At night Africa really comes into it’s own and it is a fantastic part of any luxury safari when guests can experience this. Many of the big cats are nocturnal, and rarer species such as the honey badger, aadvark and pangolin also only come out at night.
This is why night drives are so popular with guests on a safari – not everywhere offers them but we always recommend trying to pick at least one place that does. You won’t be disappointed.
Due to the lack of light pollution your night game drive will often also involve some of the most magical star gazing in the world. In most places you can see the milky way and many other constellations which one would never have seen from more populated parts of the world.
So as you and your guide drive through the bush at night, illuminated by the moon and stars twinkling down, you will be looking for eyes in the darkness. Suddenly the guide stops the car using the spotlight to hover hopefully over a patch of grass he saw moving – if you’re very lucky it will be a lion or a leopard, often it is only a spring hare or porcupine – the suspense is great fun. Hyenas are also fascinating to watch at night and their haunting call sends a shiver down your spine.
Nights spent out in the African bush are also a highlight – many luxury safari camps and lodges offer the chance to sleep out in the bush in a fly camp or mobile camp. This gets you as close to nature as it is possible to be and you really feel connected after a night listening to lions roar in the distance and cicadas serenading you to sleep. Waking up without an alarm clock as the cacophony of birds break into song as the sun peeps over the horizon is a magical feeling – somehow it all just feels right.
Provided by our host partner Luxury Safari Company, where you can learn a bit more about experiencing a little luxury in Africa.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
