Reconnect with Nature: 6 things you didn’t know about going on an African safari

Things your didn't know about an African safari
Africa, Tanzania, Serengeti - February 2016: Zebras on the road in Serengeti national park in front of the jeep with tourists. (Africa, Tanzania, Serengeti - February 2016: Zebras on the road in Serengeti national park in front of the jeep with touris
Get your game face on: here are six things you may not know about going on an African safari.

Gorillas, Game Parks and Beaches, there is so much to discover on an African safari, if you know what to look out for…

You can get up close to a lion

The lions seem to be completely indifferent to the presence of humans. In fact, you’re much more likely to be eaten by mosquitoes than pulled apart by a lion. It’s such a thrill to be able to pull up close to a pride of lions while they are tearing the flesh off a fresh kill. Just because the lions seem indifferent, does not mean they are tame; they see the jeep as a large animal and not worth expending energy on.

You have the option of going on a walking African safari

The fact that you can undertake a safari on foot is something that shocks and surprises first-time safari-goers. Yes, it’s with an armed guard. But still. There’s nothing that makes you feel quite so small as slowly walking through the parched Kenyan landscape on an interpretive tour, where time seems to slow to a standstill.

Swahili is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn

According to Babbel Magazine, Swahili is one of the easiest African languages for English natives to learn. This is because many of the words are taken from English making them easier for us to get our tongues around. Start with the essentials: asante-sana (thank you very much); jambo (hello) and hatari (danger).

 You can get out of the safari vehicle

This comes with terms and conditions. Yes, you can get out of the safari vehicle. But only when you are told to and when you’re surrounded by keen-eyed armed security guards. Drinking a gin and tonic under the stars while out of the vehicle seems crazy for rookie safari-goers. But by the end of a week’s worth of game drives, you will trust them with your life.

Safari camps and lodges are unfenced

The word safari means ‘to travel’ or ‘to go on a journey and comes from the word ‘safar‘ in Swahili.  There’s nothing quite so transformative while on safari as hearing large hippopotamuses snuffling and snorting around outside your tent and knowing there is only a flimsy fly screen between you. Trust your Masai warrior askari at Mara Ngenche Camp when he reminds you hippos are herbivores and not interested in eating you.

Africa can be affordable

South Africa is, according to Africa travel specialists, Bench Africa, the most affordable it’s ever been. Bench Africa says those who travel in the so-called green season also get up to 50 per cent off what they would pay in the peak season. Lonely Planet also named Namibia the second-best value destination in the world in 2017.

Still not convinced on an African safari? This bush camp, where opulence meets untamed wilderness may change your mind.

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