African Safari Adventure - Photo Tour

[soccerdad72]

ETA...Did you feel safe at all times and everywhere?

One more....Are any of the areas that you visited endangered as it's natural habitat and environment?

We felt safe everywhere we went. In the safari camps, we needed to be escorted to/from our rooms when it was dark because there was always the possibility of animals walking through the camp. So a staff person would walk with us with a large flashlight.

ETA: As far as the game drives went, our guides all pretty much told us the same thing - the animals are all used to the vehicles being there, so they're not bothered or feel threatened by them. The problem occurs when people get out of the vehicle. Animals, by and large, are threatened by humans, so if they see two legs, that's when trouble happens. They don't associate the vehicles with humans.

As far as I know, none of the areas we were at was endangered - they were all either national parks or private game reserves, so they were well protected.

 

[Giraffe_Zen]

Thanks for sharing your amazing photos with us. It's been in my bucket list for a long time to finally visit Africa. I hope someday soon I will be able to.

 

[BrianL]

Those are some stunningly beautiful pictures!

 

[dvcgirl67]

Loved this @soccerdad72! Looks like 4 different camps....did you do 4 game drives at each camp? How was it getting up super early each day....etc. We're doing 9 days on safari....at two lodges, but feel like that's the primary reason we're going so I'm hoping it won't get monotonous. I'm thinking we'll enjoy it very much. I've seen a bunch of people on trip advisor who go back again and again....so seems like some get really hooked.

 

[Dan Murphy]

We felt safe everywhere we went. In the safari camps, we needed to be escorted to/from our rooms when it was dark because there was always the possibility of animals walking through the camp. So a staff person would walk with us with a large flashlight.

ETA: As far as the game drives went, our guides all pretty much told us the same thing - the animals are all used to the vehicles being there, so they're not bothered or feel threatened by them. The problem occurs when people get out of the vehicle. Animals, by and large, are threatened by humans, so if they see two legs, that's when trouble happens. They don't associate the vehicles with humans.

As far as I know, none of the areas we were at was endangered - they were all either national parks or private game reserves, so they were well protected.

Thanks for the explanations, SD.

 

[dvcgirl67]

We felt safe everywhere we went. In the safari camps, we needed to be escorted to/from our rooms when it was dark because there was always the possibility of animals walking through the camp. So a staff person would walk with us with a large flashlight.

ETA: As far as the game drives went, our guides all pretty much told us the same thing - the animals are all used to the vehicles being there, so they're not bothered or feel threatened by them. The problem occurs when people get out of the vehicle. Animals, by and large, are threatened by humans, so if they see two legs, that's when trouble happens. They don't associate the vehicles with humans.

As far as I know, none of the areas we were at was endangered - they were all either national parks or private game reserves, so they were well protected.

Ha...I've had a lot of people ask me about this when I show them the open vehicles we'll be in. And I tell them the same...from all I've read, the animals are used to them. It amazes me that leopards and lions walk right next to those vehicles and many literally glance up at the people in the vehicles. I've read that they warn you not to stand up, which I'm guessing would break the profile of the vehicle. Do they warn against eye contact with the animals? I'm so hoping we get as many great sightings as you guys got!

 

[soccerdad72]

Loved this @soccerdad72! Looks like 4 different camps....did you do 4 game drives at each camp? How was it getting up super early each day....etc. We're doing 9 days on safari....at two lodges, but feel like that's the primary reason we're going so I'm hoping it won't get monotonous. I'm thinking we'll enjoy it very much. I've seen a bunch of people on trip advisor who go back again and again....so seems like some get really hooked.

For the most part, we did do 4 drives at each camp. Typically, we’d do an afternoon drive the day we’d get to camp, then a morning and afternoon drive the full day there and a morning drive before heading off to our flight. One camp, we got in too late for an afternoon drive and one other camp, we had too early of a flight to do a morning drive.

Other couples we met at different camps were doing 9 days at 3 camps. I’ll be honest, I think 3 days would be my max at one camp. 2 days at each worked well for us. The camps do a good job of making it different every time you went out. Some camps have boats too, so we had a mix of jeep drives and boat drives.

We got used to the early mornings pretty quickly. We were usually in bed by 9pm each night at the latest anyway, since after dinner there wasn’t too much more to do, except sit and talk with other folks in the camp. It was just pretty cold each morning, but with blankets and the “bush babies” (hot water bottles), it wasn’t so bad. Plus, once the sun was up, it warmed up pretty quickly.

 

[soccerdad72]

Ha...I've had a lot of people ask me about this when I show them the open vehicles we'll be in. And I tell them the same...from all I've read, the animals are used to them. It amazes me that leopards and lions walk right next to those vehicles and many literally glance up at the people in the vehicles. I've read that they warn you not to stand up, which I'm guessing would break the profile of the vehicle. Do they warn against eye contact with the animals? I'm so hoping we get as many great sightings as you guys got!

They do warn you about standing up, putting your arms (or cameras) out of the vehicle and sudden movements or loud noises when out on drives. They didn’t say anything about eye contact, though. There were a number of times when the animals would stare right at us. We’d laugh every time it looked like the zebras were giving us the ‘side eye’

 

[dvcgirl67]

For the most part, we did do 4 drives at each camp. Typically, we’d do an afternoon drive the day we’d get to camp, then a morning and afternoon drive the full day there and a morning drive before heading off to our flight. One camp, we got in too late for an afternoon drive and one other camp, we had too early of a flight to do a morning drive.

Other couples we met at different camps were doing 9 days at 3 camps. I’ll be honest, I think 3 days would be my max at one camp. 2 days at each worked well for us. The camps do a good job of making it different every time you went out. Some camps have boats too, so we had a mix of jeep drives and boat drives.

We got used to the early mornings pretty quickly. We were usually in bed by 9pm each night at the latest anyway, since after dinner there wasn’t too much more to do, except sit and talk with other folks in the camp. It was just pretty cold each morning, but with blankets and the “bush babies” (hot water bottles), it wasn’t so bad. Plus, once the sun was up, it warmed up pretty quickly.

You guys were definitely on the move!! We are working with an agent from South Africa who booked this whole thing for us...five nights Cape Town (four days touring there), two days in the Winelands and then 9 nights on safari, originally booked at 3 nights per camp, but because we booked this sucker so far out, one of the camps went under refurb for the time we're there. That was supposed to be andBeyond's Ngala Tented Camp. So, our agent (who has been to a zillion camps....her husband is a wildlife photographer so he's out at them often)....recommended we do two camps (three separate lodges) but she suggested some ideas to break up the stay and got us some upgrades that we were satisfying to us.

So, doing four nights at the andBeyond Ngala Safari Lodge, but she got them to give us a private vehicle for all 8 game drives there and they comped us the Tree House Night. This lodge is in the Timbavati Reserve in the Greater Kruger area. And we chose it because that's where the white lions are....so we're hoping to see them. So we're hoping the tree house night breaks up that stay a bit.

Then we head down to Sabi Sands, which is popular and the nicer of the two camps....Londolozi. To break up that stay we're doing three nights at their Founders Camp and then she got us a nice upgrade to the final two nights at their Granite Camp, and they're throwing in four private game drives to finish up, which is nice. She said while the terrain is similar, having different trackers, guides and waitstaff/servers will change it up for us.

That schedule sounds pretty doable....we're usually in bed by 10 latest and up at 6....so we'll adjust back an hour and will hopefully be ok. We're hoping for good weather.....were between going in May and September and our agent recommended September for better game viewing where we'll be. No boats on our safari....all jeeps.

Enjoyed following along SD....loved the pics of your family as well....you're a good looking group!

 

[dvcgirl67]

They do warn you about standing up, putting your arms (or cameras) out of the vehicle and sudden movements or loud noises when out on drives. They didn’t say anything about eye contact, though. There were a number of times when the animals would stare right at us. We’d laugh every time it looked like the zebras were giving us the ‘side eye’

Haha....that's funny about the Zebras. Hoping to make eye contact with some big cats! We'll "keep our hands inside the ride vehicle at all times" as well .

 

[ronandannette]

Thanks for all this - it's lovely. May I ask if you felt safe in Mozambique? I know people who spent quite a while in-country and it was, at best, precarious for them.

 

[soccerdad72]

Thanks for all this - it's lovely. May I ask if you felt safe in Mozambique? I know people who spent quite a while in-country and it was, at best, precarious for them.

Yeah, we felt safe. But for what it’s worth, we were picked up at the airport, driven to the resort and never left it. So we didn’t exactly get the full Mozambique experience.

 

[China Expat]

Thanks for sharing! Right behind you...depart JUly 5 for Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar!

 

[China Expat]

Back from three weeks safari in Kenya and Tanzania. One word- WOW. We spent 13 days in a safari vehicle and saw EVERY African animal possible, including the early phase of the great wildebeast migration. Saw amazing things...lions taking down a wildebeast, spotted hyena eating dead wildebeast, numerous cheetah famiiies, 200 plus elephants in Amboseli and one of the few remaining great tuskers, and lions galore and close up on the Serengeti. BEST TRIP EVER. Go now....rhinos and elephants are in crisis.