Cull the right journey for you from the herd of safari trips

FOR many travelers, an African wildlife safari is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Making it happen takes planning; like the leopard, you must stalk your prey. But look before you pounce; it’s a jungle out there.

Choices abound. Nearly a dozen countries, with scores of parks and private reserves. Top-tier lodges, spartan tents and encampments that rival luxury hotels. Minibuses, four-wheel-drives, walking and canoeing.

Did I mention animals? Not just the so-called “big five” -- elephants, leopards, lions, rhinos and Cape buffalo -- but birds, cheetahs, gorillas and more.

Or so I’m told. I’ve never been to Africa, but I recently spent a few days prowling around the world of safari travel, talking to experts who book and organize the trips.

I came away convinced that arranging a safari is best left to professionals. But it all begins with you.

“What is your dream of Africa?” That’s what planners at Abercrombie & Kent ask wanna-be adventurers, said Pamela Lassers, a spokeswoman for the luxury travel company in Oak Brook, Ill.

If the movie “Out of Africa,” with its sweeping grasslands, big game and vistas of Mt. Kilimanjaro, feeds your fantasies, go to Kenya or Tanzania, Lassers said. If you envision a remote getaway, consider the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

“People have very different expectations,” Lassers said.

For some travelers, it’s not just about the animals.

“All of your senses are going to be opened in a brand-new way,” said Anastasia Mann, president of the Corniche Group in West Hollywood.

Mann, who has been going to Africa for 26 years and recently opened an Africa travel division, spoke of “the grand scale of the bush. It’s pure, pristine, natural.”

But not if you’re in a Jeep traffic jam at an over-touristed game park.

Expectations are vital because you’ll be going far away, staying awhile (at least two weeks, several experts advised) and spending considerable cash (although not as much as you may fear).

Once you decide what you want, you can work with a travel agent or tour operator to home in on a place, time and travel style.

Some things to think about:

* Cost. Safaris aren’t cheap. The best ones take groups of a dozen or fewer participants and are led by a trained naturalist; in remote areas; supplies may be flown in. Round-trip airfare between LAX and Nairobi, Kenya, can cost $2,000 or more.

But safaris needn’t be outlandishly expensive.

Anne Bellamy, president of African Travel in Glendale, said she could put together a 12-day, low-season safari to South Africa for about $4,000 per person, including airfare.

Nonprofit groups such as the Earthwatch Institute, www.earthwatch.org, and the Sierra Club, www.sierraclub.org, offer well-priced trips that may include volunteer work.

* When to go. That’s the first decision to make, says Bellamy, whose company has been sending people to Africa for 30 years.

The answer dictates what you see, she said. For instance, if you want to view thousands of migrating wildebeest on the move -- and the lions that pursue them -- go to Kenya starting around June and Tanzania around January, she suggested.

Weather is another consideration. Touring Africa is more pleasant when you’re not contending with the havoc rain can cause. Eastern Africa tends to be drier in June through February and southern Africa in May through September.

* What to do. This may seem obvious. But it’s not.

“Is it all about the game?” Bellamy asks clients. If so, she sends them to Botswana or East Africa.

Among the best places to spot the big five, experts said, are Botswana’s Okavango Delta and areas in and around Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Each place has its specialty. Lion-watchers often head to the Serengeti in Kenya and Tanzania, and Masai Mara in Kenya; rhino fanciers to Namibia; leopard lovers to South Africa and Zambia; gorilla trekkers to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park; and so on.

If you want varied activities or are traveling with easily bored teens, consider South Africa, experts said. Besides game, it offers whale-watching, wine-tasting and just plain lounging at places such as Sun City Resort.

* Tent or lodge. Much depends on how close you want to get to nature.

“Out in the bush, those hippos are pushing against your tent,” Mann said. A lion roaring a mile away may seem as though he’s just outside, Bellamy added.

If that sounds thrilling, stay in a tent. If it sounds scary, consider a lodge.

Tent camps may be luxurious -- or not. Abercrombie & Kent’s tents, for instance, are furnished with double beds, Oriental rugs and flush toilets. Many lodges offer their own ranger programs, plus world-class amenities.

* Health and safety. Tracking gorillas can be strenuous, with long hikes at high altitudes. Other safari travel may be physical, such as getting in and out of canoes, Jeeps and small planes. What can you can handle?

Ask your doctor about health precautions; anti-malaria medication is often prescribed.

Crime and unrest may raise concerns too. As of July 11, the State Department had travel warnings in effect for Kenya, citing “safety and security concerns,” and Zimbabwe, citing “political and economic turmoil.”

* Whom to hire: In South Africa, which has relatively good infrastructure and many private lodges, you may be comfortable doing a safari without a private escort, Mann said. More typically, safari participants travel in a group with a guide and have worked with a travel agent or tour organizer.

You can search for Africa specialists at the American Society of Travel Agents’ www.astanet.com/about/agentsearch.asp (choose “safari” on the “specialties” drop-down menu) and the United States Tour Operators Assn.’s www.ustoa.com (choose “safari” on the “search by activity” drop-down menu).

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Jane Engle welcomes comments but can’t respond individually to letters and calls. Write to Travel Insider, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012, or e-mail jane.engle@latimes.com.