Going Walkabout on Safari
Synonymous with the idea of going on safari is that you are going to see some animals, typically from a vehicle on a game drive. But are there other ways to see elephants, buffalos, the big five and giraffes? Take away the vehicle and what’s left? Your feet, the bush, your senses and the wildlife. Being out in the open, enriches your senses on a walking safari.
A walking safari is not about getting a selfie with a lion, or taking that frame worthy leopard shot. Nor is it about zooming around from sighting to sighting, missing everything in-between. Being on foot on safari is about experiencing Africa’s wild places in a completely different way. Your mindset should be different from the outset; open your eyes and really look, listen, smell, feel the ground beneath your feet, the sun on your back and the connection with the environment around you.
Of course, there is always a chance you might bump into a lion or stumble across a buffalo asleep by the river bank. You’re out in the wild plains of a safari on foot and anything can happen. That adds an element of excitement and adrenaline that is a real attraction for some and a well justified cause for concern for others. Being next to elephant in a vehicle is one thing, it’s quite another to be close to one on foot. You feel small, you feel like your heart might jump out of your chest, you feel alive, you feel like you want to do it again.
Approaching big game on foot is a serious business and Kusini Safaris will never compromise on your safety. As a trained walking guide myself, I know exactly what it takes to operate walking safaris safely and how to be sensitive to the animals you encounter. It’s crucial that your walking guide does too, but it’s also important they can decipher what else is around you. There’s so much to absorb. Who made that track? Whose bones are these? What bird is that calling?
A walking safari might be the focus of your safari, it might compliment the rest of your trip. If you’ve done a few game drives, why not head out on foot. If you’re feeling skeptical, a bush walk of two to three hours will be just right to introduce you to walking safaris. Lots of safari camps can offer this experience. After time in the vehicle, walking the along the Ngorongoro Crater rim, spectacular vistas all around, with the opportunity to meet local Maasai, is the perfect antidote. You could walk into your very own fly camp, you can do this at places like Chada Katavi. Maybe you’ve been on a few safaris and fancy something even more exhilarating. There a handful of experiences that focus solely on walking safaris. Kichaka are a walking concept outfit in the wilds of Ruaha. Walk across the Serengeti, along the Ruaha River, through Tsavo, camel trekking in northern Kenya, from camp to camp in South Luangwa, Zambia.
Get in touch now to organise your walking safari.