Game Drives

The main event on any safari, game drives in Zambia are particularly good in our opinion, due to the large and diverse numbers of animals and birds and the relatively small number of fellow tourists. All the lodges use open sided 4x4 vehicles with seating for either six or nine people, which means everyone gets great uninterrupted views of the scenery and wildlife. There are no minibuses or enclosed vehicles here, but if you have not been on safari before you may not realise how crucial this is to the overall enjoyment of the experience, which is why we do bang on about it!

Game drives are the main activity at most lodges in Zambia, particularly in the South Luangwa National Park, and you will normally do two per day at these lodges. The first sets out just after dawn and lasts for three and a half to four hours, arriving back at the lodge in time for lunch. Your second drive will typically set off an hour or two before sunset, and be completed well after dark. [cont.]

There are a few lodges and camps, often specialising in walking safaris, where game drives are not available - these camps are often too remote and accessible either by foot, air or water only - so do make sure that where you want to stay offers game drives if that is what you are interested in - similarly some lodges are in better areas of the Park for wildlife sightings or require less driving to access the Park - ask your specialist for more information.

Your enjoyment of the drive will often depend on the quality of your guide, and again Zambia comes up trumps here, with most lodges (and all that we use) employing local guides who have been through a rigorous training programme and know the area and its inhabitants like the proverbial back of their hand. Don't be afraid to ask any questions of the guides, no matter how trivial they may seem to you - someone else may be thinking the same thing and also be holding back, and it's what the guides are there for.

The game drive vehicle will normally stick to the fairly well-worn paths through the Parks, but these paths are rough in some areas so expect a bumpy ride on occasions. If something interesting comes up and you want to investigate things a little further, your vehicle will be able to leave the path to get a closer look. On this note, if you want to stop for any reason, to take a photo or ask about a particular tree for example, don't be afraid to ask even if there are other people not known to you in your vehicle - it is your safari and you have as much right to get what you want from it as they do.

Game drives may be the main activity on safari and you will often spend more time on these than doing anything else but they are also THE reason most people go on safari, and with good reason - the thrill of your first leopard or wild dog sighting is not to be underestimated!