Dan's Adventure

Over the last couple of weeks I have been on safari in some of Africa’s largest game reserves; Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Although they are all in close proximity, the diversity of the environments has amazed me. From lush forest to baren desert, its obvious why the 3 reserves are home to such a large range of animals. The reserves don’t only vary in terms of animals and environment, the way in which they are conserved also varies greatly.

My first safari was an evening game drive in the Masai Mara in Kenya where I was lucky enough to spot zebra, elephants, lions, buffalo and wildebeest, all in the first two hours. I went on 4 drives in the Masai Mara in total, getting up close with some of the world’s largest and most dangerous animals. Although I was given the opportunity to get some great views and photos, I couldn’t help but feel that it was a bit wrong. The drivers basically go where they want, driving off road and getting as close as physically possible to the animals. The negative effects of this were very obvious the morning after we saw the lion’s buffalo feast as the grass all over that area was flattened. It really makes me wonder whether the Masai Mara will still be there in 10 years time.

In stark contrast, the drivers in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, never go off road. They stick to the designated tracks, and although this generally means you are further away from the animals (unless they choose to be next to the track), it provides a far nicer safari experience as it feels a lot more respectful to the animals and environment. It doesn’t however prevent safari vehicles gathering whenever one of the big five is spotted. At one lion sighting I counted at least 15 vehicles all waiting for the best vantage point.

I’ve been told that Kruger in South Africa is the best place to go on safari as in addition to sticking to the tracks, the number of vehicles at each sighting is limited to two or three at a time meaning that the animals don’t get surrounded and boxed in. Kruger is definitely on the list for next time!