5 Tips For Women On Safari

More women are taking vacations on their own than ever before – and we don’t just been backpackers enjoying a gap year from university or college. Whether it’s a weekend city break or a longer stay in a more exotic location, women are taking advantage of their increasing financial freedom to see the world on their own terms, unburdened by the expectations of partners or children who might limit the range and nature of activities on offer. There’s a whole world to see if you have the money and opportunity to go looking for it – and solo safari adventures are becoming an increasingly popular choice.

The idea of going on safari appears on many people’s lists as something they want to do at least once on their time on this planet, but for many people, it remains a dream instead of ever becoming a reality. The closest that they’ll ever get to seeing Africa’s ‘big five’ for real is on an online slots game like ‘Hot Safari’ or ‘Safari Heat.’ Safari has become a popular theme choice for online slots developers because they know it’s an idea that excites the wanderlust in players – and also motivates them to spend money. You might even have played a few of the games yourself – like everything else, new slots UK are far more open to women than they used to be – but if you’d like to take the next step and go and do the real thing, we have some advice for you.

The first and most important tip that we can give you is to focus on tours that market themselves as being run for and by women. There are several such tours available in a variety of different countries, and the list expands all the time. We’re not saying that you can’t or shouldn’t book on a more general tour, but if such a service exists and that service is more sensitive to female needs, why not use it?

That aside, here are our top tips for getting the most out of your safari adventure.

Stamp On The Floor Before Using The Toilet

Chances are you’ll be ‘caught short’ at least once while you’re out looking for animals to take pictures of. This happens to everyone, and your tour guide is expecting it. They might even give you a special code word to use before you set off to avoid embarrassing conversations later. Toilets might be few and far between, but fortunately, the bushes are tall and plentiful enough to allow for a little privacy. Just be cautious of what else might be in there with you. You’ll see any large animals from a distance, so you shouldn’t be surprised by any of them in a bush, but a bush is also a good home for a lizard, a snake, a frog, or many different types of bug. Stamp on the ground as you approach the bush so they can sense the vibrations – that ought to persuade them to move out of your way before you get there!

Ditch The White From Your Wardrobe

Conventional wisdom tells us that white is the right color to wear in hot weather because it reflects heat. In reality, the accuracy of that idea is debatable at best – there’s just as much evidence that suggests that black might actually be a better choice. Whether it reflects heat or not, it’s still not a strong safari choice because it will make you visible to animals from long range. If you want to get close enough to take good pictures, you need to blend in with your environment. Green, brown, and even khakis or camouflage patterns are much better choices.

Avoid Shorts And Cutoffs

This is another case of expectations versus reality for women on safari. Logically, wearing shorts or tops with an exposed midriff is the best way to keep you cool. As true as that might be, you run the risk of offending your guide or your hosts by making style choices like that. If you’re going to Africa for safari – which we imagine you will be, because that’s where all the best tours are – you’ll find that it’s a largely conservative continent. Exposed stomachs, thighs, and legs can cause offense, and so it’s best to avoid any risk of that happening, by dressing conservatively. That’s not necessarily practical in such a hot environment, so find the most lightweights, free-flowing clothes possible.

Bring Winter Clothes, Too

You’re going to need a bigger suitcase. While an African desert might be one of the hottest places in the world at the peak of the day, it’s also extremely cold at night. If you’re staying in a remote location, you’re likely to be surprised at how quickly the heat disappears when the sun goes down, and if your lodgings are on the rustic side, you might not have too many options in terms of heating. That’s why you’ll be glad of coats, blankets, and thick socks. You won’t want to touch them during daylight hours, but you’ll be glad of them when it’s time to bed down for the night.

Accept Assistance When It’s Offered

It can be intimidating to travel alone as a woman even in a relatively well-protected environment, and that can make you suspicious of the motives of some of the people offering you assistance – especially when it’s assistance that you won’t need. You’ll find that African tour guides and tour staff will offer to carry your bag, help you into vehicles, fetch you bottles of water, and other basic tasks. They’re not doing this to ingratiate themselves with you – there’s a strong culture of civic respect in many African nations, and this is a way of showing you that you’re valued as a guest. Rejecting an offer of assistance – no matter how trivial it might be – is considered rude, and you might offend the staff. They’re not expecting you to tip them – they merely want to ensure that your safari is as happy and stress-free as it could possibly be – so let them indulge you!