A Typical Day on Safari

After an exhilarating morning, it’s time for breakfast in the bush. Depending on your lodge, you might return to camp for a buffet breakfast or enjoy a picnic-style meal at a scenic spot in the park. One experience that sits in my memory is picnicking on a slope overlooking a river in the Masai Mara where around 20 hippos basked – wonderful experience. (And yes, we were at a very safe vantage point!)

Expect a spread of fresh fruit, eggs, toast, bacon, and African coffee, served in the middle of the wilderness—often with zebras or wildebeest grazing in the distance.

Once breakfast is done, you’ll have a few hours to relax. This is the hottest part of the day, when most animals seek shade and activity slows down. And so should you! It’s the perfect time to:

✔ Take a nap in your tent or lodge
✔ Swim in the pool (if staying at a luxury lodge)
✔ Read a book on your deck, listening to the sounds of nature
✔ Watch wildlife from the comfort of camp—some have waterholes nearby

Lunch is usually leisurely, with plenty of fresh local dishes. If you’re staying in a tented camp, expect a buffet or set menu, while high-end lodges offer gourmet meals with a view.

After lunch, some safaris offer a shorter game drive, focusing on riverbanks and shaded areas, where hippos, crocodiles, and elephants gather to cool off. Alternatively, you might visit a local village, learning about their rich culture and traditions. 

As the afternoon heat fades, the bush springs back to life. This is the best time to see big cats, as lions, cheetahs, and leopards prepare for their evening hunt.

Your guide will take you on another game drive, this time covering different landscapes—from rolling grasslands to rocky kopjes (granite outcrops where big cats love to lounge).

As the sun begins to dip, it might be time for sundowners. Your guide will stop at a scenic viewpoint, set up a small bar with gin & tonics, beer, or soft drinks, and let you soak in the magic of an African sunset. 

My favourite experience of this was drinking a gin and tonic whilst watching a pride of lions slowly awake and prepare for the night ahead (well the lionesses were preparing, the alpha male didn’t do much apart from the occasional roar).

Back at camp, you’ll freshen up before dinner under the stars. Many lodges set up tables around a firepit, where you can chat with fellow travellers and swap stories from the day’s adventures.

The menu might include:
✔ Grilled meats (like lamb or beef)
✔ Traditional dishes such as ugali (maize porridge) and nyama choma (grilled meat)
✔ Fresh salads and homemade bread
✔ Decadent desserts like chocolate mousse or banana fritters

After dinner, some camps offer storytelling sessions or you can enjoy a quiet moment by the fire with a glass of wine or beer.

People don’t stay up late in the African bush…

As you head back to your tent or lodge, the African bush doesn’t sleep—and neither does the wildlife. As you drift to sleep you will hear the sounds of Africa.

Excuse the cliche but it’s a humbling feeling, knowing you’re in the heart of the wild, surrounded by the rhythms of nature.

If you want to go to Africa then you will go on safari. Sure, you’ll have other places to visit as well (Victoria Falls definitely, Zanzibar maybe, Cape Town, probably) but its the game parks that are the draw.

When putting together an Africa itinerary we first focus on your game park experience and then build the rest of your African adventure from there.