Safari Game Drive Tour: An Expert’s Honest Review & Guide

Thinking about doing a safari game drive? Like your seriously thinking about spending your money and time bouncing around in a jeep, searching for lions and elephants? This right here, is what you really should read before you decide. I’ve been on loads of these trips, across quite a few different reserves, and it is my goal to give you what I consider the down-low on what makes for a good, great, or maybe even not-so-impressive safari adventure.

Picking the Right Safari Location: Where Should You Go?

So, the location, it is the thing that has a pretty huge impact on your experience. Everyone thinks Serengeti right away, or Kruger. Yet there are actually, loads of totally awesome places, possibly way less crowded, depending, too it’s almost easy to enjoy animals.

East Africa (Serengeti, Masai Mara): East Africa is just about as classic safari as it actually gets. The Serengeti and Masai Mara ecosystems, like your spanning Tanzania and Kenya, hold maybe the Great Migration – that is, literally tons of wildebeest and zebras moving across the plains. If you wanna view some animals that’s basically what you should be seeing! Game viewing is, usually excellent all year round, but actually keep in mind that during peak migration season (that is July to October), it can be sort of crowded, but in the most exhilarating sort of way.

Southern Africa (Kruger, Okavango Delta): South Africa’s Kruger Park is seriously enormous and is a super diverse wildlife haven, teeming with the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo) and a whole heap of other species. Botswana’s Okavango Delta, on the other hand, gives like, your more exclusive water-based safaris, where you may get to pootle around in a mokoro (that’s a traditional dugout canoe) for pretty different views.

Other locations: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, all of those, they offer their own quite special takes on the safari thing. South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, which by the way, that’s seriously famed for walking safaris, and Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe which provides seriously remarkable elephant sightings. Namibia’s Etosha National Park is known for its otherworldly landscapes plus unique desert-adapted wildlife.

What to Expect on a Typical Game Drive

OK, that, now lets look at what these drives even involve! A game drive, it usually goes down either early morning or actually late afternoon/early evening, since the animals, that is, are at their most active during those times that are cooler. Expect to find yourself bumping around in an open-top 4×4 vehicle, driven, too, it’s almost likely, a knowledgeable local guide.

Typical Schedule: So, a usual game drive may, arguably, go for like, your three to four hours. The morning drives, they often set off around sunrise, letting you spot the nocturnal creatures as they toddle home and also the diurnal ones, the one who love daytime activity, as they are waking. Evening drives, they’re kinda nifty because you sometimes get, just a little sundowner – like a drink- right there in the bush! Spotlighting night drives, it’s almost also an option in some places for seeing the animals that only come out when it gets dark.

What you’ll see: This is obviously where it is getting real interesting! Each drive tends to be completely different, by the way. You are sure to spot things like lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, or loads more depending, naturally, on location and also time of year. Don’t expect to view every single animal though – remember the animals out in nature, in the wild they aren’t just there for a visit to the zoo. Yet an experienced guide, like your average experienced safari driver, that is they are really super good at tracking, spotting even the sneakiest of creatures.

Rules and Etiquette: This tends to be a biggie! Pay attention to your guide and stick with, in some respects, the rules that they will tell you when they begin. That includes staying super quiet, not chucking anything out, and very keeping your arms inside of the vehicle for obvious kinda important security points. Remember you happen to be viewing creatures in their home.

Choosing the Best Type of Safari Tour

Basically, it’s really pretty hard when it comes to all of the different safari tour choices out there. It could feel really frustrating sorting the best thing to do. Here’s how, for example, the most often-found options can play out.

Private vs. Group Tours: Private tours do offer just a little more flexibility, enabling you to actually customize the pace as well as duration of your drives. Like your guide’s attention tends to be only on you, enabling you to kinda delve into, too it’s almost quite nice. Group tours, they’re cheaper, even if the experience tends to be just a bit less personal.

Luxury vs. Budget Safaris: Here, your money tends to go, just a little further. Luxury safaris, that means swanky lodging, possibly like your fancy food, really nice vehicles. Budget safaris stick with, too it’s almost as a rule more standard lodging, but can, actually, give awesome wildlife viewing experiences. It just depends on your preferences.

Walking Safaris: Seriously a walking safari allows an almost immersive thing unlike what you tend to get, in a vehicle. Getting on foot can be exciting, it enables, clearly, better views of smaller creatures and it will possibly teach one much, about flora too. Keep in mind a few places do walking safaris, or, even offer shorter walks attached, usually with the main activity still staying the longer safari in a vehicle.

Essential Gear and What to Pack

OK that packing for a safari needs planning; by the way. Remember you might face pretty big variances in temps.

Clothing: Opt for, for example, light, neutral colors – those green browns, khakis that, as I was saying, prevent any animals from getting spooked, just like bright colors could do. So pack a mix of shirts which has long sleeves, possibly that shields from sun/insects and shorts or zip-off trousers (they happen to be quite convenient!). Evenings may feel chilly therefore get one fleece actually!

Other necessities: Top stuff tends to be, just like, your quality binoculars. Even though there might very likely be some that you can borrow its really nice if you get ones you’re comfy with. I can, kind of attest, that its always good to bring sun cream with you, and actually the bigger the better if you have, fair skin that it could be damaging and maybe your trip isn’t enjoyable to you if you get severe sunburn! I have heard many folk being appreciative for mosquito repellent at sunset/sunrise to dodge those insects (in general it goes without, maybe saying depending the date, yet there tend to be places you happen to be much, very exposed with a minimal insect activity.

Camera Gear: Should you like taking seriously some photographs, bring one DSLR or even mirrorless body including quite a zoom for pulling some close shots. Do remember that battery packs and storage tend to be seriously helpful!

Maximizing Your Safari Experience: Tips and Tricks

So lets speak just a bit about some stuff and techniques to seriously optimise all safari. Being seriously mindful of that can improve almost everything.

Be Patient: Being in the wild isn’t a theme park by the way; viewing might demand that there happen to be long slow periods which don’t seem to yield much that one might initially thought. Usually don’t actually despair! In those places there can come periods when most animals start showing.

Listen to Your Guide: Seriously a lot of that, guys which drive safaris they have massive background insights; ask a bit on creatures habits etc since all will elevate ones thing quite greatly! By the way.

Respect the Environment: Almost generally always, usually not throw rubbish or get super intimate ones wildlife or perhaps get flora! Keep them literally great so there happen to be spots which you and any safari goer will get for enjoyment – it will affect anyones chance!