One way to save on the costs of a
private reserve is to spend just a few nights at one at the start of your trip.
Take advantage of the talented guides and abundance of wildlife to see a lot of
animals quickly and learn a lot about South Africa’s wildlife during your South Africa safaris. Then, with your
wildlife urges somewhat sated, try a completely different experience in a
national park, where you can concentrate more on appreciating the rhythms of
life and natural beauty.
4.
Use a Safari guide
The first time your guide shows you
easily-missed leopard tracks crossing your path, you’ll be glad you’re not
wandering aimlessly on your own. Although guides can keep you safe from
marauding lions, their great value is simply in explaining the vast
complexities and subtleties of the African bush. Animals carry the colours they
do so they will be easy to miss. In private reserves guides are usually part of
the price but in a national park you may be tempted to go DIY. You may get
lucky, but as a novice you’ll miss but not much.
5.
Don’t be a ‘Big Five’ cliché
Sure,
it’s great – and a reason to
go – to see lions, leopards, elephants, Cape buffaloes and rhinos. And
you’ll
see the phrase (which was coined by white hunters in the 1920s to
validate
their self-proclaimed bravery) on everything from businesses to buses.
But obviously you will see far more critters out there during your South
Africa Safaris: zebras, hippos and giraffes
are just a few and the list goes on. Read up on the animals you’re
likely to
see and make a list of the less famous ones and try to spot those. You
can’t
appreciate the beguiling ugliness of a warthog until you’ve seen one; a
herd of
twitchy impalas reminds you that danger can lurk anywhere amidst the
pastoral
beauty.
6.
Drive or fly
You can fly close to Kruger park,
connecting from Cape Town or Johannesburg.
If you’re pressed for time this is
essential for having plenty of safari time. Most other parks and
reserves are
equally well served by local flights and you can work out itineraries
where
resorts or lodges handle all your transfers. But if you can afford the
time,
driving in South Africa is rewarding because it goes without saying that
you will experience a better animal spotting during your South Africa
Safaris.
Outside of parks and reserves there are wine regions, spectacular natural beauty and all manner of interesting small towns and cultural attractions. As an example, from Johannesburg you can reach Kruger or Sabi Sand in a full day of driving or you can break the journey at Pilgrim’s Rest, a charmer of an 1880s gold-rush town that hasn’t been over-restored.
Outside of parks and reserves there are wine regions, spectacular natural beauty and all manner of interesting small towns and cultural attractions. As an example, from Johannesburg you can reach Kruger or Sabi Sand in a full day of driving or you can break the journey at Pilgrim’s Rest, a charmer of an 1880s gold-rush town that hasn’t been over-restored.
7.
Bring the right stuff
Dawn
safaris during the winter in
and around Kruger National Park can be surprisingly cold; layers (even
gloves and a warm hat)
can be shed as the sun and temp goes up. Binoculars are an obvious
choice and
don’t expect your lodge or guides to provide them. A compact pair will
let you
see that big cat skulking in the distance. Don’t count on wi-fi in the
bush, so
a good book about the land and life around you is essential for a
full-coverage of your South Africa Safaris in whichever place you choose
to visit.
8. Just relax
Besides shivering in the cold dawn
air you should be ready to simply chill out. Guides will be doing their best to
hit a checklist of animals but this doesn’t always happen. Take time to
appreciate the land around you, the beauty of a deserted waterhole reflecting
the vast African sky or the sounds of a bird far in the distance. Don’t fret
about picking off a checklist of critters and certainly don’t spend all your
time hunting for them through a tiny viewfinder. Get out of your vehicle and
simply revel in the quiet. Sometimes the most magical moment on safari is when
you see nothing at all.
Good luck and enjoy your South Africa Safaris or any other destination you plan to visit for a Safari experience.
Good luck and enjoy your South Africa Safaris or any other destination you plan to visit for a Safari experience.
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