Each newsletter will be providing you with new and helpful tips for going on Safari to Africa. In this newsletter we will focus on three simple considerations:

1. We highly suggest NOT booking your international airfare before creating your dream safari, we suggest working in close conjunction with us to ensure you get the best flights and dates for your trip. 
2. Most small 6-12 bed camps are fully booked 9 months ahead of time.  We always encourage all travelers to start working on their trip at least one year before expected departure.  And if this is your first trip, talking to us even 18 months in advance is simply smart!
3. Lastly, when finding an expert to work with to create your dream trip, here are the questions we feel you should ask yourself:
   • Has your tour designer visited and stayed at the places they are suggesting to you?  If not, is this the right person to be talking to?
   • Is your designer associated to a specific company or brand – the question is whether YOUR best interests are coming first?  At Jackson’s African Safaris we don’t own our camps, we don’t have a bias where we send you, we match you and make suggestions…
   • How does your trip effect local people, the wildlife and the environment?  Your consultant should truly be able to explain in detail whether your trip is truly leaving Africa a better place, where your investment is leaving a legacy for a viable future for endangered species and remaining wilderness areas. 

Remember: Start planning as early as possible to ensure you’re getting the best experience and opportunities available to you. We can help you decide when it’s best to go to achieve your dream African Safari.

Cape Town gets WINTER RAIN, while the rest of Southern Africa gets SUMMER RAIN, so when it’s best to be in Cape Town, it’s not the best time to go to Kruger for a safari, as many roads close during the rains.  The whole South Coast of South Africa, mainly from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and slightly further up the coast towards Durban, can literally get 4 seasons in one day!  So in brief, best time for a wildlife safari anywhere in Southern Africa is June – October, June cooler, October can be very hot, where no rains are falling (except CAPE TOWN, and along the South Coast). 

In Southern Africa you get one rainy season, starting generally towards the end of November and ending during March.  The rest of the year is generally dry. 

East Africa gets two rains, the long rains and the short rains.  These are all very regional and is what creates migrations.  So in East Africa you can travel year round easily, avoiding some areas.  For example you would not want to book your Gorilla trekking experience during the heavy expected rains, if this was a DREAM part of your trip!  Planning for weather and climate (AND CLIMATE CHANGE) is important.

Want to learn more about Africa Safaris? Check out our website!
www.JacksonsAfricanSafaris.com

Jackson’s African Safaris is proud to be in the process of developing a means to support the following organizations who are working hard to preserve important ecosystems and endangered species in Africa. 

It’s very important to understand that what makes a safari more expensive is the REAL ESTATE you are spending time on.  If you’re on a large area of land that takes care of endangered species such as Rhino, Elephants, Cheetah and more, it is how many people are sharing this real estate with you, that is largely determining the price you pay.  On top of this, MOST conservancy’s require huge international donations in the millions of dollars to do the work they are, it’s not enough from Tourism. 

Education, Education, Education…

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is an award-winning catalyst and model for community conservation, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and features on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Green List of successful protected areas.
www.lewa.org

We will keep you posted on our progress and planning in how to support Lewa Conservancy and their work.

Conserving cheetahs in the Greater Mara Ecosystem

The global cheetah population is rapidly dwindling and with less than 7 000 individuals left in the wild, cheetahs are vulnerable to extinction.  Unfortunately the remaining populations will continue to decline unless something is done. Realising this, the Kenya Wildlife Trust set up the Mara Cheetah Project in order to determine the threats that cheetahs face in the Greater Mara Ecosystem and to develop sustainable solutions to mitigate them. To achieve this, the Mara Cheetah Project is using a research-driven conservation approach through a combination of long-term population monitoring, ecological research and community-based conservation.
www.maracheetahs.org