Page 57 - 101+ Tips for Solo Women Travelers
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1 Know when to go. RECOMMENDED
Reading
This will depend on your
destination and your specific interests.
For example, O.A.T.’s safari experts
recommend you visit Botswana between When a Crocodile Eats the Sun
April and October, when seasonal by Peter Godwin (Memoir, Zimbabwe)
floods turn the Okavango Delta into a Africa, A Biography of the Continent
watery paradise that you can explore via by John Reader (History)
mokoro-style dugout canoes. Serengeti
safaris can be rewarding year round, In the Shadow of Man
but many travelers like to come in by Jane Goodall (Nonfiction, Tanzania)
early February, when the wildebeests African Safari Field Guide
are calving (and therefore attracting by Mark W. Nolting (Field Guide)
predators). Otherwise, a good rule of
thumb for most safari destinations is to Serengeti: Natural Order on
the African Plain
come during the dry season, when there by Mitsuaki Iwago (Nature/
is less vegetation to obscure your view Photography, Tanzania)
of the wildlife. It’s also when animals
are compelled to gather at permanent Long Walk to Freedom: The
water holes, so they’re easier to find. Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
by Nelson Mandela (Biography,
Make sure you discuss your options and South Africa)
preferences with your safari operator. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
2 Plan to dress in layers. by Alexander McCall Smith
(Mystery series, Botswana)
Your game drives will commence
in the early hours when animals are Love, Life, and Elephants:
An African Love Story
most active, but the temperatures can by Daphne Sheldrick (Memoir/
be quite cold. As the day wears on, it Conservation, Kenya)
can get very hot. So bring a sweater, a
fleece jacket or vest, and warm socks, Out of Africa
and plan to peel them o . I love those by Isak Dinesen (Memoir, Kenya)
camp pants that zip o above the knee The Poisonwood Bible
and can double as long slacks or shorts. by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction, Congo)
They’re made of light, synthetic fabrics
that dry very quickly, too.
3 Don’t wear blue.
It attracts tsetse flies (as does black). Also avoid wearing white: it will
become instantly dingy from all the dust. This is why classic safari clothes are
tan, khaki or green colored.
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