Safari Accommodation
Safari accommodation comes in several different styles, with some countries favouring one style and some favouring another - lodges predominate in South Africa, whereas permanent tented camps are more common in Botswana and Zambia.
While being on safari is more about what you experience than where you stay, your choice of accommodation may play a significant role in shaping your trip. Laying in bed in a tented camp as a lion roars or an elephant brushes past the wall is very different to curling up in front of the fireplace after a long soak in the deep claw-footed bathtub of your suite in a lodge, though both will enable you to experience the bush.
We work exclusively with small safari camps and lodges - the largest has only eighteen rooms, and many have less than ten. These small camps have a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and each has its own individual style. They feel more like homes from home than hotels in the bush (though the level of luxury attainable in even the most remote of places is nothing short of astonishing). We do not work with the large 'safari chain hotels' used by many operators in East Africa, as we feel that the crowds and hotel atmosphere detract from your experience of being in the bush.
The following brief descriptions are intended to provide a general flavour of what you can expect at the four main types of safari accommodation:
Please note that these categories aren't all-inclusive - there are some places which fall between categories, and some which offer a range of options. If you have questions about a specific camp or lodge, please feel free to
contact us.
Electricity on Safari
With the exception of some of the more rustic semi-permanent camps, power will be available to charge your digital cameras, camcorders, and other electronic equipment. However, it may not be available at all hours (most tented camps shut their generators down at night), and there may not be outlets in your room (in this case you will give the battery and charger to the staff and they will charge it in the office or lounge).
Electrical outlets are most often either British (three square prongs) or South African (three round prongs). Most lodges and camps will have some plug adaptors on hand, but if you have a lot of equipment (or are from a country other than the UK or the US) you are best advised to bring your own.
Note that if you have any American appliances requiring 120V AC power (rather than 220-240V) you'll need a converter to alter the voltage as well as a plug adaptor - this isn't something most camps or lodges will have in-house as they are primarily sold in the US, so you will need to bring your own. Most newer American appliances can accept 220-240V AC - check your appliance's AC adaptor.
In East Africa, it may also be possible to charge your appliances from your vehicle's cigarette lighter (this is generally not an option in Southern Africa, but since you do not have the long drives typical of ground-based safaris in East Africa it's rarely an issue). Some safari vehicles specially designed for serious photographers have additional electric sockets built into the sides of the vehicle. If you would are interested in booking this sort of vehicle, please let us know.
If you have questions about electricity on safari, please feel free to
contact us.
