The Where, the When, the How and the Who of Safaris
Safari is a Swahili word that means 'travel'. In the old days, that is how Safaris worked, You walked around with your bearers looking for game, probably hoping to shoot it. It is possible, though mistaken, to have a completely sedentary safari but, like most things, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
Some consider a Safari to be an African experience, but there are many other countries in which you can see spectacular wildlife (India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Scotland, Brazil, Nepal) and they are covered too.
There are many styles of safari, from the super Luxurious to the deep bush basic camp. Remember that for most people the important thing is the animals you see and the people you meet; comfort is great, but you won't necessarily see any more animals.
If you want to get the most out of your safaris, See below for guidelines to a good safari.
Irresponsible Safaris
Saba Douglas-Hamilton, the Kenyan wildlife film-maker, has serious concerns over some recent safari developments, read the details here.
Some consider a Safari to be an African experience, but there are many other countries in which you can see spectacular wildlife (India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Scotland, Brazil, Nepal) and they are covered too.
There are many styles of safari, from the super Luxurious to the deep bush basic camp. Remember that for most people the important thing is the animals you see and the people you meet; comfort is great, but you won't necessarily see any more animals.
If you want to get the most out of your safaris, See below for guidelines to a good safari.
Irresponsible Safaris
Saba Douglas-Hamilton, the Kenyan wildlife film-maker, has serious concerns over some recent safari developments, read the details here.
Recent Safaris news
- Boost for elephant and Grevy’s zebra numbers in Northern Kenya
- Brown hyenas reintroduced to Mountain Zebra National Park
- Buffalo reintroduced into Liuwa Plains National Park
- 3000 animals distributed to new parks after Kenya land sale.
- 90% drop in Africa’s lion population in 20 years. Does anyone care?
- Black Rhino moved to new home in the Karoo National Park
- Male eland antelope ‘crack’ their knees to attract the girls
- 'Golden' lion of the South Luangwa National Park
- Knysna elephants – No evidence for more than 1 survivor
- Woman Injured by Buffalo on Mountain Zebra National Park Hiking Trail
- Wild dog and cheetah survey in Kruger National Park – You can help
- Four rhinos poached in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi
- Zimbabwe rhino poachers released
- Richard Leakey speaks about Bushmeat - The most significant immediate threat to the future of wildlife in Africa
- Kalahari Game Reserve devastated by fire
More Safaris news
- Blanket ban on bushmeat could be disastrous for forest dwellers in Central Africa - Ignoring it could be disastrous for wildlife
- Is Namibia killing the golden elephants?
- African lion populations declining steadily - Will reintroduction be the only way to save some populations?
- Even the most sensitive tourism might be bad for wildlife
- Fire in Addo Elephant National Park
- Older matriarchs the key to elephants surviving droughts
- Addo update - Lion cub and Black rhino calves
- Zimbabwe rhino poachers sentenced to 27 years
- Orphaned giraffe gives birth in Kenya’s Meru four years after rescue
- Unusually coloured animals from the Luangwa
- Nature reserves attract human settlement, but at a cost to biodiversity
- Leucistic impala photographed in South Africa
- Namibia rhino hunt controversy
- Africa Rhinos numbers up but Northern white rhino may be extinct
- Spate of crocodile deaths in Kruger puzzles ecologists
Related News Articles
'Golden' lion of the South Luangwa National ParkOne of our readers, Egil Dröge, has sent us photos photos of a very unusual young lion that is clearly much lighter than his siblings.
Read more »
Rhino poaching- the poacher tells all.
The Van Deventer brothers were arrested in South Africa on charges of poaching rhinoceroses. Having entered into a plea bargain with the state, the brothers received reduced prison sentences. Shortly afterwards, they contacted investigative journalist and Africa Geographic columnist Ian Michler. They wanted to tell their story.
20th Rhino Shot in 2007 in Kaziranga: Poacher killed.December 2007: Yet another rhino of Kaziranga National Park fell prey to poachers’ bullets on December 16, bringing the total number killed in 2007 to a record 20.
Read more »
Safari with childrenMy kids were so excited about the thought of going on safari in Kenya, and we had a great time. A walking safari, 4 days on the Masai Mara seeing pretty much everything, the flamingos and rhinos at Nakuru, everything you want to see. And the abiding memories? Hiding under the seats of the open top landrover while watching lions hunting, (as all they have learned from years as armchair viewers is that lions will eat you.) and the hotel with a swim up bar and free coke!
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Photo Story: Martial Eagle Attacks Stork.Fantastic photos of a Martial eagle catching a White stork. Details.
Articles and advice about the wildlife, National parks and safaris in Kenya
Top African Safari Destinations (in no particular order)
- Chobe, Botswana
- Masai Mara, Kenya
- Virunga Volcanoes, Uganda and Rwanda
- Etosha Pans, Namibia
- Luangwa Valley, Zambia
- Serengeti Plains, Tanzania
- Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
- Samburu & Buffalo Springs, Kenya.
- Lake Nakuru, Kenya
- Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Kafue National Park, Zambia.
There are many different styles of Safari to choose from, here are a few rules to help you choose.
- A good guide/spotter. trust us, you will miss more than you see if you don't have a good guide with you. Not only do they see twice as much, they know ten times as much.
- Dawn and dusk are almost always the best time, be prepared to get up early.
- Be patient, the longer you are prepared to sit still, the more you will see.
- Don't forget the people who live there. They often view the animals as pests, but your income will provide a living for them. Don't be ostentatious or patronising.
- Size of vehicle. The bigger and the more people in a vehicle, the less you will see.
- Spending £5000 on a safari doesn't guarantee you will see more than someone who spends £500.
- There’s a lot more to Africa than the big five. Enjoy what you see and don’t go tearing all over to see a lion, thus missing plenty of fantastic but smaller game.
ELEPHANT BACK SAFARIS: CONSERVATION OR CRUELTY.
Shearwater Adventures, a tour operator from Zimbabwe, is under fire for capturing wild elephants for use on elephant back safaris. However Shearwater strongly defend their position by pointing out that the drought in Zimbabwe is devastating the elephant herds.
Read both sides of the argument.
Read both sides of the argument.
