General Newssafaris, giraffe, elephants, magazines, camp site

With more people now seeking longer safaris with greater independence, but on ever-tighter budgets, experienced explorer Andrew St. Pierre White makes the case for self-drive, and offers his advice to help you plan your big adventure.

In no small way, self-drive turns a holiday into an expedition. For that is exactly what a holiday like this can become. I’ve been lucky enough to see both sides of the game fence. I have been to some amazing luxury lodges in my time. Hell, I even managed one in the Okavango, but, given the choice, I will always opt for the self-drive adventure. A self-drive safaris are less like visiting the zoo than your typical game lodge, no matter how classy or expensive. In a zoo, one animal watches another, one in a steel cage, and the other free.

The big difference with self-drive safaris is that you can get out of the cage and be with the animals, not just look at them. And I dare say there are probably few activities on Earth that stimulate the senses quite like being on the same turf as a lion or an elephant.

Every animal on this planet, including us, exists in an environment of stress and threat. We have managed our civilisation to minimise the threat to an acceptable degree. For us, living in the developed world, about the worst thing that can happen is to drop our mobile phone. In the world of the African self-drive traveller, we accept that the risks are higher, but so are the rewards. The idea here is that, with trustworthy information, we can diminish the risks to an acceptable level.

So what do you need to think about when planning a self-drive expedition? Animal dangers: are they real or perceived? If you are the type who would get annoyed if dinner was disrupted by three adolescent lions strolling like gangsters into your camp, then perhaps wild camping is not for you. And I agree. It’s not particularly comfortable chopping lettuce with a lioness five feet away. But that’s the point. If you do have a meal interrupted, it’ll be for reasons that will enliven your dinner parties for years to come.

Wild camping in a reserve with lions and elephant around does of course need to be treated seriously. Here are few simple things to keep you safe:

  • Keep your eyes and ears open and remain aware of your surroundings when getting out of your vehicle.
  • If you are able to camp where you choose (outside a designated camp site) be aware of animal footpaths. You really don’t want to get in the way of an elephant herd as it makes its way to a favourite waterhole. Dinner may be more than just interrupted.
  • Keep children close by, especially the very little ones. Wild camping with toddlers who can walk is not advised. If children fall asleep around the campfire, either place them in the middle of the group, or tuck them up in bed. Hyenas are opportunistic hunters, and while they will not take on an adult who is awake, they will attack a small child. And they are cunning and fast. This is what I would call an unacceptable risk.
  • Near water, crocodiles are a risk, again especially near animal footpaths. But hippos are even more dangerous. Just don’t mess with them. If they are in the water and you’re on land, it’s no protection. As a general rule, always keep the same distance from a hippo as you would from a lion, if not more.
  • Kick wood and logs before picking them up, to dislodge snakes, spiders and scorpions. And talking about scorpions, keep your boots in your tent at night to stop the critters climbing in and giving you a nasty shock in the morning.

Driving on a gravel road at speed is new to most people who live in the developed world. Gravel roads, sand tracks, and mud in the summer months are conditions that might be encountered. Again, it’s part of the expedition experience. There are videos on YouTube that’ll teach you how to drive in these conditions. The trouble is, much advice is provided by people with all the theory but no actual experience. There are places online where you can find sound advice and video 4WD training.

When leaving the tar road, engage four-wheel-drive. Always and at all speeds. It reduces over-steer and increases safety and stability ten-fold. With full-time four-wheel-drive vehicles, this is especially relevant. Drivers may be under the impression that such a transmission means that they are always in four-wheel-drive. But they are not. The driver must lock the centre differential (full-lock-up four-wheel drive). If the vehicle has an axle differential lock, leave it unlocked on gravel road and sand tracks, because locking it and driving a bit too fast can lead to an uncontrollable roll-over. Reduce your tyre pressures if the vehicle feels unsure on the gravel. Go down about 20 per cent. If you encounter thick sand, drop pressures even more. You’ll need an electric pump and pressure gauge as part of your kit. Return it to two-wheel-drive once on the tarmac.

Andrew St. Pierre White is a writer and adventure travel filmmaker. He has toured Africa’s most remote spots for 35 years and has written 15 overland guidebooks in his time. Originally published in Travel Africa edition 68.