There are many ways to explore Africa’s great outdoors and ultimate safari destinations in Botswana, Uganda and Namibia, with some options giving adventure holiday enthusiasts an extra thrill!
Every holiday in Africa is an incredible escapade that is worth experiencing at least once. Once tried, guests often come back again and again. There definitely are different levels of adventure though; while some may like ambling through the bush on a game drive, others prefer a little more of a zing in their holiday.
These three activities will keep your heart pumping whilst on safari in Africa:
Quadbike across ancient lands
The legacy of the prehistoric origins of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans can still be felt when visiting this region of the Kalahari Basin. Once a large lake, the brilliance of the now semi-arid white pans and dry savannah create a lunar-like landscape, which contrasts Botswana’s other major wilderness destination, the Okavango Delta.
© Natural Selection
Cruising on a four-wheeler quadbike allows you to experience the vastness of this unusual environment in a unique and exhilarating way. Discover the Kalahari Desert by quadbike on a two-day trip, which will take you to the enormous baobabs of Kubu Island and treat you to camping under the starry African sky.
Perhaps surprisingly, these sundried salt pans are full of life. The grasslands which adjoin the salt pans are home to the elusive brown hyena along with nocturnal species like the bat-eared fox, aardvark and aardwolves. During the day, they are the stomping ground of zebra, wildebeest and occasionally lion.
Gallop over wildlife-rich grasslands
Located between Entebbe and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Lake Mburo National Park is an unsuspecting wilderness destination in Uganda. While coming face-to-face with a family of habituated mountain gorillas is the highlight of any Uganda safari, Lake Mburo is a special place of diverse wildlife.
© Mihingo Lodge
Horse-riding safaris in Africa are becoming an increasingly popular way to uncover remote destinations on this diverse continent for yourself. On horseback, you get to explore parts of the park that are inaccessible to vehicles; you will certainly get up close to its wildlife. Expert riders can journey up the Warukiri hills for 360-degree views of the park.
Lake Mburo National Park has the largest population of zebra in Uganda as well as high concentrations of leopard, buffalo, waterbuck and topi. Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are also popular destinations for a ‘safari in the saddle’.
Hike up desert mountains
With five major geographical areas to its name, Namibia is one of Africa’s most diverse landscapes and a fascinating place for active travellers who enjoy being surrounded in natural beauty. From the red dunes of the Namib Desert found along the Skeleton Coast in the west moving inland to the Nauklaft mountain range and Fish River Canyon in the south, Namibia is unique.
© Wilderness Safaris
What better way is there to explore these different areas than by foot? You can choose from more sedate guided walks that take a couple of hours or multi-day hikes that cover significant ground with or without a guide present. Hikes within Fish River Canyon, Damaraland and Nauklaft are limited to the winter months from May to September because of high summer temperatures.
Hiking in Namibia is an excellent way to immerse yourself in this land of contrasts. It allows for close encounters with smaller creatures like reptiles and insects as well as desert-adapted mammals such as meerkats, several varieties of antelope and even brown hyena.
Contact us about tailoring YOUR holiday in one of Africa’s adventure hot spots.
Images courtesy of Mihingo Lodge, Natural Selection and Wilderness Safaris.
