Most people plan a safari by choosing places. It is more useful to choose five other things first.
1. Season
Dry months concentrate animals at water and make them easy to find; green months are quieter, cheaper and beautiful. Neither is wrong — but decide on purpose.
2. Length
Three nights is the minimum that lets you settle. Four or five is where guests tell us the trip "clicked".
3. Group size
Small groups mean more time at each sighting and more say in the day. Ask any camp how many guests share a vehicle.
4. The guide
A good guide matters more than the camp's thread count. Ask how long guides have worked in the area and whether they are local.
5. Pace
Two activities a day, with a rest between, is sustainable. Three is exhausting by day four. If someone is quoting you a schedule with no gaps, question it.