The idea of washing the safari dust off with a few nights at the beach is extremely compelling. Those celebrating their honeymoon in Africa often prefer to start at the beach, so they can wind down from the excitement of their wedding. But not every safari lends itself that well to the beach add-on, unless you have an extra 4-5 days to spare and if you are OK with perhaps overnighting in a city en route.

 There are some wonderful beaches in Africa, but a safari is just that little bit more unique.

Factors you should take into consideration when planning to add on a beach to a safari ....

Length of Stay 
You would want to spend around 2 weeks on vacation in total, to make a beach stop worth your while from most safari destinations. Even in cases where it is relatively easy to get from your safari to the beach, it will still require a half day or more of travel, in various planes and automobiles. A 3-4 night minimum beach add-on is therefore what I generally  recommend. If you only have 10 days for your safari vacation in total, it's rarely worth the extra travel and your time is generally better spent on safari, or visiting Cape Town or Victoria Falls to "relax".

Your Safari Destination
There are some safari itineraries that lend themselves to the beach add-on better than others. If you are planning to enjoy a safari in South Africa's Kruger area, then you can enjoy a direct flight on Airlink to Mozambique.

Flights don't leave every day, so your overall schedule would have to be somewhat flexible to accommodate the direct flights. If you are interested in adding on the Seychelles or Mauritius from either Kruger or some of southern Africa's other safari destinations (Botswana, Zambia, Namibia or Zimbabwe) then you'll likely have to factor in an at least one overnight in Johannesburg. A safari in Zambia would be best combined with a beach stay at Kaya Mawa on Lake Malawi.

Safaris in Tanzania, both in the northern and southern parts of the country generally link fairly well to Zanzibar, but keep in mind you will lose a day traveling and will have to fly out of Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam at the end of the trip. If you're enjoying a safari in Kenya's Masai Mara there are several flights direct to Mombasa and Ukunda (Diani Beach area), and this is probably the easiest combination, as you can a morning game drive and still be on the beach by late afternoon. For those interested in tracking chimpanzees, you are really in luck, as it Gombe is actually on the beach! Those tracking gorillas, have to make a long trek and several stops to reach either Tanzania or Kenya's coasts.

Time of year
Traditionally the optimal time to go on safari is during the dry winter months from June through September. This is when the animals gather around the more limited water supplies, roads are passable, grasses are shorter, bushes are less bushy. All these factors makes it easier to spot wildlife. Winter is rarely synonymous with fun at the beach. Granted, an African winter is rarely as cold as in other parts of the world, but we do recommend gloves and hats for early morning drives, so needless to say the beach may not be such a hot idea. The summer months in southern and East Africa happen to coincide with heavier rains, which make the coastal areas more humid and even prone to cyclones for some beach destinations. There are exceptions to the rules. January through March for example offers excellent wildlife viewing in northern Tanzania, and is also great a time to visit Zanzibar.

You can see why adding beach time to a safari is no simple matter!