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What to Expect on a Safari Game Drive

Game Drives are the highlight of every stay in The Greater Kruger National Park; it’s one of the most popular reasons travelers choose to journey to South Africa for their holiday. Here’s what one can expect on a game drive.

The best times for game viewing on safari are in the early mornings or late afternoons and early evenings when the day is cool, and the animals are most active. A typical day on safari starts with an early morning wake-up call. The fresh morning air and the soft light of dawn await. After a quick cup of coffee and a rusk (a South African breakfast staple), it’s time to hop onto the vehicle and head off into the reserve. The driver, an expert field guide with a wealth of knowledge of the region, will weave together the epic tales of the bush and introduce visitors to the wildlife of The Greater Kruger National Park. Whether it is pollinators and plants or predators and prey, the guide will unlock the magic of the vast wilderness of area.

At some lodges, the guide will be accompanied by a tracker whose job is to be on the lookout for game and their spoor (footprints). The guide and tracker work as a team to find the best animal sightings. The guide will also be in contact with a network of guides, ensuring that visitors never miss out on any big game sightings.

Drives can vary in length and distance, but typically a game drive will last between 3 and 4 hours, with a coffee stop in the morning and sundowners in the evening.

The Greater Kruger National Park is an impressive 200,000 hectares of Lowveld landscape. The unfenced boundary between the region and the Kruger National Park allows for the free movement of wildlife across the landscape. The Lowveld is known for its iconic savannah plains, which are home to all the animals one wishes to see on safari. This is ‘big five country’, so visitors can hope to see lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo, the five ‘must-see’ animals on safari. Every drive is different, and guides will do their utmost to ensure that the experience is tailored to visitors’ interests. Communication is key, so visitors should let their guide know what they most hope to see, and they will try their very best to make the safari experience special.

Grab your binoculars and camera and get ready for the experience of a lifetime and an adventure that you will remember for years to come!

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