What to expect on Game Drives

On a guided game drive, your goal is to experience being in the bush and see African wildlife in their natural habitat. The best time to spot wildlife is during the coolest times of the day when most animals are active. For that reason, game drives typically take place in the early morning, afternoon, or night.

Every game drive is different – which keeps things exciting – but the format of a game drive is likely to be quite similar, wherever you are:

• The time of day will usually be early mornings, late afternoon or at night – the coolest times of the day when most animals are more active.
• With the length and distance will vary, game drives last around 3 to 4 hours, and will include a break.
• With luck you’ll see a mix of different wildlife sightings, with stops to take in and photograph each African safari animal.
• You should get plenty of conversation with the ranger to learn about the animals you see, plus lots of other related info about the habitat, plants, birds, animal tracking, and if you’re lucky, the occasional amazing animal story or two.
• A break where you can get out of the vehicle and have a drink and a snack – usually somewhere with a great view of wildlife and/or the bush. On morning drives you’ll likely have a hot drink, and on afternoon drives the break is timed to enjoy the sunset with a refreshing sundowner. Unbeatable!

Rangers are usually in radio contact to share sightings with rangers in other vehicles also out in the same area.

In most places, there’s an etiquette once a sighting is shared, whereby no more than two or three vehicles will approach a sighting at one time so as not to disturb the wildlife, and avoid a scrum of vehicles.

At exclusive game reserves, you may well never see another vehicle whilst on a game drive, but in crowded national parks such as the Serengeti there may be a dozen or more vehicles fyting for the best spot at a sighting.