We asked Rhino River Lodge's rangers, Kyle, Alex and Ryan, to share with us their top safari tips.
Here are a few of their recommendations:
1. Bring binoculars
It’s the number one piece of equipment that guests forget to bring along that substantially improves the safari experience, and it’s just as important as your camera! Not many people own a great pair of binoculars, but if you are planning to go on safari, now is the time to invest in a quality pair. Even when sightings are fairly close, binoculars allow you to take in details that would be missed with the naked eye. Ranger Alex mentioned bringing binoculars in the answer to every question he was asked about giving advice on safari… their importance shouldn’t be underestimated!
2. Keep the noise down on game drives
Guides know that guests’ excitement can reach epic levels at amazing sightings but by keeping quiet and sharing the excitement later, you can actually improve your sighting by not disturbing the animals. Also, keeping quiet during the drive itself will increase the number of sightings you have as you do not startle animals before you are able to approach them.
3. Slow down
When planning your itinerary make sure you take time to enjoy each place. Ranger Kyle says, “Try and stay in each place for at least two nights. That gives you enough time to relax and enjoy every aspect.” The last thing you want during a safari is to get bogged down in the logistics of transfers, settling bills, packing and repacking. Spending a little extra time at each spot will make your trip much more enjoyable.
4. Let go of expectations
Just relax and enjoy! All three rangers listed this as the number one piece of advice for the first time safari goer. Letting go of expectations and simply living in the moment is the number one way to increase your enjoyment of the whole experience. In the words of ranger Ryan, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to see big game. Take pleasure in just being out in the bush! The fresh air, the wind in your hair as you travel in an open vehicle, the warmth of the sunshine on your skin, the bird sounds – it’s a delight for the senses. But all too often people forget this as they burn their eyes scanning the horizons for elusive animals. These sightings should be a bonus, not a requirement!”
No two days on safari are ever the same and our rangers have their own ideas of what a typical day on safari involves:
Kyle says, “A typical day on safari would be having a good time out in the bush – enjoying the sunrise and sunset, listening to all the different birds, and looking for all the interesting things that we do not get to see everyday (like dung beetles in a rhino midden rolling balls of dung or female lions teaching their new cubs to hunt and catch their food).”
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| Copyright Heidi Watson |
Alex believes guests can expect, “A variety of flora and fauna, from big sycamore figs to small bushes, from the big five to smaller creatures like dung beetles and ants. It all makes a day of safari exciting.”
For Ryan a typical day on safari involves, “Great scenery, sunshine, plains game, birds calling from tree tops, butterflies fluttering around, flying insects buzzing past your face, a sky full of stars, warthogs fleeing in a cloud of dust, vultures soaring miles above our vehicle – basically the time of your life!”
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| Copyright Claire Birtwhistle |
So, while it is impossible to predict what guests will experience while with us, if you’re following the sound advice of our rangers, you’re setting yourself up for a successful safari!
Originally published on Africa Geographic.
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