TRAVEL THERAPY

Copyright Karen Schaler All Rights Reserved

If you’re going to commit the time and money to go on a safari then you want to be sure you pick the right safari guide so you can increase your chances of spotting the Big Five, Africa’s top five safari animals.  Of the Big Five the elephants, rhinos and water buffalo are probably the easiest to spot with the two cats, the leopard and the lion being a bit more tricky.  

Most of the top safari guides in South Africa have the system down so they’ll wake up early, around five am and check the reports on what has been spotted in the area, check with other guides and then of course do their own tracking to see where the animals have been and where they’re headed. 

Your best time to spot the animals is very early in the morning and right as the sun is going down at night so most safari rides start at six in the morning, last for three hours and then you go out again about 3:30p.m. or 4:00p.m. and stay out until the sun goes down.

On the private reserves a lot of guides are also staying out AFTER it gets dark using a spotter sitting in the front of the jeep that holds a flashlight searching for animals and also making sure you don’t run into anything! 

It’s amazing to me how the guides know what to look for on the dirt roads you’re bouncing down. While I’m trying to take photos and not fly out of the jeep they have this amazing ability to spot the animals that are completely camouflaged in the bush. Even at night they’re able to spot shinny, beady eyes in the complete darkness and get a spot light on the animal so everyone can see it.

The top safari guides also know what to look for on the road. They can tell by the tracks what kind of animals has been in the area recently and after several days even I could tell where the elephants had been, not just by the smell ( talk about big poop!) but because all the tree branches in the area are knocked down.

But if you’re going to find yourself surrounded by a herd of elephants you absolutely want to be sure you’re guide leaves a way out and has experience knowing when it’s time to leave. I’ve heard too many stories about people who don’t respect the animals and their moods and trust me you don’t want to be one of “those” people!

Your best bet for finding a great guide is to stay at a quality safari camp where the guided safaris are included. You can also check with a tour operator like Siyabona Africa because depending on where you want to go on safari they can recommend a guide for you and help you set it up.

The guide I used for my first few trips was fantastic. Andre Joubert has more than 22 years of experience and grew up in Namibia just north of South Africa. Siyabona helped me track him down and after going on safari with Andrea I’m afraid I’m spoiled now.

Andre is passionate and knowledgeable about the bush and always says, “going on Safari is a job, you’re not in a zoo, and it takes work to find the animals”. Still, it seems like a “job” he loves so he makes every trip a unique experience you’ll never forget.

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