Embark on an extraordinary journey into the heart of Africa. Discover the magic of the wild, the thrill of exploration, and the beauty of storytelling in one of the world’s most captivating locations.
In the old days, you would never see a leopard this close to a vehicle. If you did catch a glimpse, it would be fleeting at best.
Through the decades, the wildlife in big game parks has become accustomed to safari vehicles and humans. Some predators even use vehicles as cover to get close to their prey.
In today’s safaris, an elephant may walk up to the vehicle and smell the front windshield before moving off, or a leopard may pass by a few feet away with his eyes on a herd of zebra. He is an ambush predator and must get close to his prey before he charges.
The “in thing” nowadays is to safari in open-sided or all-open Land Cruisers. Many clients want that adrenaline rush of being close to an apex predator and photographing from an open vehicle.
However, there are Land Cruisers with safer options, such as glass windows that slide shut. When booking, make it clear what type of vehicle you want.
The pop-up roof offers sun shade and a different level of safety to photograph from above the vehicle’s main body.
Your safari guides must have certification verifying they are professional safari guides in their respective African countries. These are the men we use. They are highly trained in bush safety and know how close to get to the animal and when to back off. They watch for aggressive behavior and can spot it before ever getting close.
Safaris are a high-risk activity. You will need to sign an indemnity waiver upon booking a safari, which outlines the things clients cannot do, like get out of the vehicle in the park, talk loudly when a giant elephant stands a few feet away, make loud sounds to stir up animals for better photographs, and many more potentially dangerous actions. It is a team effort. We go above and beyond to keep you safe and ask that you follow the park ranger’s common sense safety rules outlined in the indemnity waiver.
Communication is our greatest safety tool.
“All I wanted to do was get back to Africa. We had not left it yet, but when I would wake in the night, I would lie, listening, homesick for it already.”
Ernest Hemingway
Nothing is more exciting than photographing big elephant herds, the beauty of a bateleur eagle in flight, or thousands of wildebeest crossing the Mara in a mass wave of gnus. This is Africa.
