Right, let me start with game viewing on foot, which comes in various guises :
1. the obligatory “optional walk” offered by most private game lodges.
These generally take place on a full stomach after breakfast/brunch, in the heat of day. No recommended, unless it is a cool overcast day or mid winter. Not much ground can be covered in the allotted hour or so, these walks therefore don’t amount to much more than an amble around the lodge. Could nevertheless still be interesting, you never know what you might chance upon.
2. morning or afternoon walks.
Most SANParks rest camps in the Kruger National Park (KNP) offer these, and they are available in other parks as well. A short drive to a suitable area is followed by a walk of three or four hours, returning to the vehicle for a drive back to camp.
Private lodges specializing in walks also conduct these walks, but they are generally a bit more flexible. The lodge can for example provide an extra driver or vehicle for a pickup, so that the walk need not end back at the starting point.
3. multi-day safaris / wilderness trails.
These either operate from a fixed base camp (e.g. the KNP trails) and conduct morning and afternoon walks each day for the duration of the guests’ stay; or guests spend each night at a different (fly) camp, or sleep under the stars.
A couple of general observations.
The cardinal rule of game viewing on foot : the fewer the merrier!
The reasons are too obvious to enumerate. The ideal number of participants is one, plus the guide makes a total of two. Group size on walks is usually restricted to six or eight, to which the two guides should be added. That’s really far too many. A disadvantage of the KNP trails as well as the morning walks from the larger KNP rest camps is that these are almost always fully booked. Put eight people together and there is a very good chance that a couple of them just can’t resist the opportunity to spend half the walk discussing the price of airline tickets or whatever.
The other rules are few and simple, and will be explained by the guide before the walk.
Morning/afternoon walks tend to focus on the novice hiker, which is really great if you are one. It is most interesting to learn which leaves are the best substitute for toilet paper, and which twig you should use to brush your teeth, but once you have heard these things approximately 96½ times you start wishing the guide would just shut up and keep walking. At a prvate lodge there is a greater chance that there will be fewer people. On plenty of occasions I have been the only one, to my great satisfaction.
Walks are not dangerous. In fact, I contend that walking in a game reserve is one of the safest activities around. Certainly a lot safer than crossing busy urban roads, that’s for sure!
Walks are not strenuous. An average 3-4 hour walk will cover maybe 6 kilometers, and difficult terrain will generally be avoided. Heat can sometimes be a bit bothersome in summer, especially towards the end of a morning walk. Afternoon walks are perhaps best avoided when temperatures are really high. A game drive will often be offered as an alternative.
Many novice walkers have the wrong expectations. Large and dangerous animals are not waiting behind every second bush, ready to expose themselves at close range for your viewing pleasure. Guides focus on a very broad range of facets of the natural environment, just about everything from spoor (tracks), scats, insects, birds, trees to mammals small and large. These same guides are nevertheless well aware that most guests really do want to see big game, and will therefore do their best to locate at least a few. White rhinos are especially suitable, as they are dim and docile enough to allow a very close approach if conditions are right. Many other large animals, especially those that normally have little to fear (e.g. elephants, lions) will actually allow a very close approach as well (although this varies a lot with the individual animal and the circumstances), but a sensible guide will keep a safe distance anyway. The key to enjoying walks is a relaxed attitude, taking your time to enjoy the silence (defined as the absence of manmade sounds), the fresh air, the whole natural environment, all the while knowing that unexpected encounters may produce a sudden adrenaline rush at any time. You just never know. I have been on plenty of walks where I have seen only a few head of general game, but I have also had three close encounters with lions in one single walk.
It is a good idea to dress appropriately, i.e. preferably in muted khakis, greens and browns. Bright colors and (especially) white clothing are to be avoided, but medium or dark blue will do in emergency. Theoretically, camouflage clothing would be ideal, but apart from the fact that this is illegal in certain countries (e.g. Botswana), you will probably feel almost as ridiculous as those who turn up in a pith helmet (this happens, really). Suitable headgear is recommended, as is a pair of binoculars.
Wear old clothing. The African bush is full of thorny trees and shrubs, wet vegetation will leave nasty stains, dust may fill the air, and it could even rain.
As long as the temperature is not too far below 10°C and it is not too windy, I walk in a short-sleeved summer shirt, shorts and hiking sandals. I may wear a light sweater at the outset, but temperatures soon rise in the morning, and I feel a lot happier when my feet are not in socks and shoes, nor my legs in long trousers. Sure, after the first morning a quick look at my shins will tell you what I have been up to, but a few superficial scratches are nothing to worry about. A long thorn embedded itself in my leg once and took six weeks to work itself out; and I was bitten by a spider or scorpion (never discovered which) one time. My ankle was swollen for a month and a half. Ticks can be a bit of a nuisance at times, but the guide(s) walk point and will pick most of them up. Snakes are rarely seen, and make a quick getaway on the few occasions they are encountered.
If I were forced to pick one lodge to walk at, it would have to be Plains Camp in the Muthlumuvi concession in the KNP. A very nice camp, a great area for walking, and excellent game.
I’ll be pleased to answer any and all questions on this subject.
Johan