Game drives are an exhilarating experience! Whether you are up with the birds before sunrise to view the bushveld’s early risers or tracking the nocturnal animals with spotlights at night, safari game drives in the African bush are an experience of a lifetime.
The private game reserves along the western border of the Kruger National Park offer the best game viewing experience. There is no fencing between Kruger and the reserves so animals can roam freely between them. Game viewing in the Kruger Park and neighbouring reserves is essentially the same but there are some differences in the type of game drive you will experience.
The main difference between Kruger and the private reserves is that only closed vehicles are permitted in the Kruger Park whereas the private reserves offer open vehicle game drives. The advantage of open vehicles is that you get better views and feel a great deal closer to the bush and the experience. The ranger and tracker who accompany you on excursions in the private reserves are also in contact with other vehicles on game drives which greatly increases your chances of finding the animals that you most want to see. Off-road driving is forbidden in the Kruger and night drives may only be conducted by park rangers in large park vehicles. In contrast, the private reserves offer night drives every evening and they may also leave the roads to follow animals into the bush and provide much better opportunities to witness animal behaviour and interactions.
No matter where you are in the area, however, the scenery in the Kruger National Park is wild, unspoiled and breathtakingly beautiful. Heading off into wild Africa in a safari vehicle where there are no fences or man-made structures, you have the unique opportunity of enjoying Africa just as you had imagined it. Wide, open plains alive with game and watering holes teeming with birdlife, herds of elephant and buffalo. You might get close to a pack of lions, watch giraffes grazing on treetops or see a cheetah on the hunt. Leopards are more elusive characters but can be seen frequently in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park.
Your game drives will focus on the animals whose movement is determined by the season and the rainfall. Most South African safari lodges have a ranger and tracker accompanying all game drives. They are well trained and knowledgeable and can offer great insight into the various ecosystems found in the Kruger National Park. Having the trained eye of a tracker onboard increases your chances of seeing something special and exciting.
On safari, each day is different. You could be silently watching elephants drink and bath one day and the next day you could be following a wild dog hunt off-road. Whatever you encounter is sure to be a unique experience and your guides and trackers will willingly answer all of your questions. Sundowners are an old safari tradition and most game drives will pause at sunset for a cocktail and a quiet moment to listen to the shrill sounds of the bushveld.
A lot of game drives are on open vehicles so you should remember to take sunscreen and a hat during the day (all year round) and in winter you will need warm clothing in the evenings (May to August).
The Kruger National Park is one of the world’s largest wildlife sanctuaries and morning and evening game drives offer spectacular sights, sounds and observations of flora and fauna that form part of the vast and ancient African ecology network.