooms.
If you go to our example trips page, you can link through to example trips with videos and photos which show you what the camps are like.
What are the tents/rooms like? Will I have a hot shower and flushing toilet?
Typically the rooms are spread apart for privacy, so it can be a bit of a walk to the further out ones. If you have any mobility issues, please let us know when booking and we will make sure that you get a room next to the main area to avoid long walks.
The design of safari lodge rooms vary from simple canvas tents to luxurious lodges with solid walls. Even the more basic 'tents' have a proper bed, furniture and normally have electricity. Unless you opt for a mobile safari, all of the rooms have ensuite shower rooms with a proper flushing toilet and hot water.
If you go to our example trips page, you can link through to example trips with videos and photos which show you what the rooms are like.
What is a mokoro?
Mokoro (mekoro, plural) are traditional style dugout canoes that are used in the Okavango Delta. Traditionally they were made from hollowed out tree trunks, but now they are mostly made from fiberglass.
Mekoro can take one to two passengers and are propelled by a 'poler' who uses a long pole to move through the water by pushing on the riverbed.
Mekoro are a hallmark activity of the Okavango Delta and are a peaceful way to appreciate the smaller things in The Delta's waterways.
Will I have a mobile signal? Is there wifi at the safari lodges?
Some lodges have mobile signal, but many of the more remote ones don't. Wifi is sometimes available, but not always and it can be slow/intermittent. Please let us know at enquiry stage if internet connection is important to you,
Is safari dangerous? Will I be safe in Africa?
Morena Safaris keeps updated on the Foreign Office's international travel advice and does not sell trips to any countries or areas of countries that are considered unsafe.
There is an inherent risk from the potentially dangerous animals you will see on safari, but if you follow the instructions from your guides, then the risk is very low.
At night when walking between your room and the main area, you will always be escorted by a guide or a manager. During the day you are free to move between your room and the main area alone in most lodges, but if you prefer you can ask to be escorted during daylight hours too.
What if I have a problem in a remote location?
All camps have a way of contacting emergency assistance. For those in more isolated locations, this will be by radio or satellite phone.
When in Africa, you will have access to our 24/7 Africa based liason team which can offer emergency assistance, including access to a park doctor and also legal advice.
It is a requirement of booking with Morena Safaris that you have travel insurance that will cover medevac and repatration. For the more remote camps medevac will be by light aeroplane or helicopter.