Category

Safari Planning

14 posts

Filed under Safari Planning

Solar panels on the roof of the Marula Hill office outside Hoedspruit, with winter bush behind

Voices

We run on solar and we have not printed since 2019

Vikki and Sian on solar power, paper, and what a small safari company can honestly claim.

Vikki Jackson

Guests on a stationary Cheetah Plains game drive vehicle in the Sabi Sand, golden light and dust behind them

Stories

How do you want to feel when you get home?

Why we plan safaris around how you want to feel when you get home, not around a pin on the map.

Vikki Jackson

African customs official scanning bags

Guides

South Africa's online traveller declaration: what it means for your safari (and what it doesn't)

A five-minute customs form now stands between you and the arrivals hall. Here's what it is, who needs it, and what nothing to declare actually means for a normal safari guest.

Sian Loehrer

Guests stopped for morning coffee on their morning safari drive

Safari Planning

How we tailor every Marula Hill safari

We don't start with destinations. We start with you: your pace, your family, your idea of a good day in the bush.

Vikki Jackson

Boma evening set up at Madikwe Safari Lodge

Guides

How safari pricing actually works

From the people who build the quotes. What you are really paying for, where the money goes, and how to spend it well.

Vikki Jackson

Baby leopard in a tree

Guides

Where the money actually goes on a luxury safari

A line-by-line look at what you're actually paying for on a luxury African safari — and what a quote that looks light is usually hiding.

Vikki Jackson

Safari vehicle on open plains at golden hour, Sabi Sand Game Reserve South Africa

Guides

Do you need travel insurance for a safari

What safari travel insurance must cover, and why standard policies fall short

Sian Loehrer

The walled garden and pool at AtholPlace Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, shot in the early evening

Lodge Review

AtholPlace Hotel and Villa in Sandton, Johannesburg: our review

We spent a night at AtholPlace Hotel and Villa in Sandton, and it turned out to be a far better start to a safari trip than we expected.

Sian Loehrer

A qualified guide and tracker scanning the bush from an open game drive vehicle in South Africa, mid-morning light over dry savannah

Safari Planning

How safe is an African safari?

African safaris are safer than most people assume. Here is what to actually pay attention to.

Vikki Jackson

A luxury safari lodge at night with lanterns around the pool

Guides

How long should a safari actually be

Seven nights minimum, ten nights ideal: a plain guide to safari length

Sian Loehrer

Solo women on safari

Guides

Solo women on safari

How to plan a safe, well-organised solo safari in southern Africa as a woman

Vikki Jackson

Elephant silhouette at sunset under an acacia tree, Southern Africa

Guides

Is a safari worth it? An honest answer

Honest answer for first-time safari travellers. What you actually get, when to go, and how to plan it well.

Sian Loehrer

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Prefer to write to us directly? sian@marulahill.com · WhatsApp +27 82 459 0648