SAFARI VIRGINS PART 3: DRIVING YOU WILD
So, I've given a taster of what you might see on safari but what is the whole experience really like?
Read on to learn about everything from the daily schedule to the game drive experience to the extra bonuses to look forward to.
Photo Credits: (c) T J Allen Art
NOTE: My answers are based on my time spent at luxury private game reserves in South Africa. National parks, self-drive safaris and other African countries will have different rules and experiences.
Describe a typical safari day. Do you always have to get up early?
Well, if you want to see animals and a bit of action then yes, you do have to get up early. The hours around dawn are prime time viewing. If you wait until later, the heat of the day sets in and most of the wildlife retreat into the shade so there is little activity going on.
The rough schedule is as follows:
Wake-up call from your ranger (05:30 or 06:00 depending on the season) and a quick morning tea
Morning game drive (approximately 3 hours) followed by breakfast on return
Leisure time: relax, read, nap, swim or arrange a walking safari with your ranger
Lunch
Leisure time: enjoy the facilities and views from camp
Afternoon tea
Afternoon game drive (approximately 3 hours) returning in the dark with a chance to see some nocturnal creatures
Dinner (often accompanied by your ranger to discuss the days sightings and learn more about life on the reserve)
What is a game drive actually like?
No two game drives are ever alike and I can vouch that it will be the quickest and most captivating three-plus hours you will ever have sat in a vehicle! No thoughts of ‘are we nearly there yet?’ . . . more like groans of disappointment when you head back to camp.
You will be assigned the same ranger throughout your stay so that there is continuity in knowing what you have and haven’t seen. The jeeps aren’t always filled to capacity so that ideally everyone can get a ‘window’ seat (some lodges have this as a guarantee). Before heading out, the rangers discuss which route they will take so that they each travel in different directions. The idea is that having more vehicles sweeping across each area of the reserve will result in a higher chance of seeing wildlife. When something is spotted, the ranger radios in the species and location (often in Afrikaans or Shangaan so guests are often none the wiser) so that other vehicles in the area can swing by if they want to take a look.
Once you are suitably positioned at a sighting, the vehicle engine will be cut off and there will be plenty of time to observe the animals and take photos. Your ranger will tell you information about the species and will happily answer questions. It is best to keep your excitement contained; loud noises of exclamation and boisterous talking can startle and unnerve the animals, which will effectively push them further away . . . and it can also irritate fellow guests(!). No-one wants to get home to find their idyllic video has blaring ‘Ooooo Myyyy Gaaaawwdd’ commentary.
The enjoyment of safari is that there is no dire need to be rushing off to see something else. Each animal deserves an extended amount of attention, even if it is, for example, a rhino having a snooze and hardly moving other than an occasional flick of its ear. Time to really look with acute attention to detail will create a deeper appreciation for what you are witnessing. (Especially with your own eyes . . . not via a camera lens or phone screen).
Can you ever get out of the safari jeep?
During game drives you must stay sat in your seat for safety precautions and for better viewing. It is thought that the animals often see the overall shape of the vehicle without paying much attention to what is actually going on within that outline. If you stand up and make your body larger you disrupt that outline which can either appear frightening or confrontational. You want the animals to be natural and relaxed so you and your fellow guests play a part in creating a conducive atmosphere.
Each game drive has an official stop to allow you to get out and stretch your legs: morning coffee and evening sundowners. The ranger will stop the jeep in a wide, open plains area so there is no danger of being unexpectedly sprung upon by wildlife. A beautifully prepared picnic will be spread out for you with a host of beverages and home-made snacks from the lodge. If you want a tipple of something local, try Amarula. It is an alcoholic cream liqueur made from Marula fruit (a favourite of elephants – the fruit that is, not the drink!) which can be added to coffee for an extra kick or sipped over ice.
Fingers crossed in the evening, your sundowners will be accompanied by a gorgeous array of colours as the sun begins to dip towards the horizon.
How else can I get the most out of my safari experience?
I highly recommend partaking in a walking safari. The early morning game drives might entice you to have a nap after breakfast but you only live once, right? Walking safaris have a completely different feel to them. Being on foot provides a greater connection to the environment and alerts more of your senses. Without the noise from the jeep engine, there is a greater appreciation for a host of new sounds and it is amazing how many little details you see that are completely missed from the vehicle.
There are several safety precautions involved with walking safaris and these are in place so that you can enjoy the experience. Don’t be alarmed that your ranger will carry a loaded rifle; it is for an absolute worst-case scenario and the intention is for it never to be used. The purpose of the walk is to view more of the flora and smaller fauna . . . it is not to intentionally view the big five! (Unless you have the privilege like I did of joining the phenomenal Nunu Jobe a.k.a. 'The Rhino Whisperer' at Rhino Ridge in the Hluhluwe imfolozi Park).
You will walk silently in single file behind your ranger in open areas and along the way you will stop to look at what you come across (tracks (footprints), insects, plants etc.) and discuss them. It is a worthwhile experience with an opportunity to discover more . . . plus, after a few lavish and delicious lodge meals, it is a chance to burn off a few calories!
On a completely different note, if your room has an outdoor shower or bath – use it! Once-in-a-lifetime and all that.
Photo Credits: (c) T J Allen Art