I spent a week on safari in South Africa. The bathroom situation wasn’t that bad, and we got wildly close to animals.

• My husband and I spent a week on our first safari in South Africa at three different reserves.
• I was surprised we spotted animals while self-driving and that the experience felt so sedentary.
• Our meals were surprisingly affordable, and the parks had modern modern bathrooms than I expected.

I spent a week on safari in South Africa with my husband, visiting three different reserves throughout my trip.

The thrilling experience was far from what I expected, and I’ll never forget the beautiful, vibrant landscape or how incredible it was to see so many animals up close.

Here are seven things that surprised me during my first safari trip.