safari food ideas

Planning a Safari Party: The Food

March 2, 2023, celebrations.

I  had so much fun planning Lucy’s 5th birthday party and wanted to share some deeper dive blog posts about different elements of the party. Today, I’m sharing all about the food ! You can find more about the party theme/decor HERE and party activities HERE .

SAFARI PARTY FOOD

My mom and mother-in-law handled all the food for the party and it was great! My mother-in-law blew it out of the park with these creative platters! She created a delicious berry tray with a watermelon elephant , and also lion-shaped veggie and hummus tray . They were SO festive and adorable! My mom also made an animal cracker funfetti + greek yogurt dip , topped with colorful sprinkles. We also had these yummy cheese sliders, plus chips, pita chips, guacamole, and applesauce pouches.

On the food table, I had these Safari Dinner Plates  (featuring so many cute and colorful animals!) and matching Safari Large Napkins .

For every birthday, we grab a cake from Whole Foods. In the past (for Winnie’s 1st birthday and Lucy’s 1st birthday party ), I’ve ordered custom cakes, but this time we just picked up a small, simple (but super delicious) cake for singing happy birthday / blowing out candles. I also ordered mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa. They are bite-sized and perfect for big parties! I used these little animal party toppers to decorate the cupcakes and cake ( here’s another similar option ).

On the dessert table, I set out these adorable Safari Cheetah Plates and small Safari Animal Print Small Napkins .

SHOP THE PARTY

Note: I’ve included additional party items we didn’t use, but that are ‘on theme’ for this party. The products we didn’t use have an asterisk next to them listed below.

PARTY TABLEWARE: 

Safari Dinner Plates

Safari Cheetah Plates

Safari Large Napkins

Safari Animal Print Small Napkins

Safari Animal Cake Toppers

Lion Plates*

Elephant Balloon Napkins*

Zebra Napkins*

Party Animal Paper Cups*

Party Animals Cake Toppers*

Safari Candles*

PARTY DECOR & SIGNAGE:

Customizable Party Animal Signage Printable

Rifle Paper Party Animals Garland

Meri Meri Happy Birthday Garland

Customizable Party Animal Table Toppers*

Cheetah Balloon Garland Kit

Safari Balloon Bundle

4 Piece Gold/Pink Leopard Balloons

Gold “5” Balloon

Cheetah Foil Balloon*

Balloon Hand Pump

Balloon Electric Pump

Generously gifted by my Lucky Collective client, Manhattan Toy.

Loki Leopard – available on Maisonette , Target , and Amazon

Cozy Bunch Giraffe – available on Maisonette , Target , and Amazon

Cozy Bunch Zebra – available on Maisonette,   Target , and Amazon

Cozy Bunch Camel – available on Maisonette , Target , and Amazon

Luxe Liam Elephant – available on Maisonette , Target , and Amazon

Charming Charlie Lion – available on Target and Amazon

12 Piece Safari Stuffed Animal Set*

6 Piece Safari Stuffed Animal Set*

ACTIVITIES + EVERYTHING ELSE

Mini Party Hats

12 Piece Jungle/Safari Animal Headbands

Safari Make a Face Sticker Sheets

Jungle Coloring Posters*

Party Animals Tattoo Sheets*

Leopard Tattoos*

RELATED POSTS

Lucy’s 5th Safari-Inspired Birthday Party!

Planning a Safari Party: The Inspiration + Decor

Planning a Safari Party: The Activities

Share Your Thoughts: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• // // // //

Best Safari Food… and Recipes!

During our 52 years of welcoming Micato travellers to Africa the most common question Felix and I get is, “What’s your favourite African food?”

The answer? Whatever comes out of my kitchen!

(This conversation takes place in our home, of course, where all of Micato’s East Africa-bound guests are invited to dine with us.)

Beyond my affection for such home-cooked family favourites as vegetarian samosas, Goan coconut curry, Banoffee pie, crispy potatoes and fried sweet bananas, there are many more treats to try while on safari with us. To name a few:

Nyama Choma . As fun to say as it is to eat, this is a term for well marinated, succulent meats from the nearby highland ranches. Nyama Choma is often the meal of choice when one celebrates a very special occasion, like going on safari!

Sukuma Wiki. Made from simmered kale, tomatoes and whatever organic vegetables are in season. This beloved dish may also include whatever ingredients remain in the pantry be week’s end, hence this dish’s literal meaning, “end of the week.” One of my personal favourites, and healthy to boot.

Ugali. A popular, some might say essential side dish is a helping of this corn porridge that holds its shape and is thus often a finger food. Bland to some, but for East Africans (and me!) this maize is amazing.

Mukimo. Even if soft foods aren’t your thing, you may just take a shine to these mashed potatoes and vegetables that Kenyans would rather not do without in their diet.

Mogo Crisps. Mixing sweet and savoury may seem trendy but Kenyans have been doing it for ages. Crisp up cassava slices in the fryer, sprinkle them with chili pepper, and you’ve got yourself classic street food!

Mandazi. Another popular street food that you can sample on the fly, a mandazi is basically an African donut that’s something of a requirement with morning coffee and tea.

My recipe vault unlocked…

Sorry, I simply refuse to part with my Goan cocunut curry recipe…

Enjoy, friends!

Image credits: Top: Nyama Choma and Sukuma Wiki by Xiaojun Deng / flickr ; Middle: Samosas by Talisman Restaurant / flickr ; Second from bottom: Madafu by Kungu Irungu / Wikimedia Commons ; Bottom: Goan coconut curry/Shutterstock.

Our Safaris

Get brochure, follow on facebook, up next: three surprising activities you can try on an african safari.

Inspiration For Your Next Escape

• African Safari Diaries
• Inspiration – Africa
• Inspiration – South Asia
• Inspiration – Indian Ocean
• Special Interest
• Testimonials
• Travel Tips
• South Africa
• Wildlife & Safari

Safari Cuisine: What kind of food to expect on an African Safari

You’ve booked an African Safari and might be wondering what kind of food to expect whilst you are on your trip of a lifetime. We can assure you that you will have an amazing safari gourmet experience, wherever in Africa you have chosen to go.

Most lodges and camps grow their own organic fruits and vegetables and love cooking and sharing exciting local cuisine with their guests, so you can expect to be truly spoilt whilst out in the wilderness.

We receive regular feedback from our guests on how amazed they were that in the middle of the African bush they were eating a vast variety of of exotic dishes, or had spectacular dining experiences.

Dietary requirements are catered for by most safari lodges, so you need not worry, whether you have intolerances, allergies, are gluten free or follow a special diet! It is always advisable to let the camps or lodges know of any dietary requirements at the time of booking,  especially if they are located in remote areas, so they can prepare for this.

From the time you start your day, you can expect biscuits, tea and coffee, to fuel you for an adrenalin rushed early morning game drive, before returning to your lodge for a scrumptious breakfast buffet, or you can even enjoy a unique champagne breakfast out in some spectacular settings, with wild animals grazing in the distance.

Bush Breakfast

Most lodges have got buffet restaurants on site, so you can expect a lovely variety of dishes for lunch or dinner, complete with decadent desserts and fresh fruit, and there is bound to be something to suit everyone. Cuisines tend to be a mix of local, Western and Asian.

Buffet restaurant

A buffet restaurant whilst on Safari

If you are lucky, you may even get to dine under the African star strewn sky out in the bush in a truly romantic setting, with a fantastic menu full of gourmet fine dining dishes to choose from, paired with some delicious wine or bubbling Champagne.

A romantic bush dinner whilst on Safari

Depending on which country you visit, you will be able to experience speciality local dishes and local beers or cocktails.

If you happen to be on safari in Kenya, trying the local beer called Tusker, as well as the famous local cocktail called a ‘Dawa’ is a must! It is a mixture of vodka, lime juice and honey garnished with a lime wheel and a ‘Dawa Stick’ to stir the honey.

Kenya’s local Dawa Cocktail

If these safari cuisine photos have inspired you to visit Africa do give us a call or email us. Our African safari specialists would love to work with you to plan the safari holiday of a lifetime.

For more information on how our safari experts can help you, call Somak Holidays today on 020 8423 3000, or visit our website here:

https://www.somak.com

Photographs are courtesy of Ashnil Hotels.

• Terms & Conditions
• Insurance & Extras
• Privacy Policy
• Cookies Policy
• @SomakLuxuryTravel
• Somak-Luxury-Travel

Opening times

Bank holiday opening hours.

ATOL Number 2550

The air holidays and flights shown are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 2550. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom.

All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate

Find out more

Somak Holidays is a member of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

For further information on your financial protection and our ABTA membership click here

Request a Callback

Thank you for your interest in Somak Luxury Travel and for submitting a request for call back.

One of our expert will call you on between .

With kind regards, Somak Luxury Travel

• Sao Tome and Principe
• The Seychelles
• South Africa
• Family Safaris
• Luxury Safaris
• Wildebeest Migration
• Primate Safaris
• Riding Safaris
• Kilimanjaro Climbs
• Cycling Safari
• Mobile Safaris
• Beach Holidays
• Exclusively yours
• Canoe and Mokoro Safaris
• Weddings & Honeymoons
• Specialist Photographic Safaris
• Walking Safaris
• Small Group Travel
• Single Travellers
• Self Drive Adventures
• Planning a Safari
• When to Travel
• Aardvark Safaris Brochure
• Safari Pricing
• Accommodation
• A Day on Safari
• Safari Tipping Guide
• The Insider’s Guide
• Why Aardvark?
• The Aardvark Story
• Meet the team
• Feedback we loved
• Responsible Tourism
• Booking Conditions
• Aardvark Guarantee

Safari Cuisine

Africa is not generally considered a foodie holiday destination, not even on safari. However this is not true for those of us in the know. Not only is Africa home to a mouth watering culinary offering inspired by its rich cultural heritage but boasts some of the most spectacular settings on earth for you to enjoy breakfast, lunch and supper.

Bush breakfast

Breakfast cooked in the bush, away from camp, is a fantastic way to have a pit stop or to end a morning wildlife drive. Despite the lack of a permanent kitchen, and maybe even cooked over an open fire, a typical breakfast will nonetheless be substantial to set you up for the day. These elaborate affairs might include cereals, yoghurt, fruit, juice, eggs, bacon, toast, fried tomatoes and tea & coffee.

On a mobile safari every breakfast is a bush breakfast and chefs are used to minimal equipment, but can still conjure up treats like freshly baked bread.

A hearty bush breakfast, Sosian, Laikipia, Kenya

Snacks for morning break and afternoon break

Long wildlife drives seeking out elusive animals, or waiting and watching by a waterhole, can lead to a thirst and perhaps even rumbling stomachs. Luckily guides will have generally packed teas and coffees for the morning stop and some beers and G&Ts for the ‘sundowners’ to enjoy at a pretty spot around sunset. Chefs will have normally included some yummy snacks as well to soak up the drinks.

Appetisers before supper – usually served with sundowners, Offbeat Mara, Masai Mara, Kenya

Tasty snacks en route on safari, Toka Leya, Livingstone, Zambia

Back at camp you can relax for a couple of hours before lunch – usually the lightest meal of the day with fresh bread, salads, meats, cheeses and dips.

Lunch with fresh fruit and salad, Vumbura Plains Camp, Okavango, Botswana

Light lunch served in the tropics, North Island, Seychelles

Three Course Supper

Returning to camp, you might change before dinner – though safaris are a pretty casual affair. Depending on the country and camp, you’ll either dine individually (South Africa safaris especially and everywhere at the beach), or shared dinner-party style meals with your fellow guests hosted by the camp managers (most other safari areas).

Taking advantage of Africa’s dry weather most suppers are taken alfresco under star-strewn skies with mouth-watering dishes such as “crisp bass with porcini mushrooms and oxtail crust on wilted greens with red wine mushroom sauce”.

Africa is famous for its BBQs (or braai to the South Africans) and there’s a good chance that you’ll encounter one either on safari or during your stay on the beach. Unlike the typical British version there’ll be no sign of single use charcoal filled foil trays and badly cooked sausages!

Sesame Tuna and stir fry vegetables at Saruni Ocean, Kenya

BBQ meats and vegetables, North Island, Seychelles

Mains are followed by desert, usually with a fresh fruit option.

Strawberry desert at Serra Cafema, Kaokoland, Namibia

Desert by the pool at Saruni Ocean, Kenya

Panacotta, at Shumba, Kafue, Zambia

African seafood

The Indian Ocean laps at Africa’s balmly eastern seaboard, which is home to gorgeous archipelagos, islands and atolls. This coastline offers sun-drenched days, star-lit seafood feasts along with a choice of desert island picnics, and romantic, toes-in-the-sand dinners. With the natural abundance of seafood, you may be forgiven for thinking there won’t be much apart from fish dishes on your plate, but the Indian Ocean islands and coastlines are famous for fusion cuisine from aromatic French-Creole in Mauritius and the Seychelles, to Mozambique’s Portuguese-inspired peri-peri chicken and delicious vegetarian curries.

Prawns and lobster served at the North Island, Seychelles

Any Questions?

Let us know in the comments of you’ve read this far and not found an answer you were looking for, or this blog has prompted a question. We travel widely in Africa and have years of experience stored on the far reaches of our heads. If we don’t know, we will know who to ask. We can let you know the answer and update the article.

If these safari cuisine photos have inspired you to visit Africa do give us a call or email us . Our African experts can take your ideas and help plan a holiday to make the most of all that Africa has to offer.

One response to “Safari Cuisine”

[…] not a problem on safari. Food is so much better than most people expect and I wrote a blog on Safari Cuisine. In fact the biggest problem for most is coming home having gained a significant amount […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• © 2024 Aardvark Safaris
• Privacy Policy

Our website uses cookies

Privacy overview.

Epicure & Culture

Food, wine & culture for the ethical traveler

Authentic Tanzanian Recipes From An African Safari Chef

By Gretchen Healey, Epicure & Culture Contributor

To me, the word ‘foodie’ feels a bit stuck-up. And yet, I suppose I’d classify myself as a food nerd, which is probably not much different. I love to cook and love to travel, and the two make a happy marriage.

Discovering a new country is often synonymous with discovering a new cuisine; spices that hit my tongue and leave me wondering about their identity, leading me to the market in search of a way to recreate the sensation. From colorful merchants with exotically-scented wares pushing onto the sidewalks of Quito, to the markets heaving with vegetables and spices from two continents in Mto wa Mbu, Tanzania, there is much to discover as food and travel are inextricably linked.

People don’t typically go on an African safari for the food; but once they are in the National Geographic setting of their memories, the details do come into focus. Between game drives and walks to see everything from bat-eared foxes to zebras there is the camp they’ve chosen, and there is the food. And anyone interested in food might find themselves both delighted and disappointed at the same time.

Table of Contents

Culture Through Food

What you will encounter on your plate on an African safari is not unlike what you might get at home. Wonderful ingredients, in some cases farm-fresh from an onsite garden, creative cuisine and great service – all catering to a Western palate.

The chefs are well-trained and can handle your gluten intolerance or peanut allergy; however, for me food is the essence of place. I don’t think most people in East and Southern Africa are eating prosciutto and brie sandwiches, or a medium-rare filet with a mushroom cream sauce. When I travel I want to know what the day-to-day cuisine is so I can truly gain a sense of where I am. Whether it’s a Vienna dog in Chicago (don’t even think about asking for ketchup), mussels I’ve helped to gather and cook in the Pacific Northwest, or a warming bowl of cheesy potato soup in the Andean highlands, eating local cuisine helps me learn about culture and people in a more intimate way.

On a recent visit to Tanzania , my safari was based at a mobile camp called Njozi (meaning ‘dream’ in Swahili) in a protected area on the outskirts of the Serengeti. Set amid a beautiful acacia forest with wildlife casually passing by outside our tents, it was idyllic to say the least. The game drives were fantastic, and despite a total lack of exertion on my part I still found myself looking forward to every meal.

While much of the delicious fare emerging from their kitchen was familiar, they shook things up a bit to keep it interesting. A spicy-sour bean and vegetable salad for breakfast was addictive, as was the ever-present kachumbari , a spicy tomato and onion salad/relish served alongside most meals. It’s akin to salsa and gives a nice freshness to everything it’s served with.

Swahili Night

Most notable was ‘Swahili Night,’ an evening of local dishes proudly cooked and served by the camp’s enthusiastic chefs. The chefs used Swahili Night to share and celebrate local dishes, like ugali , a staple throughout much of Africa that goes by many names (including mealies in South Africa, nshima  in Zambia, sadza in Zimbabwe and pap in Namibia). Ugali is a cornmeal-based dish that can have a consistency ranging from porridge to dough, and is typically served with a small amount of meat or a savory sauce.

Being on holiday, we were spoiled with nyama choma  (grilled meat) to go with our ugali. We also had the option of eating with our hands in the traditional manner or with cutlery. Most opted for the latter, but the former is much more fun . You just take a small ball of ugali, indent a space with your thumb, then scoop up the nyama choma (or sauce) and pop the whole thing into your mouth. I’m not suggesting there isn’t the potential for messiness, but when in Rome…

Recipes From Safari

The chefs were excited to talk about the recipes and preparation. Over the hot fire of the barbecue, they emphasized how Indian spices have influenced and inspired traditional Tanzanian dishes as a result of the long trading relationship between India and East Africa via the ‘spice island’ of Zanzibar. Here are a few of the recipes I got to sample on Swahili Night.

Sukuma Wiki

Sukuma wiki means “stretch the week” in Swahili and is a very common dish in East Africa. Easy, nutritious and delicious, it is a way of “stretching” out kitchen resources. Sukuma wiki is typically served with ugali and sometimes also roasted meat or fish. It would also be great served over rice, couscous or whole grains.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 lbs kale or collard greens, de-stemmed and finely chopped
• 2 c tomatoes, chopped
• 1 c water or stock (I like veggie stock here)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat the oil over medium-high in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the greens in batches, sautéing each addition until wilted. Add the tomatoes, water or stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until tender (20 to 30 minutes). Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve with a little bit of the broth.

Warning: this tasty condiment might replace salsa as your favorite go-to!

• 5 tomatoes, chopped or diced
• 2 small onions, very thinly sliced or diced
• 1 red chili, diced or thinly sliced into strips
• Handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon (lime will also work)
• 3 tbs olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Soak the onion in warm water with ½ tsp of coarse salt for 20-30 minutes to reduce the heat and raw flavor (optional). Toss tomatoes, onions, chili and cilantro in a large serving bowl. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil together and toss through the salad. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour and serve.

If you’re staying somewhere that you’re also enjoying most of your meals and they’re not serving local cuisine – ask. Most people (myself included) are proud to share and show off their culture’s favorite or famous foods.  And when you bite into something they’ve carefully crafted, you will taste not only the food, but your surroundings and their history. That’s not something you can read in a book or see on a tour.

Bon appetit!

For more travel information, check out this Tanzania travel guide . 

What are your favorite Tanzanian recipes? Please share in the comments below! 

Gretchen healey.

Gretchen Healey gave up a window office in the IT industry to embrace travel as a profession. When not traveling, she runs Pangolin Media , a full service copy writing development and online strategy consulting company focused on the travel industry and wildlife conservation. She has visited more than 30 countries, and each travel experience has enriched her life immeasurably. When she is home, she can be found hiking with her husband and dog, cooking, gardening or skiing.

You may also like...

Why you may want to bring fermentation to your home kitchen today (recipe included).

9 Amazing Culturally-Inspired Ideas For DIY Romantic Experiences

The Story Of Tabasco: A Spicy History With A Sustainable Twist

Immersive Travel: The Epicure’s Guide To Taiwanese Food And Culture

Wow what a beautiful post and food looks so delicious, I was planning to go to Australia in winter vacations but now I will go to Tanzania because it looks more beautiful.

I completely agree that trying the local food should be a part of every travel experience! It’s really a way to be involved with the culture.

Wow. Everything looks really good. Thank you for sharing Bytheway, If you ever come out to Arizona. My husband is a Chef at an African restaurant. Address: Addis Ababa Restaurant 3527 w Bethany Home Rd, Phoenix, Az Pls stop by.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

From the blog

Must-Have Safari Delicacies – South African Snacks

Five south african specialties you’ll wish you had at home.

You’ve booked your safari vacation to Africa, with South Africa as your preferred destination. Well, there is more to safaris than big-game encounters and luxury lodges. To make the most of the opportunity, we encourage Guests to open their minds and tastebuds to the flavors and culture waiting for you. Here are five of our top treats to try on safari—and how to do it like a local!

South African Snacks

South Africans love meat—with many ranking biltong as their favorite. Biltong is a dry, cured, and spiced meat that has a rich history. At the lodge and on game-drive drink breaks, your ranger will most likely offer you sliced biltong or dry wors sticks (imagine dry sausage); they are delicious and pair with beer or wine perfectly.

Today, biltong is made from a variety of animals including buck, you are likely to encounter kudu biltong and impala biltong in most South African establishments. Each lodge will offer their unique flavors and spices, and if you are lucky, they may have other less common biltong (zebra, wildebeest, blesbok etc). Try them all. We have never been left disappointed.

Amarula is a creamy liqueur made from the African marula, or elephant tree. The flavors are rich, creamy, and, although some describe it as akin to Baileys, it does have a very unique, African flavor profile. Drink it over crushed ice with dessert and you can’t go wrong.

Outside Wild Top Tip: Ask your ranger or guide to add a shot of amarula to your morning coffee in place of milk or creamer. The result is a perfect morning pick-me-up with a kick. The best part, it is common practice, so it is not frowned upon one bit.

How do we begin to describe rusks? They are what appears to be a stale cake and easily overlooked but are absolutely delicious when you eat them correctly. A technique for eating food, who knew?!

Rusks are available in multiple flavors, from bran to wholewheat, buttermilk, and more. These cube-shaped chunks of dried cake are designed for dunking. Dunk them in your coffee, dunk them in your tea; hell, dunk them in your amarula. The key is to dunk them enough to soften the rusk and absorb as much flavor as possible from the drink. It is a local feel-good combo. You may not want to try it initially, but we know you’ll be reaching for more.

Melktert (Milk Tart)

Melktert is the Afrikaans word (South African language similar to Dutch) for Milk Tart. Melktert is a traditional Afrikaaner dessert made with a sweet, crust pastry and custard filling. The milk ratio is higher in melktert than in traditional custard tarts and is considered a South African Snacks’ family-pleaser. The dessert is finished with a sprinkling of cinnamon and there you have it. If you get a chance, sample as many different melktert recipes as possible. Each and every chef—home cooks, too—will have their own secret to the perfect melktert. The best ones, we believe, are sweet and sticky and hold their shape when cut in slices…but only just.

Boerewors and Pap

Boerewors is a spicy sausage, flavored not dissimilarly to biltong and dry wors. The Boerewors recipe is a closely guarded secret and households seem to hold sway if their ‘wors’ recipe is better than others. South Africans eat boerewors on bread rolls as a hotdog or, very often, with pap and sauce. Either combination is delicious, and both are worth a try.

Boerewors is always cooked on an open fire and it is served on safari at all mealtimes. On one of your safari evenings, you will most likely get to experience a boma dinner. This outdoor meal is served under the stars and always offers boerewors. If you haven’t tasted this delicacy, make sure you do…even as a starter. Our mouths are watering just writing about it.

There you have it: five top South African Snacks to try on safari. Of course, there are more—bobotie, malva pudding, vegetable chakalaka etc.—and if you feel that we have missed one, leave a comment . In future articles we will give you some of our favorite recipes and maybe some ‘how-to videos.’

Connect with Outside Wild via our weekly mailer

&/ Social Media: Instagram and Facebook

Online Editor

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related articles

Too much, Too soon, Too fast.

The idea of “Too Much, Too Fast, Too Soon” was distilled into my head after a few competitively cold beers with Greg Ghaui on the banks of a river some years ago. The initial catalyst for this thought came up earlier that day after watching […]

Five Days in Hwange National Park (Verneys Camp)

Verney’s Camp is an hour’s drive from Victoria Falls and located within the largest wildlife Park in Zimbabwe. At 14,600km2 in size, Hwange National Park is home to the “Presidential Herd” of elephants. Hwange National Park is also the only place in the country to […]

Check out these great packages!

You may also like

Nqabara Eco River Lodge

Book your fly fishing tour to Nqabara Eco Lodge, South Africa for Kob & Garrick with Outside Wild. We provide all the information you need to enjoy a fishing and adventure trip of a lifetime.

Kau Tapen Lodge (Patagonia)

Book your fly fishing tour to Kau Taupen Lodge Argentina to catch Sea Trout with Outside Wild. We provide all the information you need to enjoy a saltwater trip of a lifetime.

Makhangoa Community Camp

Book your fly fishing tour to Makhangoa Community Camp, Lesotho for Rainbow Trout - Brown Trout with Outside Wild. We provide all the information you need to enjoy a freshwater trip of a lifetime.

Turneffe Island Resort

Between an unrivalled location and seasoned guides, the reason to visit Turneffe Island Resort is to catch the evasive Caribbean Grand Slams every day – a bonefish, tarpon and permit, all in one day.

Newsletter Sign up

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

I agree to receive your newsletters and accept the data privacy statement.

We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use

Privacy Overview

10 foods to try on an African safari

Most people visit eastern and southern Africa to see the incredible wildlife, but this vast region also offers an array of unique culinary experiences. Here, depending on which country you visit, are a few local foods you might want to try.

The main staple throughout eastern and southern Africa, ugali is a stiff white porridge whose regional ubiquity has led to its inclusion on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Also known regionally as posho, mealiepap, and sima, it is made from maize meal, which is boiled in water or milk until stiff, and eaten by hand with simple meat or vegetable stew. The equivalent in Uganda, Rwanda, and parts of western Tanzania is a boiled plantain dish called matoke or batoke. 

Where to try ugali: Almost every local restaurant in eastern or southern Africa will serve ugali by default under one or another name. On safari, if you ask the chef at your lodge or camp to prepare it, they’ll almost certainly do so with great enthusiasm. 

Piri-piri chicken 

One of Africa’s best traveled culinary exports, galinha piri-piri consists of a butterfly-cut whole baby chicken smothered with a piquant chili, garlic, and lemon marinade then flame-grilled on hot coals. Practically the national dish of Mozambique, it is equally popular in South Africa and has made itself known worldwide through the popular Nando’s franchise. 

Where to try piri-piri chicken: Nando’s does a good job, but nothing beats the tangy like-mama-used-to-make-it piri-piri chicken served at owner-managed Mozambican restaurants such as Cape Town’s Toni’s on Kloof, Johannesburg’s Madeira & Del Sol, or the aptly-named Piri-Piri in the Mozambican capital Maputo. 

Melktert and malva pudding

Of Cape Dutch origin, melktert (milk tart) is a cheesecake-like pie with a flaky pastry base and cinnamon-flavored custard-like topping, while malva pudding is a sticky, spongy cake flavored with apricot jam and served hot from the oven. 

Where to try melktert and malva pudding: Many game lodges and camps in eastern southern Africa serve malva pudding as a dessert, while melktert is something of a coffee shop and tearoom special, especially in South Africa. 

South Africans love to braai. Superficially, this popular outdoor pastime isn’t much different from a barbecue elsewhere in the world, but here it takes on a unique ritual significance, particularly (but by no means exclusively) in Afrikaans-speaking communities.  Expect one or all of steak, chicken, lamb chops, or sosaties (kebabs), liberally dosed in spice or marinade, as well as a generous roll of boerewors (‘farmers sausage’) and crusty, buttery garlic bread. 

Where to try a braai: If you are self-catering, you can do it yourself of course, but many safari camps and lodges in eastern and southern Africa treat guests to a braai every few nights.

African curries 

People associate curries with Asia, but several variants are available in Africa. On the coast of East Africa, Swahili-style curry has a distinctive flavor due to the liberal use of coconut milk, while Malay curries in South Africa are sweetened with apricots, raisins, and/or sultanas. The existence of established Indian communities in many African cities has led to a liberal scattering of restaurants serving more familiar Indian curries. A cheap dish unique to the South African port of Durban is bunny chow, which comprises a hollowed-out half-bread loaf filled to the brim with a hot curry. 

Where to try African curries: Curry-style dishes are pretty widespread and easy to find in most parts of Africa. Try Cape Town’s Biesmiellah for Malay, Zanzibar’s House of Spices for Swahili, or Durban’s The Curry O’s for bunny chow. 

A pun on the phrase ‘rolled eggs’, the rolex is a popular Uganda street food that consists of an omelet wrapped up and rolled inside a roti-like chapati flatbread. In its original form, the Rolex might also incorporate a few simple chopped vegetables, but in recent years it has developed an almost cultlike status in Uganda, and gourmet rolex outlets now offer a range of fillings comparable to those associated with burgers or pizzas. 

Where to try a rolex: On practically any street corner in almost any town in Uganda. For the gourmet, treatment try The Rolex Joint in the city of Jinja. And if you’re really serious about your rolexes, make sure you time your visit to coincide with the annual Rolex Festival in Kampala. 

African donuts

Several varieties of deep-fried doughballs are made in Africa. The triangular mandazi is a popular street snack throughout East Africa, and delicious when fresh, but rather cardboard-like when not. A southern African equivalent is the koeksister, a plaited pair of syrup-infused dough strips that are fried until golden-brown on the outside and soft and sticky inside. 

Where to try an African donut: The best place to try mandazi is on the street or in a market, where local women deep-fry them freshly in front of your eyes. 

Ethiopian cuisine

Ethiopia boasts the most distinctive cuisine in sub-Saharan Africa. The national staple is injera , a huge sourdough pancake made from a unique fiber-rich grain called tef . Usually eaten by hand, injera might be accompanied by fiery red meat or vegetarian stew called kai wat , a fried meat dish called siga tibs , or (for the truly fearless) a raw minced beef dish known as kitfo . Ethiopian cuisine is particularly attractive to spice fiends, while vegan dishes such as chickpea-based shiro tegamino and lentil-based misr wot cater to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s taboo on the consumption of animal products on so-called fasting days. 

Where to try Ethiopian cuisine : Literally anywhere in Ethiopia, but also at Ethiopian-run restaurants such as Arusha’s Spices & Herbs, Zanzibar’s Abyssinian Maritim, Nairobi’s Habesha, Kigali’s Lalibela, and Cape Town’s Addis in Cape. 

A Cape Malay dish that’s now popular throughout southern Africa, bobotie is reminiscent of cottage pie, comprising as it does a mincemeat base topped with an eggy sauce that crusts over when baked. As with many Cape Malay dishes, a combination of curry powder and raisins or sultanas creates a flavor both sweet and spicy.

Where to try bobotie: No better place than Biesmiellah, a traditional restaurant set in the Bo-Kaap, the colorful historic home to Cape Town’s Malay community.  

Nyama Choma 

Nyama Choma – literally ‘meat grilled’ – is the East African equivalent of a braai, and like its southern counterpart, it’s a social activity as much as a culinary one. All over Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, you’ll find small low-key nyama choma joints where locals chill and chat over a few after-work beers. Other than the beers, they will have a plate of flame-grilled mishkaki (spicy beef kebabs), Kuku (chicken) or samaki (fish – usually whole tilapia) along with sides of chips and a tomato, onion and chili salad called kachumbari. 

Where to try nyama choma: Great post- or pre-safari nyama choma joints include Njuguna’s Place (Nairobi), Uzunguni City Park (Arusha), and Kuonana African Restaurant (Moshi)

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Sign In Here!

Log into your account in just a few simple steps.

You don't have permission to register

• Meet the Team
• Come With Us – Kenya
• In the News
• Safari Itineraries
• Sustainable Travel
• South Africa
• Travel Advisor Portal
• Client Log In

A 6-Step Guide to Hosting the Ultimate Safari-Inspired Dinner Party

Above is a photo of my family enjoying a traditional South African barbecue!

Nothing is more special to me than celebrating my love for Africa’s enchanting spirit, fantastic cuisine, and exceptional wines with my friends and family. I have so many wonderful memories of hosting backyard safari-inspired barbecues (which are called braais in southern Africa) and rustic Cape Winelands -inspired dinner parties; and I want to share my safari-themed dinner tips with you!

Below is my step-by-step guide for hosting an authentic and beautiful dinner party with some African flair:

1. Spread the word with invitations: Whether you want to buy invitations, create your own, or send them out online, the possibilities are endless. I personally love making my own invitations, using a paper punch (such as the elephant-shaped paper punch from Martha Stewart’s collection ), nice card stock in earth-tone colors, and some ribbon.

And no matter which way you wish to send out your invitations, remember to inform your guests of the theme, and encourage them to go a little “wild” when choosing their attire for the evening.

Below is an example of a card that the Hills of Africa team made as a gift tag (you can use this same idea for creating your invitations):

2. Select savory menu items: Influenced strongly by European settlers, cuisine from southern Africa is extremely diverse and full of unique flavors from around the eastern hemisphere.

Some of the staple produce found in traditional southern African cuisine include corn, squash, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and green beans. Africans on the coast incorporate lots of seafood into their diet, which include hake, rock lobster, mussels, and cod. The main cuts of meat found throughout the southern regions of Africa include meat pies (which were inspired by English and Dutch settlers), Boer chicken pie, bobotie, sausage, lamb, ostrich, beef, pork, and frikkadels (which are hamburgers). Many of their dishes are also categorized as bredies, which are stews.

To learn more about the history of South African cuisine, click here .

So, as you can see, there is a wide variety of cuisine you can serve at your safari-inspired dinner party. But to help you whittle down your menu choices, click here for a few of my favorite homemade dishes to cook for friends and family. Below is a photo of one of my husband’s favorites, Chakalaka ( click here for this recipe ).

 For more recipes, click here to be directed to our Pinterest board, A Bite of Africa.

3. Choose from the best South African wines:  Because South Africa is one of the world’s top wine-producing regions, most wine stores and grocery stores in the United States carry a wide range of South African wines at varying prices.

I have so many favorite South African wines, it’s hard for me to select my favorites (some are actually not exported, so they can only be tasted locally in South Africa ). But, if I had to choose some of my favorite South African wines that can be purchased in the United States, I would have to say Ken Forrester’s Chenin Blanc, Winery of Good Hope’s Bush Vine Pinotage, Bradgate’s Syrah, and Cederberg’s Cabernet Sauvignon (just to name a few!).

4. Decorate with earth tones and textures: The use of stones, wood, burlap, and other rustic materials and fabrics with natural coloring is a great way to add some African inspiration to your décor. And don’t be afraid to add a pop of color using colors inspired by the Maasai people of Kenya . These colors include deep reds, blue, and yellow. Below is a photo of the Maasai to give some inspiration to your color palette!

5. Set the mood with music: Almost all African music has a motivational beat that is sure to get your guests moving and shaking. From African pop to Afrobeat and gumboot styles to jazz, Africa is home to some exceptional musical genres that will add some zing to your dinner party. After all, the best way to entertain guests is to engage all five of the senses.

National Geographic has a great list of featured African artists to include on your playlist. Click here to see them .

6. Always add little personal touches:  Create fun wine tags so people know which glass is their glass. You can use the elephant paper punch mentioned above in the invitations section to punch out little elephants and write names on each elephant. You can then attach a string or ring to them so that guests can place them on their wineglass stem.

I also suggest using a traditional African fabric to make napkins, such as batik fabric. You should be able to find some African-inspired fabrics at your local fabric store.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

What to Expect on the Plate When on Safari in Africa

Save this content and enjoy it whenever you want

What you are served while on safari will depend on which part of Africa you are visiting (in Namibia for example, expect a hugely carnivorous menu), if it’s a luxury or budget experience and what your own meal restrictions and preferences are. Vegetarians are catered for with advance notice, but on many nights the braai or barbecue buffet is composed of grilled meats, seafood, starches and a few obligatory leaves and corn on the cob. Those with specific restrictions should always inform the safari camp when you book – sometimes it takes days to get new ingredients to the more remote areas.

Depending on the type of safari you opt for, you’ll either be waited on hand and foot, or expected to prepare the meals yourself or in turns for your fellow campers. Both types of meal experiences have their place and drawcards. Eating under the magnificent African star- strewn sky, next to a roaring fire, after a successful day of game watching or tracking is something rather special, and all who have been on an African safari will attest to it.

Here’s a list of some of the items you can expect to enjoy on safari in Africa:

Rooibos (redbush) tea – perfect for chilly mornings. Gin & tonic – quintessential bush break drink. Your ranger probably mixes a good one. Witblits – a raw spirit that makers need a permit to distil. Potent, so be warned! Amarula – sweet, creamy liquor made from the amarula fruit that elephants adorably get drunk on. A tip, order it with a shot of whisky to reduce the sweetness and add a little warming jolt. Local coffees

You usually can drink the water and enjoy ice in your drinks (made from filtered water where necessary). If this isn’t the case your camp or lodge will either tell you in advance or provide water for you to drink each day.

Starches such as fufu, ugali, pap, sadza or mealie meal – a stiff maize meal similar to thick polenta, as well as rice and breads. Vegetables  - expect the local herbs similar to spinach, butternut squash or similar, and a spread of salads. Though fresh lettuce and cucumber can be rare at times. Again, it depends where you are. Game meat - a variety of game is served, usually grilled medium rare because the meat does dry out easily – for example gemsbok, springbok, impala, ostrich, kudu and warthog. The meat comes from farms, and not the reserve you are visiting, in case you feel wracked by guilt about eating Bambi. In colder weather expect oxtail stews, lamb shanks in red wine, butter pastry meat pies, Cape Malay or Indian curries and plenty of heavy root vegetables. Game birds such as guinea fowl and quail Crocodile – popular around the lower Zambezi. Tastes like a cross between chicken and calamari. Can get tough quickly and benefits from fast cooking and a good sauce. Seafood – local fish, prawns and sometimes other shellfish. Fine dining meals – If the idea of eating warmed canned beans at a fire leaves you fearful, it’s best you consider another safari lodge options. Exclusive camps like Sabi Sabi offer refined menus including dishes such as “crisp bass with porcini mushrooms and oxtail crust on wilted greens with red wine mushroom sauce”. Fruit - served at your safari lodge, even if cut is safe to consume.

Latest on FDL+

FDL+ Soft white grape cake

FDL+ Pickled peppers

FDL+ White gazpacho

FDL+ Sciatt by Gianni Tarabini

Man Proposes To Girlfriend With 1,001 Hot Dogs

27+ Wildly Fun Zoo Party Food Ideas You Have To Try

Sharing is caring!

• Pinterest 405

Organizing a zoo themed party can make any gathering exciting as it is wild and filled with fun.

It is easy to describe the atmosphere as happy and colorful with children’s decorations and games, as well as laughter.

But any zoo party would not be a success if it doesn’t include eye catching goodies that would surely be loved by both children and adults.

The zoo party food does not only include the cute animal shapes, but also varies from the animal favorite tastes to the sophisticated gourmet.

Therefore, unwind for a moment as we go on a culinary safari and find some interesting and yummy ideas for the zoo party.

27+ Zoo Party Food Ideas You Will Love

1. tiger tails pretzels.

2. Donuts & Cookies

3. Animal Cupcakes

4. Zoo Party Food Table

5. Panda Cake

6. Frog Sandwiches

7. Zoo Cake

8. Snail Sandwich Rolls

9. Healthy Turtles Snacks

10. Zoo Macarons

11. Banana Pudding

12. Zoo Party Food Table

13. Lion Cupcakes

14. Watermelon Elephant

15. Please Feed the Animals Idea

16. Turtle Sandwiches

17. Monkeys & Bananas

18. Rice Pop Cakes

19. Snake Pit

20. Snake Sandwiches

21. Animals Chocolate Balls

22. Zoo Party Food Pretzels

23. Bear Pizza

24. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dip with Animals Crackers

25. Fruit Tree Tray

26. Animals Cookies

27. Dessert Table

28. Zoo Party Food Arranged Table

Setting the Scene with Themed Zoo Party Food

The uniqueness of a zoo party comes from the fact that it puts everyone in the party right into a zoo.

And what better way to attract and mystify your guests than in a food proven to have the flavors of the zoo?

Picture yourself going to a party where the tables with snack and dishes relate to animals you love.

While lion-shaped sandwiches and zebra cookies, for example, are both beautiful to look at, the theme extends to the actual product appealing to our senses in more than just sight.

It would be a great idea to turn your snack table to a place where you mimic a small zoo. One can make tiny sandwiches in the form of elephants, giraffes and monkeys.

At the same time, a vegetable tray prepared in the form of a jungle. Even the most basic dish like a fruit kebab can look like something out of this world, if you try a little bit.

Zoo party food is all about enhancing the basic concept to a greater level and indeed the idea would be a hit among the guests.

Savory Snacks with a Wild Twist

Any party has to have some finger foods and at a zoo party, these have to be a little more exotic. Why not present the cheese balls as “lion mane” or the bread sticks as “giraffe neck”?

Such names intensify the fun, which makes the food more enjoyable. One of the inventive and scrumptious ideas of appetizers is their preparation in the form of animals.

You could have spicy meals like the jungle jalapeño poppers or more tampered meals like parrot pico de gallo.

At least the meals should be given spicy names while their spiciness should be moderate to suit your guests.

Everyone will enjoy the thoughtfulness behind each dish and appreciate both the taste and the creativity.

Zoo Party Food for the Adventurous Sweet Tooth

Of course, no party can be imagined without something sweet, and a zoo party will only bombard you with a range of options.

Consider all the fun and promising shades of colors that can be used in the creation of desserts!

This means that you could either take cupcakes with animal faces and textures or take cookies with jungle designs on them.

Picture this, there are colorful cupcakes with the orange tiger tail, panda bear brownies and monkey banana pudding.

Apart from quenching the thirst of the guests’ love for sweets, the themed desserts become part of the decorations and theme of the event.

Every time the guests take a bite of the food, they are entertained and get to try something new.

DIY Snack Stations: Interactive and Fun

To add a fun component to the table with snacks, try setting up DIY snack stations. These stations enable guests to design their own snacks that they want to have during the celebration.

For example, a buffet of animal crackers where everyone is encouraged to construct their unsupervised animal crackers with some icing and colorful toppings they will enjoy.

One more option is called the ‘jungle juice’ option to which the guests have to add fruit juices in any proportion they wish.

It is important to have a range of different types of fruits and juices, and exciting, different straws or stirrers to make the process enjoyable.

DIY stations do not only mean fun and games but also guarantee that everyone would get to eat the snacks to his or her satisfaction.

Healthy Options That Roar with Flavor

Thus, when aiming at serving ’ sweet tooth cravings, it is also essential to provide equally tempting healthy products.

Raw foods can be arranged in different styles as a theme for a zoo since fruits and vegetables are fresh.

For example, you might want to launch a “fruit safari” with all types of strange fruits or “vegetarian jungle” with different types of the brightest vegetables.

Other zoo party food items that can also be included are smoothies and fruit arrangements like fruit kebabs.

Not only are they healthy, but they also can be arranged in different creative ways that correspond with the theme.

This way, all the guests will be able to effectively indulge in the party regardless of what they eat.

Bringing It All Together

So, a successful zoo-themed party is, first of all, focused on the effective creation of an immersive experience that engages all the senses.

The food steps into the picture effectively in this, changing ordinary snacks and meals to an impressive component of the story.

Whether you decide to create sandwiches in the form of lions, cookies in the form of zebras or prepare the jungle juice the idea is to go all out.

Catering to different themes, tasty bites, scrumptious sweet bites, do it yourself food stations, and healthy meal options are arranged in a tablet that is as engaging as different.

Thus, prepare your cooking tools and wear your chef’s hats to make a wonderful zoo party that will be a fond memoir for anyone.

Conclusion: Unleash Your Creativity

It is also possible to incorporate a zoo theme in any children’s party and this is a great chance to be creative and show some culinary talents.

Themed food contributes to the ambiance of event décor and can successfully engage the attendees at an event, which will be highly appealing to any guest.

Zoo party food makes it possible for a birthday party or any fun get-together session with friends. Get ready to impress your guests with wildly fun and tasteful creations.

So all in all, if creativity and planning are evenly mixed, your zoo party is going to be a success, people will leave with a smile on their face and their tummies full. 

More Party Ideas

37+ Fun and Easy Party Food Platters For Kids

37+ Donut Theme Party Ideas For The Sweetest Celebrations 

30+ Frozen Birthday Party Ideas Your Little Girl Will Love

40+ Shrek Themed Party Ideas Your Kids Will Love

Park Birthday Party: 33+ Ideas for the Perfect Party

35+ Cool Ideas For Stranger Things Birthday Party

3rd Birthday Party Themes Your Kids Will Love: 30+ Amazing Ideas

Love it? PIN it for Later

You Might Also Like:

60 Simple & Delicious Party Nibbles Ideas

50+ Party Food Ideas: A Guide to Perfecting Your Spread

37 Spooky and Easy Finger Food Ideas for Halloween Party

67 Irresistible Appetizers for Party

5 Ways To Make Healthy Eating Fun For Kids

Creating the Perfect Party Nibbles Table: 50+ Ideas

• +255 710828384
• [email protected]

Destinations

• South Africa

Safari Tours

• Tanzania Safari
• Kenya Safari
• South Africa Safari
• Uganda Safari
• Rwanda Safari

Experiences

• Big 5 Safari
• Great Migration
• Mt. Kilimanjaro
• Zanzibar Beach
• Serengeti Tours
• Ngorongoro Tours
• Lake Manyara Tours
• Tarangire Tours
• Zanzibar Archipelago, including Stone Town
• Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Serengeti National Park
• Tarangire National Park
• Lake Manyara National Park

Discover The Unexpected

Food options in a safari.

It is no secret that food is an important part of any safari experience. One would typically wonder about the itinerary, the accommodation, the different activities on offer and of course, the food. While African safaris are especially famed for its once-in-a-lifetime game experiences, untamed wilderness, and mind-blowing resident wildlife, it doesn’t mean the food is any less delectable. So what exactly are the food options in a safari?

WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR PLATE WHILE ON A SAFARI

Game parks are typically far-flung from farmers’ markets and grocery stores. In fact, they are mostly a charter flight away. However, this doesn’t stop chefs from whipping up delish food for the guests. Most lodges partner with the local community for dairy, vegetable and seasonal ingredients supply. In general, you can expect familiar food with occasional local touches.

Very few safari lodges offer a la carte dining. Most offer buffet-style dining, generous platters of homemade snacks, some luscious treats during tea time and/or three-course dinners. Some lodges also have set menus.

HERE ARE THE USUAL FOOD SELECTIONS IN A SAFARI:

WE ACCOMMODATE ALL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS

We offer vegan, vegetarian, regular and gluten-free food as well. For other dietary requirements, simply tell us in advance. We are happy to work out something and happy to keep your tummy happy.

● Breakfast or brunch:  You can expect anything from omelets to quiches with a variety of salads. Continental breakfast is also typically served with toast, sausage, pastries, charcuterie, cold meat, coffee, and tea. Cereals, fruits, bread, eggs, and cheese are also very common.

● Lunch:  More often than not, lunches are served picnic style in the middle of your game drive. Sometimes, guides/drivers also take you back to the lodge or camp for a hearty meal before going on an afternoon or sundowner game drive. Food is usually composed of sandwiches and fruits.

● High tea:  Before setting off to your late afternoon game drive, afternoon snacks — or bitings, as it is usually called in East Africa — will be provided. Freshly roasted peanuts or cashews, cakes, sandwiches, biscuits, quiches, and tarts are the usuals.

● Sundowners:  On your final game drive of the day, you will be enjoying alcoholic beverages (think wine and beer) with snacks such as nuts, dried fruits, and savories as you watch the sunset across the wildlife-ridden fields.

● Dinner:  Prepared at the lodge or camp, dinner is usually served in three courses: soup, mains, and pudding. Butternut soup, vegetable curry, and fruit pudding is a very common combo, but of course, there will be a variety during your stay ranging from meat, fish and pasta dishes served with assorted vegetables and sauces.

● Drinks:  For the drinks, it could be anything from water to coffee and tea to wine and beer. Filtered water is typically available but in the event that it’s not, the camp or lodge will either tell you in advance or provide water for you to drink each day.

As a general rule of the thumb, the level of sophistication and the number of options available depends on the lodge’s distance from suppliers. It has been said that “The more remote the lodge, the simpler the menu, and the closer it is to the city center or towns, the more sophisticated the menu.” This can be really be expected but this doesn’t mean you can underestimate the culinary powers of the safari lodge chefs. As a matter of fact, you can be surprised. People with special diets don’t have to worry as well.

HATS OFF TO THE CAMP CHEFS

Did you know that camp chefs have very difficult tasks? Aside from the fact that they have to provide a variety of meals that must suit different palates, they also have to whip these up using ingredients that are most likely from suppliers or stores that far away from the camp or lodge. They also ensure that all these ingredients remain fresh and untouched by cheeky animals like monkeys and elephants who are known to rid kitchen gardens at camps. Cold produce is also made sure that they are not spoiled. Really, these camp chefs deserve some love. Plus, they are trained in cooking different international cuisines (Asian, European, Mediterranean, etc). Despite all the hitches and hurdles, they are still able to whip up exceptional plates.

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

You’ll be surprised how accommodating African safari camps and lodges can be, if you just give a little warning that there will be a vegetarian or vegan or pescatarian in the house. As you may know, most lodges and camps are far from suppliers. Hence, it is of utmost importance that you tell them or your tour operator well in advance about any dietary preferences you may have.

Here are some tips on how to plan a safari if you have special diet preferences:

Tip #1: Communicate.  This is a very, VERY important thing.

Tip #2: Mind the surcharge.  Obtaining special items just for you may entail a small surcharge.

Tip #3: Bring your own snacks, if possible.  Try to check if you can bring in some snacks you usually have for your diet. It is important to mind custom rules and regulations, as well as some governments, do not allow entry of foreign agricultural produce.

Tip #4: Book with lodges that do not only offer set meals.  Chances are, they don’t offer plant-based dishes and/or are fixed on their set meals. But, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Some lodges still move the ends of the earth to cater to their guest’s wishes and/or needs.

Tip #5: Consider going to places that are famous to Indian travelers.  Places like Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Mauritius have large numbers of Indian guests meaning chefs are more familiar to cooking plant-based cuisines.

True, African safaris aren’t particularly known for its culinary delights. But this is mainly because of its ultra-amazing wildlife experience which is the focal point of any travel. The fact that it is not considered a destination for foodies is an absolute heartbreak especially for those in the know. Africa, after all, is not just home to some of the world’s most phenomenal settings for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner or even snacks, it is also — although maybe quite secretly — a host to some of the richest, most diverse and most mouthwatering gastronomic experiences. So don’t worry so much about going hungry when in a safari. Again, all you need to do is to let your lodge or tour operator know and things will be taken care of.

• Tanzania , Uganda , Rwanda , Africa Travel Guide and Tips

Related Articles

Jozani Forest and Spice Tour: Nature Activities in Stone Town Tanzania

Learn Zanzibar’s Finest Spices at Spice Island

Check out these tours for you.

3 Days Riverside Tented Safaris South Africa

• Kruger, Sabi River

5 Days Exclusive South Africa Safari

• Kruger, Sabi Sands, Timbavati

3 Days Adventure Kruger Tented Safari

See what our clients have to say.

About Gosheni

• Why Book with Gosheni
• Our Vehicles
• See All Tours
• Gosheni Foundation
• Gosheni DMC Tanzania

Top Destinations

Top experiences, booking resource.

• Cancellation
• Health Entry Details Tanzania

Useful Information

• Pack for Kilimanjaro

• Arusha – Nairobi Road Sakina kwa Idd House no. 80 P.O Box 7337 Arusha, Tanzania
• +255 710 828384
• Privacy Policy

Wildlife & Nature

Special Interest Safaris

Frugal Coupon Living

Stretching Your Pennies, Saving Your Dollars

18 Jungle Party Ideas for the Best Safari Party Ever

May 31, 2022 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Birthday , Crafts , Facebook , Home Improvement , Instagram , Party , Pinterest , Social Media Leave a Comment published date: March 29, 2022 modified datt: May 31,2022

• Pinterest 209

It’s a jungle out there! Don’t get lost in the overgrown vines preparing for this special occasion. Enjoy these easy jungle party ideas and safari themed birthday party inspiration. Overlap the two for the best birthday party for your child. Get the wild party started.

So, you’re planning a party for your little monkey, and you’ve decided on a jungle or safari theme. Great idea! This is a popular theme for many reasons—it’s super cute, easy to pull off yourself, and can be pretty affordable if you do most of the décor and food yourself.

In this post, we’ll share lots of ideas that will help make your child’s birthday party a roaring success. From animal-inspired decorations to fun games and activities, we have everything you need to plan the perfect jungle-themed celebration. So get ready to unleash your inner adventurer and let the festivities begin!

Jungle Party Cake Ideas

Whether you’re throwing a cute party for your baby or toddler or a more sophisticated bash, these leaf printables jungle cupcake toppers will fit right in. They’re stylish without being over-the-top “cute” and can take cupcakes from “meh” to “amazing” in minutes with cute palm leaves and tigers. | Oh Happy Day

This colorful jungle-themed birthday cake will dazzle on any dessert table. Adorable safari animals and trees surround the bottom layer of the cake, while animal tracks adorn the top layer, along with the child’s age. You’ll find loads more ideas here, like the animal cookie sandwiches, banana pudding for monkeys, and some charming cupcakes with fondant animal toppers. |  Roxy’s Kitchen

Want to DIY a cake yourself? It’s super easy to do. Make a basic two-tiered chocolate cake, and add some jungle animal figurines to the top. With jungle animal toys (or safari animals), it’s pretty simple, but it still looks professional and polished. | Kara’s Party Ideas

Safari Birthday Party Food

You’ll find so many cute jungle party foods here, from the snake sandwich, to the lion hummus, to the adorable cupcakes. Even the zebra bites and tiger tales are magazine worthy (and drool worthy). All of the ideas are simple to execute. Don’t make the ideas complicated with a  jungle recipe, run to subway and let the sandwich artist do this meat, cheese and bread laying. You just add the pretty decor. | Chelsea’s Messy Apron

How amazing are these zebra chocolate covered strawberries? While they look difficult to make, they’re actually quite easy by dipping the strawberries in white chocolate first and then dipping the tip in milk chocolate while drizzling some up the “nose” using a spoon to create stripes. |  Arts Crackers

Offer a healthy option that’s still cute and fun, like these jungle fruit and veggie trees. Carrot sticks and celery make excellent tree trunks, while apple or pear slices are the perfect leaves. |  Honey and Lime

Here’s another healthy snack that’s sure to make the kids smile—tiger cub cuties. Draw the faces on with a Sharpie or a food-safe marker if you have concerns about the permanent marker. |  Pen Lights to Pacifiers

Set up a jungle display on your buffet party table by weaving faux greenery throughout the dishes on your table. Include a mix of meats, veggies, and kid-friendly fare like pinwheels and sandwiches. | Catch My Party

Jungle Party Décor Ideas

With some cute safari animals (think giraffes, elephants, zebras, and tigers) and a few inexpensive jungle party supplies from Dollar Tree, you can make fabulous centerpieces for your jungle-themed party for just a few bucks each. These low-cost party decorations make cute party favors too. | Drugstore Divas

Put these animal party cups together to hold snacks like popcorn, candy, or individual cups of veggies and dip. You’ll need craft paper, glue, and scissors to transform your cups into monkeys, giraffes, or parrots themed treats. | Makes and Takes

Every detail of this neutral safari party is gorgeous. From the wooden crafts for displaying the cupcakes and cake, to the pretty favor boxes filled with animal crackers, the tan and brown colors all tie together nicely. I especially love the DIY rosettes in the background of the dessert table. |  A Pumpkin and a Princess

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Make an eye-catching balloon arch using animal print balloons along with colors that tie into the overall color scheme for the party. This pop of color will be perfect for taking photos with family and friends. |  Kara’s Party Ideas

Cut animal silhouettes out of cardboard or foam board, paint them, and set them up in various places at your venue. They’ll look fantastic anywhere, from sitting in tall blades of grass, near a tree, or hanging on a wall if you’re partying indoors. This website also has free jungle party printables. | Windmill and Protea

Safari Party Activities for Kids

Set up a crafting area for the children to make a colorful paper plate lion. The design is simple enough for even young kids to do, but all ages will enjoy it. If you want to avoid a mess with paint, use yellow paper plates and red, brown, and orange paper strips instead. |  Taming Little Monsters

For a simple, mess-free craft, try these cardboard tube monkeys. Cut the ears and face out of cardstock or construction paper, and add a pipe cleaner tail. How simple is that? |  Jinxy Kids

Put on your safari hat. Provide a photo op for kids and parents alike using this Jeep idea! You’ll need a cardboard Jeep cutout and some willing adventurers to smile for the camera. | Arts Crackers

Jungle Birthday Party Favors

Don’t get lost with the chaos of animals and growing vines. Be prepared for your next Safari or Jungle Themed Birthday Party with these 12 Fun Jungle Themed Party Games printable . Learn more about the animal party games and different activities to incorporate into your event! | Frugal Coupon Living

Provide these felt jungle masks for your partygoers to put on as soon as they arrive. It’ll be a fun way to get everyone on board with the theme and will serve as a cute favor keepsake from the party. Your stitching doesn’t have to be flawless for these masks, but if you want to skip the sewing altogether, use a sturdy fabric glue instead. |  Tonya Staab

These DIY giraffe party hats are another fun wearable item for your guests. The printable is free, and you can jazz up the assembled hats with yarn pom-pom toppers. |  Moms and Crafters

You can’t embark on a safari without a trusty pair of binoculars to help you see the animals up close and personal! These DIY toilet paper roll binoculars are a blast for kids to make themselves as a party craft. However, you can make them beforehand and let guests grab a pair during the party or as they leave. The printable binocular cover is a cute touch. |  Go Places with Kids

Make up bags of monkey chow (a.k.a. banana chips) to give to your guests. They’re a yummy sweet treat that kids will love without sending them home with candy. |  Michelle’s Party Plan-It

So, there you have it – 18+ jungle party ideas that are sure to make your birthday one for the record books. We hope you found this post helpful and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you do with your jungle party theme. Be sure to pin this post so you can come back to it when it’s party time.

We loved a good themed party. Take a look look a more fun birthday party ideas for boys and girls.

• Pirate Party Ideas
• Minnie Mouse Birthday Party Ideas
• Winter One-derland Party Ideas
• Cat Party Ideas
• Tea Party Ideas
• Blippi Birthday Party Ideas
• Baby Shark Party Ideas
• Fortnite Birthday Party Ideas
• Spy Party Ideas
• Disney Princess Party Ideas
• Thomas the Train Party Ideas
• Troll Party Ideas
• Blue Clues Birthday Ideas
• LEGO Birthday Party Ideas
• Camping Party Games
• Mad Scientist Party Ideas
• Star Wars Party Ideas
• Camouflage Camo Birthday Ideas
• Toy Story Party Ideas
• Space Party Ideas
• Glow-in-the-Dark Party Ideas
• Pokemon Birthday Ideas
• Harry Potter Birthday Ideas
• Paw Patrol Party Ideas
• Rockin Geology Rock Party Ideas
• Sleepover Party Ideas
• Art Birthday Party Ideas

You can keep parties small or even celebrate small celebrations every six months. Take a look at these…

• Family Birthday Celebrations
• Half Birthday Ideas
• Surprise Birthday Party Ideas
• Birthday Party Games for Kids

Last Updated on May 31, 2022 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Instant Pot
• Healthy Living
• + Contact Us --> Terms of Use Privacy Policy

Planning the perfect party doesn’t have to be exhausting! Choosing a theme is half the battle but once you find inspiration for your theme you’ll find your idea will quickly come together. Safari themed birthdays are a great way to get your child’s and their guest imagination moving.

You can make a big impact in a space with decorations that make your guest feel like they just stepped into a jungle. Many kids love animals which makes this such a fun party theme, not to mention it is extremely gender neutral. We have composed 20 ideas and recipes so that you can plan the perfect safari themed party. So grab your binoculars, put on your safari vest and let’s go on this adventure together.

1. DIY Balloon Centerpiece

These balloon centerpieces were initially designed for a pineapple themed party but their tropical themed arrangement would work perfectly for a safari theme too. This step by step tutorial is super easy you’ll have a big impact arrangement in no time at all.

Balloon centerpieces are a great way to fill up space while keeping it interesting and entertaining for the kids. If you don’t have a table big enough to host the arrangement you could consider attaching it to your wall for decor.

https://www.blog.birdsparty.com/2016/07/diy-balloon-fronds-tropical-party-table-centerpiece-garland.html PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: BIRDS PARTY

2. Sand Slime

It seems like slime is the latest craze with the kids these days. Glitter slime, neon slime, you name it and there is probably a slime variation of it. The texture alone is probably the most fun part of slime, you can stretch it, pull it, twist it and form it into anything you want.

Why not impress all the kids at your party with sand slime. You could consider making this sand slime to use as an activity in a sensory box depending on the age group or you could make this slime to send home as part of thank you gift to your guests.

https://frugalfun4boys.com/2015/04/07/how-to-make-sand-slime/ PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: FRUGAL FUN FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

3. DIY Binocular Favors

These do it yourself binocular favors will definitely get all the kids excited at your safari themed party. They’re easy to make and require minimal tools and resources. They’re super simple that you can have the whole family jump in on the craft making.

Fill these binoculars with treats and trinkets to send home with your guests. If you already have party favor plans you could consider making these binoculars for the kids to wear while at the party or make a fun eye spy game out them too.

https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/diy-jumanji-movie-night/ PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: HAND MADE CHARLOTTE

4. DIY Treasure Stones

These treasure stones are a fun and easy do it yourself project that you can do for your safari themed party. They’re super adaptable for many different themed parties because you could call them dinosaur eggs, stones or cannon balls. These treasure stones are made out of coffee grinds, flour, sand, and water. It has a playdough-like texture that can harden.

Place a secret treasure in the middle and let the kids go on a safari hunt to find the treasure stones in your yard. You could even have them use the binoculars you made in the previous tutorial to scout for their treasures. The rocks are hard enough to keep the trinket inside but are easy enough for younger kids to break open.

http://www.makelifelovely.com/2014/01/how-to-make-diy-treasure-stones.html PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: MAKE LIFE LOVELY

5. Animal Figure Decor

This blog shows you how you can take an animal themed party and modernize it. You can find animal figurines at many places like Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and even many dollar stores. Consider using them as decor for an inexpensive way to decorate your space.

You could use the animal figurines as cake toppers to fill up space as well as dress up a simple cake. You can even use them as centerpieces on your table. If you place them on candle holders you can create dimension within your centerpiece.

http://www.hellotinylove.com/emerys-2nd-birthday-party/ PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: HELLO TINY LOVE

6. Rainforest In A Jar

This rainforest in a jar is a very fun project that you could use for decorations at your safari themed party. However, if you have older kids you could consider making this a fun craft for everyone to do at the party.

It will keep the kids busy and they’ll have something fun they can take home with them. You can get a lot of the materials at your local dollar store or craft store at an inexpensive price. Make sure to purchase a variety of safari animals and let their imaginations run wild.

http://thecraftingchicks.com/rainforest-in-a-jar-kid-craft/ PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: THE CRAFTING CHICKS

7. Foil Balloon Backdrop

Foil balloons seem to be all the rage as of late. For good reason because, hello, they’re super fun! Foil balloons come in all sizes, colors, letters, and numbers. A phrase like “wild one” is very fitting for a safari themed party.

You could consider complimenting the foil balloon arrangement with a statement wall piece like this backdrop. It is made from brown paper twisted to look like vines. Add some leaf cutouts and you’ll have a jungle wall in no time.

http://www.carefreeblondeblog.com/2016/08/diy-wild-one-birthday-party.html#.Wumw79PwZTZ PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: CAREFREE BLONDE

8. DIY Animal Cupcake Toppers

Following animal figurine decorations, try using them for cupcake toppers too. This tutorial walks you through how to spray paint the figurines right up to how to make their adorable little party hats.

Spray painting animals is an awesome way to modernize a juvenile theme while still making it fun for the kids. This is always an easy way to make party favors for your guests too. Let them eat their delicious cupcake and then take their cupcake topper home too.

https://projectnursery.com/2015/08/diy-animal-cupcake-toppers/#_a5y_p=4216698 PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: PROJECT NURSERY

9. Safari Themed Snacks

Party food doesn’t have to be difficult and tiresome and let’s face it the decorations alone can take all our time and energy. Instead of making fancy foods to serve at your party you could consider using accessible packaged foods you can buy at the grocery store and labelling it with animal themes.

Cheezies can be used cheetah food, spinach dip for hippos, and if you don’t need to keep your party nut-free you could serve peanuts for elephants. Use labels to print your phrases onto and then you’ll have this animal food ready in a hurry!

http://www.roxyskitchen.com/safari-jungle-themed-first-birthday-party-part-ii-appetizers-finger-foods-snack-ideas.html PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: ROXYS KITCHEN

10. Chocolate Bear Paws

Bear paws are easy snacks that can be suitable for kids of all ages, and the adults will love these too. They are soft and chocolatey and will be snatched up quickly.

The claws are made out of almond slivers which makes the whole dessert edible and fun. Your animal lovers will love these tasty treats.

https://family.disney.com/recipe/chocolate-bear-paws/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: DISNEY FAMILY

11. Paper Plate Hippopotamus

Involving your guests in interactive crafts that can keep the kids busy at your party is always a good idea. These fun hippo themed paper plates are very cute and will keep them entertained.

Depending on the duration of your party you can have them make this craft from painting all the way to gluing. If you’re crunched for time with you could consider doing all the painting work pre-party and just have the kids assemble their hippo instead.

https://iheartcraftythings.com/paper-plate-hippopotamus.html PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: I HEART CRAFTY THINGS

12. Oreo Dirt Cups

Dirt cups may have been around for a while but they definitely make a great animal themed food. It is an easy way to make a delicious dessert that stays in line with your theme all the while pleasing all your little guests too.

It has chocolatey layers of creamy pudding and oreo crumbs and then buried gummies worms within. Their imaginations will be booming with this dessert.

http://shariblogs.com/oreo-dirt-cups/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: SHARI BLOGS

13. Paper Plate Snake

Instead of tossing your bubble wrap in the trash the next time you get an online order make sure to save it for this fun craft. This is another easy craft that all your little party guests can partake.

Using a rolling pin and bubble wrap you can achieve a textured painted snake very quickly. If you don’t have a rolling pin you could even use a slender cup so each child can paint their own. Once the plates are dry simply cut the snake in a swirl shape, glue on eyes and tongue and voila, it’s done!

https://www.craftymorning.com/paper-plate-snake-craft-using-rolling-pin/ PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: CRAFTY MORNING

14. Safari Tour

Interactive activities are a great way to keep your guests busy as well as keep them moving around. Afterall, a lot of kids love to run around a play. How else are they going to burn off all that sugar? This print out was originally designed for a preschool classroom but it can make a great party activity too.

If you’re having an outdoor party you could place stuffed animals around the yard, if you don’t have enough or all the animals called for on the sheet you could simply print off a picture of the animals instead. Have the kids go on a scavenger hunt and check off once they find all the animals. You could even make it a contest and have there be a prize for the guest who finds all the animals first! If you’re having the party indoors you can do the same just hide the animals throughout your house instead.

https://playtolearnpreschool.us/classroom-safari/ PHOTOS AND PRINTOUT HERE: PLAY TO LEARN PRESCHOOL

15. Safari Passport Invitations

Once you have decided on your theme the next step is to usually get the invitations ready to send out. Having the invitations themed to match the party is a great way to let your guest know what to expect as well keeps things creative and fun.

These safari passport invitations are a great idea and very customizable. This tutorial walks you through how you can make your own. The original design includes a photo of the birthday child but you could always leave the photo blank so your guests can draw a picture of themselves and bring their passport to the party.

http://prettypaperprettyribbons.blogspot.ca/2011/04/28-candles-blog-hop.html PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: PRETTY PAPER PRETTY RIBBONS

16. Adopt A Pet Party Favor

Party favors are a great way to give a thank you to your guests for coming to your party. After the kids have enjoyed their safari themed party you could set up a pet adoption center. Fill the pet station with safari stuffed animals and let each kid pick their own.

If you’re worried about disagreements of who get’s what animal you could always assign the adoptions yourself. Your guests will remember this fun safari themed party for a long time.

http://blog.wantsandwishesdesign.com/2016/12/pet-adoption-birthday-party.html PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: WANTS AND WISHES

17. Animal Cracker Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

Animal crackers are one of the easiest ways to get animal themed food at your party. This delicious snack resembles a kid-favorite snack, Dunkaroos.

This recipe only requires 4 ingredients and only takes 10 minutes to make. Serve this dip with delicious animal crackers and your guest will be dipping into this savory snack the whole time.

http://www.farmwifecooks.com/animal-cracker-dip/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes# PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: FARM WIFE COOKS

18. Lion Hummus

If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat healthy foods then you’ll definitely want to serve this platter at your safari party. Make healthy food fun by creating animal shapes.

Kids have big imaginations and if you can make healthy food look well, not healthy and more fun then they’re bound to eat it. This recipe is super easy because it uses store-bought hummus. The hardest job you’ll have with this recipe is cutting all the vegetables.

https://eatingrichly.com/lion-vegetable-tray/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: EATING RICHLY

19. Quick And Easy Fringe Garland

Another great way to decorate your safari themed party would be to make your own leaf garland. You can transform your space into a jungle with this easy do it yourself project.

Making fringe garland is an easy alternative to cutting out individual leaves. You get the same colors and effect but it is a whole lot easier and stays within your theme. As an added bonus this garland is super inexpensive and creates a big impact in a room.

https://jennybatt.com/blog/quick-and-easy-tunnel-fringe-garland PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: JENNY BATT

20. Safari Party Decor

If you’re looking for a safari themed party that can cover ideas from head to toe then this is it. This post has inspirations from the food table to a lush photo backdrop and everything in between.

This post also offers free printables like the adorable animal footprints that you can place all over your floors. You can even turn an ordinary fruit drink into an “explorer energy drink” that your guests will love.

https://www.americangreetings.com/inspiration/celebration/jungle-birthday-party-theme?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=seer-birthday-2018&utm_term=keyword&utm_content=device&pp=0 PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: AMERICAN GREETINGS

Clarissa loves experimenting with food of all cultures to make unique healthy dishes. When she’s not browsing Pinterest for new recipe inspiration she likes to pick up a DIY project and use her creative hands to make art or crafts. In her down time you can find her watching the latest documentaries on Netflix or going for nature walks.

• Advertising
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy

• Pop Culture
• DIY Classes
• Brit+Co Picks
• Relationships

This Week’s Stories

58 healthy crockpot recipes to help you stay on track, scott patterson teases 'gilmore girls' rewatch podcast extension, where to stream 'agatha all along' with kathryn hahn, aubrey plaza, & patti lupone, florence pugh reveals the 'we live in time' scene that "terrified" her, katy perry's stepson doesn't mind offering feedback on her music, 120+ creative diy couples costume ideas for halloween, 7 top-rated coffee mug warmers that keep drinks hot all day, gwyneth paltrow finally returns to movies after 5 years.

40 Wild Ideas for a Safari-Themed Party

Hey you party animal! Whether you’re planning baby’s first birthday party or an elegant safari-themed wedding, nothing is more fun than animals in party hats and a healthy dose of leopard print . From tiger-striped cupcakes to fancy three-tiered cakes topped with golden lions, we can’t get enough. If you’re feeling the call of the wild, check out these gorgeous and whimsical safari parties to get inspired. Then, go bananas.

1. Wild Animal Party : Line the party table with an animal parade! Just because it’s a safari party doesn’t mean the color palette has to be brown! (via 6th Street Design )

2. Zebra Notes : Technically these are Valentines, but we love the idea of giving out these little cards as invitations. Just tie a little animal onto each card for a fun pre-party favor. (via Sarah M Style )

3. Animal Print Photo Booth : Our very own Creative Director Anj has a particular obsession with animal print, and created a totally wild photo booth for her 30th. (via Anjelika Temple on Flickr )

4. Leopard Print Cake : For a more refined safari theme, paint a white cake with yellow leopard spots and decorate the table with lots of greenery and natural fibers. (via Wedding Chicks )

5. Animal Party : Not only are we loving the animals on the table, the colorful stools are adorable! With a red and white color palette, the safari animals take on an almost circus theme. (via Ikea )

6. Tiger Cupcakes : Meow! These tiger striped cupcakes are actually super easy to make but the effect is amazing! Top them with white frosting and a mini toy tiger for extra wow. (via Amy Atlas )

7. Palm Tree Table Settings : For an adult safari, stick with golds, rich browns and amber. Just the simple touch of a mini palm leaf on each plate adds just the right amount of color. (via The Wedding Chicks )

8. Red and Blue Safari : Even though this is a kids’ party, the simple color palette feels very grown up. (via Ikea )

9. Wild Cake Pop: How cute are these animal print cake pops ?! Get the affect by dripping chocolate horizontally for the zebra stripes or by painting little half circles for the leopard print. (via Popsugar)

10. Zebra Stationery ($18): Send out invitations to your chic safari party using these very glam zebra stripe stationery. Never ones to settle for black and white, we love the pink and blue options.

11. Interactive Wall Decal: Even without the zebra, taping balloons to the wall with zebra washi tape is really cool party decor. (via Catch My Party)

12. Wild Animal Drink Stirrers ($17): If you’re going to be cocktailing , you absolutely must have these golden zoo animal stirrers.

13. Leopard Balloons : This is what your party needs — gold and orange animal print balloons . (via Project Nursery )

14. Wrapped Drinks : Wrap mason jars in burlap and zebra-print ribbon for a classy touch of safari fun. Bonus points for putting them all in a bamboo tray. (via Kara’s Party Ideas )

15. Put a Mask on It : What a cute idea to put an animal mask on each guest’s chair! Not only does it make awesome decor, they can take them home as party favors. (via Celebration At Home )

16. Printed Sunglass Favors ($7): Kids and adults alike will have fun with these neon print sunglasses! Give them out as party favors or use them as a prop in a photo booth !

17. Safari Dessert Table : Cover the dessert bar with a burlap tablecloth and then put all the desserts on trays with cute little handwritten labels. We especially love those animal print cupcakes. (via Kara’s Party Ideas )

18. Girly Safari Party: Holy girly overload! Take a whole new direction and make a pink party with pretty frosted animal sugar cookies and pastel decorations. (via Hostess With the Mostess)

19. Animal Print Mask ($1): Get your party animal on with these adorable masks! We’re pretty sure not just the kids would have fun wearing these.

20. Pink Safari : How cute is this layered cake with the animal and banner topper ! We appreciate the more subtle take on a safari themed party. (via Kara’s Party Ideas )

21. Birthday Animal Gift Wrap ($7): Wrap your presents in this whimsical paper to make your gift table the wildest one ever.

22. DIY Wild Cat Stand : Wish you had these incredibly gorgeous cake stands? Well you’re in luck, because these are actually really easy to make. If gold isn’t your jam (say what?!), reach for a paint bottle of neon green or pink. (via Make )

23. Animal Print Candles ($8): Make a wish on these party candles and your wildest dream just might true.

24. Gum Ball Jars : Another easy DIY alert! Depending on your color preference, you could fill the jars with all kinds of colored candy although we think the gum balls add a fun circus element. (via Pink Pistachio )

25. Baby’s First Safari: This safari party is all glam with a gold and white color scheme. The animal silhouetted banner would be super easy to DIY with a stencil and some spray paint. (via Hostess With the Mostess)

26. Animal Hearted Invites : Inside each of these loving invites is a little toy animal with a heart painted on it! We are most definitely RSVPing yes! (via Design Love Fest )

27. Party Hats : How adorable are those tiny party hats! Sometimes it’s the smallest detail that just takes a party to a whole ‘nother level of charming. (via Pink Pistachio )

28. Giraffe Stencil Glasses: Whether you’re serving milk or cocktails, stenciled zoo animals on the glasses are always a good idea. Mix up the colors or animals so guests remember which drank is there drank. (via Hostess With the Mostess)

29. Zoo Candles ($11): Pick up a pack of these animal candles for a cake topper that does it all.

30. Ruffle Animal Cake : Who would’ve though a ruffled cake would look so good with zoo animals on it! The simplicity of the all white cake makes it the perfect backdrop for all the animal patterns. (via Lil Sugar )

31. Painted Animals : Zoo animals in pajamas? Have you ever seen anything so cute! Just paint cheap toy animals in bright colors and decorate them with mini pom poms. (via Pretty Providence )

32. Face Masks : For the very mature safari party, try a black and gold color palette. These paper mache masks would be incredible in a photo booth! (via The Sweetest Occasion )

33. Neon Jungle: Naturally, we love anything neon, and these animals are pretty much our favorite. Paint them your favorite colors and then use them to top the cake, tie them to gifts or just set them around for extra colorful decor. (via Fellow Fellow)

34. Golden Safari Centerpieces: This is definitely the most glitzy safari we’ve ever seen and we love it. Running a strip of burlap down the middle of the table is the perfect way to show off the delicate gold animals and white flowers. (via Hostess with the Mostess)

35. Glitter Boxes: Why settle for paint when you can add glitter! Just coat toy animals in glue and dip them in colored glitter for some adorable decor. (via Hostess with the Mostess)

36. DIY Party Animal Pendants : Give these necklaces out as party favors, but don’t be surprised if you see your friends wearing them long after the party is over. (via Flamingo Toes )

37. DIY Golden Animal Placeholders : These would be the perfect way to number the tables or to tell guests where to sit. (via Brit + Co )

38. Party Animal Pumpkins : We’re not used to seeing pumpkins outside of Halloween, but it turns out they make really cool zoo animals. Especially that flamingo . (via Studio DIY )

39. Tiny Party Hats : Roll tiny hats out of colored paper and tape them to plastic animals. We can see putting one of these on each cupcake. (via Oh Happy Day )

40. Minimalist Safari Cake : Sometimes the simple look is the most effective and this white cake is charming with just a couple animals on top. Although we feel like they secretly want a party hat. (via Bleubird )

Are you ready to go on the prowl for some cool safari party decor? Would you go with bright colors or paint all your lions gold? Talk to us in the comments below!

Trending Stories

Trending topics.

• Blake Lively + Taylor Swift
• Fall Shoes Guide
• Easy Potluck Ideas
• Interior Design Style Quiz
• Join our Newsletter
• Indian Food Recipes
• B+C Classes
• Selfmade Business Accelerator
• Crockpot Recipes
• Easy Lunch Ideas
• Healthy Dinner Ideas

• Web Stories

Jungle Fruit and Veggie Trees Snacks – Safari Themed Food

These jungle fruit and veggie trees are such a fun snack to make for your safari party theme food, and also for watching Jungle Book movies! If you are looking for Disney’s Jungle Book food ideas, this is the perfect one.

Fun jungle-themed snacks

What classic film combines adventure, fun, a jungle, and teaches the ‘bare necessities’ of life in a Disney fashion? Yep, it’s Disney’s The Jungle Book ! The 1967 favorite has been re-mastered in high definition, and is available now on Blu-Ray and DVD!

Jungle Book Food Ideas – Fruit and Veggie Trees Snack

The kids are pretty excited, I jazzed up the movie a bit, explained the film’s story as one of my childhood favorites and they couldn’t wait to see it! We stopped by Walmart to grab a copy of the film, the Blu-Ray combo pack Diamond Edition has both DVD and Blu-ray discs and Walmart is the only place that you can receive a free Jungle Book lunch box with purchase. It’s gonna be a jungle movie night!

Jungle fruit and veggie trees snack

For a little jungle safari snack during the movie, I decided to put together a fun, healthy recipe that is themed for the Jungle Book movie. We grabbed some fresh produce and supplies while we were at Walmart. Sure, popcorn and soda are good, but can we get something with a little less sugar? Make these fun jungle trees with fruits and vegetables for your Jungle Book movie night!

How to make these jungle-themed snacks

Ingredients you will need:

• Mini plastic cups
• Jungle safari printed paper (I chose leopard)
• Blueberries

Step 1: Make the jungle-printed party cups

Making these fruit and veggie trees was pretty simple. Start by cutting out a few strips of your safari jungle printed paper, wrapping them around the mid-section of each plastic cup. Secure each strip of paper with a dot of glue. I decided to cut mine a little curved, like cupcake wrappers, so they’d fit nicely.

Step 2: Assemble the tree trunks in each cup

Wash all of your fruits and veggies, cut your apples into thin slices, and soak them in cold salted water to prevent browning. Next, cut 3 – 4  inch pieces of carrots and celery to use as tree trunks. Put them into the center of the cup, then add blueberries surrounding the tree trunk to secure it, a little over halfway full.

Step 3: Add the jungle tree leaves on top

Insert a toothpick down the middle of the tree trunk, leaving the top half of the toothpick out and exposed. Take your thin apple slices, blot them dry, and arrange about 6 – 7 onto each tree, pressing the ends of them into the toothpick one by one and fanning them out evenly.

That’s it! Simple, isn’t it? We had a great time watching the movie and devouring these jungle trees. This is one snack that I don’t mind them indulging in! We hope this becomes one of your favorite jungle party food ideas.

Enjoy this Jungle Book-themed food!

Whether you are watching the Jungle Book movie or having a jungle safari party, these jungle book fruit cups are tons of fun to make, and healthy to eat. This tropical honey pineapple fruit salad might be another fun fruit idea to serve at your safari parties.

Pick up the Diamond Edition of Disney’s The Jungle Book Diamond Edition Blu-ray and DVD , recently released from the Disney movie vault. I am thrilled that my kids can grow up with the same classic movies that I did as a kid. They just love Baloo and the ‘bare necessities’ song. We had a great movie night together, I live for these family moments!

Subscribe :  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  YouTube

This is the perfect webpage for everyone who hopes to find out about this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic that has been written about for decades. Wonderful stuff, just great!

Deanna, these are so clever! A perfect #junglefresh snack! #client

These are so cute. It is a surefire way of getting picky kids to try their fruits and veggies and eat more!

Leave a Comment X

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Smart Party Planning

The Best Safari Party Ideas Everyone Will Love

Unisex Kids Parties

This post contains affiliate links. We may earn money from the products mentioned in this post, but this is at no cost to you

Head deep into the jungle with this collection of simple Safari party ideas. The kids will have a wild time with fun and playful party decoration.

There are plenty of ideas that are easy to incorporate with a little DIY planning. This is a great party theme for any little adventurer.

Related articles:

• How To Make An Easy But Awesome Monkey Birthday Cake
• The Ultimate Guide To Easy Party Ideas For Boys

A Safari party is perfect on so many levels. For a start it is great for not only birthday’s, but also baby showers and christenings.

It also works as a great party theme for both boys and girls. You could say in a way that it is the perfect party theme, one which all party guests will have a great time.

Everyone will certainly have the time of their life at a Safari party. With it’s striking decor, it’s adorable characters and it’s capacity for wild adventures, this is a party that everyone is going to love.

How Do I Decorate For A Safari Party?

Decorating for a safari theme party is going to be a LOT of fun. There are a lot of safari party supplies that can be purchased, as well as using other items found in the dollar store.

Whilst there are some specific party ideas further down the post with decorating ideas, the simplest way to decorate the party space is to stick to the earthy colors. Think of brown, green, yellow, orange and white as a good starting point and it’s easy to build from there.

It is a good idea to create a party backdrop . This can easily be achieved using budget friendly plastic tablecloth’s in your chosen party colors.

Next create some tissue paper garlands to hang around the area and suddenly you already have the perfect jungle feel. Make some vines by twisting together brown craft paper. Add vine and palm leaves to them for extra effect.

If you have any stuffed safari animals, use them as decoration props. It is also a great idea to look out for them at second hand shops.

Add some animal cutouts, animal print balloons and even some inflatable animals for some extra wild touches to the jungle theme party.

Real Safari Party Ideas

Use these real Safari parties to give you an idea of how to put the party together. Each of these parties takes a slightly different spin on the Safari theme.

The great thing about a themed party is that no two parties are exactly the same!

Typical Jungle Safari Party

Source: A Pumpkin and A Princess

This jungle Safari party is simply amazing. The party decor, the earthy color scheme, the funky cake and the simple yet delicious table display. It all works together perfectly.

The hanging rosettes are totally gorgeous and look awesome set back against the striking green leaves.

Cheetah Party

Source: A Small Snippett .

Another great way to hold a Safari party is to focus on one aspect of Safari. In this instance it’s the cheetah.

The cheetah print everywhere looks awesome. It’s even included on the ties on the chairs. Having the cheetah print as the focal point ensures that everything blends together perfectly.

Madagascar Safari Party

Source: Love Every Detail

For some amazing Safari party ideas, you can’t go past Madagascar. This is certainly a party that is deep in Safari.

The cupcake toppers are sensational and even the ‘dirt’ cups look delicious. Everything is matched perfectly with printable’s and the colors are bold and striking.

Venturing up to this party table, you are literally walking into the jungle.

Baby Shower Safari Party

Source: Stix N Pops

A Safari party makes a gorgeous theme for a baby shower.

The cupcake tower with the cake on top is stunning and creates a fantastic table feature. The baby curled up on top of the cake is just adorable.

This is a fun and cheeky party, and would certainly be a lot of fun for a mum to be.

Pastel Safari Party

Source: Grey Grey Designs .

Pastel decoration might not instantly be the decor that comes to mind when you think of a Safari party, but this example goes to show that it can be done.

Everything looks like you would see it in a nursery, the baby spin on the party is simply delightful. The cupcake display has to be my favorite part of the table display.

Safari Party Food Ideas

There are so many fun themed treats that you can make for a Safari party.

Creating theme food adds to the fun and helps to create the jungle atmosphere. For simplicity, stick to finger foods.

Some easy Safari food ideas include:

• Delicious and also fun monkey pops . This is an easy recipe and the monkey heads are available as a free printable.
• Kids love jello and this is so easy to have available at the party. Stick to jello in safari colors where possible.
• Have a fruit station. Fruit will always be found on safari, so this is a great excuse to get some healthy food into the kids.
• It would also be fun to use some vegetables and turn them into animal faces. For example, use carrot sticks to create a lion’s face with drip bowls for eyes, cauliflower for the nose and slices of mushrooms for the mouth. Or perhaps slice a cucumber and lay it out as a snake.
• Obtain an animal cookie cutter of choice for some fun cookies

Fun Safari Games & Activites

To throw the most awesome Safari party, it’s important to have some games. Examples include:

• A spin on Simon Says. Instead of saying Simon says, you could say, “The jungle says to swing your arms like an elephant”.
• Safari animal scavenger hunt.
• Sleeping lions. Play some music and when the music stops, the kids fall to the ground and lay as still as they can.
• Jungle Animal Charades
• Pin the tail on a (Safari animal of choice)
• Have someone available for face painting an assortment of jungle animal face masks.
• Create a craft table where the kids can color in jungle animal masks.
• Make a pair of binoculars by taping two toilet rolls together and fixing some string to the ends so they can hang around the children’s necks.
• Create a photo booth with safari props and animal party hats.

Safari-Themed Birthday Party Favors

Kid love to explore their goodie bags end the end of a party. There are lots of party favors that you could include that match the theme of the party such as:

• Plastic little animals
• Animal stickers
• Tiger tails
• Animal tattoos
• Animal eye masks

A Safari party is a whole lot of fun for the entire family. The kids might like to dress up in their favorite Safari animal costume or as a Safari explorer to really feel like they are entering the jungle together.

With the striking party decor and some fun themed food and games, this party is going to be a roaring success.

Need some ideas for a different theme? Check out more  party ideas  for a ton of inspiration with different themes, games and more.

Let’s keep in touch. Did you love these safari party ideas? Sign up to the weekly newsletter to be kept up to date with other easy party ideas, decorations and recipes. You will also have access to the library of free printables. See you there!

About Catherine Holt

Catherine Holt is the founder of Smart Party Planning . She is a stay at home mum with a passion for celebrating life’s little moments, with creative yet budget friendly ideas. Catherine often has a camera in hand capturing everyday events and is a self obsessed chocoholic! She loves connecting with other mum's on the blog and sharing party planning tips and tricks. Get all the answers to every aspect of party planning with her eBook today! If you want to hold a party with that ‘wow’ factor and have it tailored to the person you’re holding it for then this eBook is for you. Let Catherine take the stress and headache out of organizing your next party or event.

Connect with her on Twitter , Facebook , and Pinterest .

August 9, 2014 at 4:17 pm

I may never go to a safari party, but I sure enjoyed all these options! Thanks for coming and linking up at The Weekend Social. All posts get pinned in our pinterest board! Please be sure to come back next week starting Thursdays at 9PM EST on culinaryflavors.gr ! I hope to see you there!

August 9, 2014 at 8:29 pm

Thanks Katerina. They look so much fun don’t they! You never know, there could always be an excuse for a safari party 🙂

August 10, 2014 at 7:53 am

So cute! Thanks for linking up with The Caffeinated Crafters this week!

August 10, 2014 at 8:56 pm

Thanks April, glad you could stop by 😉

August 12, 2014 at 10:26 am

Awesome round up of Safari Parties! Thanks for sharing them at the Teach Me Tuesday Linky Party:) Hope you can join us again starting tonight!

August 12, 2014 at 7:17 pm

Thanks Adrian. I love the round up posts and seeing what other bloggers are creating 🙂

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

SMART PARTY PLANNING COPYRIGHT

Privacy & Disclosure Policy

• New Templates
• Full Themed Collections
• Invitations
• Favor Bag Toppers
• Thank You Notes
• Candy Bar Wrappers
• Cupcake Toppers
• Food Labels or Place Cards
• Lollipop Capes & Masks
• Snack Boxes
• Tic Tac Labels
• Water Bottle Labels
• Pennant Banners & Bunting
• Signs & Backdrops
• Certificates
• Games & Activites
• Passes and Badges
• All Star Sports
• Boarding Passes
• Carnival / Circus
• Coachella / Festival
• Construction
• Credit Card
• Dance / Disco
• Mad Science
• Mall Scavenger Hunt
• Mickey Mouse
• Milestone Age
• Minnie Mouse
• Nintendo Switch
• Pirates & Princesses
• Playstation
• Secret Agent
• Sesame Street
• Superhero / Supergirl
• Sweet Shoppe
• Under the Sea
• Virtual Reality
• Wizard of Oz
• Fourth of July
• Valentine's Day
• Baby Shower
• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Destination Events
• March Madness
• Senior 2020
• 4 Easy Steps to a Great Party
• Frequently Asked Questions
• All Blog Posts
• Real Parties
• Submit your Party
• Editing Tutorials
• Cupcake Toppers Tutorial
• Emailing your Invitation
• Handy Craft Supplies
• Printing Tips
• Water Bottle Labels Tutorial
• Snack Box Tutorial
• Happy Customers
• Troubleshooting

Luke’s Safari Party Food Ideas

Looking for some Safari Party food ideas? Arlene sent me these photos from her son Luke’s 2nd Safari Party a while ago. Arlene used my Safari Party Printables to help decorate the party venue.

Arlene had some clever {and simple} Safari Party food ideas for animal inspired food.  You can find the folding printable Food Labels she used in my Safari Party Printables  🙂

No jungle safari is complete without a sighting of the ‘Big 5’!

Thanks for sharing your fabulous Safari Party food ideas Arlene!

My  Safari Party Printables  can be personalized & customized by you, printed from your home computer, & used over & over again!

Purchase them from the shop for $12.50 HERE .

Happy partying!

Roxy's Kitchen

Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party Part I – Dessert Ideas

August 6, 2014 by Roxy

Last week was a memorable one as we celebrated Daniel’s first birthday party. I can’t believe he’s one year old already! My baby boy is seriously growing up too fast so someone, please stop the time! Choosing a theme for his birthday party was super easy as his favorite toys (apart from empty water bottles, TV remote control & cellphones) are all the plush animals around the house from monkeys to teddy bears to elephants.

This Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party was completely styled by me – from choosing the decorations, designing my own banners to baking a cute jungle cake & his smash cake, cupcakes & cupcake toppers , jungle cookies and making all the finger foods (sushi included!). It’s a great party theme that I’m sure any kid would love regardless of the age and it’s a cute idea for a baby shower as well.

I wanted to make something special for Daniel’s 1 st birthday but at the same time we didn’t want to go overboard and spend a fortune. In this post I’ll show you how to throw a fabulous jungle birthday party on a budget for your little ones. Plus you can print all the labels, pennant banners, jungle animals stickers/toppers for FREE!

I wanted to share all food ideas and party decorations in a single post but it got ridiculously long so I split it into four parts:

• Part I – Dessert Ideas + Jungle Safari Cake
• Part II – Appetizers, Finger Foods & Snack Ideas
• Part III – DIY Decoration Ideas + FREE Printables
• Part IV – Cheap Party Supplies & Decorations

In the following weeks I’ll also post full tutorials with step by step photos for the two cakes I made, fondant cupcake toppers and fondant teddy bear cake topper . For the other food ideas, you can find some of the recipes on my blog and others on some of my favorite blogs/websites…I’ll explain everything in detail in these four posts. So sit back, relax and get ready to enjoy all the photos from our jungle party that will hopefully inspire you!

The cake topper is a fondant replica of our son’s favorite teddy bear.

I made two of these, one for the big cake and the other for his smash cake. Check out the tutorial on how to make this cute little teddy bear .

Talking about this, here’s Daniel’s JUNGLE FIRST BIRTHDAY SMASH CAKE. It’s a five-layer walnut cake (6 inches) filled with the same delicious chocolate walnut cream (full tutorial with step by step photos coming soon!).

And here’s my sweet little Daniel after he smashed his cake, we cleaned him and then he came back to play with his teddy bear , the fondant one that is :)!

Have some bananas around? Then place them in a basket and add a cute label named BANANAS FOR MONKEYS.

More monkey food coming up!

I made an easy BANANA PUDDING FOR MONKEYS. I don’t have a recipe on my blog but I like this Banana Pudding from Epicurious or this Homemade Banana Pudding from the Baker Chick . I adjusted the recipe a bit because I didn’t use any Vanilla wafers but placed half a ladyfinger in each dessert cup… just to keep things simple but still delicious!

Got some BERRIES FOR HIPPOS from the farmer’s market (blueberries, red & yellow raspberries and blackberries), placed them in some cups and made a few cute Hippo Toothpick Stickers (free printable coming soon in Part III of my post!).

Moving on to the cupcakes…oh my, I had so much fun decorating these JUNGLE ANIMALS CUPCAKES. They were Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting from Annie’s Eats. I’ve made Annie’s cupcakes before and loved them so decided to go with this recipe for the party.

I made every single JUNGLE ANIMAL FONDANT CUPCAKE TOPPER – from lions, teddy bears, monkeys to hippos, giraffes, tigers and elephants. Plus a few toppers with number one but you can personalize these based on your little one’s age.

If you don’t want to spend the extra time to make your own fondant toppers no worries, I’ve got you covered! You (can) will be able to download for FREE my Jungle Animals Cupcake Toppers that I’ll provide shortly in Part III of my post. Just print them on heavy cardstock paper, cut them out, tape them to ice cream sticks or toothpicks and pop them on cupcakes! Cute and simple decorations!

After all these yummy desserts I bet everyone is thirsty so let’s not forget the JUNGLE JUICE! Buy one of those water/juice glass jars with a faucet or borrow one from your friends (like I did 🙂 ). We filled it with orange peach mango juice but you could use anything you like.

Oh, I almost forgot, my Nutella Peanut Butter Monkey Cupcakes would be just perfect for this party theme as well!

Since I’ve been asked before what I use to bake and decorate my cakes, cookies and cupcakes here are some of the items:

And Daniel’s cute teddy bear in case you were wondering where I got it from :):

This must be the longest post ever but I truly hope it will help many parents out there organize an awesome Safari / Jungle Birthday Party on a budget. If you’ve found this useful I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more birthday party ideas, awesome cake decorating tutorials and much more!

You might also like these posts…

Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party   –    Appetizers, Finger Foods & Snack Ideas

Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party –  DIY Decorations + FREE Printables

Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party   –    Cheap Party Supplies & Decorations

This post contains Amazon.com affiliate links for products I personally use and love. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but I will receive a small commission which is used for hosting and running this site. I appreciate your support! 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Share this:.

• Share on Tumblr

May 26, 2016 at 8:25 AM

ohh woww awesome this idea jungle theme for birthday party is awesome, kids gonna love this and even adults going to have fun with such themes , thanks for sharing

August 11, 2015 at 9:56 PM

What are the tools required for the cupcake decoration?

October 31, 2014 at 7:44 PM

Mmmm so many yummy desserts. You’ve made me hungry for sweets now.

August 27, 2014 at 12:05 PM

This all looks amazing!! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!

August 24, 2014 at 9:47 AM

Great idea’s! Very creative. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!

August 18, 2014 at 10:20 PM

Cute Cute Cute – The garland, the cakes, the tags, the table and most of all the birthday boy!! Great party!

August 17, 2014 at 12:58 PM

WOW! This is beyond AMAZING!!! Your are super talented ♥ Happy birthday to your little one 🙂

August 16, 2014 at 11:40 AM

These are almost to cute to eat! I love the cake and jungle cookies. Thank you for linking up to Party Time and we hope to see you again next week!

August 15, 2014 at 3:16 PM

What a fabulous party – I love those fondant animals on the cupcakes! Glad you linked up to #PartyTime – hope you’ll join us again next Tuesday at 6pm.

August 15, 2014 at 5:40 PM

Thanks for stopping by Layne, I’m glad you like them 🙂 ! So happy I found your link up, I look forward to seeing all the ideas submitted at this week’s party and at future parties. Have a wonderful weekend!

August 11, 2014 at 6:17 AM

Happy happy birthday to your li guy! It’s amazing how fast they grow, he looks adorable! You did such an amazing job on this party! I absolutely love love love all the details! Way to go mama, you totally rocked it 🙂

August 12, 2014 at 10:46 PM

Awww that’s so sweet of you Kelly, thank you so much for your kind words & for the birthday wishes :)!

August 7, 2014 at 12:41 PM

Stunning work! Great party!!! This looks so very fantastic! You are an artist! All my best from Austria and a happy happy time Elisabeth

August 7, 2014 at 1:27 PM

Thanks so much Elisabeth for your kind words and for stopping by! I enjoyed a lot coming up with all these ideas, baking and decorating 🙂 ! Looking forward to showing you more of my work from the party in future posts. Hope you’ll enjoy it!

[…] Roxy from Roxy’s Kitchen organized a perfect Jungle themed party for her son’s first birthday. She has given links to DIY decoration ideas, printable and party foods making it easy for other parents to throw a jungle party. Thanks a ton Roxy!! […]

[…] Source: Roxy’s Kitchen. […]

[…] st birthday party favors id: 2176ww | Credit […]

[…] Monster Cake and Cupcakes | The Joys of Boys 16. First Birthday Carrot Cake | I Heart Baking 17. Safari Cake | Roxy’s Kitchen 18. Football Cake | Curly Girl Kitchen 19. Spiderman Cake | Amanda’s Cookin’ […]

[…] As promised, here is the full tutorial for making the cutest Teddy Bear Fondant Cake Topper, the one I showed you in Part I of my Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party post. […]

[…] Safari First Birthday by Roxy’s Kitchen […]

[…] One of our favorite entries from last week was a Jungle Theme party from Roxy’s Kitchen. Visit her blog to see the whole party. […]

[…] Part I – Dessert Ideas Part II – Appetizers, Finger Foods & Snack Ideas Part III – DIY Decoration Ideas + FREE Printables Part IV – Cheap Party Supplies & Decorations (coming soon!)  […]

[…] all the delicious desserts listed in Part I of my Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party post it’s time for some appetizers, finger foods and snacks ideas now! As I mentioned in my […]

Popular Posts

Recent Pins