Africa on Foot is unique in the Kruger for offering proper walking safaris. Most Kruger safari lodges only offer an optional walk after breakfast
where the guide normally assigns his tracker to take the guests on a gentle stroll in the lodge vicinity. Africa on Foot focuses on proper two to four hour morning walking safaris (depending on the level of fitness).
Each Walking Safari begins with a comprehensive demonstration on how to behave when encountering animals. All Walking Safaris are led by qualified rangers who have had intensive specialized training in approaching dangerous game. In addition to allowing you to view the larger mammals on foot, the rangers will give you an insight into the bush that will surprise you. They will explain the animal tracks and what animals passed through during the night, in addition to the sophistication of termite mounds and other interesting facets of the bush that go unnoticed on game drives. The chance to walk amongst wildlife allows you to fully immerse yourself in African smells and sounds. The main aim of a Kruger Walking Safari is to help you appreciate the nature around you, and to provide you with detailed explanations of spoors, vegetation and the ecology in general - an unmatched wildlife experience that you will remember lifelong.
One of the main aims of going on safari is to go on a game drive. On game drives you are able to get a lot closer to big game. The animals are generally habituated to the vehicle. This means that they are used to the vehicle approaching them and know that it never causes them harm. This enables to you to get within five to 10 metres of the large animals - and safely! All game drives are conducted in open 4 x 4 Toyota Landcruisers. No roof allows you 360 degree views, perfect for wonderful photographic and video opportunities. The afternoon game drives generally leave at 4pm and stop for sundowners, and then continue into the night drive on your way back to camp.
The night drives allow guests the opportunity to see the nocturnal animals not encountered during the day. Your chances of seeing leopard in particular are a lot higher at night and with a bit of luck you might even encounter the predators such as lion and leopard hunting. During the night drives, your tracker uses a powerful spotlight to search for nocturnal animals. Expect to see a wide variety of animals not normally seen during the day, including leopards, hyenas, aardvarks, bat-eared fox, porcupines, bush babies, bushbucks, mongoose, genet cats and nocturnal birds like owls and nightjars.
One of the unique advantages of a small safari camp is that the activities can be tailored to your specific needs. For example, if the guides hear lions roaring close to camp at night, they will often knock on your door and ask if you would like to go and find them. In addition, if guests want to only go on game drives this too can be arranged.
However, a typical day at Africa on Foot would be as follows:
| 05h00 05h30 06h00 09h00 to 10h00 11h00 15h00 16h00 19h00 to 20h00 20h00 21h00 |
Wake-up call Coffee and a light breakfast Depart on morning game walk or game drive Return to camp Brunch Tea and a light lunch Depart on afternoon game drive and night drive Return to camp and drinks at the bar Dinner Drinks, coffee or tea around the camp fire |
