Walking on Safari

My idea of a perfect day on safari starts at sunrise with a long slow walk through the bush with a guide who really knows his business.  Immediately there’s a sense of freedom spiced with a little danger.  A sense that I am now another animal walking in bigger more experienced animals’ territory.  I look down and see a lion track that my guide tells me passed this way maybe three hours ago.  He can tell by reading the way the breeze hasn’t had time to blur the pawprint, and by examining other signs like whether insects have had time to walk across the track.

It’s the long experience of your guide that makes this a safe thing to do.  Walking guides are cautious, they understand animal behaviour and body language and treat them with respect.  They are armed but hardly ever need to fire, and then only in warning.  In the company of such a person you can relax and enjoy the experience.

Walking guides are the elite – they love what they do and have a huge fund of knowledge.  We pause to watch some tiny ant-like creatures at the base of an acacia tree and over ten minutes I discover that there are millions of these termites burrowing around underground in a great sophisticated “termite city” having a big impact on the vegetation and soil which in turn affects trees, birds and large animals.  The bush is one huge fragile interdependent structure and as I walk through it my growing understanding makes it all the more beautiful.  If you read our Walking with Paul features top walking guide Paul Grobler will introduce you to some of his favourite little characters from the Lower Zambezi.

If you want to take a walk in the bush many safari lodges offer this as one of several activities along with vehicle game drives and boat rides.  Some countries and areas are able to offer a much better walking experience than others.  Some only allow walking at certain times of year.  So if walking is ofparticular interest to you please tell us as we plan your itinerary.   

Zimbabwe is the ultimate walking country because of that country’s excellent guide training and apprenticeship system.  In recent years many experienced Zimbabwe guides have moved to other parts of Africa raising guiding standards wherever they go.  Zambia is also a great place for a walk particularly the South and North Luangwa National Parks.  Sometimes you can take a safari where walking is the main activity over four or five days and you may walk from one camp to another enjoying amazing safaris by remote rivers hill country.  In East Africa walking opportunities are very restricted in National Parks, so the best walking is on private reserves like at Sand Rivers Selous in Southern Tanzania or Ol Pejeta in northern Kenya.  

If you like the water too, you can explore 50 miles of the great lower Zambezi river combining canoeing with walking safaris over four days.  At Sabuk in Kenya you can walk with Masai and their camels chatting as you cross their tribal lands, camping out where seems best under a huge star filled sky.  Now that’s a real safari experience!

We have 20 years experience arranging the best safaris so call us to discuss the perfect itinerary for you.