Is it safe to go on safari?

Is it safe to go on safari? Essential safety tips

A comprehensive guide to ensure your adventure is secure and enjoyable

Crime and safety in Africa

While there are trouble spots in Africa, the areas where you will spend time are probably as far away from those trouble spots as the Middle East is from London.

Africa is no different to the rest of the world. If you plan to spend time in a city, take precautions as you would in your home country.

Petty theft is common in cities, but physical attacks on tourists are extremely rare.

You will spend most of your African holiday in a relatively remote and wild area where crime of any sort is extremely rare, if not non-existent

Safety tips for cities:

• Don’t wander around the streets after dark.

• Ask your hotel about unsafe areas and avoid them.

• Leave expensive jewellery at home and wear a cheap plastic watch.

• Don’t carry cameras and video cameras in full view.

• Keep your money and passport in a money belt and out of sight or in the hotel safe.

• Dress like a local, or at least casually.

• Use your cell phone discreetly and not while driving.

Dangerous wildlife

A few things to remember about wild animals:

• Wild animals can be dangerous and should be treated with respect and caution.

• Most safari camps are unfenced, and dangerous animals like buffaloes, lions, hippos and elephants can (and do) wander through the camps, particularly at night.

• Listen to camp staff and guides. Safety precautions and advice must be taken seriously and strictly adhered to.

• Don’t wander off on your own without a guide. Even walking to your room at night can be dangerous. Elephants and buffaloes are impossible to see after dark, even from a few metres. Don’t leave your rooms at night, and don’t walk along riverbanks (crocodiles and hippos kill many people yearly).

• Observe animals silently and with minimal disturbance to their natural activities. Loud talking and standing up on game drive vehicles can frighten animals away or elicit an aggressive reaction.

• Never attempt to attract an animal’s attention. Don’t imitate animal sounds, clap your hands, pound the vehicle or throw objects. Please respect your driver-guide’s judgement about proximity to predators and large animals like elephants. A vehicle driven too close can hinder a hunt or cause animals to abandon a hard-earned meal. It can also trigger a charge.

• Litter tossed on the ground, in addition to being unsightly, can choke or poison animals and birds.

• Never attempt to feed or approach any wild animal on foot. Lodges and campsites suffer the consequences as these animals may become accustomed to humans – leading to danger for all involved.

• Refrain from smoking on game drives. The dry African bushveld ignites very easily, and a fire can kill animals and destroy grazing areas.

• Do not leave young children unattended while on safari. Noisy children can irritate other guests. Also, to predators such as leopards, children often sound like prey animals making distress calls. Young children are unsteady on their feet can trigger an attack from even small animals that would typically avoid humans. For these reasons, many lodges do not allow children on game drives or even allow them at the lodge