TOP 5 Tested Safari Tips

To follow up on my recent post, Why African Safaris are King (which I hope has inspired you to go on an African safari), here are five things I learned from my safari experience:

[1] Go on as many game drives as you can

If you want to see a lot of wildlife, your chances increase in numbers. You can’t expect to see all of the ‘Big Five’ on one game drive; that’s like winning the safari lottery. Be patient, take in the amazing scenery, keep an eye out, and eventually you will see a lot of amazing wildlife.

[2] Don’t miss out on a night drive

Most of the major national parks and game reserves give visitors the option to go on a guided night drive. Make sure to do at least one! It’s a unique chance to see nocturnal animals (e.g. lions, leopards and hyenas) being active.

Hyenas with cubs, night safari, Kruger National Park, South Africa © T. Usselman

Hyena cub, night safari, Kruger National Park, South Africa © T. Usselman

[3] Bring a good camera with a fancy zoom lens 

You’re definitely going to want to document the amazing scenery and wildlife you see. To get the best quality photos possible, a DSLR is ideal. Most of the animals you’ll see won’t be right next to the safari truck. So if you’ll want to get a good close-up shot, you’ll need a DSLR with a big zoom lens. However, if you don’t have one already and don’t want to dish out the big bucks before going on a pricey safari, it is possible to just bring some binoculars for the ultra-close-up views and still get some great photos using a good point-and-shoot with a decent zoom.

The kind of shot you can only get with a DSLR zoom – Giraffe, Kruger National Park, South Africa © C. Herren

[4] Resist the urge to yell “Pumbaa!” when you see a warthog

Not only would this make you look slightly immature (and obnoxious), but it would probably also scare away the warthog and any other animals that happened to be nearby. Try to generally be as quiet as possible during a game drive.

Angry elephant stopping traffic, Kruger National Park, South Africa

[5] Don’t flash an angry elephant

Elephants are a lot scarier than they might seem. These massive animals often hang out on safari routes, get very close to trucks and sometimes get pretty peeved off at tourist paparazzi (especially when there are calves about). You can tell an elephant is angry when it’s fanning out and shaking its ears. Elephants are one of the only animals that can take down a safari truck, so if you want to avoid being charged and trampled, it’s a good idea to stop taking pictures when an angry elephant is close by–this is particularly important on night drives when you’re taking pictures with flash.

 

 

Have you been on safari and have some tips of your own?

Please share them by leaving a comment below.

And, as always, happy travels!
– Ala

alaserafin.com