I was born in South Africa and grew up there. My whole family still
lives there and I visit often. I think it is the best country in the
world, but when it comes to game-viewing the answer is not so cut and
dry.

What do you want your experience to be? Do you have a vision of open
plains with thousands of animals milling around - under the
opportunistic eyes of hyena, lion, fox, cheetah and leopard on the
surrounding kopjes? In this experience it is almost a guarantee that
you will see all of the above and more, including hippo, crocodile,
elephant and even rhino in some areas.

Are you thinking of packing a picnic lunch, then finding a hill top and
settle in for a few hours to watch the action in all 360 degrees?

Or are you thinking of searching for wildlife in a bush environment,
not sure what you will see? You may spend 3 days and not see lion or
cheetah or leopard - or maybe you will but they may be far away, or you
spot them only briefly.

In a nutshell, that is the main difference between South African
wildlife viewing and the open plains of East Africa.

For a first time safari, I would head to the open plains of East
Africa. On my next trip, I would start to specialize. But then I have
to compare South Africa with Zambia, Botswana, and even Uganda and
Namibia.

Once you make this decision, the rest is easy. Depending on time of
year, you can narrow down your park options. Then look for a private
safari offered by just about all companies - thanks to stiff
competition the two of you can enjoy the thrills of your own
driver/guide starting at about $150 per day for the two of you (and you
will see safari vehicles with 6 or more guests each paying upwards of
$500 per person per day on their "luxury" safari with one of those big
safari companies!) But don't feel sorry for them.!

The lodge/camp decision is next. You can pay from $100 per night in
decent lodges, or go for permanent tented camps from $180 per tent per
night and scale up from there. (And guess what, you may end up at the
same camp as those "upscale" tourists you saw earlier!). They paid
double but that is not your problem!

And so it goes! It always is a tough decision. Personally, I think the
planning part is just as much fun as the trip itself!