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I tried TUI’s new safari holiday package – here are the five things first-timers always do wrong
From drinking too much water to photography mistakes
TUI has launched brand new beach-safari holidays this year - and I was one of the first to try them out.
The new holiday package is part of TUI's all-year-round trips to Kenya, which include a range of options for Brits warning to go on safari.
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As a more affordable option, the new Kenya tours include both a beach break and longer safari excursions.
I went on a three-day taster of the safaris, visiting Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Amboseli National Park.
As a safari-first-timer, I was left blown away by what we saw.
This included baby lion cubs on the road, galloping giraffes and elephants lazing at the watering hole.
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But as a first-timer, I also made a number of mistakes which I had no idea about before going.
Here are the five things I did wrong - and you can avoid too to make the trip perfect.
1. Drinking too much water
Kenya can hit highs of 41C in the summer, remaining above 20C even in winter.
And while it can be tempting to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated, this won't end well during long safari drives.
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There are no bathrooms within the safari parks - apart from at the entrance - and you hardly pop out of the vehicle to relive yourself.
This meant a lot of uncomfortable journeys - so be cautious about guzzling the drinks.
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2. Not taking a good enough camera
These days, a smartphone can take some amazing pictures without needing a proper camera and lens.
But the majority of safari drives, you will see animals far away, and only seen by binoculars.
So you can forget getting any pictures even with the latest iPhone without zooming all of the way in for a grainy shot.
If you do have a camera with a good zoom - make sure to pack it.
3. Not wearing long layers
Travellers are urged to take malaria medication when in Kenya, with a number of different types to take.
However, being a pale Brit who burns, I normally always wear suncream.
Yet my usual applying every 45 minutes or so failed me - as Malarone makes your skin much more sensitive to sunlight.
By the end of day one, I was badly burnt on my arms and chest - so make sure to reapply the factor 50, or even better, cover up with long shirts and trousers.
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4. Not sleeping in the afternoon
The middle of the day is the worst time to go on safari - as most animals will be resting somewhere away from the tracks.
This means the most popular times for safari is sunrise and sunset.
This also means you can expect early morning starts as early as 5:30am to get the best views.
It also means you could find yourself in the park around dinner time, meaning a late dinner and late bedtime.
I ended up forgetting to take an afternoon siesta, so was often running on around 4-5 hours sleep every day.
5. Expecting to see all of the Big Five
Unless you are going on TUI's longest safari holiday of 15-days, you are unlikely to see all of the animals you want.
The big five consist of the African elephant, lions, leopards, rhinos and bison.
Elephants are easy to come by, although the rest are much harder to spot.
I only saw three of the five on my trip, and we were later told that rhinos are too rare for most to see these days.
We were lucky enough to see lions and lion cubs too, something the rangers said they hadn't spotted in six months.
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And some drives may not see much for a while. We often saw antelope, zebra and giraffes, but could easily go more than an hour without anything else.
So don't be too disheartened if you don't see everything - it's very uncommon.
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