Naptown Gaijin

The MOST important thing is to start your regimen of malaria pills at least two weeks prior to arrival in Africa, and maintaining that regimen for at least two weeks after your return to the United States. Concurrently, make damn sure you have been vaccinated against all potential pathogens: typhoid, typhus, yellow fever, smallpox, cholera, D-P-T, M-M-R, meningitis, hepatitis, polio, etc. Several of these are virtually unknown in the US, but are common in Africa, esp. Typhoid and cholera.

The next most important thing is to not go to any area with an Ebola outbreak. Check the websites of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the State Department, and NIH, for travel advisories.

Third, take a camera.

ras422 Loc: Virginia

You start malaria meds malarone 2 days prior to entering area ,daily while in the area and daily for 7days after leaving area. Rich,M.D.

OllieFCR

I second that. You will get hundreds of good shots with that. Other people had primes (with or without) extenders but they are not as versatile and no more sharp with the extender. One person had a 500mm f4 but it was a beast to use all day and he missed many shots because of how cumbersome it was. If you are a Nikon shooter the 200-500 is the way to go.

Naptown Gaijin

I used Meflaquone. That was 18 years ago.

Nancysc

I agree with not changing lenses while out in the vehicle. None of your photos will match the ones taken by professional photographers who are in a private vehicle, possibly off-road, probably on private land (rather than game parks). You will be at the mercy of your driver, who wants to get a big tip at the end of the day, and the others in your vehicle, some of whom may not have the patience to wait for you to get a s hot. Don't let your driver rush a group of animals, hoping to get them stirred up. Try to go with a group of serious game watchers/photographers, and not a group that is in Africa mainly for a beach vacation and the game drive is only a one-day diversion. Been to Kenya and Tanzania (separate trips) and loved both experiences. enjoy!

timbuktutraveler

I am going on 3 Safaris next month and have done a lot of research.

I believe a 200mm lens may be too short.
Also you want to void changing lenses because it can be very dusty.

I am renting a Sony RX10 IV which has a 24-600 built-in lens
that has gotten great reviews. It is the Rolls Royce of Bridge Cameras.

If you don't wish to do that you might want to rent a 100-400 lens.

crphoto8 Loc: Anaheim, California

I went there in 2015 with a Canon 5D Mk3. I used a 70-200 f/4 lens with a 1.4 TC 90-95% of the time while on the safari. I used a 24-105 f/4 when I toured Johannesburg.
The wildlife gets pretty close to the vehicle so I didn't need a longer lens. Never changed lenses during the drive (dust). It's very difficult to shoot while the vehicle is moving; the drivers and guides know that and they stop occasionally to allow picture taking. There were times when I asked the driver to stop as I spotted things I wanted to shoot.
Enjoy the trip, it's a wonderful experience.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

There's some incorrect advice here. Malarone, the best drug against malaria, is taken only one or two days before entering a malarial region and only one week after leaving the region. There is no vaccine against typhus. There is a shortage of yellow fever vaccine and only a few places have it. You don't need to vaccinate against yellow fever unless you are going to a country which has yellow fever. Most African countries do not. If you were born before 1957 you don't need measles vaccine.

CWGordon

I went 2 years ago in June. I visited the Masai Mara and several other of the Kenya game preserves. Elephants, Hippos, Lions, Cheetahs, Hyenas, etc. We chose a private tour so we would have the space to move around and not have to deal with others whose wishes were different than ours. Our guide was awesome and our trip was way better than it could have been with one of the tours with more people aboard.
Lenses and camera bodies were a big question for me, too. I took two Nikon D800’s. I kept my 80-400 on one and my 70-200 on the other. The 80-400 was my “go-to” lens the whole time. It did 90% of what was needed. I never really needed more range than it offerred. When closer to subjects the 70-200 is a bit more sharp and so used it when appropriate. I took a wide angle lens, but used it only rarely. For the Massai villages I took the 70-200 and a small pocket held Nikon. I had a tele-extender with me, but did not use it. Depending on your style you might take one. They are not bulky or heavy and so it offers an alternative. I would not take mine again. We took an incredible hot-air balloon ride over the treetops. At times, skimmed just a few feet off the ground, clipped the top of a few trees. Went up higher for more panoramic views. All awesome. After landing out in the bush and tall grass we were treated to a gourmet breakfast complete with tablecloths, champagne and Mimosas. We were protected from lions and the like while eating by guards with rifles. Ya never know what might be in that tall grass!
The “luxury tents” were all of that. Ten feet off the ground and large. Best charging stations for batteries, etc. I have ever used.
Food was awesome. We had our own butler and servers. A guard escorted us back to the tent at night. While there we had lions and Hyenas under our tent. A little disconcerting at first, but you soon get used to it. There was blood on the walkway to breakfast one day.
Service was incredible, care phenominal. The greeting and good-bye singing for us by the natives was touching. I recommend you spend a few days at the beach in Zanzibar before heading home. If you have time, that is. The Arab culture is there for you to photograph. Clothing, palaces, sailing dhows, etc. offer a once-in-lifetime, for most people, photo-op.

The dust and lens-changing issue was not as worrisome as predicted. Time of year and crowds are your bigger impact factors in how practical changing lenses might be.
Two bodies seem essential to me. My D800’s performed flawlessly, producing high quality images as they always had at home. Many available reasonably on used market. I never felt I needed more focal length than the 400 offerred me. Others I have spoken to echoed that.

CWGordon

Briefly, I forgot to mention: get your inoculations before you go, or they will give ‘em to you at the airport. Secondly, be prepared on way home to have security personnel ship your cameras separately from you. They will be on same plane, but in cargo hold, not in your possession. You can keep the cards with you. This is not a policy of Kenya. This is an American policy put in during the last couple years by our government affecting us returning from Africa.
This trip was as exciting and memorable as any I have been on. You will have a tremendous experience.

Rhinophoto Loc: Davis, CA

I just returned from a tour with O.A.T. to East Africa, about 5 days in the Masai Mara of Kenya and about 12 days in Tanzania in Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro National Parks. I had one prior trip to South Africa 9 years ago.
The arrangement of people in your safari vehicle will depend on the tour company, where you are, your guide, and the people in the vehicle. This trip we had 4 people/vehicle in the Mara and 6/vehicle in Tanzania. In Southern Africa the vehicles are more often open-topped; in East Africa they were modified Land cruisers which provided a window seat for each person and a "pop top" to shoot out the roof of the vehicle. We had very considerate folks on this trip who were courteous, didn't try to dominate good views, and shared. It was not a photography tour, but the guides were aware of photographers' needs and balanced them with the needs/wants of the non-photographers. The guides rotated our seating positions each day. Take binoculars and not just your camera(s).
Dust is an issue. It rained off and on in the Mara, and I thought all the "Hogs'" comments about dust were crazy. Then in the Serengeti it was dry and there were many other vehicles. Dust IS a problem. But you also don't want to be changing lenses because birds and animals don't wait for you to be finished.
I took a Nikon 7200 with an 80-400 on our game drives and it met a high percentage of my needs, both near and far. In my backpack I had my old 7100 with an 18-200 on it as backup and to use when we visited villages and did more "street" photography.
I bought a zippered cloth bag to fill in Africa with rice or beans to use as a beanbag support in the vehicle - and never filled it. I felt I could support the lens on window frames or the foam edge of the roof opening. Getting the driver to shut off the truck's engine and getting the other people to realize that the vehicle moves when they move was important. I can't imagine trying to move around quickly inside the vehicle with a monopod in hand.
Plan for your image back-up. You can use duplicate cards if your camera allows, a computer or iPad, thumb drives, etc. Just plan on LOTS of images and gigs.
As a former MD myself, I share your concerns about illnesses. We took meds for malaria prevention, used mosquito nets, used DEET. We drank only bottled water (and wine and beer and gin and tonics). We carried Pepto, Imodium, Cipro, and Zithro. That said, we never saw or felt a mosquito or Tsetse fly (perhaps because af unseasonal rains?). 2/12 people on the trip acknowledged a couple of days of mild diarrhea. There were no serious illness in this group of people in their 60's and 70's.
Enjoy your trip! I'm ready to return (it's been 10 days already).

Rhinophoto Loc: Davis, CA

I just read CWGordon's comments and find them quite similar to mine. We did not have to surrender our cameras flying out of Arusha, Tanzania; they were checked by security and then I put them back in my carry-on.
Another new issue: both Kenya and Tanzania have now banned single-use plastic bags. Find out what this means before you go to East Africa.

Rhinophoto Loc: Davis, CA

Berchman's comments regarding Yellow Fever are not completely accurate. It may be a country that doesn't currently have Yellow Fever that requires you to have proof of vaccination if you are traveling from a country that does. For example, three weeks ago we had to show our "Yellow Cards" when we crossed the border from Kenya to Tanzania.
Your age, whether you have ever been vaccinated, other medical issues, etc. all affect your need to be vaccinated. Talk to an MD experienced and up-to-date with regulations to get your vaccination and Yellow Card or to get a waiver.

genesampson

For many a safari in Africa is a once in a lifetime trip, so do your homework to determine what you want to see then decide where you want to go (there are many countries and ecosystems over vast distances) and when. I've been to Africa 5 times and there are many things I'd still like to see (or see again). I'd like to see the Great Migration at points I have not. I'd like to see the thundering movement of the wildebeests and zebras from a hot air balloon. I'd like to see the height of calving with as many as 8,000 young ones being born in a single day, and of course the crossing of the Mara and Grumeti Rivers. A highlight is to see both prey and predators at a single watering hole (dry seasons). I'd like to do a microlight over Victoria Falls, but this time at its maximum flow (wet season). The point is these events are often months apart so be clear on what you want to see and plan well. Also, any companies trips may not take you to what you want to see so booking with a tour company may be the last thing I'd do, though they can be great sources of information. As to photo info you are getting good information. Oh, and a few sets of good hiking or fishing clothing (quick wash and dry) work well for me.

jcs Loc: USA

you may want to take some "lion repellant" along as well .Lol

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