Safari Game Drives

A safari game drive, is an african wildlife viewing experience using a Vehicle, and have been the conventional way to see Africa’s greatest landscapes and wildlife, and are in many cases one of the best. Some would urge that vehicles let you see more beacuse, your human scent and shape is disguised and you’re no longer seen as a threat: wild animals will let a vehicle much closer than they would a person on foot. It is easy to track game and, when you find it, a vehicle keeps you safe and secure. A four-wheel-drive vehicle will easily climb steep inclines to give access to great views and carry all the photographic equipment you might need, with plenty of handy places to keep your binoculars as well as a “cooler box” for soft drinks and sundowners.

The usual pattern is to have between two to three game drives each day. The first starts just before sunrise, with tea and snacks served in the bush, returning for a late breakfast long after daybreak. The second takes place in the afternoon and then later on in the evening, coming back to camp at nightfall or, in private reserves where night-drives are permitted, long after dark. Game-drives after dark or at dawn are often a real highlight. Not only is the mood of the bush very different at night, you’re also likely to encounter a whole range of nocturnal species: leopard, porcupine, hyena and countless owl species, located by their glinting eyes and brought into sharp focus by high-powered spotlights.

Most safari vehicles are four-wheel-drive and are customized to maximize your game-viewing experience. The exact design of the vehicle will differ from camp or your African safari tour operator. Many will have been individually converted. Those in Southern Africa are traditionally completely open-sided and with tiered seats rising up behind the driver to ensure every traveler has a clear view. Some also have a small tracker’s seat that folds out on the hood at the front of the vehicle, allowing a specialist guide to track spoor through the bush and help find a route across broken ground. A canvas shade is sometimes fitted, but a hat against the sun is always a sensible precaution. Blankets are provided for colder mornings and nights but scarves and gloves are useful through the cooler seasons.

In East Africa minivans are still a popular way of experiencing an African safari these tend to be  four-wheel-drive with flip-top or elevated roofs so guests can stand up to get the best vantage point for photography or video. Where game concentrations are especially high regulations often insist such vehicles are used.

How many clients will share your safari vehicle is an important factor. At naady Travel we ensure and guarantee all our clients a window seat and that they will have the vehicle for their own exclusive use. With too many people, your experience will suffer: views can become obstructed and disputes can arise. It’s not always easy for the guide to reconcile the differences of a committed birdwatcher with another client who might be on his first safari and just want to gaze at big cats.