A game drive in specially designed safari vehicles is one of the best ways to experience Africas fauna and flora. Either in an open game vehicle, or a 4×4 with a pop-top roof, these vehicles ensure a front row seat to observe Africa’s most iconic wildlife up close. The vehicles are generally driven by a certified guide who, aside from providing valuable knowledge about the animals and the environments you are exploring, are also able to read the natural signs of the bush – through footprints and disturbances in the fauna.
Southern African lodges tend to offer two game drives a day, one at the crack of dawn when the animals are most alert and another in the late afternoon, as temperatures begin to cool. These drives normally last 3-4 hours but is dependent on what you see and how long you stop to observe these iconic animals and their interactions. Most afternoon game drives return in the dark allowing you to search for any nocturnal animals that could be out and about during your evening drives.
East African lodges and destinations tend to offer all day or long morning game drives combined with a picnic stop for lunch.
Some safari vehicles are entirely roofless, so you feel more exposed to the bush and this makes sightings that much easier to view.
