So you’ve arrived at your rather expensive game lodge and also you are keenly awaiting your first game drive. What are you able to do with the intention that you’ve the absolute best game drive experience?

1)    Know the way a game drive works

Some people wish to live in suspense and take life because it comes. If that’s you, you could skip this part! Others get more from an experience in the event that they know the way it really works…

Broadly speaking private game lodges offer open vehicle game drives with anything from 4-6 people (on the most costly lodges) as much as 10 people on a game vehicle, usually somewhere in between.  There’s a place for one person next to the ranger (more on that later) after which three rows of seats usually every one just a little higher than the last. The drive usually lasts around 3 to 4 hours looking on what you notice and there’s a break for morning coffee/tea and for evening sundowners that’s also a chance for a bush loo stop.

Usually the ranger would be in radio contact with other vehicles, either belonging to a similar lodge and/or neighbouring lodges traversing the similar area. It is a great thing because more eyes out within the bush mean more sightings and everybody wins.

But after all there’s an etiquette involved here. a non-public game reserve doesn’t want ten vehicles converging on a sighting unexpectedly because it disturbs the animals, the tranquillity of the bush and throws your probabilities of getting a blinding photo badly off-kilter. So when a vehicle comes across a chief sighting including among the many so-called Big Five, or wild dog cheetah etc, they spend a couple of minutes enjoying the sighting in peace before radioing in to other vehicles. There then follows a mild ‘dance’ between the rangers as to who heads to the sighting next counting on their distance away. Usually two and no more than three vehicles are allowed at a sighting at anybody time. In case you are second to a sighting, you can’t immediately go in front and take the perfect vantage point thus ruining the experience for the unique vehicle. However as they move off, your ranger can move the vehicle right into a better spot for photos. Your ranger will try and make it possible for all and sundry at the vehicle can get a tight photo, but counting on the terrain, the animal’s behaviour and the lighting, this isn’t always possible.

Sometimes you may also find yourselves in a form of ‘queue’. Obviously a very good ranger cannot make this obvious to you and can occupy the time discussing other things. The non-public game lodges generally stick with the reserve roads but are allowed to head off road to follow a serious sighting. However whether or not they accomplish that or not is dependent upon the terrain. It will possibly look fine to you but they’re going to know that there’s major ‘donga’ (sharp steep cleft inside the bush uncrossable) as an instance.
In an “ideal” game drive, you will want a mixture of good, sometimes even exciting sightings with lots of time to simply appreciate the animals, a lot of discussion together with your ranger and in addition the risk to benefit about other aspects of the bush corresponding to plants, birds, find out how to track animals, how you can know which animal passed at the basis in their dung etc.

However not every game drive is an epic one just as not on daily basis would be the best day ever. Some drives are quiet. Sometimes for the reason that of the elements – a powerful wind or a chilly front affects animals up to humans. Sometimes you’re just not lucky!      

2) Bring the suitable kit

I go into this in some detail in our What to Wear guide but so far as the true game drive goes, attempt to have the next:

•    Camera – See next point
•    Binoculars – the right you may afford and ideally one for every person
•    Sunblock
•    Wide brimmed hat for summer, and woolly beanie for winter
•    Animal and bird books – usually on sales inside the lodge shop in case you don’t already have
•    For bush loo stops – some tissue & a bag to place it in afterwards, hand sanitizer
•    Layers of clothing for late autumn to spring
•    Mosquito repellent for summer
•    Water (if the lodge doesn’t provide it)

For families
•    Simple animal check-list – great for keeping kids motivated
•    Access to photography if it is a disposable camera or borrowing your camera phone
•    Binoculars – ideally one for everybody – have I said that before? Shall I say it again
•    Dried fruits in case your kids tend to get hungry (though snacks are provided on the break)

3)    Sit in the course of the vehicle

This delivers the simplest of all worlds. You’re high up and so animal sightings are good but not thus far back that you simply can’t ask questions of the ranger.

However each seat has pros and cons. Front seat is right for older less mobile people and in winter, it’s definitely the warmest. But your sightings aren’t as nearly good since you don’t have the peak.

The first seat is good in the event you prefer to ask numerous questions and you have got an unobstructed view to front (my preference). The center row promises greater height but you could hear the ranger

The back seat is a like it or hate it experience. My husband reverts to being a naughty schoolboy behind the bus (much giggling and in-jokes with the children). It’s definitely the bumpiest option and in addition the coldest in winter but you do have the added good thing about having the ability to look over your shoulder at what’s behind the vehicle – ideal if a line of animals comparable to a pack of untamed dogs has just walked from front to the back.

4)    Ask Questions

This does what it says at the tin. The more you ask, the more you learn. Some rangers have verbal diahrea but most have rather more knowledge than they are able to possibly share with their guests,o  asking questions.

5)    Divide the photographic duties

As a pair, how one can get the smartest shots (unless considered one of you is a higher photographer ) is for one person to have a camera with a great zoom lens and the opposite to have a camera set on a general or wide lens setting. That way you’re ready to take both the close-up shot of the lion and the fantastic sunset shot over the waterhole without needing to constantly change lens.

6)    Have appropriate expectations

Some game rangers ask people what they would like to determine. Though i will understand why they try this – they need to grasp if someone is truly into birds or elephants or giraffes – inevitably someone says that they need to work out a leopard or a cheetah, two of the foremost elusive animals within the bush. Then the ranger has made a rod for his own back! Why does he do that?

Sure, give your ranger an concept of something that you’d prefer to see. But attempt to have as few expectations as possible. If it’s a quiet drive, ask many of questions and get the ranger sharing his knowledge with you.

7)    Have Patience

Your game ranger will attempt to make certain that everyone within the vehicle is worked up. That could mean which you stay longer at a sighting than you personally would like to because he’s changed location in order that others can get some shots. Similarly you’ve gotten desired to stay longer with some animals but others are keen to look an immense sighting that is nearby. Attempt to waft.

8)    Birds and Keen Photographers – Consider an individual vehicle

Generally speaking the shared game vehicle can be fine for many people, and personal vehicles can cost loads extra, reckoning on how the lodge prices it. (Some charge per vehicle and a few charge per empty seat in order that if there are just two of you…)

However if you’re either a) keen birders or b) keen photographers, i like to recommend considering a personal vehicle as your wants and needs differ from the typical safari visitor. With regards to birders, you could not have an interest in spending time on the usual animal sightings which other folks want. With regards to photographers, you will likely wish to spend far longer at a sighting than most folk, watching for the correct light or the proper angle.