If you are looking for a fab birthday holiday then why not go on a safari trip. Safari holidays are often said to be a once in a lifetime opportunity and as they are not cheap, many people can only do them for special occasions such as anniversaries, honeymoons or birthdays. Some people have the idea that a safari holiday is going to be going back to basics and sleeping in a tent with little or no luxuries but this is very far from the true, unless of course that is the type of safari holiday you want.

Safari lodges are often luxurious with full size, comfy beds, 4 or 5 star facilities and meals that are second to none.

Each safari holiday can be tailored to your budget and requirements, making it easy to get the perfect holiday. You can spend the day on tour seeing the amazing sites that safari countries such as South Africa have to offer and then lap up the luxury in your swanky safari lodge.

For many people, a safari holiday has always been a dream trip they want to take. If you have children you may wondered whether a safari holiday is possible. Is it safe? Would the children enjoy it? And would you enjoy it?

Finding a good holiday company is key when travelling on a safari with children. You need to be able to talk about the ages of the children and see what activities are available that may e suited to their age ranges as well as offering you the experience you want.

There are certain resorts in Africa that are geared up for families in particular. These are located in malaria free zones and are designed to allow the whole family to enjoy the safari experience.

The lodges are often very luxurious and the safari trips are usually quite short but frequent to keep the children interested whilst giving you enough time to explore.

If you are looking to go on a safari holiday and will be travelling on your own, then there are some resorts and locations that will perhaps be better suited to you than others. Many people that are going on a safari holiday alone say they would prefer to be part of a group. Often group safaris are set up for lone travellers to join. The trips will be on set dates and anyone can come along. It allows you to experience the safari holiday along with having company from other travellers at the same time.

As the cost of the guide will be split between everyone in the group, it often means the group can afford to be led by one of the top guides, giving you the ultimate safari experience.

If there are a number of activities you want to do or places you wish to go to then many companies will tailor make the trip to meet your needs.

If you are looking to book an African safari holiday for all the family to enjoy, you often have a number of different options especially when it comes to the type of vehicle used for the safari trip.

You can chose not to have a vehicle and go it on foot, this is not for the faint hearted but can be an amazing experience and allow you to really get close to nature. It is also the cheapest way of going on safari. The vehicles used in a safari trip can vary from an open top for seater to a huge 44 seater and everything in-between.

One of the largest of the vehicle is the Overland truck, these trucks are especially built to deal with the rough roads of Africa, where pot holes, deep ruts and river crossings are very common. They are normally used for longer and larger (12 to 44 people) overland safaris. Because of this they need to have plenty of room to carry not only passengers but also their equipment and still offer the passenger a comfortable ride and good views of the passing scenery and wildlife.

Knowing what to wear on a safari holiday can be confusing. If you are planning a safari trip to South Africa then depending on where you go will help you decide on what to take. The climates can differ even within one country drastically often depending a lot on the altitude.

South Africa is usually hot even in its cooler months, the temperatures rarely drop below that of a warm day in the UK.

Although it is warm you may need to take long sleeved tops and long legged trousers, especially if you are going to be trekking in the bush. Getting clothing that is made from breathable material will keep you slightly cooler and always remember to take a sun hat or cap with you. Also do not forget to pack a high factor sun screen and also a decent pair of shades to protect your eyes in the bright sunlight.

Vancouver is an island which is part of Canada. It is home to the famous grizzly bears and isa popular destination for tourists wishing to go on a safari holiday to see these creatures in the their natural habitat.

Once in Vancouver you will be taken to the salmon spanning swamps to see the bears at their best as they quickly and often highly successfully catch their meals for the day. The sight of these animals up close is one that cannot be experienced in a zoo or a safari park.

The safari trips are not only designed to allow the tourists a viewing platform to see these magnificent animals but also to educate people in how the bears live and survive in the wildlife. On most of the bear watching tours, you will be encouraged to ask questions and learn from your experiences.

When booking a grizzly bear tour, make sure that you chose a reputable company that tries to make sure that they leave very little impact on their surroundings and respect the animals and the environment they live in.

When booking a safari holiday you will have quite a few options of accommodation to stay in. Many people chose to stay in a safari lodge that is close to the reserve that they will be going to for their safari trip. Have you considered staying in a safari tent for the ultimate experience?

Often when people hear the word tent, they think of basic accommodation with little luxury but a safari tent is far from that. These tents are built to be a home away from home and often are more luxurious that the equivalent lodges.

The tents usually compromise of comfy sofas, full sized beds and electricity for all your lighting and equipment. On top of all this luxury that a safari tent has to offer you can also enjoy waking up and hearing the local wildlife and experiencing it literally on your doorstep. Costs vary for safari tents but I would strongly recommending looking in to the cost of hiring one when booking your safari holiday.

If you have never been on a safari holiday, then booking one can be daunting. You may not know exactly when or where you want to go so it may be essential to book your holiday with an experienced tour operator.

South Africa is one of, if not the best location for a safari holiday and Kenya is the most popular location. This is due to the ideal climate which helps contribute to the dense vegetation and therefore the wildlife population.

The days of the hunter are fast on the way out and the day of the camera is definitely on the increase. People have started to realise that these animals are here to be enjoyed by all rather than killed for trophies.

When booking your first safari trip, be sure that you find out what type of clothing you will need and all the details about your travel arrangement such as flight luggage restrictions, what you can and can’t bring on a safari and expected times for activities.

If you heard someone say “elephant safari” you would probably assume they meant they were going on a safari holiday to see elephants, but did you realise that you can actually ride an elephant through a safari?

With many South African elephants being hand reared it is now seen as a very safe way to travel around on safari and can just add to the whole experience. Not only do you get to see some magnificent animals and take in the breath taking views, but do it all on the back of one of the world’s largest mammals.

Believe it or not the cost to ride one of the animals is approximately 775R1 which equates to about £35!

Elephant riding isn’t for everyone and the activity is not open to children under 12 but if you do get the opportunity to have a go then I would strongly recommend it. It will probably be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

A safari holiday can vary drastically in price and there are many factors that contribute to it. Below are a few of them:

Accommodation: Where you stay on safari can play a big part in hiking the price up. If you chose to stay in luxury accommodation such as one of the luxury lodges then you will be paying substantially more than you would if you chose to stay away from the safari camp and travel in.

Destination – Some places are a lot more expensive than others when it comes to an Africa safari. Tanzania is one of the expensive locations to stay in along with Botswana and Namibia.

Time of year – The seasons play a big part in the safari holidays and the climate changes across Africa. Their summer periods are warm and wet whereas the winters are cooler (but by no means cold) in the day and dry.