Woodbridge Safaris: Travelling by Vehicle

Travelling by Vehicle

Almost all safaris involve travelling by vehicle, both for transfers between camps and for game viewing. Animals don't feel threatened by a vehicle and hence this is the best option for photography and close-up viewing predators and large game, such as elephants and rhino.

I don't believe you can sell a tailor-made safari through a website, but my pesonal headlines on travelling by vehicle include:

Quality of vehicles is a key element of your safari experience: you don't want to spend hours standing on the seats of a converted minibus fighting for space through a small roof hatch! Some of the best vehicles are found at Kicheche Camp in the Masai Mara: many of their vehicles having four individual bucket seats, each with a large “picture window” with a shelf on which to place your beanbag if you’re a keen photographer. I've enjoyed all-day game drives across the dotted plains of the Mara, following the migrating herds up and down the river - and not been at all stiff by the end of the day!
Another great destination for vehicle safaris is Tanzania. The south of the country offers large parks (Selous and Ruaha) with relatively low visitor numbers, high game density and amazing scenic diversity. The Adventure Camps properties have a high standard of guiding and are an excellent starting point for a tailor made itinerary combining safari with the beaches and local culture of Zanzibar.
Self-drive is another vehicle option, and one which you might not immediately associate with Africa. Both South Africa and Namibia are ideal for self-drive itineraries, with good roads, relatively simple navigation and little traffic. A well-designed self-drive safari needn't involve too many hours in the car, which is largely a cost-effective means of transferring between properties. There is a network of family-run properties, offering good value accommodation and local activities, including guided walks, game drives and horse riding. One of my personal favourites is Lesheba, a hidden paradise in the Soutpansberg in Limpopo Province.
Then there's quad-biking on the salt pans in central Botswana. I'd never driven a quad-bike before, but somewhat paradoxically this was an excellent way to experience the solitude and emptiness of these vast landscapes. It's the only time I've seen a 360-degree, completely flat horizon and the sunset was amazing. Sleeping out in the open on a bed-roll was all part of the experience: prime position for watching the changing constellations through the night!