People often ask us about the different types of safari drives (also called “game drives”) provided in the game reserves in Southern Africa.
Some, who have no experience of driving around in a wild African reserve are concerned about the safety of this practice. Please note that coming close to wild animals in even completely open safari vehicles without roofs or sides is very safe, particularly if you are accompanied by an experienced game ranger driver. The animals are oblivious to your individual presence inside the outline of the vehicle and see the whole vehicle as a unit and as an unimportant part of their surroundings.
The types of safari or game drives available are a little complex, and we try to list and describe them here so that you can identify what will give you the best experience for your pocket.
General description of safari/game drives.
To start, there are the drives that are provided in the larger, better-known public game reserves/parks. These reserves and parks are owned and/or administered by the national or local governments, and the rules covering behaviour when on drives can be quite strict in order to protect both visitors and the animals.
Guests must stay on board the vehicle at all times and only dismount at safe locations reserved for alighting or if instructed to do so by the game ranger driver. No alcohol can be consumed, noise levels must be kept to a minimum and vehicles are not allowed to leave the road to get closer to animals. Vehicles must return to base or leave the reserves at closing times and fines and/or expulsion or even complete banning from the reserve can be sanctioned on offenders.
Examples of popular public reserves that belong to the respective national or provincial governments would be Kruger National Park, Pilanesberg National Park, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, Addo Elephant Park and Kalahari Trans Frontier Park, Chobe Game Reserve and Okavango Delta in Botswana, Hwange and Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe Kafue and South Luangwa in Zambia and Etosha Pan in Namibia.
In the much smaller privately owned reserves, the rules depend greatly on the private owner and can be much more relaxed. Roofless vehicles can be allowed, and vehicles can pursue closer sightings off-road.
Driving in a private vehicle in the big public reserves.
Firstly, there are private drivers who self-drive themselves or guests in a wide range of private vehicles, from tiny saloons to large SUVs 4x4s. Doing this on your own is the cheapest way, but it can be much better if you are accompanied by an experienced wildlife guide. The duration can be for the whole day, and you have the freedom to go wherever you like and stop wherever it is permitted. You can stop to go to the restrooms scattered throughout the reserve to get a meal, have a picnic in one of the fenced rest camps or, more importantly, spend time at the open protected places where you are allowed to get out of your vehicle and view animals next to a water hole or river or enjoy the view from a high-point. There are usually picnic tables and barbecue stands at these viewing spots, too.
So, driving privately with or without a guide is great if you are a keen photographer. You don’t have to worry about others in a shared vehicle who might want to move on while you are still trying to get a nice shot of a particular animal, bird, or scene.
Driving with an expert guide in a well configured 4×4 SUV.
If you drive (or are driven) in a well configured 4×4 SUV with a expert wild life guide or game ranger who is an expert on the particular reserve you can go deeper and further in to the reserve and see far more of its animals. In our opinion this is the best option and Mmilo Tours can supply this as a speciality of ours. With wide panoramic sun roofs and big opening windows, there is no restriction to the sights, smells and sounds that you will experience. You also have a high seating position which is important to see over the tall grasses that sometimes abound and obscure your view.
Open Safari Vehicle (OSV) Safaris for Day Visitors and for those staying inside the large public reserves.
These vary quite a lot, but basically, there are two sizes, the 10-seaters and 25-seaters.
Day Visitors
Generally, if you are a day visitor to the reserves or do not stay over at a private lodge inside the reserve but stay outside and come into safari each day, then you can expect to be in a big 25-seater OSV. These are large vehicles and do lack some manoeuvrability.
If you are lucky enough to book on a day when there are just a few others, you might go in a 10-seater, which is better for viewing animals and more comfortable and manoeuvrable.
Shared scheduled game drives are at sunrise and sunset shared with other visitors. If you wish we can organise a 10-seater privately for yourself or group.
The scheduled game drives stop only once for you to get out during the 3-hour long drive at a spot chosen by your safari driver. If hiring your own private game drive vehicle, you can instruct the driver where and when to stop.
Duration of game drives
As stated above drives in private vehicles can be of any duration during the opening hours of the reserve.
Drives in open safari vehicles last three hours. Shared scheduled drives usually cost US$30-40 per person, depending on the reserve.
Some suppliers based outside the reserves drive in and do extended game drives longer than 3 hours in open safari vehicles( OSV) for US$70.00-120 for full-day (usually 7-8 hours) or half-day (usually 4 hours) durations.
If you want to go longer in an OSV starting inside the reserve, you can book two back-to-back three-hour drives. Of course, this has to be private, and you will pay the private rate. We can even book an OSV for the entire day for you.
Of course, in all cases, you have to get yourself to the reserve or somewhere near the gates and arrange this transport yourself. For our cheaper safari packages, we use accommodation right next to the gates of the Kruger National Park to avail of these very reasonably priced safari drives. Prices of all-inclusive packages range from US$170-300, depending on whether it is at a 3, 4, or 5-star level with all meals and safari drives.
Combined OSV and SUV drives from Mmilo Tours
Mmilo Tours also offers a combined OSV and SUV drive of 6 -7 hours each with 3+ hours on each.
This is the private SUV drive combined with shared scheduled game drive or private game drive ion OSV. The best of both worlds!
Visitors staying at the exclusive 5-star lodges in “concessions” areas of the Kruger and other parks use roofless and sideless vehicles.
At some exclusive 5-star lodges, more open versions of the OSV are used.
Some of them have no sides, and some have no roofs or both!
In these vehicles, there is usually a driver and tracker, and they are armed.
Some of them can go off-road and drive through the bush to get closer to animal sightings.
There are different rules for different “concession” areas of the big reserves and so the vehicle configurations vary. These areas are not privately owned, but the reserve in question has granted them a concession to be the only supplier of drives and/or accommodation in that area, and access to anyone not staying at the lodge is not allowed. Good examples of this would be the Sabi Sands and Thornybush sections of the Kruger National Park.
Staying at these concession lodges costs ZAR6,000.00- ZAR20,000.00 per person per day. The daily package usually includes two game drives (sunset and sunrise), all meals and optional bush walks.
Organising your game drive
Whether you choose a self-driven SUV tour, a guided drive, or an open safari vehicle, each safari type offers a unique way to experience Africa’s wildlife. At Mmilo Tours, we provide customized safari experiences that cater to various preferences and budgets, ensuring your journey is memorable and safe. Let us guide you on an adventure through Southern Africa’s game reserves for an unforgettable encounter with nature. Contact us today.