If you are going on family African safari, then you are already switched on to the unique ecological balance of the African continent and the massive threat human activity has posed over the centuries. With our modern understanding of the biosphere and the importance of sharing the planet with animals, rather than exploiting them, there is a huge international focus on protecting the rare and wonderful flora/fauna in central Africa.
Because of the unique and exotic majesty of animals like lions and elephants, they have attracted human attention in the form of trophy hunting and now wildlife tourism. While the active hunting of these species has been severely minimised (although poaching is still a serious and ongoing issue for local governments and ranger authorities), wildlife tourism and the influx of foreigners has also had a negative impact.
Going on a family African safari means, rather than going for a purely recreational ‘tourist’ experience, you are making sure that your money and time is being spent on sustainable activities that actually help promote the protection of endangered species and their habitats. If you are someone who is worried about being a negative impact on ecology of the area you are visiting, then a family African safari is an excellent option to put your mind at ease and ‘give back’ to the land you are enjoying.
Despite the pure intentions of your family African safari, there are still some tips you should adhere to in order to minimise any negative impact you may inadvertently have. Let’s take a look at some of these tips.
Be chill with your photography
Taking pictures of the amazing things you get to see on your family African safari is a normal and understandable thing – but you don’t want to go overboard and become the annoying person who keeps demanding the jeep inches closer to the animals. Cameras these days can take high resolution pictures without getting exceedingly close to the subject matter, meaning that you can take your time and properly get more candid shots of the animals in their element by being patient.
Don’t snub the ‘off’ season
If you want to save some money, then booking your family African safari for the less popular wet season can be a smart move that actually gives you a unique and wonderful experience. Storms in Africa can be quite intoxicating and meditative, and there’s still a huge abundance of wildlife and lush foliage to see. Because of the rainfall, animals will be less focused around the watering holes and will be spread more evenly around the park you are visiting, making the whole place look more ‘alive’.
Take time to actually watch and experience
Too many people, on a family African safari or even just a regular one, spend the entire time holding a camera and never actually take the time to soak it all in with their own eyes. It’s nice to come back with thousands of high-quality images, but the memories you capture in your mind are far more worthwhile. Think about it – you’ve seen plenty of pictures of lions – but how much time have you spent looking at one with your own two eyes?
While there are lots of other small bits of advice, we could explain to you, the fact you are going on a family African safari means you are likely switched on to common sense rules.