Walking & Trekking in Africa

Walking & Trekking Safaris

Step out of the confinement of your Land Cruiser and immerse yourself into the African wilderness. A walking safari allows you to be a part of the journey rather than just be a mere spectator.

There is no feeling like leaving the relative safety and comfort of your vehicle and immersing yourself into the world of the animals. The first-timer will undoubtedly feel anxious. This will very quickly be replaced by exhilaration and a sense of liberation. Your first time will not be your last time.

Vehicle safari is great for covering vast distances and seeing a large volume of animals. However, the purpose of walking safari is to bring you closer to nature. It is all about understanding the bush and gaining a more intimate relationship with the ecosystem and animals. Uncover secret areas of the bush where vehicles are unable to pass. Follow lion tracks down dried out river beds as your guide and tracker lead you to the prize sighting. Listen and learn as your guide explains how indigenous tribes use certain flora for medicines or hunting. Watch the daily struggles as a dung beetle battles against gravity in an attempt to roll her all-important dung uphill. Finally, hold your breath as you turn a corner only to find a clan of hyenas equally startled by your presence.

Walking safari is fantastic and in our opinion an important feature in any itinerary for anybody wanting to deepen their understanding of wild Africa. It can take on many forms, ranging from a gentle stroll close to the perimeter of your camp, to a full activity where approaches on large fauna is the norm, to multi-day hikes where you move across the open terrain from one camp to another.

Although exhilarating and exciting, walking and trekking safari is highly regulated and every effort is made to ensure your safety. Guides are put through a vigorous and lengthy training process to ensure the highest standards of safety. Rangers will often accompany guides and at least one of them will be armed with a gun. The gun is for protection and is used only in rare and extreme circumstances. If a dangerous animal threatens the gun is used to scare the animal with the noise and obviously not to shoot or harm the animal.

Walking safari is a specialist activity and is not available in all locations. It is historically an activity associated with private game reserves and conservancies. However, some national parks in the south of the continent specialise in the art of walking through the bush.

The premier destinations for walking safari are:

• Ruaha National Park
• South Luangwa National Park
• Kafue National Park
• North Luangwa National Park
• Mana Pools National Park

Contact us to discuss how we can design your dream African walking safari.