When people think about safari, they immediately think about driving around in a game drive vehicle or safari truck for hours on end. As soon as you mention viewing animals in any other way, they are taken aback and are very surprised. The idea of walking on foot to explore a forest, sitting in a hide to photograph birds, or rowing down a river course is new to most.
Animals can be viewed from tracks, from the water, from the air, and from hides. Here we are going to have a look at the ways this can happen, looking at the pros and cons of each and why they should be given a try. Regardless of the way you view the wildlife, it all very much comes down to whether it is habituated to this type of viewing or not.
Game drive or safari vehicles
Whether it be an open Land Rover in Southern Africa or a pop top Land Cruiser in East Africa, this is what most people have in mind when they think of safari. It is the most conventional way of moving around and viewing large animals. Most of the animals are used to the vehicles and so carry on with their normal activities as if the vehicle is not even present. This is what you want, as you want to observe the animals doing what comes naturally to them without disturbing them. Photographic opportunities from the vehicle are obviously one of the best because of this, as you can get nice and close to the animals.
Another massive positive to this is the way that you can move around, travelling easily from one sighting to another. You can also cover larger areas with intent if you are tracking or following an animal. Vehicles are often in radio contact with one another, and so guides can help one another and guide one another into the right area or position, giving guests optimal viewing opportunities.
Out on foot
Bush walks are often sold to people but not explained properly. At most lodges, it is an activity that people can do in between morning and afternoon game drives. People often have the idea that they are going to go out and view wildlife on foot, as they have been doing in their vehicles.
This is not the case, though, and many lodges do bush walks so that their guests can experience and see the smaller things often overlooked when on safari. Guides tend to point out vegetation, tracks, birds, and insects rather than trying to get close to big game. This does not mean that you may not encounter big animals, which does occasionally happen.
In certain areas, though, walking is the main objective, and no driving safaris are done. This is when you will be with a very well-qualified walking guide who will purposefully try to find big animals on foot. It is a very different experience than being in a vehicle, but it is incredibly special. An area very well known for this in Southern Africa is Mana Pools. Here, the animals are as habituated to people on foot as they are to vehicles in other areas, and so encounters are incredible.
Other well-known areas for this are in East and Central Africa, where you will be on foot in dense rain forests where vehicles cannot access them at all. This is where you would be searching for forest-dwelling creatures and great apes.
Onto the waterways
Being on the water with wildlife is similar to being in a vehicle, but it cannot happen everywhere for obvious reasons. If you are in a speedboat, it can be similar to a vehicle as it has engines, but once you climb into canoes or mokoro (hollowed-out tree trunks), it is completely silent. The best places for this are along the Okavango Delta, the Lower Zambezi, and forests in Central Africa.
Animals have become habituated to all and so act as if they are around vehicles. The advantage of having quieter canoes and mokoro’s is that you can sneak up on the smaller animals. For viewing fish, frogs, and birds, this is the best way. It gives you the best photographic opportunities and allows you to get angles that are not possible from a vehicle.
Into the air
Hot-air balloons and helicopters are the best way to see wildlife from the air. Helicopters are obviously louder in comparison to the balloons, and so wildlife will have to be viewed from a greater height. It is better to use the helicopter when viewing landscapes like the Victoria Falls and so on.
Hot air balloons are used mainly in Namibia, Masai Mara, and the Serengeti. It is an early morning activity where you get the chance to watch the sunrise and take in the magnificent landscapes and wildlife below. When it is migration time, you get the full effect of the large herds as they are spread out over the Great Plains below you. With them being quiet, it not only allows you to take in the visuals but also the sounds of the great herds below you. It definitely helps that once you land, there is a glass of champagne waiting for you!
Hides
Hides are a different way to view wildlife, as with this being a permanent structure, you sit and wait for the animals to come to you. These structures are more often than not set up around constant water supplies. People can sit there during the day and hope to see wildlife coming down to drink, as it is great for photographers.
These hides are particularly productive in areas like Etosha, Namibia. Here they are often lit up at night, and people spend hours enjoying sightings of large game like black rhinos, elephants, and lions coming down to drink in the cool of the evening.
Conclusion
Game viewing can be enjoyed in many different ways, and it is always great to take the opportunity and try them all. From sitting in a vehicle surrounded by a pride of lions to hovering in a hot air balloon over a million wildebeests, they are all special and unique. Contact us if you’d like to experience any of these activities on safari.
