What Not to Do on a Safari in Africa

Don’t leave the vehicle without checking. Ask your guide whether getting out is permitted at that spot. A designated stop is different from a roadside wildlife sighting. Seeing another visitor outside a vehicle does not establish permission for you to do the same.

Don’t feed or touch wildlife. If an animal approaches, listen to your guide before moving or changing position. Put the camera down long enough to hear the instructions. A close encounter is not an invitation to reach out or offer food.

Don’t pressure your guide for a closer photograph. Ask whether you can stop or change position before requesting a better angle. If the guide says no, accept it. Another vehicle moving closer does not mean you have permission to follow.

Don’t crowd a sighting or stay longer than allowed. Ask: “Are we allowed to stop here, and how long can we stay?” Leave when instructed, even if you haven’t got the photograph you wanted.

Don’t drive outside authorised routes, leave litter, or deliberately disturb animals. Keep your viewing plans within the park’s instructions. The aim is to watch what the animals are doing, without trying to make them move for your camera.

For standard gorilla tracking, Uganda Wildlife Authority describes one hour of observation with the gorillas. That is not the length of the whole trek. Check which activity you have booked, because another permit product may have different conditions.

Don’t use a distance quoted for one park as a rule for the whole continent. The linked Kenya Wildlife Service material needs further verification, so this guide does not present its indexed 20-metre figure as a confirmed current instruction. Ask for the rule at your park.

For Uganda tracking activities, check the current booking terms as well as the briefing. The linked July 2024 guidelines cover tracking procedures; the 2026–2027 notice concerns tariff changes. The older July 2024–June 2026 tariff is historical. These documents answer different questions, and none replaces the instructions for your visit.

For a guided walk, confirm that the activity is authorised and follow the guide’s briefing. Permission to travel by vehicle does not also give you permission to walk. For gorilla or chimpanzee trekking, check eligibility and health requirements before paying.

Before bringing a drone or restricted packaging, check the national and park rules. Don’t assume an item is allowed because you used it on another trip.

Pack for your route. Check your airline’s baggage allowance, required documents, weather, footwear and insurance. Bring suitable layers, sun protection and weather protection. There is no single baggage allowance that applies to every safari.