Guest travel blogger Mike McCaffrey (Nomadic by Nature) visited Tuskers Bush Camp and documented his journey with words and images.
Many people come on safari with a suitcase full of outdoor and active gear, expecting to get deep into the bush, but then quickly realize that most safaris are much more like a series of short, bumpy road trips than a physical activity. Some people only manage to get out of their car to get back into their lodge at night.
There is nothing wrong with this, and really for wildlife enthusiasts, it can be quite rewarding as it enables you to get close to very large and dangerous animals like lions, buffalos and elephants. However, the car still remains a very tangible barrier between you and the wild bush you came to experience.
For this reason, many avid safari goers choose to complement their game drives with a walking safari, which allows you to head out into the bush on your own two feet. While game drives rely almost totally on your sight, walking safaris provide a fuller sensory experience.
Without the dust of the vehicles, you can smell the mopane trees as they are about to blossom. You can hear the snouts rustling in the bushes, and the warning calls of the francolins as you approach. It is a more meditative way to explore the bush, where you can take your time to stop and investigate an antlion trap.
However, there is nothing more exciting than when you have a sighting on foot. You use a series of hand signals with your guide to hatch a plan of advance or retreat, and then slowly move together in lock step trying not to crunch twigs on the ground, while keeping your focus on the animal you have come across. Sighting a giraffe from the car is a magical experience, but feeling the vibrations of its hooves on the ground as it runs through the bush is a visceral experience you are not likely to forget.
So after you seek out the big five from your car, spend some time on the ground feeling, smelling and listening to the bush. Taking a walking safari at Tuskers Bush Camp will leave you with a richer more unique experience you are not soon to forget.
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