The Purple Passport

Seasoned advice for British Travellers

Africa

How to Make the Most of Your Trip To Africa

by

If you’re planning a trip to Africa, you’re going to want to make the most of your time there and enjoy every minute of your adventure. Africa is such a diverse continent with a wide variety of climates, landscapes, and lifestyles, so choosing where to go can be something of a challenge, but in truth, there aren’t any wrong choices to make.

If this is your first trip to Africa, you might feel more comfortable taking a more well-trodden path and going to one of the well-known tourist destinations. However, if you’ve been a few times before, you might decide it’s time to spread your wings and explore a bit further afield.

Going on safari has got to be on most people’s bucket list, and for good reason. The choice of places to go on safari has never been better, and you can take your pick of some of the world’s most breath-taking landscapes and wildlife on an African safari.

Tanzania has got to be one of the premier locations, being home to the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the Zanzibar Archipelago to name just a few highlights.

If you’re considering a Tanzania safari or one to any other African country, be sure to check on the times of year that are best for seeing the wildlife you’re most interested in. There are certain times when you stand a better chance of seeing specific animals and other times when you’ve got virtually no chance. If you don’t mind what creatures you see, then it might be more economical to go outside of peak times.

There are innumerable other ways to get the most from a visit to Africa, so if you fancy trying something different, have a good browse online. You could visit Uganda and see the mountain gorillas, or take a trip to a vibrant city like Cape Town, depending on whether you prefer wildlife or culture.

Wherever you choose to go, make sure you have a successful trip by following these guidelines:

  1. Make sure you have travel insurance that covers you for every eventuality on your African trip.
  2. Make sure you’ve got all the vaccinations you need in good time – some, like yellow fever, are compulsory and without them, you won’t get back into the UK.
  3. Check with your doctor whether you should take malaria medications before you go.
  4. Follow the advice of seasoned travellers about what to pack. You’ll find plenty of helpful websites that provide detailed packing lists based on real people’s real experience of the holiday you’re taking.
  5. Make sure you can take high-quality photos and videos while you’re away. If you’re happy with the kind of results you get from a smartphone – some of which are now very good – that’s the most convenient way to record your trip, but don’t economise on your recording equipment when you’re going to be witnessing such incredible sights and events.

Last but not least, be sure to approach your African adventure with an open heart and mind, and embrace the experience to ensure you make the most of your time on this extraordinary continent.

When is the best time to visit the Great Wildebeest migration?

by

The Great Wildebeest migration is widely considered to be one of the most impressive events that occurs in the whole of the animal kingdom and has been named the ‘Greatest show On Earth’. If you don’t know what this is, the ‘show’ features over 2 million wildebeest, heading off on an arduous journey of over 1800 miles as they migrate through the African planes.

This phenomenon can be seen by tourists if you get your timing right and there are many tour companies who can offer this trip if you want to witness the spectacle. Let’s take a look at what route the wildebeest take, and when would be the best time for you to spot them.

The Migration

The wildebeest move in a clockwise fashion from the north east of Kenya, down through the south of the country before moving north on the east side of Tanzania and back to the north east of Kenya. The reason for the migration is that  the wildebeest move, with zebras and gazelles, to in search of food after the long rains.

Throughout this lengthy and continuous journey, the wildebeest face many dangers as they travel through the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and the Maswa game reserves. The journey features 2 death defying river crossings which often sees a large amount of casualties thanks to the speed of the river and the dangers present there such as crocodiles.

In truth, the migration never really stops, but for a short time, before it commences again and this means that you will have plenty of chances to go and witness this incredible feat.

Visiting From Tanzania

If you want to go and see the migration as it heads up the eastern coast of Tanzania, the best time to go will be between April and July. The exact dates are difficult to predict as the migration itself depends greatly on the rains, which change from year to year. If you plan on going to the Maswa game reserve then the wildebeest will be usually be there in mid-May, and you can also get the chance to see many other animals on a safari in this reserve. A little later in the year and if you are very lucky, you could see the crossing of the Grumeti river in northern Tanzania.

Visiting From Kenya

Whilst the Serengeti could be a good place for you to see the migration, the wildebeest generally spend more time in the Masai Mara and so this would probably be the best place for you to see the animals in all of their glory. The wildebeest will arrive in the northern tip of Kenya and the Mara river in around August where they will remain until late September when they begin their migration  to wetter lands. Kenya offers the best safari infrastructure but the cost of this is that you may find large crowds here that are looking to do the exact same thing as you.

If you want to see nature at its very best, this is the vacation for you.