Safaris for older travellers

We understand the question, and the reason for asking it. Experiential Travel's founders are in their sixties and seventies and travel to Africa regularly, so the transfers, camps and long flights we plan are ones they make themselves, at the same stage of life as you. Between them they know both what Africa asks of a visitor and what makes it comfortable.

The risks that matter most at this stage of life, such as long road transfers, distance from medical care, physical strain and tight connections, are largely in the planner's hands. No journey, at home or abroad, is entirely free of risk, but we design every itinerary to reduce these before you leave home.

We plan for our guests the same way we would for our own sisters and daughters. Every routing, transfer and camp we propose is one we'd be content for a member of our own family to do. Where we can't say that without qualification, we change the plan.

We check the Australian Government's Smartraveller advice for every country on your itinerary, and we also follow the US State Department, the UK Foreign Office and other agencies with larger resources on the ground, because they often see specific risks first.

Safety and comfort are different questions, and older travellers sometimes worry about one when they mean the other. A trip can be well planned and still be tiring if it moves too often or starts too early. We consider both: whether we'd be content for our own family to do it, and whether the pace lets you finish the trip wanting more rather than needing a rest.

South Africa's private reserves in the Greater Kruger, such as Timbavati, Klaserie and Manyeleti, offer excellent game viewing with guided drives in open vehicles, and there are even more luxurious options in the Sabi Sand. The whole area, including the Kruger National Park itself, is unfenced, so the animals move freely between the reserves and the park. If you'd prefer to avoid malaria altogether, Madikwe, near the Botswana border, is one of several malaria-free Big Five reserves, just over an hour's flight from Johannesburg.

Botswana suits travellers who want somewhere quieter and wilder. Light aircraft fly you between camps, so you spend hardly any time on roads. Be realistic about the planes, though: the usual aircraft is a 12-seat Cessna Caravan, luggage limits are strict, and climbing in and out of it is awkward, even for agile travellers.

Tanzania is the choice if the great wildebeest migration or the Serengeti is the dream. Distances are large, so for older travellers we build it around flights between parks rather than long drives, and you can route your arrival so that no yellow fever certificate is needed.

There's no single right answer; it depends on what you most want to see and how much moving around suits you. We'll talk it through with you before suggesting anything.

The southern African dry season runs from about May to October. As it goes on, the bush opens up and the wildlife concentrates, which is why the later months give the best game viewing. July mornings can be very cold in an open vehicle, so dress in layers for early drives; by September the days are warm and the mornings milder. In October the heat builds sharply, often well into the thirties, and you'll appreciate a camp with shade, a pool and a long midday rest.

In Botswana, the Okavango Delta's floodwaters arrive in the dry season, usually peaking around the middle of the year, which is when boat and mokoro activities are at their best. By November, water levels are very low and those activities are limited.

In Tanzania, timing follows the migration rather than the weather: the herds calve in the southern Serengeti early in the year, and the dramatic river crossings happen in the north from about July to October. We'll match the timing to what you most want to see.

The summer months, November to March, are hotter and wetter, with lush green landscapes, newborn animals and fewer visitors. It's also the best time of year for birdwatchers, when migrant species arrive from Europe and elsewhere in Africa. The heat and humidity are harder going, though, and malaria risk is higher where it exists.

The most tiring part of most safaris isn't the game drives; it's the travel days in between. We keep the number of moves low, so you unpack and settle rather than repacking every second morning. Where two areas are far apart, we use scheduled or light-aircraft flights instead of long road transfers, and we try to time them so you arrive in camp around lunchtime, rested enough to enjoy the afternoon drive. That isn't always possible, but it's what we aim for.

We always recommend a rest night in a comfortable hotel or resort after a long-haul flight, so you start your safari fresh rather than straight off an overnight journey.

We don't set a maximum time for road transfers, because the road matters more than the hours. A four-hour drive to Madikwe on good tar is far easier than two hours weaving between potholes in Zimbabwe. We've driven these roads ourselves, so we can tell you honestly what a transfer will be like before you book.

If you'd rather not take antimalarial medication, or your doctor advises against it, a malaria-free reserve removes the question entirely. Madikwe, near the Botswana border, is just over an hour's flight from Johannesburg; Welgevonden, in the Waterberg, is a few hours' drive north of Johannesburg; and the Eastern Cape has several malaria-free Big Five reserves within easy reach of the Garden Route.

The Greater Kruger, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania are all malaria areas. Many older travellers visit them comfortably, and the risk is generally lower in the dry winter months, but you'll need to discuss prevention with your doctor or a travel clinic before you go. We can't advise on medication, but we'll tell you which parts of your itinerary are in malaria areas so you can have that conversation early.

These countries ask for a yellow fever certificate only if you arrive from a yellow fever country, such as Kenya or Ethiopia. Flying in from Australia, New Zealand, the USA or Europe, that is usually straightforward. A connection can change it, though: how each country treats a transit stop varies, and it can change from one year or season to the next. So the requirement has to be checked when your flight routes are booked, not just when the trip is planned. We check it border by border, in the order you'll cross them, at the time your flights are booked.

That matters more as you get older. The yellow fever vaccine contains a live virus. The UK's medicines regulator advises that people aged 60 and over should have it only where there is "a significant and unavoidable risk of acquiring yellow fever infection" (MHRA, Drug Safety Update). The same guidance says the vaccine is not given to people whose immune system is suppressed. A safari in these six countries spares you that decision. Talk to your doctor or a travel clinic about your own health before you travel.

Safari days follow the heat. Game drives run in the early morning and late afternoon, when the animals are most active and the air is coolest, and the middle of the day is for lunch, rest and the pool. You can always skip a drive if you're tired. If heat troubles you, travel between July and September and avoid October, when temperatures often climb well into the thirties.

East Africa surprises most people. Although Tanzania sits close to the equator, its safari areas are high: much of the Serengeti lies well above 1,000 metres and the Ngorongoro Crater rim above 2,000 metres, so days are pleasantly warm and mornings and evenings can be distinctly cool.

Game-drive tracks are unsealed, and some are rough. Open safari vehicles have good suspension, and guides drive slowly when they're watching for animals, but there are bumps, dips and the occasional dry riverbed to cross. If you have back or joint problems, tell us when we're planning, and when you're there, ask for the seat next to your guide. It is the smoothest ride in the vehicle, and although it sits a little lower than the rows behind, you see everything your guide sees.

Drink more water than you think you need, wear a hat, and bring a light layer for the evening; the temperature drops quickly once the sun goes down.

Safari camps are remote, so serious medical care means being moved to it rather than a doctor coming to you. Your guide radios the camp, and the camp calls in medical support and arranges evacuation by road or air to a hospital.

This is when your insurance details matter most. Some evacuation services will not mobilise until they have them, which is why we ask for your insurer and policy number on your traveller profile, and pass them to the people looking after you on the ground. Comprehensive travel insurance is a requirement for every trip we arrange.

Medical evacuation and repatriation are different things. Evacuation moves you from where you are to a hospital, often in an African city. Repatriation brings you home. Policies differ on both, so be clear about what yours provides. We are not able to advise on insurance; please seek advice from a licensed insurer or adviser, and tell them about any medical condition you have.

Your traveller profile also records any medical conditions, mobility needs, allergies and diet, so the camps know about you before you arrive. See your doctor or a travel clinic well before you leave, and bring enough of your regular medication for the whole trip plus a few days' spare, in its original packaging, in your hand luggage.

Most game drives are in open four-wheel-drive vehicles with tiered rows of seats. You climb in using a step and a handrail, and the higher rows mean a bigger step up. The seat next to your guide is the easiest to get into as well as the smoothest ride.

Many camps put their rooms or tents on raised wooden decks, reached by a few steps, with paths or walkways between your room and the main area. Every room has its own bathroom. Some properties are more spread out than others, so if walking distance matters to you, tell us, and we'll ask for a room close to the main area. We can ask, but we can't guarantee it.

Many safari camps are unfenced, and animals walk through them, particularly at night. Almost every safari property we book insists that a member of staff escorts you between your room and the main area after dark. The only exceptions are places with no dangerous animals, such as city hotels and beach lodges. The walk is one of the most memorable parts of a safari, and it means you never walk alone in the dark.

If you use a walking stick, have trouble with steps, or need a shower rather than a bath, put it on your traveller profile. The camps receive it before you arrive.

Every move costs most of a day. You pack, check out, transfer by road or light aircraft, check in and settle, and the game drive you would have had that morning or afternoon is often lost. On a two-night stay, one of your two full days goes on travel.

Three nights gives you two full days in camp. You learn the routine, get to know your guide, and can skip a drive to rest without feeling you've missed the place. Your guide also gets to know what interests you, and the drives get better for it. Four nights or more is better still, and you'll feel the difference in how relaxed the trip is.

It's natural to want to see as much as possible. We've had requests for two nights in each of three camps in the Greater Kruger. That makes sense if you're researching a guidebook, but it costs you the safari itself: you spend your time packing and transferring between camps that share much the same wildlife and landscape, instead of settling into one. If you're torn between two camps or reserves, we would usually suggest choosing one and staying longer.

Allow a rest night in a comfortable hotel after your long-haul flight, before your first safari camp, and consider a night in a city or at a beach lodge at the end, before you fly home.

On a group tour you travel with a set group on fixed dates and a fixed route, always with a tour guide. It's the most economical way to go, the logistics are handled for you, and many people enjoy the company. The trade-off is the pace: the group moves on the group's schedule, so there's less room to rest when you need to or to linger where you're happy.

On a private safari we design the itinerary around you: your dates, your pace, and the camps that suit how you travel. At most lodges and camps you share an open vehicle with a few other guests on game drives, which many people enjoy. If you'd rather have the vehicle to yourselves, most properties can arrange a private vehicle at extra cost. That way the guide can stop as long as you like and set off when you're ready. At mealtimes they'll seat you at your own table, or you can invite your fellow travellers to join you.

We arrange both group tours and private safaris, so you can choose on what suits you rather than on what we happen to sell.

Things sometimes change on the ground. A flight is cancelled, a road is washed out, or a connection runs late. Safari Sentinel tracks the scheduled flights on your itinerary, day and night, and alerts us to delays and cancellations, often before you know about them, so we can start working on the fix. Light-aircraft and charter flights between camps don't publish to the systems we monitor, so the teams on the ground look after those.

If you need help, start with the people nearest to you: the lodge, camp or transfer company you're with. Every lodge and camp we book has its own procedure for handling problems, and they keep us informed, consulting us if a decision affects your trip. If they can't resolve it, call our partner in that country, who arranges your ground services. If you still need us, call us directly. All three are listed in your itinerary.

When a supplier cancelled one couple's flight three weeks before they travelled, we treated it as if they were our own family. We rebuilt their day around the earliest alternative flight, a meet-and-assist service through the airport, and a transfer timed to reach their reserve before its gate closed. Every leg was one we had travelled ourselves, so we knew it would work.

Ask whether the people designing your trip have stayed at the camps they recommend. First-hand knowledge is the difference between a property that looks right in the brochure and one that suits how you travel: the number of steps to your tent, the length of the walk to dinner, the road to the airstrip.

Look for a company that starts with you rather than with a product. A good one asks how you like to travel, what you hope to see and what you'd rather avoid, and it is honest when something on your wish list wouldn't suit you.

Ask what happens once you're there. Who monitors your flights, who do you call when something goes wrong, and will the company you booked with still be involved?

Check that the price is clear: what it includes, what it doesn't, and whether it includes flights. A clear price, including what isn't covered, is a sign of a company that won't surprise you later.

The ideal company is well connected at both ends of your trip. At the African end, membership of ATTA, the African Travel and Tourism Association, means close working relationships with the camps, lodges and ground operators, which gives you a wider choice of properties and smoother arrangements.

At the home end, look for a company accredited by ATIA, the Australian Travel Industry Association. Accreditation means the business has met ATIA's requirements for financial resilience and operational integrity. Booking with an Australian business also gives you the protection of Australian Consumer Law, which you don't have when you book directly with a company overseas.

Experiential Travel is a member of ATTA and ASTA, and is accredited by ATIA.