Safari

A safari is one of the best adventures you can have to see animals in their natural habitat. There are many safari destinations throughout the world but the one we most think of is the Africa safari, driving across wide open spaces viewing the big five consisting of Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo. There is so much more on offer, for example: walking safaris, tracking animals through all sorts of environments, also a canoeing safari is a great way to see animals as they are often on river banks and also seeing wildlife that live in the water itself. A hot air ballooning safari is another way of seeing the animals and gives a completely different perspective from above. The most popular is in a vehicle like the open top safari vehicles, 4x4 vehicles and overland trucks which have around 24 seats on average. You are able to have an Elephant safari where you ride Elephants although I feel this practice is cruel to the Elephant for many reasons and I don't advocate this kind of safari. Guides are very important on a safari and yours is only as good as your guide. I have found registered local guides usually have the best knowledge of the flora and fauna in the area. On a good safari you can see the animals but they can't see you as some of the more popular safari areas are full of vehicles and as soon as one of the more popular animals are spotted it's radioed in and hoards of vehicles will arrive getting too close and normally frightening off the animal. We should always remember this their home and not ours. Safaris play an important role in conservation where money raised through park entrance fees helps protect endangered animals and the environments they live in and also help local communities in the area. 

 Safari

 East African Safari Adventure

   Masai Mara National Reserve Kenya 

 The most famous of all African safaris must be in the Maasai Mara, a small wildlife sanctuary which was 323 sq miles in 1948 and then expanded in 1961 to 580 sq miles. There are approximately 100 animals and 500 bird species that have recorded such as Marabou Storks, Secretary Birds, Hornbills, Meyer's Parrot, Crowned Cranes, Ostriches, Long-Crested Eagles, Sacred Ibis, African Pygmy-Falcons, Lilac-Breasted Rollers and more than fifty species of  Raptors. The maasai Mara National Reserve is home to the big 5 which are the Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Black Rhinoceros and African Buffalo. These are a huge draw to the Maasai Mara along with other animals such as Giraffe, Hippopotamus, Crocodiles, Hyenas, Cheetahs, Jackals, Zebras, Thomson's Gazelles, Wild Dog and approximately 1,300,000 Wildebeest. The Masai Mara landscape is made up of Siria Escarpment, forming a spectacular plateau, grasslands, woodlands, the Ngama Hills and open plains. There is also the Maasai Mara River and Talek River that run through the Maasai Mara. There are many ways to see the the reserve for example by vehicle, hot air balloon, horse riding or a walking safari. Whichever way you see the Maasai Mara all the guides are very experienced and some of them are from Maasai Tribe who have amazing knowledge of the flora and fauna in the Reserve. Things to see in the Musiara Swamp include a large marshy area near the Mara river which is a great place to view the wildlife especially the Musiara Lion Pride. Visit the Masai Village and get an insight into tribal life and other conservation areas that border the park like the Elephant Pepper Camp which supports the Maasai land owners providing a stable income. The camp has been awarded a “Gold Level” Eco Rating for its work in eco-tourism. Accommodation is varied from the high end safari lodges that can start from over £1000 per night to camping from around £20 per night. There are over 40 national parks and wildlife reserves in Kenya. Some other reserves are the Amboseli National Park, Selenkay Conservancy, Nairobi National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Samburu Reserve, Aberdare National Park, Tsavo National Park, and Meru National Park.

 Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda

 This is best park in Uganda to see wildlife with 764 sq miles and was created in 1952 with landscape comprising of savannahs, plains, tropical rainforests, semi-deciduous forests, wetlands, volcanic cones and deep craters with some being crater lakes, the most famous being the Katwe Craters. There are many rivers flowing through the park like the Semliki river, Victoria Nile, Lamia river, Kazinga channel, river Ishasha and Kyambura river. There are many small lakes but the two main lakes are lake Edward and lake George which are connected by the Kazinga Channel. These are great places for wildlife, especially birds with over 600 bird species being recorded in the park like the Hooded Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle, Pygmy Kingfisher, Scarlet-Chested Sunbird, Greater Flamingos, Greater Swamp Warbler and the Saddle-billed Stork. The park has over 95 mammal species like the Lion, Leopard, Elephant, African Cape Buffalo, Baboon, Nile Crocodile, Chimpanzee, Hippopotamus, Ugandan Kob and the Giant Forest Hog. Other places to visit in the park are the Katwe salt works at lake Katwe where women collect the crusted salt formed on the surface. The Ishasha southern sector is known for one thing: its tree climbing lions. Kyambura Gorge with an underground forest is a100m deep tree filled chasm with resident Chimpanzees living in the rainforest canopy, and the Maramagambo Forest made famous for its bat cave and for viewing Primates. Different safaris on offer are hot air by hot air ballooning, walking, vehicle and boat. The accommodation on offer here ranges from the high end lodges, hotels and camping with campsites inside the park. Uganda has 10 National Parks; 12 Wildlife reserves, 5 Community Wildlife Management Areas and 13 Wildlife Sanctuaries such as the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kibale National Park, Murchison Falls National Park and the Kibale Forest National Park.

 Ngorongoro Conservation Area Tanzania 

 This is the largest game reserve in Tanzania. It was originally part of the Serengeti National Park but was split to create a conservation area which covers an area of  7,809 sq miles. Created in 1959 it is home to the vast volcanic Ngorongoro Crater which has an approximate surface area of 161 sq miles, is 600 meters deep and boasts the highest density of Lions worldwide. The conservation area consists of the short grass plains, highland catchment forests, savanna woodlands, montane long grass, Salei Plains, moor lands, Oldupai Gorge, Gol Mountains, Eastern Rift Valley, 8 extinct volcanoes, Ngoitokitok hot springs, Goringop swamp and also has two main rivers, Munge River in the west and Lerai River in the east. There are many lakes, the largest being Lake Eyasi, 652 sq miles. The big 5 are here which are the Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo nd Rhinoceros. Other animals you may see are the Spotted Hyena, Cheetah, Zebra, Giraffe, Antelopes, Nile Crocodile, Hippopotamus and African Hunting Dog. There are more than 500 species of birds such as the Augur Buzzard, Egyptian Vulture, Kori Bustard, Greater Flamingo, Verreaux’s Eagle, White-Eyed Slaty Flycatcher and the Scarlet Chested Sunbird. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is large offering much to see. It's an amazing place to see wildlife with a back drop of amazing scenery. There are many other things to see like the active volcano of  Oldoinyo Lengai and the crater forest, The Oldupai Gorge, which is an early human archaeological site, Engare Sero which has 3.6 million year old footprints, Magadi Lake, a soda lake which is a shallow alkline lake, Nasera Rock with early rock paintings and many pieces of early pottery and bone have been found here. The safaris on offer here are by vehicle, walking and hot air balloon. Accommodation on offer are luxury lodges, hotels and camping. There are 16 national parks in Tanzania, some others are the Arusha National Park, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Saadani National Park, Mikumi National Park, Mahale Mountains National Park and Lake Manyara National Park.

 India Safari Adventure

   Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan 

 This one of the largest national parks situated in Rajasthan. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1957 and is approximately 830 sq miles. It sits between the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges with tropical dry deciduous forests, small plateaus and small valleys. It has two main rivers the Banas river and the Chambal river and has many lakes, the largest being the Padam Talao lake. There are more than 40 different mammal species in the park and hosts one of the largest Tiger populations in India with around 71 Tigers which is on the increase. Other animals found in the park include the Common Palm Civets, Hanuman Langurs, Sloth Bears, Jungle Cats, Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Leopards, Panther, Desert Cats, Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles, Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise and Cobras. There are approximately 320 species in the Park such as the Great Crested Grebe, Eagles, Pelicans, Storks, Flycatchers, Ioras, Minivets, Drongos, Flamingos, Ibis and Bee Eaters. There is so much to see on a safari here like The Ranthambore Hill Fort which is said to be around 1000 years old and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kachida Valley consists of many rocky outcrops and low hills and is a great place to find Panthers, Leopards and Sloth Bears. The Jogi Mahal is a hunting lodge built for the Jaipur royal family and sits beside Padam lake. Dastkar Ranthambore is an initiative of  the Dastkar and Ranthambore Foundation which resettles communities in the Sawai Madhopur area of Rajasthan. They had lost access to wood, water, and farming lands due to the creation of Ranthambore National Park. Raj Bagh Ruins are a collection arches, domes, steps and Palace outhouses. You can see the park either by vehicle or hot air balloon. The types of  accommodation on offer inside and out of the park are a castle, lodge, hotel, home-stay or tent. There are 103 national parks and 531 wildlife sanctuaries in India and some of the best for Safaris are the Bandhavgarh National Park, Gir National Park, Pench National Park, Sunderbans Wildlife Sanctuary,  Kanha National Park and Kaziranga National Park.

 Nepal Safari Adventure

 Bardia National Park  

 This is one of the best parks in Nepal and not overrun with tourists as yet! Bardia National Park is located in the north west corner of Nepal, covers an area of approximately 601 sq miles and links to Banke National Park. The park consists of Sal forest, grassland, savannah, riverine forest, and wetlands. There are two rivers in Bardia, the Babai River and the Karnali River. It is rich in biodiversity with around 70% of the park covered with forest with 839 species of flora, 173 of these being tree species. There are 59 species of mammals and some of the animals to be seen are approximately 56  Bengal Tigers, The Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, Elephants, Swamp Deer, Blackbuck, Asiatic Wild Dog, Spotted Deer, Samber, Barking Deer, Nilgai, Wild Boar, Leopard and the Golden Hyena. In the rivers there are the Gharial Crocodile, Marsh Mugger Crocodile, Gangetic Dolphin and the Smooth-coated Otter. There are over 400 species of birds like the Humming Bird, Kite, Eagle, Vulture, Egrets, Black Ibis, Cookoo, Painted Stork, Black-Hooded Oriole and the Purple Sunbird. There are several ways to do a safari in Bardia ether by jeep, elephant or walking safari which is in my personal opinion the best way to see the park. You may not cover as much ground as in a jeep but tracking tigers through the jungle is exhilarating and walking through the long Elephant grass not knowing what else lurks within this grass which is around 3 meters in height and you can only see what's just in front of you. Seeing fresh tiger tracks and huge piles of rhino dung beside the Babai River made the trek feel like a real adventure. Then visiting the observation tower gives you a good view of the river where we viewed a male and female Rhinoceros crossing the river and a Tiger lying and cooling off in the river. The walking safari takes 7 to 8 hours and you have two very experienced local guides with amazing knowledge of the flora and fauna. Other things to see and do in and around the park include river rafting  down the Karnali river which is a great way to see nature, visiting Black Buck Sanctuary, the Crocodile Breeding Centre, Tharu Culture Museum and the Elephant Breeding Centre. You can also experience a camping trip in community forests, fishing and a village tour meeting the local Tharu Tribe. The accommodation on offer are lodges, hotels, homestays and camping. There are 20 protected areas, ten national parks, three wildlife reserves, six conservation areas and one hunting reserve. Some other safari destinations are Chitwan National Park, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Banke National Park, Parsa Wildlife Reserve and Shuklaphanta National Park.