Are you thinking of planning your own safari holiday in South Africa?
Your Self-Drive Safari Starts Here with Echo Wild Africa
What you need to know before heading out on safari
Self-drive safaris are the ultimate type of safari to explore South Africa and its national parks. Doing a self-drive safari puts you behind the wheel of your own rental vehicle, which
means no group travel and you can discover the African wilderness for yourself. By not having a full-time guide or driver you save a lot of money which can be used on upgrading
accommodation or doing extra safaris for example.
There are some vital and ethical rules which we should all follow while on safari. The guide below on how to behave while on a self-drive safari with Echo Wild Africa will increase your chances
of viewing wildlife and respecting the animals, environment, and other visitors to the park.
Steve from Echo Wild Africa has 12 years of experience working and managing protected areas and big five wildlife reserves in Africa and has conducted walking safaris in South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana,
Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and even the jungles of South East Asia.
A typical day for safari starts early, most national parks open gates to day visitors at 5 am in summer (sunrise to sunset) and 6 am in winter. If you are staying inside a national park you
might have the opportunity to get a head start and depart even earlier.
You should optimize your chances of spotting wildlife, especially predators. This is why you get up early have a coffee/tea grab your camera and binoculars pack some snacks and hit
start your self-drive safari.
Predators are predominantly more active during the cooler periods of the day, so chances are you might get lucky and spend some time with the elusive leopard or a pride of lions while still
sipping your morning coffee.
You should always travel slowly around 20-30km when on safari, you will have a much easier time spotting camouflaged wildlife in the vegetation.
When looking for wildlife always take the weather and environment into consideration. Look for slight movements and pale or darker colors in the bush. most predators and other species
attract a lot of insects and they often swat them with their tales or move their ears and head, sometimes stomping the ground or even just moving around through the bushes to get away from
the annoying insects.
Chatting with other visitors and reserve staff can often lead to some amazing sightings of wildlife. its also really friendly and just polite to greet other travelers and locals whilst
visiting the parks.
When approaching large or potentially dangerous wildlife you should always keep a respectful distance of at least 30 to 50 meters depending on the situation and species. We should always
remember that all animals are wild and unpredictable at times. Even unprovoked situtions can escalate quickly and considering a bull elephant can weigh an excess of 6000kgs
one should always keep that in mind when sitting in a 1000kg rental car.
Never get out of your vehicle, even if the animals appear docile or friendly. Big cats and other predators don’t associate vehicles as a food source or a threat, but once out of the vehicle, you are considered prey.
Always leave your vehicle a clear route forwards or when in the presence of elephants – they can run faster than you can reverse.
If you rent a 4×4 you can explore some of the off-road tracks in the reserves. You would be surprised how many animals use the roads in the reserves to move around and this can increase your
chances of tracking some wildlife. But, Never get out of your vehicle, even if the animals appear docile or friendly. Big cats and other predators don’t associate vehicles as a food source or a threat, but once out
of the vehicle you play by their rules.
Do Not shout, grunt, roar, or whistle at any wildlife species. You will probably end up chasing and scarring the animals away which defeats the point of visiting a national park.
Wildlife in these parks is habituated to cars. They know what they look like, how they sound, and how they smell. To most animals in national parks, cars are just a harmless part of the landscape.
Do not hang out or sit on your door window, when the shape suddenly changes, and the form of a human emerges, it breaks the silhouette and the wildlife will take fight or flight.
When you get lucky and spot that leopard or rhino then park appropriately and safely allowing space for other vehicles and the wildlife if they need to pass, turn your vehicle off when safe to do so.
This prevents unnecessary fumes and unfamiliar sounds to provoke the animals.
when making your booking with Echo Wild Africa, we provide an in-depth itinerary that includes very informative and detailed step-by-step guidelines for approaching wildlife in a vehicle and on foot safely.
This is the same information that South African rangers and wildlife guides get when training.
Rules and regulations are in place to assure our clients act in a responsible and safe manner, it is our priority to protect wildlife and our clients from potential situations occurring.
Join Steve and Echo Wild Africa when planning your adventure safari to South Africa.
