Don't miss: A walking safari on one of the many islands. It's a nice change from the many game drives and seeing the animals on foot is an amazing experience.

Don't bother: Packing too much. Most of the lodges offer laundry service for free or a small charge.

Coolest souvenir: The bird guidebook they gave us at one of the lodges. We saw so many beautiful birds and the guide helped us track all of our sightings.

Worth a splurge: A fly-in safari. It's the only option to reach some locations, and it feels like a real adventure landing on a grass airstrip on a five-seat propeller plane.

I wish I'd packed: Better binoculars to see distant wildlife.

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This article appeared on page E - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle