Planning a 2011 Safari Trip

SAFARI 2011 BLOG - Part 1

They say once you go on your first Safari, you will go back again. I am headed for my second Safari next April.  For the next few months, I will share with you all the plans,details and activities of getting ready to go on my second Safari in late April 2011. If you plan on going on a safari, this blog should help you.

A couple of footnotes I should share with you before we get started. Try to go with someone who has been on Safari before. They will make the trip less stressful. There is a lot of paperwork and details for any Safari that you need to stay focused on. Visit the CDC website to see what vaccinations you are going to need for the country your Safari is in. Call your doctor and tell him your plans and he can get the shots you need and set up an appointment for you to come in and get the first round.

First thing is selecting a country and PH (Professional Hunter). South Africa is the most modernize country on the African continent. There is fine hunting all over Africa.  The PH I am using belongs to PHASA (Professional Hunters Association of South Africa) and I checked out his references before selecting him. If the PH you are looking at doesn't offer you any references, then chose another PH.  That is a must for any hunter who is going to spend their time and money on his/her first Safari. Make sure to keep good records of everything you do preparing for your Safari. On my first Safari I kept records of everything I did and spent. This should also help you in your planning. Every country has it's own unique requirements for what you must provide them and you should rely on your PH for all the paperwork requirements.

I would start gearing up for your Safari six months ahead of your departure date. I had 4 months to plan my first one and if I have not had someone who had been there before to help me, I may have not made it. There is a lot of paperwork involved but don’t let that scare you. Once you get past the paper work, you will enjoy the hunt. 

Most of Africa does their hunting in their winter months (our summer months). Starting from April 1st and going through Oct 1st, (6 months). Every animal represents income to the PH and landowner. That is the reason why 95% of all ranches are high fenced. The PH I use, owns his own ranch of 6000+ acres. He tells me that his ranch is about average size.   After I got though the front fence, I never saw one again until I left. I was all over his ranch and never saw a fence. But I did see tons of animals everyday and the variety is amazing.

Sit back and enjoy the journey and start planning your own safari. Get out your paper and jot down notes. I plan to post every month until I leave. If you have a question please feel free to asked.