Active Adventures
Time to Get Moving
Many people want to be active on safari – our increasingly sedentary lifestyles mean that more and more travellers want to get out of the safari vehicle and get moving!
Our safaris can incorporate several different activities. Choose from horseback riding, camel treks, tracking gorillas or lions, walking in the bush from camp to camp, bungee jumping, white water rafting, mountain climbing and more, including sports such as golf, cycling or even a game of football with some locals!
If you’d really like to push the boundaries in terms of intrepid travel, there are some amazing Expedition ideas and more insights on our companion website, John Stevens Expeditions Africa here.
WALKING
“ … from a vehicle you see Africa. On foot you feel, hear and smell Africa.”
Walking can be tailored to suit you – you may only want to walk a few kilometres at a time at a gentle pace or you might like to go out all day with a picnic lunch in your day pack; you may enjoy a mobile walking safari with camels bringing up the rear with camp equipment, food and luggage; you might like to walk from camp to camp or you may choose to walk for a few days at a time with everything portered or carried on your back.
FLYING
Flying between camps in a light aircraft, piloted by an experienced commercial aviator who is also your private safari guide, may seem like utter indulgence but it can make economic sense as well as saving valuable time. This is especially true for countries where camps and lodges are tucked away in remote corners and only easily accessible by small plane or helicopter. And it can be rather extraordinary, as happens on the Skeleton Coast in Namibia, to have your pilot/guide land on a remote air strip, totally inaccessible by vehicle, step out of his plane, take you on a fascinating walk, and at the end of the walk return to the plane and fly on to your overnight camp! John Stevens has colleagues who can take you on a wonderful flying adventure into Africa’s remotest bush destinations.
GAME DRIVES
Game drives are without doubt the highlight of any safari. The anticipation is such fun and routes/timings are often planned the night before with your guide. Climb aboard and venture out into the bush at first light with your camera and binoculars and cover miles of beautiful landscapes looking for great wildlife sightings. Drives can last from a couple of hours to a full day with a picnic breakfast or lunch in the bush, and many concessions allow you to drive after sunset on night drives. Game drives are usually conducted in custom-designed open-sided four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles – usually Land Cruisers or Land Rovers. In most cases they carry a maximum of six guests only, which means everyone gets a ‘window seat’ from which to view or photograph scenery and wildlife.
HOT AIR BALLOONING
This is a wonderful activity, floating across the landscapes of Africa at crack of dawn, the sun just easing up over the horizon… a favourite activity in Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.
BOAT/MOKORO EXCURSIONS
River boat cruises are a popular way of seeing wildlife from the comfort of luxury cruisers, barges or speedboats on various rivers throughout Africa. Usually, boats set out in the early morning, in time for sunrise and breakfast or more often, at sunset, when snacks and sundowners are brought out whilst you watch river life roll by… great boat rides in Zimbabwe on the Zambezi River, in Chobe, Botswana, Ruaha in southern Tanzania,
The mokoro is a large dugout canoe and is used to explore the tranquil waters of the rivers, marshes and deltas of Botswana. Whilst your mokoro is poled silently through the waters by a trusty guide, you’ll have a unique opportunity to fully experience the sounds and sights of the wild without disturbing the secret life of nature. This is a must-do activity for keen birders and photographers!
HORSEBACK RIDING
What better way to discover the real beauty of the African bush than from the back of a horse, where you become on “even terms” with the wild animals? Making close contact with the wildlife is an unforgettable experience. Riding is varied – a meandering walk through magnificent wilderness; at other times occasionally breaking into an exhilarating gallop amongst the herds, or standing sedately alongside a giraffe. There are different styles of safaris to suit every level of ability, from novice to experienced riders.
CAMEL TREKKING
This is a truly unique way to experience Africa on safari. Really a walking safari with experienced Samburu tribesmen and guides, you’ll hike with camels through the Laikipia or Samburu up to the Matthews Range, camping with your guide and crew. This is a wonderful family safari, as you can learn all about the tribe, who wear their Samburu clothing, and what it takes to become a warrior, as well as learning bush survival skills, the bows and arrows they make and creating fire with no matches. Walk through beautiful terrain amongst wildlife, at a pace that you dictate. This is a completely private experience for yourself and your family. This does not have to be an entire safari trip – you can spend just one night fly camping with your camels, either riding or walking alongside them, in the traditional manner of the northern Kenya tribes and then resume on a more “regular” safari experience.