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The New Safaris: More Animals, More Conservation, More Engagement
They’re no longer just about riding around in a Jeep, taking pictures of native animals
By Jen Murphy
The African safari continues to evolve, branching out to appeal to a broader variety of travelers.
Big-game hunters are still out there, but for most people an African safari long ago came to mean photographing the continent’s iconic native animals in their natural habitat, usually from the seat of a Jeep on daily drives along well-traveled routes. Today, travelers on safari can depart from that beaten path to be more active, see a greater variety of wildlife, take part in conservation efforts and engage with local communities. Here’s a look at some refreshing new ways to see Africa.
See the other Big Five
For decades, tourists have visited Africa intent on seeing the so-called Big Five native species: lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo and leopards. But Africa has much more to offer wildlife enthusiasts. When it comes to species diversity, the coastal waters of South Africa—particularly those off the province of Western Cape, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet—rival the country’s vast plains. Among the highlights are the Marine Big Five—the Southern right whale, great white shark, Cape fur seal, African penguin and bottlenose dolphin. A sea safari around Dyer Island, a nature reserve near the coastal town of Gansbaai, offers one of the best chances of spotting them all. The marine biologists behind eco-tour operator Dyer Island Cruises can answer questions on everything from habitat threats to dolphin sonar.
Farther east, massive pods of whales converge just off the shores of the De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Western Cape during peak whale season, from June through November. Visitors can see it all from the reserve’s Whale Trail as they hike along its nearly 34 miles, or from the comfort of one of seven ocean-facing rooms at the recently opened Lekkerwater Beach Lodge in the reserve.
Ditch the Jeep
Health-conscious, active travelers may want an alternative to the traditional safari itinerary that calls for sitting on hours long game drives, sipping sundowner gin-and-tonics and indulging in carnivorous feasts known as braais. One option is a walking safari. Norman Carr set up some of the first safaris on foot in Zambia’s game-rich South Luangwa National Park in the 1960s. Now, under the Time + Tide Safaris umbrella, Carr’s four original bush camps have been connected as a walking circuit. Guided treks between the camps cover 5 to 9 miles and pass through open grassland and ancient ebony groves, providing more-visceral encounters with zebra herds and giraffes than can be had from the back of a 4×4.
Hands-on conservation
Conservation is at the heart of much of today’s safari industry, and there are opportunities for travelers to get directly involved. A company called andBeyond, for one, offers immersive, conservation-focused trips. On Benguerra Island in Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, andBeyond’s lodge serves as the base for five-day marine-predator tagging expeditions that allow no more than four guests to help researchers tag giant trevallies, grey reef sharks and other predators for studies. The company offers many other sea- and land-based excursions that can deepen travelers’ understanding of conservation.
“An experience like dehorning a rhino or collaring an elephant turns the theoretical idea of conservation into a pragmatic approach,” says Joss Kent, chief executive of andBeyond.
East Africa safari specialist Asilia Africa opened the four-tent Usangu Expedition Camp in a remote corner of Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park in July. Guests engage in activities in conjunction with the on-site Douglas Bell Eco Research Station—such as setting up observation cameras in the wild and tracking animals that have been fitted with transmitters.
Snorkel in a kelp forest
The Oscar-winning 2020 documentary “My Octopus Teacher” heightened awareness of what had been one of Africa’s most overlooked ecosystems, the Great African Sea Forest, a nearly 750-mile-long stretch of highly biodiverse kelp forest along Africa’s southwestern coast. False Bay, a 30-minute drive from Cape Town, has emerged as a kelp tourism hot spot. Area hotels, like the waterfront Tintswalo at Boulders, offer guided snorkel tours, and local conservationist Hanli Prinsloo specializes in free-dive experiences that might include seaweed foraging and shark sightings.
Connect with local culture
For travelers who want to connect with the communities they visit, Lewa Wilderness, one of Kenya’s oldest safari operators, works with a Maasai-community-run company called Walking Wild to offer walking safaris in the game-rich Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and neighboring conservation areas. The conservancy is one of the few remaining places in East Africa where black rhinos and white rhinos can still be seen. On journeys of two to five nights, Maasai guides school guests in the local culture and surrounding ecosystems.
Safaris aren’t the only way for travelers to connect with local communities. In Ethiopia, Wild Expeditions offers the opportunity to interact with the people of the Omo Valley. Guests travel by river to a remote camp run by Lale Biwa, co-owner and chief guide of Wild Expeditions, who grew up in the nearby Kara village of Dus. From there, they might be invited to join a ceremony with the Hamar people or camp with the Mursi.
