1. - Where do you want to go, and what do you want to do?

The first thing you should research is which country in Africa you would like to visit, and from there, which National Parks and Reserves you would most like to see. This can take quite a bit of looking into before you get a result, but is entirely worth it to make your holiday that once in a lifetime trip.

Once you know your preferred destinations, you can research any extra activities which you may be able to participate in at your desired destinations, e.g. horseback safaris, hot air balloon trips or walking safaris.

2. - Building a list of tour operators

You can gather a list of tour operators by looking for recommendations in Travel forums, e.g. TripAdvisor, and even by just browsing the internet and seeing which companies catch your eye. There are lots of safari operators around, so you will have no shortage to choose from.

3. - Contacting these tour operators

Once you have your list of tour operators, you can begin contacting them and judge accordingly:

· What price the safari itinerary is / The quality of the package

· How fast, helpful and reliable the replies from the sales representatives are

· What past customer reviews say about the drivers/guides at the company

4. - Things to check before booking

Before booking, you should check that the tour operator you have decided on are expecting you to go on a private safari. If not, this means you may end up on a shared safari, which means that your experience will be shared with a group of other random people, and you will not have full say or flexibility over your dates and itinerary.