Top Safari Guide App
Loaded onto your mobile phone, this interactive eBook app is an invaluable virtual assistant on your safari in Africa. It's designed to work offline so no web access is needed.
Encapsulating over 45 years of the author's safari travel and industry experience, it's equivalent to having a travel agent with you, showing you everything you need to know and do before and during your safari.
Here's what the 'Before' section of the guide contains...
3 Steps To Successfully Plan Your Safari
When planning a safari, you will soon realise that there are just too many options available!
In more than twenty years that I've been involved in the safari industry (about the author), I've seen how the option avalanche negatively impacts prospective safari travellers.
So to help overcome this, I developed the top three lists which have helped thousands of safari travellers over the years, and the three-step decision-making system, which I've made available in this eBook app.
Step 1: Where And When To Go - Best Seven Safari Destinations
National parks and game reserves in Africa number in the hundreds, but seven safari destinations provide such an incredible wildlife and accommodation experience that they always come out at the top of the heap.
Situated in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe these are the seven best places to go on safari, bar none.
Learn more about the reasons to safari there, the animals you can see, the activities available and the best time to go.
Step 2: Where To Stay - Top Three Accommodations List
There are six major factors to take into account when choosing safari accommodation.
The rates charged are the most important, as that immediately cuts down all the options to manageable levels because you only need to consider the ones that fall into your budget range.
So the rates of all 474 accommodation establishments in the top seven safari destinations are displayed on a map of each area. Now you can know exactly which ones are available to you.
The other factors, namely type of accommodation, location, amenities, food and web access are discussed in detail.
Use the factors to make your own accommodation choices, or take advantage of the author's top three accommodation list (about the author) which ranks the top three places to stay on safari in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, taking all six factors into account.
Step 3: Which Company - Top Six Tour Operators and Top Two Travel Agents List
There are four major factors to take into account when choosing a safari company.
The type of company (tour operator or travel agent), safari guides, online reviews and industry affiliations.
They are all discussed in detail along with 12 essential questions to ask a safari tour operator or travel agent before booking with them.
Use the factors to make your own safari company choices, or take advantage of the author's top six tour operators and top two travel agents list (about the author) in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which has been compiled by taking all four factors into account.
Better Safari Photography
Tips and techniques learnt over more than 45 years to help you take the finest pictures you possibly can on your safari.
Guidance about the best compact, DSLR and mirrorless safari lenses and cameras, beanbags, window mounts, monopods, clamps, picture/video storage and AI photo editors.
Advice about two essential safari photography tips before you leave, lens rental/reselling, mobile phone safari photography, and power and battery requirements.
Learn more about camera gear and flying, dealing with dust, equipment insurance, wall prints and photo displaying after your safari.
Tickable Packing List - Leave Nothing Behind
Make sure you don't leave anything important at home or take too much (flight weight restrictions) by ticking off the items as they go into your suitcase.
68 items in total divided into categories like clothing, equipment, toiletries, first aid and documents.
Safari Clothing Advice
Avoid these nine common safari clothes mistakes and get detailed recommendations to pick the best safari hat, shoes and luggage.
Choosing Safari Binoculars
Find the perfect pair of binoculars for your trip by making sure it has these six essential characteristics. Specific brand recommendations also help you to choose.
Getting To Africa
The top six websites for booking international flights, the airlines that fly from various places to the seven African safari destinations included in this guide, and the international and domestic airports there.
Web Access In Africa
Guidelines about satellite and mobile (cellphone) access on safari.
Tipping
Knowing who to tip, how much to tip, when to tip, and the best methods for tipping will enhance your experience and ensure you show appreciation respectfully to those who make your adventure memorable.
Stargazing
Stargazing on an African safari is a truly unforgettable experience. Find out more about the advantages, how to make the most of it and more about astrophotography.
Finances On Safari
This section helps you prepare financially for your trip by discussing the currency, major banks including operating hours, credit card and cash payments, atm and tipping guidelines for each safari country.
Africa Travel Insurance
Several key facts concerning travel insurance for any safari trip that you need to know about before going.
Visa Requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin, length of stay, and purpose of travel. This section contains a summary of visa requirements for each safari destination.
Health
Prevention is the watchword when it comes to health on safari so find out which medicines and inoculations are necessary.
'During' Section Of The eBook
Make the absolute most of your journey to Africa, as it happens. Here's some of what this section of the guide contains...
Mammals, Birds, Reptiles & Amphibians Tick List And Chance To See Scale
A comprehensive list of all the mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians that can be found in each of the seven game reserves/national parks.
Record exactly what you see by adding a tick to the relevant checkbox, which is auto-saved as you type. Click through to identification photographs of all the commonly occurring species.
There's also a 'Chance To See' scale and description beneath each mammal, reptile and amphibian name, which gives you an idea of the sightings you can expect on your safari. Keep in mind that the animals are free to roam, so there are no guarantees regarding sightings.
- Excellent: The species in this category are abundant, so you have an excellent chance of seeing them multiple times on your safari, often even on the same day.
- Good: Over several days you could see this species at least once, if not more.
- Moderate: There is always a chance of seeing this species, but don't count on it because it's not an everyday occurrence.
- Unlikely: Rejoice if you see a species in this category because they are hardly ever seen by safari-goers.
12 Tips To Take Better Photographs During Your Safari
Twelve essential wildlife photography tips that will help you to get the best photographic and video results you possibly can as your safari occurs.
There's also a 'How To Photograph' section that helps you to predict wildlife behaviour and get better photographs as a result. Covers species that you're likely to see like the big cats, hyenas, wild dogs, elephants, buffalo and a lot more.
And the 'Golden Hour' calendar tells you exactly when the best light for photography is at sunrise and sunset, according to the day and month of the year.
Time Zone Calculator
Access the time zone calculator table to figure out what the time is back home if you want to get in touch with family or friends on your safari.
Embassies
In case of an emergency on your safari, it's useful to have embassy information close at hand. The Top Safari Guide has embassy contact details in all seven safari destinations.
Languages
Most people you come across on your African safari will be able to speak English, but it can be rewarding to know some basic words in the local language.
The guide contains a list of words and phrases in the corresponding safari country that will help show respect, communicate basic needs, and build connections with the local people.
Seven Detailed Accommodation Maps
Comprehensive maps covering the top seven national park/game reserves situated in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, showing the location and rates of all the lodges and tented camps available there.
Hi-Resolution Map Features
Zoom in to see the major tar and gravel roads, locations, names and rates of all the accommodation establishments, gates and landing strips.
These are the accommodation rate categories for both lodges and tented camps (PPPN = Per Person Per Night, $ = US Dollars):
- Budget: Up To $150 PPPN
- Mid-Range: $150+ To $250 PPPN
- Luxury: $250+ To $450 PPPN
- Ultra Luxury: $450+ To $1000 PPPN
- Palatial: $1000+ Upwards PPPN
Listen To Predator Indicator Alarm Calls
Listening out for alarm calls is a great way to find predators that you might otherwise have missed. Identify the sound as it happens in the field by playing the example on your phone and then read what the call means.
Alarm calls of five indicator animals can be played, including the gold standard predator indicator. If you hear this particular call chances are almost 100% that there is a predator in the vicinity.
Keep A Journal Diary Of Your Trip
An African safari really is one of the most remarkable trips you will ever go on, and though the memory of it will last you a lifetime, the full extent of the experience will begin to blur a little over time.
Use the Notebook in the guide which allows you to record all the important events and experiences that happen before or during your trip.
There is no limit to how much you can write, and once you click on the save button your notes will be available to you again.
You can add notes to a specific word or sentence, or to a page. It's also possible to bookmark a page and highlight a word or sentence in the text that you might want to refer back to later.
Frequently Asked Questions
About The Author
Bruce Whittaker has been going on African safari trips (both self-driven and guided) for over 45 years and has been involved in the safari industry since 2003.
He has six websites covering the safari industry such as African Safari Journals, the first website dedicated to African safari reviews launched in 2003, and Top Safari Guides, launched in 2016 and committed to unearthing and showcasing the best African safari guides on the continent.
In 2006 he created one of the first YouTube channels showcasing African safari video sightings, and in 2007 launched the Kruger Sightings Facebook group that in 2024 reached 229 000 members.
He has authored three eBooks, 'Top Safari Guide', 'Better Safari Photography'and 'Guide Your Own Safari'.
What Happens After I Buy
You will be able to download the interactive eBook app on the page that appears immediately after purchase and also using the link that's made available by e-mail, so make sure to triple check that the e-mail address you provide is correct.
If for some reason you miss the download page after purchase, find the e-mail that says "You bought Top Safari Guide!", and click on the "view content" button. Then click the "download" button on the page that appears.
Because you are going to be using this guide in the field on your trip, it's been designed to be used on mobiles running the Android or iOS operating systems. No web connection is needed on your safari, the app is fully functional without the internet.
How To Install On Android and iOS Mobile Phones
The Top Safari Guide eBook app has been designed to work with the Kotobee eBook reader. The Kotobee eBook reader is free to download onto your Android or iOS mobile phone at the Google Play Store (Android) or the Apple App Store (iOS) .
So after you have bought and downloaded the Top Safari Guide eBook app from this page, launch the free Kotobee reader on your device and open the eBook called TopSafariGuide-ed1 from your downloads folder to read and use it.
The eBook is 64 MB in size to accommodate the hi-resolution maps and species photographs.
Is There A Money Back Guarantee
Yes there is. I'm confident that this eBook will meet your expectations, but if for any reason the "Top Safari Guide" eBook doesn't live up to your standards, I will refund your money within four weeks of the date of your purchase.
Simply e-mail me the reason why it fell short in your estimation (which helps me improve the guide) and I will issue a 100% refund to you.