Our safari vehicles, and what a good one really needs.
Here's a funny thing: the vehicle is the part of a safari people think about least, and the place they sit longest. It's worth two minutes of your time.
The things that really matter
- A window seat for everybody. If a vehicle seats seven and carries seven, somebody's stuck in the middle. On a private trip that should never happen, and we don't fill a vehicle to its limit.
- A pop-up roof. Standing up changes what you can see and, even more importantly, what you can photograph over the long grass.
- A fridge and charging points. Cold water at midday, and camera batteries that are still full at four in the afternoon instead of flat.
- A radio. Guides tell each other what they've found. A vehicle without a radio is just guessing.
- Proper four-wheel drive, and a driver who knows when not to use it. The wet season isn't a reason to stay home. It's a reason to be in a vehicle that copes, with someone who reads a track before driving down it.
What we haven't published
How many vehicles we run, and how old they are. We'd rather tell you the specification of the vehicle assigned to your trip, when we assign it, than put a fleet number here that could be out of date by the time you read it. Just ask, and we'll put it in writing.
Questions worth asking anyone, not just us
How many people will be in the vehicle? Does the roof open? Is the guide employed or freelance? Will the vehicle be shared with another booking on any day of the trip? You'd be surprised: the answers vary far more between operators than the prices do.