Since you might only have one chance to go on a great African safari, why not make it extra great visit private parks. The more money you decide to spend on your vacation, the more luxurious and comfortable it will be –unless you spend your money on alcohol.
In most African countries that have wild animals, game reserves and other tourist attractions such as South Africa, tourism is among the top revenue generating industries. In addition to the national game parks, you will also come across some private game reserves like the Sabi Sabi, Kapama, Kwandwe and Elandela in South Africa. If you prefer the Eastern part of Africa to the Southern, you can visit the following private game reserves in Kenya Taita Hills Sanctuary, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Ngutuni Sanctuary. Africa safaris are flexible when it comes to the number of days, people and even the type of activities you want to participate in. The following are benefits of going on a private game reserve over a national park:
• Bush Walks
Private games reserves are in most cases adjacent to the national parks in most countries. However, unlike in the national parks when you go on Africa safaris and visit private game reserves, you will have the option of getting out of your car for some nice bush walk. The national parks tend to have strict policies when it comes to getting to of the car. One reason could be the fact that the vehicle might be carrying a lot of tourists but a few or even one guide –this would make it hard and dangerous to walk around leisurely. Private reserves on the other hand will have some bush walks and that will not only allow you to stretch your legs but to also get photos of some of the small animals that are found in bushes. You get up and really close to nature and get to capture that great shot of the animals up close. You will have a guide who will alleyway ensure that you are not in any danger form the animals that you are tying to take picture of.
• Minimal Traffic
When on choosing the best place to go for your Africa safaris, you should consider visiting private game reserves and not the national ones. The sound of engines can at times scare of animals that you might be looking to photograph. National parks and game reserves allow people to drive themselves even without a guide. This leads to the availability of many vehicles in the park and that contributes to a lot of animals running away. Private parks and reserves will have specialized 4 wheel drive vehicles for the ride in the wilderness. They are not only designed to give every passenger enough space to take photos, but they also have sockets for charging your cameras while on the road. You will also get some blankets in these vehicles to help you keep warm when the weather is chilly.
image credit: encompassafrica.com.au
• Highly Qualified Guides
Most people on Africa safaris tend to lookout for “the big five”. When not in sight, it might be hard to find them or even tell where they might be. Although all national parks and game reserves have guides, the private ones have extensive knowledge and tracking skills. This will help them know exactly where to go and look of animals. They can use their extensive knowledge to help ensure that you do not leave the wilderness without having photographed all your favorite animals. Private reserves hire trackers who can easily use the freshness of elephant dung and footprints of other animals to find out how far they might be.
• Best Services of Both
Most if not all private game reserves are adjacent to national parks; tourists visiting the national game reserves cannot just visit the private parks. On the other hand, the private park tourists can venture into the national game parks. This makes your Africa safaris more beneficial in the sense that if the animals move from one park to the next, you will still get to see them.
• Exclusive Accommodations
Most of the private game parks tend to be a bit more expensive than visiting the national parks. This makes the private ones to offer better services such as their accommodation and even the meals served. While on Africa safaris with your spouse, the private game reserves offer more luxurious and smaller accommodations for you. The meals and wine will also be top of the class and you will definitely enjoy every minute o f your safari.
image credit: encompassafrica.com.au
Sometimes it is good to just spoil yourself while on Africa safaris and just spend substantial amounts of money. With the use of more money, you end up getting the best services and that will contribute to making your safaris more memorable.