How long does game viewing stay interesting?
How long does game viewing stay interesting?
Should we select a tour that mixes cultural experiences and game-viewing or stick with game-viewing only? (We are thinking of a trip of about 14 days)
Game-viewing can get repetitive if you stay in the same habitat too long, which translates into seeing pretty much the same vegetation, animals, birds, etc. The key is habitat diversity: look for an itinerary which has a mix of three or four major habitat types such as wetlands, highveld savannah (open grassland dotted with trees), acacia or thornveld savannah (aka bushveld) and riverine bush. Getting out of the vehicle for foot safaris, canoeing, boating, observing animals from a blind/hide and maybe even from horse-back or a mountain bike, are all good options to introduce some added diversity.
By all means select a trip or customized itinerary which will look at all aspects of the natural history of an area, not just game. Try not to get too caught up ‘Big Cat’ fever, i.e. sightings of lions, leopards and cheetahs, to the exclusion of almost everything else. There’s much more to be discovered about the African wilderness, particularly its incredible birdlife, smaller mammals, reptiles & amphibians, even insects and butterflies. Not to mention the trees and other plants… If you are receptive to learning about all aspects of the natural history, your trip will be much more meaningful and enjoyable. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment by focusing on just one or two of the big cats: especially leopard and cheetah. They are not always seen.