<p class="ingestion featured-caption">I spent a week visiting game reserves in South Africa. Tammy Barr</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>I spent a week on <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mistakes-tourists-make-south-africa-safari-from-local-expert-2023-11">safari in South Africa</a>, visiting three different reserves.</li><li>I found that planning was essential and that I always needed to have my camera ready.</li></ul><p>I spent a <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mistakes-tourists-make-africa-safari-according-to-expert-2023-2">week on safari</a> in South Africa, visiting three different reserves.</p><p>It was a thrilling adventure I'll never forget and I got to see incredible creatures like hyenas, elephants, and lions.</p><p>It's no wonder more travelers are looking to weave game reserves into their trips. According to the most recent data collected by travel agency <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.go2africa.com/african-travel-blog/annual-african-safari-travel-report-2023">Go2Africa</a>, interest in beach and safari combo trips was up 20% from 2022 to 2023 alone. </p><p>But although the trip was great, it wasn't always easy — and I had a few missteps from the planning phase to the wildlife observation.</p><p>Here are mistakes I made on my trip that that everyone should avoid on their <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/budget-vs-luxury-safari-africa-private-game-reserves-2024-3">first safari</a>.</p>