THINKING ABOUT GOING ON A SAFARI?

If you are considering a safari, the best locations to see a large variety of animals in a short time are East Africa and South Africa. Although the safari experience in these two areas is different, you will enjoy the excitement of discovering wild animals in their natural habitat in both.

When you fly into Nairobi, you will spend a night or two at a luxury hotel before taking a small, propeller plane out into the wildlife areas. Since you are landing on an unpaved strip on the plains, the pilot must check first before landing to make sure no wild animals are on the dirt runway or lurking nearby. The 4 wheel drive vehicles will be waiting beside the runway to take you on a short game drive before lunch, when you will then see your lodge or luxury tented camp accommodations.

Since the best times to see animals are early morning and late afternoon, you will go out on the plains at dawn and return for breakfast about mid-morning. The time between meals and the morning and afternoon safaris is yours to rest or wander carefully around. To be sure your room will not be trashed by the monkeys, it is important to keep your door securely closed and not leave any food around.

You will often see different animals in the morning and late afternoon, depending on the best times for them to feed and hunt. Although the guides are familiar with where certain animals might be found, it is always a search and discover mission to track them down for photos.

The drivers are careful not to go too close to the animals and, when one guide alerts the others to a special find like a lion pride with cubs, the other 4 wheel drive vehicles speed across the plains and surround the prize find. Since the vehicles do not get too close to anything wild, a good zoom camera is indispensable.

What differentiates the safaris in Kenya and Tanzania from those in South Africa is the terrain. Across the vast plains of East Africa, you can see herds of elephants, Thomson’s gazelles, giraffes, and oryx. It is amazing to see huge numbers of animals crossing this expanse, especially during the dry season migration.

In addition to the wildlife, you might also have a chance to visit a Masai tribal village in Kenya, where the dwellings are made from dried dung in low, cave-like shapes without water or toilets. The villagers’ domestic animals are kept close to the dwellings inside a common fence to protect them from the wild predators.

The Masai people, although somewhat shy, were happy and friendly, especially the children. They offered to show us the inside of their houses in exchange for a pen or other item they admired. In addition to dressing in bright red and frequently stretching their ear lobes into unusual shapes, they tend to be tall and thin with a great ability to jump very high straight up into the air. After you meet some of the Kenyan people, who regularly walk long distances to get places, you are not surprised that some of the fastest runners in the world come from there.

A safari to East Africa is a remarkable and unforgettable experience. But, so is a safari to South Africa. I will explain the differences in my next blog.