The allure of an African safari is unrivalled, offering the opprtunity to spend time in the natural habitat of animals many of us know only from children’s storybooks or television. But it can be hard to feel immersed in the wildness of your surroundings when you’re in a queue with dozens of other vehicles on a game drive. “Many don’t realise the experience can go


beyond this,” says Terry Moohan, head of the Africa and India division at travel specialists cazenove+loyd. “You can walk, canoe, ride horses or admire views from the sky. Each option brings a unique perspective on the landscape and wildlife that you might not get on a traditional safari.” There has been a surge in demand for immersive


safari experiences post-Covid, observes Ben Malasai, managing director of Kenya’s Zaruma Safaris. “Rather than just passively viewing game,” he says, “the traveller actively participates and goes off the beaten track to serene places almost untouched by human activity.”


Walking safari in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe Being able to walk in a big game national park — with the barriers between you and nature completely removed — is one of the most invigorating and engaging ways to experience the wilderness and wildlife. Almost 70% of the Mana Pools National Park, in


the far northern part of Zimbabwe, is traversable only on foot, so walking safaris have been encouraged since the attraction opened in the 1960s. The animals are used to seeing people and are more relaxed than when approached by vehicles. Take a walk with local guides along the southern


bank of the Zambezi river and you might spot the wide mouths of hippopotamuses or the dark eyes of crocodiles emerging from the water. Head into the grassland and you could encounter a herd of zebras sheltering beneath the baobab trees. Vundu Camp, on the banks of the Zambezi, is


Embarking on a cycling safari in Botswana


owned by Nick Murray, one of Zimbabwe’s most highly regarded guides. He’s been leading groups in Mana Pools since the mid-1990s and knows the park inside out. The open environment affords good visibility, he notes, and walkers often get surprisingly close to relaxed bull elephants or packs of wild dogs.


Those dogs drew the BBC here to film David


Attenborough’s 2018 series Dynasties. And, if you’re lucky, you might get to spot Boswell, the park’s most famous elephant. This gentle giant, with particularly impressive tusks, has a habit of rearing up on his back legs to munch leaves that are out of reach to all but him. HOW TO DO IT: Expert Africa’s seven-day lion safari spends three nights in Hwange National Park, and four nights at Vundu Camp in Mana Pools. It costs from £5,528 per person (two sharing), including full-board accommodation, game activities, transfers, park fees, laundry and most drinks. International flights can be arranged at an additional cost. expertafrica.com


Horse safari in Chyulu Hills, Kenya Swap the hum of the engine for the sound of hooves hitting grassy plains on a horse-riding safari in Kenya. At ol Donyo Lodge in the Chyulu Hills — a mountain range in the southeast of the country — you’ll find a stable of 22 horses, including calm and hardy Boerperds for novice riders (aged 12 and above) and a selection of thoroughbreds for the intermediate and advanced. Pick your steed, saddle up and forge an


unrestricted path across soft volcanic soils and open savannah, alongside inquisitive Masai giraffes, jackals and antelope. Passing herds of zebras, tusker bull elephants — among the last in the world — and wildebeest, you might even be lucky enough to spot cheetahs up close. The lodge is part of ecotourism company Great


Plains’s portfolio. “One of the African experiences that I always look forward to is riding in the shadow of Kilimanjaro,” says founder and CEO Dereck Jouber. “It transports me into a different era where the clutter and complexities of life are left behind and where the physical exercise, the horse, and the location connect us, as riders, to Africa. “I can’t recommend this experience more


highly for the quality of the ride, the horses, the equipment or the long, snow-capped shadow that is ever-present here.” HOW TO DO IT: A seven-night stay at Great Plains ol Donyo Lodge, with daily horse safaris, starts at £7,700, excluding flights. greatplainsconservation. com/safari/horseback-safari


NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – EXPERIENCES COLLECTION 29


IMAGE: NATURAL SELECTION


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