I went on my first safari trip to South Africa. I won't make these 10 mistakes next time.

I try to avoid traveling during holidays, which often means more crowds. Unfortunately, we ended up booking during Easter break, which was the end of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

The lodges were full and busy with lots of kids and the prices were higher. We still had a great time but if we'd booked different dates — maybe during a low season — we might've paid less for a more private experience.

Our morning game drives started before sunrise in an open-air jeep.

The safari guide was wearing shorts so I thought I would be comfortable matching that. Wrong! I was so cold on our first ride.

I quickly learned that, although it was summer, a beanie and down jacket would've been cozy on the drive.

I knew I wanted to keep my camera out at all times when on a game drive. But after several hours of driving, we were approaching the gate and I tucked my phone away.

That's when we turned a corner and saw a large white rhino facing us in the middle of the road. It was a dramatic moment I have captured in my head, but I didn't have time to snap a photo before it darted into the bushes.

Next time, I'd be better prepared for animals that might pop up near the exit.

The safari terrain changed based on where the guide drove to each day, and some routes were quite dusty.

After a day of exploring, I felt like I had dust in my ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. Sunglasses helped shield my eyes but I wish I'd brought a buff to cover the rest of my face.

Our safari adventure included visits to three different wildlife reserves and we rented a car to get between them.

On each transition day, we had a morning game drive, then the drive to get to the next reserve, and then an evening game drive there.

That was a lot of sitting, and by the time I got to the evening game drive, I was tired. Next time, I might space my schedule out more.

At one point, I walked my bags inside of my accommodations, leaving the door open behind me. When I came out, the neighbors were taking photos of a monkey inside my car.

He was quick because, fortunately, I did not have any food in the car for him to run off with.

Now I know better to stay on top of shutting and locking my car doors when at a game reserve.

Animals can be unpredictable and safaris are not like a zoo. I learned how quickly a situation can change while watching a herd of elephants eating in Kruger National Park.

They started crossing the road in front of my car, and a large one turned to look right at us and started shaking his head. It seemed clearly displeased with our presence.

I flipped the car into reverse faster than you can say "elephant" but it was a scary moment.

Evening safari drives include a stop in the bush around sunset for a "sundowner" beverage. One of the nights my drink proved to be too much liquid for my bladder.

The problem was that we were following a pride of lions so there was no chance of hopping off the truck to relieve myself.

I was able to hold it but next time I will be more careful with the amount of liquids consumed before and during bush drives.

Load shedding is the name for scheduled power outages in South Africa that help prevent the power grid from being overloaded.

Some places have backup generators or solar panels to alleviate power disruptions, but I learned not to expect that to always be the case.

When the power turned off during our trip, I found myself sitting in complete darkness. I scrambled for my phone flashlight but I could've avoided that panic by plugging in the emergency light that was provided.