Looking for the best places to visit in Africa especially if it’s your first time? Planning a trip to Africa and deciding which African safari to choose from can be overwhelming. When my husband and I started planning over a year in advance, we were so overwhelmed and worried we wouldn’t pick the safari and lodge that was best for us. There are plenty of safari destinations, so how do you choose? With an unlimited budget, there are plenty of luxury options but also incredible lodges and experiences for other budgets too. In this post, I’ll share why we decided on a safari in Botswana and our itinerary that includes all the best places to visit in Africa for first-timers!
Best Places to Visit in Africa for First Timers
When’s the best time to visit Africa?
The best time to visit Africa depends on what you want to see. June to October is the best time to visit anywhere in Africa. For some of the best places to visit in Africa for first-timers, consider Chobe National Park in Botswana. During the fall months between August through October, you can find one of the largest populations of elephants in Africa. During the dry season (June to October), the elephants head to the banks of the Chobe River and are perfect for spotting on safari!
When’s the best time to go on safari in Africa?
September is the best time to go on an African safari, especially in Botswana. Botswana’s famous spots like Okavango, Moremi, Chobe, and the Linyanti will be filled with wildlife. Chobe and Linyanti are packed with elephants and have the biggest numbers of elephants in Africa. If you want more information on what you can see on safari by month, read these guides here and here.
Chobe National Park is home to one of the biggest elephant populations in Africa and can attract large crowds. Even though we visited in September when it’s popular to visit we didn’t experience crowds because of the lodge location we chose. Keep reading for more details and why it’s one of the best lodges in Botswana and one of the best places to visit in Africa for first-timers!
Best Places to Visit in Africa for First Timers: A Detailed Guide
How many days do you need in Africa?
Spend at least a week or two in Africa
Deciding how many days to spend in Africa? Deciding how many days you need in Africa will depend on where you want to travel, how long, and your budget. Depending on where you’re traveling from, you’ll most likely be flying into Cape Town or Johannesburg (Joburg). There are many places to explore in Africa, as well as an African safari of course, and the popular city of Cape Town.
For reference, our trip included spending a few days in Cape Town, flying a little over an hour to Zimbabwe to visit Victoria Falls for a night, and then spending three nights in Botswana on safari. This itinerary worked well for us and allowed us to see a bit of everything. Visiting Cape Town also helped with our budget as it’s a relatively affordable city. If you want to spend closer to two weeks in Africa, you can plan on multiple safari destinations if your budget allows.
Fly into Cape Town or Johannesburg
Cape Town is a great city to spend two to three days in, but I wouldn’t recommend the same for Joburg. From Cape Town or Joburg, you can fly to destinations for safari, including the popular Kruger National Park in South Africa, or other African countries including Zimbabwe and the stunning Victoria Falls, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia.
How much does an African safari cost?
Planning for an African safari will be quite expensive. The general rule of thumb is a full safari lodge experience costs around $1,000 per person per night. This is not to say this is exactly what you have to spend. You can find accommodations less expensive than this, and luxury accommodations will cost much more. Keep in mind for most safari lodges everything is included, minus extra activities such as separate private tours or extra excursions.
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Preparing to Travel to Africa
Do you need a visa to visit Africa?
When we visited Africa in the fall of 2024, South Africa did not require a visa to enter. Botswana also did not require a visa, however, Zimbabwe did. If you’re traveling to Zimbabwe or Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe make sure to check the visa requirements, you will probably only need a single entry visa but might need the dual entry (can enter the country twice) or the KAZA visa if you plan to go into Zambia. Another interesting fact about Victoria Falls is that it operates in USD. Make sure to bring USD because you will need to pay for the Zimbabwe visa when arriving at the airport. I overheard a couple tell some officers they had already paid it online, however, the officers did not accept that and made them give them cash for their visas.
You may be wondering why Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe operates in USD? One of our drivers explained to us that since the country’s currency is so weak they choose to use USD even with the recent government-required new Zimbabwean currency that is used more outside of Victoria Falls.
What medications should you bring to Africa?
It’s essential to consult a travel clinic or pharmacist before visiting Africa. Medications you should consider bringing include: pain relievers and fever reducers like Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen, anti-histamines, antidiarrheals, and electrolyte replacement packets. It’s also a good idea to bring anti-nausea and motion sickness medication, but depending on where you live this could require a prescription.
In addition to the medications above we were also prescribed anti-malaria antibiotics. We needed to start taking these before we left and for weeks after we returned. Depending on the time of year you’re visiting Africa and the country you’re visiting this may not be advised, but keep it in mind. If you’re looking for the best places to visit in Africa for first timers it’s always best to consult a travel clinic before visiting.
Check Vaccination requirements
It’s essential to consult a travel clinic before visiting Africa for vaccination requirements. The vaccination requirements for South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana at the time we visited in 2024 included Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis A, and Yellow Fever.
It is also required to carry a Yellow Fever vaccination card when you travel through a country impacted by it, check online for more info. Our vaccination card however was never checked upon arrival in Cape Town or at border control between Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Do you need travel insurance for Africa?
Travel insurance is essential for traveling to Africa. It was a requirement booking with the agency Expert Africa for everyone in our party traveling to carry insurance. We were also advised to ensure our insurance included comprehensive coverage for emergency medical evacuations and treatment and injuries from activities or excursions. It’s also a good idea for insurance to cover personal possessions and cancellations or delays.
What to wear on Safari
When on safari, wear neutral colors and clothing that completely covers you. Covering your skin including wearing a hat will shield the sun, mosquitoes, and other creepy crawlers. Here are a few ideas to get you started on what to pack for Africa!
Africa itinerary including Cape Town & a Botswana Safari
Here’s a proposed itinerary if it’s your first time in Africa. We also had the help of booking with the agency Expert Africa, who gave us ideas on the best places to visit in Africa for first-timers.
Visit Cape Town
Fly into Cape Town and spend a few days there. You can then plan to safari in Kruger National Park, a popular safari destination in South Africa. Keep in mind you will need to fly from Cape Town to Kruger.
Here’s a comprehensive guide for all the best things to see and do in Cape Town, South Africa!
Fly to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
Fly from Cape Town or Kruger National Park to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Spend one night in Victoria Falls before traveling to your desired safari destination.
Safari in Botswana
Safari in Botswana. Have ground transport arranged between Victoria Falls and Botswana which involves crossing the border. Spend at least three nights in Botswana.
Stay at Ngoma Lodge in Chobe National Park
Stay at Ngoma Lodge in Botswana for a safari. Our experience staying here was incredible. This location is the closest to the west (not the main Kasane) entrance of Chobe National Park without actually being in the park. While staying at Ngoma you’ll often be greeted with elephants or animals near your lodge and can see them in the distance on the flood plains. We saw many animals on safari, including large herds of elephants, lions, leopards, zebras, giraffes, and many more. Keep reading for more of the best places to visit in Africa for first-timers!
How to Get Around Africa
Fly into Cape Town
Spend a few days in Cape Town when arriving. When flying in Africa, prepare to be at the airport two to two and a half hours before your scheduled departure. After arriving in Cape Town, rent a car. It’s easy to pick up and drop a car off at the Cape Town airport, and very affordable as well.
Arrange Transfers with Expert Africa
Except booking flights, the company Expert Africa will arrange all ground transport between destinations in Africa. Even though this was the first time we used a travel agent (we usually like to plan everything!), the transport connections were the most important part to have arranged for you. For example, we needed to be picked up at the Victoria Falls hotel, handed over to another driver at the Botswana border, then handed off again at Kasane airport to another driver to the lodge, which could have fallen flat at multiple points but worked out perfectly.
It’s difficult planning a trip to Africa without expert advice. Many of the locations you’ll visit on safari are very remote and cannot even be booked without the help of an agency. I highly recommend Expert Africa. After talking with other travelers in Africa, we never heard negative feedback about other tour companies either. There are quite a few to choose from, just research which would be the best fit for you and check their reviews on Trustpilot!
Visit Cape Town and Kruger National Park South Africa
Even though Joburg is much closer to Kruger National Park than Cape Town, I highly recommend flying in and spending a few days in Cape Town instead. After visiting Cape Town you can fly and safari in Kruger National Park. Here’s some information on how to get to Kruger National Park, but your travel agency should be able to help you with transfer information.
Here’s a comprehensive guide and complete Cape Town travel itinerary for all the best things to see and do in and around Cape Town South Africa!
Fly to Victoria Falls Zimbabwe
Stay at Pioneers Lodge
Flying from Cape Town to Victoria Falls is easy, the flight is a little over an hour. If you read the comprehensive Cape Town travel itinerary, you know it’s best to rent a car. Renting a car will cover your transport to and from the airport when leaving for Victoria Falls.
Marvel at Victoria Falls
Make sure to check out Victoria Falls’s website for opening and closing times. These times may change depending on the season. Many of the hotels in Victoria Falls are not far from the waterfall. It’s best to arrange a taxi with the hotel instead of walking as some areas in town do not have proper sidewalks.
Seeing Victoria Falls by helicopter is very popular. You can also choose to do a dinner cruise along the Zambezi River, or the adventurous Devils Pool experience! If you want to do any of these activities, I’d recommend spending another night in Victoria Falls.
Getting around Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is quite a small town with a few shops, restaurants, and even a brewery. It’s close to many of the hotels and getting around by taxi is best. Your hotel can arrange a taxi for pick up and drop off, and you can ask the driver to meet you after your visit.
Drive from Zimbabwe to Botswana
Drive from Victoria Falls Hotel to the Botswana border
After spending a night in Victoria Falls, your agency will arrange transport from your hotel to Botswana. These transport will be pre-booked and your agency will send you all the details before arriving. Since this transport involves crossing the border, it’s not advised to drive yourself across the border. This first transfer from Vicotira Falls to Botswana will take around one and a half hours.
Once you arrive to the Botswana border, we changed drivers because only the community that lives in the border towns are allowed ‘border passports.’ This second driver then drove us to the Botswana airport where we met the staff from our Botswana safari lodge.
Cross the Botswana border
Our experience at the Botswana border was very straightforward. The first driver handed us off to our second driver and helped transfer all our belongings from one vehicle to another. We then had a second driver who helped us through Botswana immigration control. Immigration control consisted of stamping our passports, having our temperature taken, and filling out a health questionnaire because of the recent ‘mpox’ breakout (check online before leaving since it’s an evolving situation). We also had all our shoes sanitized quickly with a pad because of the ‘hand, foot, and mouth’ disease that was a concern at the time.
Drive from the Botswana border to your Safari lodge
After getting past the border, the second driver may drive you to your safari lodge, or there is a potential that you will have a third transfer. Kasane Airport is within an hour’s drive of one of the entrances of Chobe National Park. The airport seems to be a common meeting area for lodges and safaris in this area. This is where you may need to transfer a third time.
Have a safari on the drive to the lodge!
In our experience, we had a third driver pick us up at Kasane Airport, and then we drove another hour to our accommodation lodge at Ngoma. The drive was a safari in itself! We saw elephants, impalas, a group of mongooses, warthogs, a kudu, steenboks, and a sable antelope (which are rare to see since they’re so shy).
One of the best parts about Chobe National Park is the wildlife diversity, since the animals have become accustomed to the sound of cars they aren’t too shy!
Enjoy an epic Safari in Botswana
Why visit Botswana?
One of the less expensive and typical safari destinations is Botswana. Botswana has Chobe National Park, Okavango, Moremi, and the Linyanti. One of the best places to visit in Africa for first-timers, Chobe is home to the biggest elephant population in Africa.
Best Places to Stay in Botswana
Enjoy a stay at Ngoma Safari Lodge
Ngoma Safari Lodge is close to the Ngoma entrance of Chobe National Park, and its views look upon flood plains full of wildlife. Chobe Safari Lodge is the only lodge inside the park, as it was grandfathered in after the park was registered as a protected site. Ngoma is the next closest location without being in the park itself. It has a great, secluded location, and there aren’t many lodges or hotels surrounding it. Ngoma also does a great job planning all activities and excursions during your time there. They really make sure that you can do and see it all!
What’s unique about Ngoma?
After doing a massive amount of research on the best places to stay in Botswana, Ngoma is one of the best places to visit in Africa for first-timers. Because of its location described above, this allows for an intimate experience for safari drives. My husband and I even had a few private safari drives with our guide. Because Ngoma pairs the guides with the guests, you’ll only ever have a max six people in a driving vehicle with the guide on safari.
See the Elephants in Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park is famous for its elephants. The park is home to over 50,000 elephants! It’s believed that this population is the highest concentration of elephants found anywhere in the world! Staying at Ngoma, if you’re staying in the lodges on the end the elephants may even come and drink your private plunge pool water right off your patio! They are that close, and it’s such an incredible experience.
Expect to see lots of African safari animals
After choosing to safari in Botswana, we never expected to see as many animals as we did. We expected to see elephants, but Chobe is so much more than its incredible elephant population. Keep reading for a more detailed description of all the animals we saw!
Other Activities offered at Ngoma
Sunrise and Afternoon Drives
Sunrise drives were offered to start at 6 in the morning. Animals tend to be more active in the mornings, especially the big cats you may not glimpse during the day.
Since we stayed at Ngoma for three nights, we did multiple morning drives. The highlight of our morning drives was spotting a lioness and leopard! Even though the lioness was slumbering, the leopard was abnormally very active. We followed the leopard a bit, and it was getting very close to our vehicle. On sunrise drives, we also found zebras and buffalo that we couldn’t on the afternoon drives. We even had a buffalo stare us down and looked like he wanted to start charging! On the way back to the lodge, we also saw a mother elephant cross the road in front of our vehicle and did a mock charge at us! This could have been because they got close to the safari vehicle, and there was a baby with her.
Enjoy a Night safari drive
During the night game drive, the guide informed us to look for cats and smaller cats. Even though we saw an elephant, we also saw sleeping baboons in the trees and two genets!
Full day River safari
The full-day river and drive safari offered by Ngoma took us around Sedudu Island on the Chobe River. During the river cruise, we saw tons of hippos, crocodiles, and different types of birds. We also saw plenty of elephants from a different view, playing in the water and mud baths. After the river cruise, you hop into the safari vehicle and drive to your lunch spot. Our guide prepared lunch for us and then treated us to an afternoon drive where we saw so many elephants being extremely active!
Fish in the Chobe River
A separate excursion that Ngoma arranged for my husband was a private, guided fishing experience that cost around $150. The lodge arranged transport and the excursion started on the Chobe River. The guide brought all the supplies including chicken hearts for bait! The day continued on the river and off of a tributary that had water inflowing from the river. My husband could spot crocodiles and lots of hippos and caught a large 2.5kg humpback bream. The guide was very excited about the catch as he explained it’s rare to find them in that area.
Tipping etiquette in Africa
Expert Africa included instructions for tipping etiquette in the travel package they sent before our trip. Tipping etiquette can change, so make sure to follow the instructions of the agency you book through.
We provided tips to our safari guide who stayed with us during our entire stay, as well as our ‘butler’ and general staff including the housekeepers. We used USD currency.
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10 Day Peru Itinerary: Machu Picchu, Cusco, & Lima
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