There are many ways that you can do a safari. Have a look at Considerations for a trip which lists many of the activities that might be available and the type of trip you might consider.

 

 

What you choose to do will alter how the safari unfolds but it is important to remember you are there for a holiday so try and balance activities with down-time. Everyone is different but we see countless travellers half asleep in a game drive vehicle, possibly exhausted and certainly not concentrating. Safari is a very active and possibly intense experience: don’t do too much, pace yourself and take a break if you feel you need to. It’s a holiday: make sure the itinerary and what you do in it is right for you. You might even consider starting the trip away from the bush to make sure you are fully charged when you arrive to search out the wildlife. Beach-safari-beach is no bad thing!

 

 

There is no obligation to go on all game drives so join them as you see fit. There may be activities to do at the accommodation itself where great sightings are often enjoyed without the need to even leave camp.

 

 

The most usual way to see the wildlife is from the back of a game drive vehicle. These are styled differently in different countries and can be open or closed with a pop-up roof. Both work well. Your guide will help you spot the wildlife and will be able to explain what is happening on your sighting: in our view the guide is one of the most important elements in a successful safari and can transform an experience when handled well. How to spot the game, position the vehicle and bring the sighting to life marks a good guide.

 

 

Depending on where you are doing your safari, you may be able to off-road. This works really well where a great sighting (say a leopard in a tree) is some way off the road or track and to get a good appreciation you need to be closer. It is a huge benefit if this is permitted and selecting the right areas to do this is a critical part of your itinerary planning.

 

 

There are broadly three types of game drive. Early morning, afternoon and night drive. Depending on your location one may be better than another but there are no firm rules for success. It is the bush. The contrast is greatest on the night drive where it may be possible, with the aid of a strong spotlight, to see animals that only come out at night or certain activities that usually only take place at night. Not all locations offer night drives so you need to be sure about where and when you can do this.

 

 

Depending on the time of year you are there, it might become very cold in the early morning or late evening especially in an open game drive vehicle. In the section Your suitcase we list suggestions for what you might like to take on safari. The key here is to wear layers, putting them on or taking them off as the temperature changes. There is nothing worse than being on a great sighting and feeling miserable because it is too cold.

 

 

But game drives are not the only thing that happens on safari. There is the opportunity to eat regularly and a lot: see the diary across! Also, depending on where you are, you may have more choices for other activities.

 

 

This might include a nature or bush walk, a canoe (or makoro) trip, a boat trip or a cultural village visit. The list could be endless. It is well worth considering these extra opportunities and thinking about how you will work them into your day. After many hours in a game drive vehicle, it is particularly interesting to either walk, canoe, boat or even take a balloon flight as these offer completely different perspectives to what you might already have experienced.

 

 

No trip is ever the same and we will work with you to come up with a sequence of places and activities that addresses what you are after and creates that exceptional journey: that is what we are there for and why we started the business.