With ample notice, most luxury camps and lodges in Africa can accommodate even the strictest of dietary needs. Whether you’re vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, kosher, diabetic, or dairy-free, you should have no issues at the camps and lodges in Africa if they are provided with an advanced notice of your particular needs. They will order the proper food to accommodate and their chef will be able to cook meals specifically for you.
We’ve even had guests provide us with very strict instructions for their meals, including no egg dishes, no red meats, no tree nuts, etc. and we have made sure that each lodge and camp they stayed at were aware of their restrictions and prepared their cuisine accordingly.
On an African safari vacation you generally eat about 6 times a day! In the early morning, before you embark on your early morning game drive (which is typically between 5:30 and 6am), you’ll enjoy some light snacks, such as biscuits and short bread, as well as coffee and tea. In the middle of your drive your guide will stop for a break to set up coffee / tea and a small selection of cookies and biscuits.
Breakfast / brunch is served after the morning game drive, where fruits, cereals, hot oats, eggs made to order, meats, salads, etc. are typically offered. You can always order specialty requests, which the camp chef can make especially to your liking.
For lunch camps and lodges normally serve a selection of salads, sandwiches / wraps, quiches, vegetable medleys, and more. In the afternoon, guests can enjoy tea with cakes, scones, biscuits, tea sandwiches, lemonade, etc.
After the afternoon tea, it’s time for your evening game drive. During the drive, your guide will stop to set up sundowners. For those of you who are unfamiliar with sundowners, they are just Africa’s word for “drinks during the sunset.” Your guide will bring a selection, including beers, wine, and liquor. I personally love a gin and tonic as my sundowner! Snacks are always served along with sundowners, including nuts, biltong (African style jerky), dried fruits, etc.
Dinner is casual and is quite a large meal! Starters / appetizers at safari camps and lodges are normally soups or salads, then the main course is typically a roasted meat with vegetables and potatoes or rice – but there is always a small selection to choose from (and if you have dietary restrictions, meals will be created specifically for your needs). And then there is always dessert, which is either a typical African dessert (check out some recipes from our Africa recipe book, A Taste of Africa), fruit, or cheese.
