Heard about the Africa Safaris and wondered what it is all about.
Well, look no further as we illuminate you all there is to know about the African safaris, and maybe you can decide on booking a vacation in Africa. So, if you want to travel to Africa to go on one of these Africa Safaris with Exodus Safaris, this article will illuminate you on the what, where, when, and how much the Africa Safaris. Below are the facts you need to know about Africa Safaris.
What is an African Safari
The word ‘safari’ comes from the Arabic word ‘safari,’ meaning a journey. The word was later adopted by the Swahili of East Africa to be a Swahili word meaning journey or to travel. Therefore, the word Africa Safaris essentially means an excursion or a trip, mainly by tourists, to witness wild animals in their natural ecosystem. These natural ecosystems can be national parks or game reserves. African safari tourism often generates income for regional conservation initiatives and game reserves, assisting in preserving rather than eradicating ecosystems and species. In addition, African safaris are beneficial to local people and play a significant part in raising awareness about animal protection.
Types of Africa Safari
There are different types of Africa Safaris. The most popular ones include the walking safari, hiking or the most known the game-drives.
- Walking Safari
A walking safari takes place in the reserve and includes you, your fellow tourists, a knowledgeable guide, and an experienced game ranger who will lead you to the most delicate areas to see animals or beautiful scenery. Like all other safaris, walking safaris can be a private trip or a communal excursion where you go with other tourists.
- Hiking Safari
On the other side, a hiking safari is a walk across mountains like Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Drakensburg mountains. These safaris are frequently combined with wildlife drives.
- Game-Drives
Game drives are the most common type of safaris, whereby you explore parks and game reserves when you are in a commonly with a pop-up roof. A tour guide and a driver will be in your company in a drive through the game park for several hours in search of wildlife. The most common animals to be viewed will be lions, leopards, hippos, rhinos, cheetahs, gazelles, wildebeests, elephants, buffalos, zebras, crocodiles, and giraffes. There is no designated location to see the wildlife, unlike a zoo. No one can predict where they could be going to hang out at any given time of day, but your knowledgeable guide who has spent years becoming trained and seeing animals would be aware of where they may be, which is why having a knowledgeable tour guide is essential; otherwise, you risk missing the creatures.
Destinations for the Africa Safaris
You may go on a safari in several African nations, which include Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, and Rwanda, the most popular being Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. They are distinctive in terms of the type of sceneries they offer and the types of wildlife in the pack. Kenya and Tanzania are known for the most significant wildebeest migration in the world. Below are the top Safari destinations in Africa.
South Africa
South Africa is a well-known safari destination since it is more developed and welcoming to those who desire more flexibility when planning their safari. Here, self-drive safaris are typical, which indicates that you can drive your car since the park has signage and is close to eateries and petrol stations. The Mala Mala game reserve in South Africa has a status for outstanding wildlife viewing, but Kruger National Park is the country’s most significant attraction for wildlife. The fantastic variety of Kruger makes it one of the few national parks where tourists may self-drive while still enjoying an excellent safari. Take a few days there, and you are very sure to see the Big 5 and uncommon animals like cheetahs and African wild dogs.
Tanzania
Tanzania’s topography includes the impressive Mount Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Crater, a shoreline of unexpectedly tranquil shores, and more. In such surroundings, you may see the most significant herds of elephants in East Africa, millions of animals making their way through the Serengeti on the Great Migration, and a wide variety of species coexisting on the microcosmic crater bottom. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is undoubtedly the most intriguing of Tanzania’s protected places. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is located within the most extensive complete, dormant volcanic caldera, 100m2 in size, and home to 25,000 giant animals at any given time. Tanzania’s most well-known park is perhaps Serengeti National Park, where the Great Migration starts. However, less well-known attractions like Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Gombe Stream National Parks are all similarly outstanding. As a result, Tanzania is rightfully considered one of the top safari locations in the world.
Kenya
The best of Kenya’s national parks is the 151m2 Amboseli, which boasts many elephants, more than 350 kinds of birds, and breathtaking vistas of Mount Kilimanjaro. The Masai Mara National Reserve, the northern terminus of the Great Migration path, also requires no explanation. However, the Greater Mara Ecosystem, which covers 583 square miles, is far more extensive and comprises close-by, privately held wildlife conservancies and protected regions that the Maasai manages. About a percent of Kenya’s wildlife resides in the Greater Mara region, along with many Big Cats and their prey.
Zambia
Walking safaris, night game drives, open-top game drives, and even boat safaris are some of the distinctive wildlife viewing adventures available in Zambia’s game-rich national parks. Along with the safari highlights, Zambia and Zimbabwe’s shared border is home to the renowned Victoria Falls. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the falls offer a wide range of activities, including walks to magnificent viewpoints, excursions in a helicopter well above spray, and daring swims out to the brink of Devil’s Pool.
What not to do in an Africa Safaris
Below are 5 reasons you must never conduct when on a safari to let you enjoy yourself in the parks without embarrassing yourself:
- Call animals
To attract an animal’s attention, never whistle, yell, or pound on the side of your safari vehicle. The loud noise may encourage the animal to flee rather than turn to approach you for your photograph. Additionally, there is the genuine risk that larger animals would charge due to the loud noise.
- Hog a sighting
Each individual receives a 10- to 15-minute window of chance to see animals at a sighting, according to an informal norm. Everybody receives a fair glimpse this way. Spending an hour or more when vehicles are beginning to line up following you is unfair and won’t win you any friends among other safari goers. Enjoy your watching, then get up after about 10 minutes to let someone else have a chance.
- Be a known it
Allow the guides to carry out their paid duties. Of course, you are more than free to talk about your previous journeys, but always be respectful to your guides so they can reciprocate.
- Get impatient with travelers.
Individuals will have a range of interests in every organization, no matter how big or little. You’ll probably be on the road with them for a while, so treat each other.
- Do not listen to your guide.
Ensuring you are safe is the most crucial aspect of the job. You should back away from an animal if your guides instruct you to. Please refrain from touching if they beg you not to.
Best time to do for Africa Safaris
Every safari destination has its preferred date depending on the host country’s weather and animal behaviors, such as migration. Also, with the peak seasons of tourism in these countries, you may decide on a suitable period for you to go for an African Safari. The dry season, which lasts from June to October, is the ideal time to go on safari. You are more likely to spot animals now because it is colder outside, and they are looking for water sources. You may also view the famous Masai Mara migration throughout these months.
Cost for an African Safari
The cost of going to an Africa Safari depends on the destination, travel dates and time, group size, and the intended accommodation. Where you spend in terms of accommodation has the most influence on your finances because lodging often makes up the majority of the expense of your safari. A few hundred bucks to more than $3000 a day per individual are available as an alternative. Where you sleep has the most financial influence on your safari since housing makes up most of the expenses. The costs per person each night vary between a few hundred dollars to over 1500 Euros.
In this article, we gave identified various facts about Africa Safaris. Some were just general facts, while others were informal information not known by many, especially f have not traveled to Africa. If you want to travel to Africa, the above information may be of great help, especially if it is your first time. Ensure you have traveled to Africa to see the beautiful sceneries using African Safaris, guaranteeing you a beautiful experience.
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