It’s that time of the year when the top nature reserves are opening up and the jungles beckon. Whether you’re a safari newbie or someone who has been to a few forests already, our handy guide will ensure that you make the most of your time on the trails.
Once upon a time, visitors to wildlife sanctuaries were few and far between. In the last decade or so, wildlife travel has become extremely popular and inveterate travellers are raring to take a walk on the wild side. But not everyone has an idea of what to expect or how to prep for a trip like this. Don’t fret, read on for some simple ways to help you get the kind of authentic experience that you’ve been hoping for while you’re heading into the hinterland…
Dress the part
You don’t need to go full-on camouflage, but it does help to wear subdued colours that blend with the forest you’re visiting. Choose khaki, grey, brown. Avoid red, white, neon. Also, don’t forget that the jungle dwellers have a sharp sense of smell and won’t be impressed by your expensive French perfumes. So, don’t spray on your usual fragrances, especially not the strong ones with an alcohol base, as these can be overwhelming to their olfactory organs.
Choose the right vehicle
The success or failure of your safari depends on how you venture into the forest. In most sanctuaries, the forest department offers safaris in private vehicles or shared ones. Depending on the size of your group, you could choose between a four-wheel drive Jeep or Gypsy-type vehicle or a bus or canter. Sightings from the smaller ones are obviously better.
In some forests, you’ll find silent electric vehicles. These are better for the environment as well as your chances of spotting some rarer animals and birds. The more luxurious resorts now offer comfortable, multi-tiered safari vehicles, which are the perfect choice if you don’t mind the extra dime.
Keep sound to a minimum
It might seem futile to you when you see other vehicles filled with noisy picnickers instead of serious wildlifers passing by inside the jungle. But if you truly respect the forest, you’ll keep your phone switched off, your voice limited to a whisper, and set your camera clicks to silent. Parents can demonstrate as well as explain the ‘laws of the jungle’ to their kids, and perhaps also to other visitors who are being a nuisance.
Find a quality guide
The forest department assigns a guide/tracker per vehicle. If you’re lucky, you’ll get someone who has grown up in the region, knows all the species, and their behaviour patterns, and will lead you to some superb sightings. If you’re not as fortunate, you may encounter a less experienced guide or worse still, one who has been spoilt by greedy newbie visitors who have incentivised him or her to chase after big cats or elephants in order to guarantee a sighting (and a hefty tip!).
Once you identify a good guide, try to get their contact, and engage them on subsequent safaris. Some top-of-the-line trackers are much in demand but are well worth the extra expense. A few, who are experts in more than one nature reserve, are even up for travelling with you (all expenses paid, of course, and they’ll ride with you in the safari vehicle as a guest in addition to the local guide assigned to the vehicle).
Plan your route
Find out the various zones that the sanctuary offers for safaris. There will be a buffer zone, which is on the periphery of the park, and not necessarily the right area to spot the more elusive species, unless it’s become the territory of a tiger, etc. Of the others, there will always be zones that are more popular and which everyone is vying to enter.
If you have more days, you could book a mix of these hot zones and the less popular ones. If time is short, then you can try for the most likely spots, but remember, sightings depend on your luck as much as anything else. There have been people who’ve spotted an animal they were seeking for days deep in the jungle, sauntering right outside the forest lodge!
Do your homework
You may be a tourist, but there’s no need to be a mere passenger. Before you visit a forest, read up on the various species that live in it, apart from the obvious attractions. Research habitats and habits, understand behaviours, and learn to recognise a few calls.
All of this will stand you in good stead when you’re on safari, as you’ll be attuned to the sounds and sights of the forest, all of which offer clues to what animals are around. For example, alarm calls of peacocks, deer, monkeys, tell you when a tiger or leopard is on the prowl. Pugmarks and spoor give clues of the direction an animal headed in. Bird calls can divulge their location up in the trees.
Read more.
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