Safari Don'ts

A safari should be the holiday of a lifetime - for you and the people around you. It isn't a cheap holiday option and everyone wants to get the most from the experience. On another page I have suggested some Safari dos - here though are some things to watch out for if you don't want to be a numpty.

Safari Don'ts

1. Animals in the bush are very sensitive to bright colours, so choose clothes with muted colours - greens and browns are obviously good. Under all circumstances avoid yellows and blues - both attract insects (in many parts of Africa with Tse Fly problems they use bright blue canvas traps).
2. Don't wear strong perfumes or after shaves. Not only does it get picked up by animals (whose sense of smell is many times more acute than ours) but not everyone in the close confines of a safari vehicle want to end up smelling like a tarts handkerchief.
3. Volume control - no-one else wants to hear you discussing your latest business deal - so keep it down (I appreciate this is a near impossibility for many Americans and Australians 😄) . This applies both on game drives and in camps.
4. On a game drive don't stand up or point when you get to a sighting. This can spook the animals you are trying to view and can seriously piss off everyone else in your vehicle.
5. Don't get bossy with the guides - they know what they are doing, they know the area and they know animals. They want to give you the best experience possible. They don't need you telling them how to do their job.
6. Don't bitch if others see something and you don't. Congratulate them on their good fortune and work with your guide to improve your chances of seeing things.