Wildlife Viewing
On this epic safari journey — which contains 32 included tours and Cultural Discoveries (including 16 safari activities) — you’ll travel on three of Africa’s most iconic waterways and across 4 national parks as you seek out some of the 230 mammal species, 175 endemic bird species, and so much more. We’ll be taking the way less traveled, and we’ll be doing it in true comfort and luxury — all the while experiencing some of the best wildlife viewing imaginable.
Lions
Growing to be up to 6.5 feet long, the African lion is a sight to behold. They live in groups — called prides — which can include 12 or so females, a few males (with their signature manes), and their offspring. The females of the pride generally handle the hunting, which they will sometimes do in groups given that they are not as fast as some of their prey (teamwork can create a big advantage). The male’s role is to protect the pride’s territory.
Get your camera and GoPro ready: The lion’s fearsome reputation precedes them, but luckily for us they don’t shy away from the camera. We’ll likely have ample opportunities to snap photos of these stunning creatures — don’t worry, your driver will put you in the right spot for the perfect shot, and who knows, they may look right into your lens!
Elephants
Though they are well-known as the world’s largest land mammals, elephants are also renowned for their remarkable intelligence: Scientists believe they can recognize themselves in a mirror and help other elephants that are injured or comfort them when they are unhappy. While they have terrible eyesight, they have an uncanny sense of smell — in fact, they can actually smell water up to 12 miles away. Southern Africa is teeming with elephants: In fact, Botswana has more elephants than any place else in the world: more than 120,000!
Special Feature: It’s one thing to see an elephant; it’s another thing to feed it, to stand near it, to run your hands over its skin. This is the opportunity that awaits you on an interaction with a herd of elephants at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust. You’ll see firsthand the work that is being done at this organization that has spent the past 25 years as an organization dedicated to helping orphaned elephants and other animals who otherwise would have been abandoned.
Fun fact: Ever wonder how to tell the difference between African elephants and their Asian counterparts? Well, African elephants are slightly larger in general, but there’s another telltale sign: their ears resemble the shape of the African continent! Keep an eye out for herds (often led by matriarchs) or singular elephants (males spend much of their lives as bachelors).
Leopards
One of the strongest of the big cats, leopards can leap up to 9 feet in the air, are good swimmers, and can carry their prey up in trees — which affords them the ability to keep it away from other predators like hyenas and lions. Of the Big Five, the leopard is one of the most elusive — they are notoriously adept at keeping out of sight and are very difficult to track.
Get your camera and GoPro ready: Leopards make for mind-blowing photographic subjects. Vantage travelers are privileged to have the best drivers, guides, and Adventure Leaders that will give you the best chance to “spot” these shy predators.
Fun fact: Speaking of spots, the leopard’s distinctive markings are not actually spots — they are officially called “rosettes.”
Rhinoceros
The two species of rhino — black and white — do not differ in color, but in their lips. The black rhino has a hooked lip, while the white rhino’s lip is wide (which it is believed was mistaken for “white,” thus explaining the name). While they may look slow, they are in fact fairly quick for their size: they can reach running speeds of nearly 35 miles per hour and can change directions quickly.
Get your camera and GoPro ready: Rhinos, sadly, are critically endangered — though once a common sight on the plains of Africa, they were decimated by hunting and poaching. The good news is that, thanks to diligent conservation efforts, both white and black rhino populations are once again rising slowly — and no one is more skilled at finding these creatures than your Adventure Leader and your drivers and guides. A photo of one of these rare animals will certainly be frame-worthy!
Cape Buffalo
The Cape buffalo is massive — sometimes weighing over 1,700 pounds — and is noted for its signature horn that meets in a shield on its forehead (it’s called a “boss”). While it may appear to be placid, the Cape buffalo can be quite ornery. They’ve been known to hold grudges: sometimes ambushing animals (or hunters) who once wounded them.
Get your camera and GoPro ready: When you see them in the wild, be sure to train your camera lens on its buddy, the oxpecker. These birds live on the backs of the buffalo, feeding on the bugs that land on the creature’s skin and warning him of any impending danger. A great photo idea is to get an image of the oxpecker and the buffalo — it will make the photo a bit unique.
Giraffes
There’s something so graceful about the giraffe; seeing them lope across a savannah is mesmerizing as they seem to be moving in slow motion (in fact, they can run up to 35 miles per hour). When you see a giraffe, they’ll likely be eating leaves off of trees — they need to eat about 75 pounds a day, so they don’t have much time for anything else.
Fun fact: Though giraffes have long necks, they actually have just as many vertebrae in their necks as humans do; they just happen to be super-sized (up to 10 inches). That long neck also means giraffes have an extra-large heart — up to 25 pounds — and strong enough to pump blood all the way up to its brain!
Get your camera and GoPro ready: The good news about how much giraffes eat — they stand still a lot during the day, so you can capture great photos!
Crocodiles
The Nile crocodile can grow to nearly 6 feet and can be found warming itself up on the river banks or cooling itself off in the water (this is how it regulates its temperature). They use their powerful jaws (see below) to kill their prey and have been quite successful at it — they are an ancient species of animal, with ancestry dating back hundreds of millions of years.
Fun fact: Crocodiles have the most powerful bite in the world. Their bite is nearly eight times as powerful as a great white shark.
Get your camera and GoPro ready: You’ll likely get some close-up photos of crocodiles on your private photo safari — don’t worry, your professional-grade telephoto lens means you don’t have to get close to get your close-up!
Hippos
The hippopotamus (a name meaning “river horse) is aptly named — it spends a good deal of time in the water, coming on land only to graze. During the time they are in the water, they’ll surface every 3 -5 minutes to breathe (even if they are sleeping, they will still surface automatically to breathe). And it may look husky, but it’s quick — hippos are faster than humans.
Get your camera and GoPro ready: You’ll sometimes find hippos huddled together in the water, their eyes just poking above the water. It makes for an excellent photo opportunity!
Baboons
You may find baboons picking at each other’s fur — this is grooming, and it’s an essential part of establishing a social bond. In communication with their peer group (called a troop), they can use up to 30 different sounds — from barking to smacking their lips — to make their point. Baboons are not apes, but humans actually share 90% of our DNA with them.
Get your camera and GoPro ready: See some baboons grooming each other? It’s a great opportunity to take a photograph — there’s a lesson on primate sociology built in that you can share with your friends back home (one of many great stories you’ll be able to tell).
Zebras
Zebras are known for their most obvious trait: the striking black-and-white stripes that make it stand out from any other creatures on the savannah. It is said that this pattern has a cooling effect, dispersing up to 70 percent of the heat of the African sun. The pattern also has a camouflage effect. When out on the plains, zebras huddle together as a defense mechanism. To a color-blind lion, all the stripes tend to jumble together, making it harder to tell where one zebra ends and another begins. Plus, each zebra can face in a different direction, making it harder to sneak up on the herd.
Get your camera and GoPro ready: Zebras present a striking contrast on the plains of Africa, offering some of the most arresting images. Black and white photos can be especially impressive — check your camera’s settings beforehand so you’re ready to snap the perfect photo!
