Safari Modes of Transportation

How you choose to travel on your itinerary is a critical piece of the safari. Speed, convenience, scenery, comfort, photography, and many other factors can determine what is the best mode of transportation for your safari. Often times it will make sense to combine different modes of transportation to vary experiences and travel efficiently.

Fly In Safari
Guided Vehicle Safari
Self Drive Vechicle Safari
Safari Vehicle Type

Fly In Safari

Loading up a small plane to fly into a camp in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana

Flying from camp to camp is a fantastic way to travel. Flights are typically done in small planes, from 5 to 20 seats. Bush pilots are excellent and planes are well maintained. This is the most efficient mode of transportation as you can quickly get between remote areas and the views, including wildlife, can be incredible. When possible flights are scheduled so that you don’t miss any activities, which is a huge bonus. There are weight restrictions for baggage, usually approximately 12kg (about 26 lbs) for the smallest planes. When on a flying safari you will be picked up at the airstrip by a guide from the camp, thus having a new guide at each camp and using a camp vehicle. The advantage to this is you will always have a guide that is based in that location and should know the area and its wildlife intimately.

View of hippos in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

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Guided Vehicle Safari

On a guided vehicle safari you are transported in the same vehicle to each spot on your itinerary by a guide who remains with you at each lodge or camp and conducts your game drives each day. This may be done as a private party or by joining a group trip. There are many types of vehicles used on safari and which type you will have should be a very important consideration. Types of vehicles merit their own discussion as a factor to consider further below. The advantages to the guided vehicle mode of transportation is you have a professional guide who knows where to go, how to handle driving conditions, and can share knowledge of wildlife, the surroundings, and the culture. You also get to see more of the country as you drive between locations. It is common in Kenya and Tanzania to have a private guided vehicle with a guide who takes you on the entire safari utilizing established camps and lodges. These countries also tend to have larger group safaris as well. In southern African countries guided vehicles usually take small groups on mobile camping safaris sometimes mixing in established lodges and camps. In the southern countries it is more common to use the guides at the camp that you are staying in and then having a transfer (flight or vehicle) to the next camp.

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Self Drive Safari

View from the car on gravel road along the Skeleton Coast.

Warthog crossing sign along paved road in Namibia.

Renting a vehicle and doing the driving yourself can be an economical and rewarding way to travel on safari. That said, South Africa and Namibia are suitable for extensive driving in a sedan car while in parts of those nations and the safari areas in most other countries a 4x4 will be required. Due to large animals on roadways driving can only be safely done during the daytime. Many major national parks such as Kruger and Etosha can be visited on good roads in sedan cars. When driving yourself you may use campgrounds or it might be possible to drive to many outstanding lodges and camps where you can go on game drives with their guides. There are many excellent options for those with the independence to pursue this adventure and willing to do the preparation. The best benefit to self-driving is you get to have more interaction with the local people.

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Safari Vehicle Type

This is a critical factor that is often overlooked while concentrating on accommodation. Most safaris are centered around the game drive experience and thus you spend a lot of time in the vehicle and comfort and quality viewing are essential.

Open Safari Vehicle with Sun Canopy

Open Safari Vehicle

I strongly prefer open vehicles, ones that have no sides. Sometimes they will have a sun canopy on the top while others are completely open. Completely open helps with seeing birds or animals (leopard!) in the trees and provides for unobstructed photography in all directions. The canopy is nice in times of rain or searing heat. Either way the open sides allow for the best photography and more importantly and intimate connection with the animals by removing physical barriers and the familiarity of looking out of a window, no reminders of life at home but rather a direct connection to the wild. In Southern African countries open vehicles are almost exclusively used. Many camps in East Africa have them but if you are doing the guided drive method of travel, which many travelers in Tanzania and Kenya do, there are long transfer drives and thus closed vehicles are usually used.

Closed Safari Vehicle With Retractable Open roof

The closed vehicle with viewing pop-top or retractable open roof are commonly used in East Africa. Typically these vehicles have large sliding windows for seated viewing too. The rigors of long road travel to get from place to place dictate the use of these vehicles, which are more insulating for long drives. It can be a fun feeling to stand and view out of the top but there can also be a lot of jostling around and it is not as harmonious as being seated in an open vehicle.

Some larger tours use mini-vans. This is definitely not recommended and we would only suggest itineraries that utilize 4x4 vehicles crafted for safari use. For self-drivers it just depends on the itinerary what type of vehicle will be appropriate.

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