Safari, three ways
Sure, they all have early starts, khaki and animals spotted from the vantage point of a comfy seat in common.
But these three destinations each offer safaris with a specific point of difference.
More pertinent still, each provides access to threatened creatures that are unique to their native ecosystems.
So, while you enjoy your safari, keep in mind that some of the elusive wildlife may be on borrowed time.
INDIA
Mode of transport: Open window, roof-topped buses. At Nagarhole National Park the authorities decide which groups will go in which vehicle, so it’s pot luck whether you are assigned a quiet eight-seater or a conspicuous 24-seater bus.
Binoculars: Let’s face it; everyone who takes a safari in India is on the hunt for a tiger. The rangers tell me that there is a 50/50 chance in theory of a sighting and yet on my three 5am starts I am unlucky. The woodland is sparser than I had expected, as winter is encroaching.
See it before it's too late: The crown is stolen by the cat family, with the snow leopard in the north not only endangered but also notoriously elusive. You are more likely to see the majestic Bengal tiger.
Trophy shot: On safaris, children are frequently given a checklist of animals to tick off after a sighting. A photo is the adult equivalent. In Nagarhole National Park I capture the easy shots of spotted deer, elephants and red-faced macaques as well as the rarer sightings of a giant squirrel, the fox-coloured wild dog, and the largest deer in Asia, the sambal.
Point of difference: India’s tiger territories and national parks are stunning enough to warrant a visit even if there was no wildlife. Sometimes it is so green it feels like the English countryside. The most memorable dawn safari took place in a mist-heavy forest with grass blades and branches strung together by dew-dropped cobwebs. Utterly enchanting.
The human element: Public roads run through the national park. A few times we paused to judge whether deer on high tailed alert were responding to a predator in the undergrowth, only to have a lorry honk and speed past, disturbing the natural sequence. The national park roads are closed overnight to protect the wildlife but as safari takes place at dawn and dusk, the vehicles are permitted to rumble through.
Eco lodge: Orange County Resort is to be commended for its eco-credentials. It operates twice-daily safaris with experienced guides and trackers. With a strong social responsibility policy, the resort employs local villagers, sources local produce and maintains a low ecological footprint.
Safari duration: Three hours, departing at 6am.
SOUTH AFRICA
Mode of transport: Open-air Land Rovers. Lion Sands has the most luxurious safari vehicles I have encountered. Two seats across, with storage space in between, each row is layered by height so everyone has a clear line of sight for wildlife encounters. They also come with a hoodie blanket and a hot water bottle. Spoilt is the word.
Binoculars: Africa is the original safari and it lives up to every Attenborough aspiration. Nothing can compare to the Big Five that is so entrenched in our notions of what wild means. You will never feel as liberated from mundane routine as you do tracking a lion kill.
See it before it's too late: In South Africa, look out for the African wild dog as its estimated population has dwindled to just 3000. The black rhinoceros has been poached for its horn and is now critically endangered.
Trophy shot: To borrow from The Lion King, Africa is all about the circle of life. You see highly-strung antelope early in the day that end up as dinner for a bachelor group of three lions by nightfall. In Kruger National Park it is relatively easy to tick off the big three – cape buffalo, elephant and rhinoceros. Leopards and lions are a touch more difficult to track, but what else would you expect from the cat family. That elusive temperament makes a sighting all the more memorable.
Point of difference: Safari certainly works up an your appetite. Speaking from my stomach, nothing is as welcome as a pit stop of tea and rusks in the bush at sunrise or an Amarula hot chocolate at dusk.
The human element: There are public roads through Kruger National Park and I see as much wildlife on the public roads as on the private lands owned by the safari lodges. A highlight is a cheetah that saunters down the bitumen and pauses in front of a 50-mile speed limit sign. I can’t but help but think this speediest of land creatures is simply showing off.
Eco lodge: Lion Sands Tinga Lodge offers a seamless transition between land and luxury. The bungalow rooms are generously proportioned with an outdoor pool overlooking the riverbank. Guests are free to roam the property, although at night guides lead you back to the room with a torch as leopards have been known to lurk in the trees overhead. Bench International offers a three-day stay at Lion Sands Tinga lodge from $1985.
Safari duration: Four hours, departing at 5:30am.
BORNEO
Mode of transport: Longboats. Unlike the African savannah or Indian woodland the Borneo jungle is dense and the Kinabatangan river in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, bisects the forest so safari-spotters can view a cross-section of the animal and plant life.
Binoculars: Borneo competes with Africa by having its own Big Five. They include the orang-utan, pygmy elephant, Borneo rhinoceros, proboscis monkey and crocodile. In a symbiotic twist, you will realise your proximity to the long-nosed Proboscis monkeys with your nose. What smells like Deep Heat muscle balm is the monkey’s urine.
See it before it's too late: Only the very lucky will see the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, of which there are an estimated 15 in Sabah. You're more likely to see the highly threatened orang-utan.
Trophy shot: Male proboscis monkeys prove hard to find but are undoubtedly the trophy shot you want, with their disproportionate facial features. The males control harems of the females, which are a lot easier to spot. But their noses are comparatively neat and pixie-like, so keep searching for the virile males.
I’m not much of a twitcher, but the birds of Borneo make me understand those who are. Two rhinoceros hornbills with a highlighter yellow platform on their beak sit sentry for a 360-degree view on a dead tree by the river. They look as if they have flown in from the Jurassic era and as a bonus they always travel in couples.
Point of difference: The waterways. And a crocodile called Frankie who simpers near the edge awaiting chicken heads from the kitchens along the rivers, as they seemingly enjoy fattening the predator up. Perhaps the idea is that if he doesn’t go hungry he won’t develop a taste for homo sapien.
The human element: Fishermen ply the lakes and young boys catch freshwater prawns that they proudly display. To reach the best wildlife areas you will pass houses on stilts and see families going about their daily routine.
Eco lodge: Kinabatangan Jungle Camp is only accessible by longboat. Wooden decking leads to the open-air dining area and the basic bungalow accommodation. Safaris take place morning and at night but the wildlife often comes to you. I saw hornbills by the river deck and the world’s biggest moth, the Atlas, in the dining hall.
Safari duration: Three hours, departing at 6:30am.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
borneo india safari south africa wildlifeLatest News
Collette goes off the beaten track with Canyon Country tour
To be clear TW is not advocating actually walking off the beaten track. Avoid the coyotes. Stay on the beaten track.
Intrepid & Korean Tourism Organisation team up to give agents a cooking masterclass
These guys learnt that Korean cooking is more than just putting kimchi on 2-minute noodles (as we once thought).
Winner, winner! Intrepid reveals the 9 lucky agents that won $2k
Who won the incentive? Which Intrepid trip will they spend it on? What day of the week is it again? Where am I? Huh?
Corporate Traveller reports 42% increase in Easter traffic this year
Business travellers just love Easter! Expect plenty of chocolate stained documents returning to the office on Tuesday.
Turbulent year wiped $384m off Qantas brand value: Report
Meanwhile, eating tuna at your desk can damage your own personal office brand value by several thousand dollars.
FAMIL: Room-Res & Singapore Tourism Board shows agents the Lion City’s roar
Click this article to see a man very impressed by a 20-layer chocolate cake. We're not kidding, he loved it!
Oceania Cruises offers sailors free pre-cruise hotel stay
Looking for ways to make your holidays as long as possible? Look no further.
Bonza launches new website to compliment app, agent portal
Does news about an airline's website fill you with ecstasy, glee and joy? Get your hit of the good stuff here.
MTA agents attends ‘Lunch ‘n’ Learn’ with AMA Waterways
When organising the event, Lunch 'n' Learn beat out Dinner 'n' Divulge and Breakfast 'n' Banter. Understandably so.
Travelmarvel reveals 2025 South America tours
If you spot any typos in the newsletter today it is because TW became distracted Googling images of Machu Picchu.
Tourists from 5 countries could be BANNED from visiting Australia
Anthony Albanese's immigration laws could impact tourism from certain countries.
Just how many passengers will Qantas & Jetstar hop around this Easter?
Airline workers are ready for gleeful Easter travellers! Also prepared for sticky children with chocolate on their face.
Air New Zealand gets ready for bumper Easter weekend
Air NZ gears up for travelling passengers this Easter, while TW looks to beat our egg eating record. 117 here we come!
Four Seasons Yachts reveals first itineraries to the Caribbean & Mediterranean
These trips look so good we wish there were five seasons! Alright, we'll see ourselves out...
FAMIL: Travellers Choice treats top agents to the wonders of Rotorua
This one's got plenty of famil pics and no one looks shockingly hungover in them! Clearly no TW staffers were there.
European Waterways celebrates 50th anniversary with week-long founders cruise
Plan on celebrating your 50th anniversary with a bottle of Moët and fairy bread? European Waterways has better ideas.
100th route! Jetstar celebrates the launch of Brisbane-Avalon with 12 hour sale
Jetstar knocks a ton and celebrates with a sale while TW once scored a ton and celebrated with about 17 beers.
Record-breaking year for NSW as visitor expenditure soars past $50 billion
Enjoy running round the Opera House? Be prepared to elbow even more tourists out the way.
Norwegian Cruise Line makes play for solo travellers
NCL ensuring you don't have to go trawling Tinder to find a cruise partner. Thank goodness, we were sick of catfishing.
Entire Travel Group’s Canada and Europe 2024/25 brochures are out now
Entire's new brochure is bittersweet; it both informs your clients and makes you envious of the holiday they'll take.
Malaysia Airlines adds 3 new destinations & A330neo seats
More seats means cheaper airfares and more money to spend on overpriced airport sandwiches. Woohoo!
Two divine days onboard Crystal Serenity
It's only pure serenity onboard this ship. Anxiety, agitation and anguish have been rejected by the bouncer.
How the Globus Family of Brands elevates coach touring: Travel Weekly TV with Chris Fundell
Chris' here so you don't think coaches mean peeling your thighs off a sticky leather seat every time you stand up!
The Flight Centre Foundation gears up for massive 2024 with 3 new board members
The foundation looks to invest $200k this year, spurring the TW journos to figure out how to qualify as a charity.
Barking Owl Communications to head up Anantara & Avani in ANZ
Fellow PR competitors had been barking up the wrong tree even thinking of bidding for this job!
Amex GBT to purchase CWT for $871m
It's big deals like this that get a firm handshake - hence the sore hands over at the CWT and Amex GBT offices.
1000MTG’s second global conference reminds agents to ‘strive and thrive’
Alongside messages to 'strive' and 'thrive' were those to 'survive', 'drive', 'arrive' and 'jive' (when appropriate).
Qantas A330 makes “loud bang”, pilots forced to shut down one engine
Qantas refusing to let Boeing have all the headlines in aviation world today!
GX Community Tourism Summit 2024 location revealed!
The new location has arrived and it'll blow your socks off! Time for another trip to Target for more socks then.
Visiting the destination my Mum didn’t want me to
Yet again, this journo has been a stress to his mother. Discover how this trip spurred his mother's anxiety here.
Agents come out of their shells at P&O’s turtle hatchery event
For some, it's a few glasses of bubbles to lure them out of their shell. For these agents, it was a bit more literal.
Boeing cleanout: CEO, chair to go as safety crisis plagues the manufacturer
CEOs are falling thick and fast these days. We should have started up a bingo game with their headshots in the office.
Virgin looks to swap MAX 10 order for MAX 8s amid Boeing delays: Reports
Virgin has changed its order for something smaller. Much like we have to at Maccas following a worrying doctor's visit.
Club Med unveils newest luxury yacht for 2024/25 early bird sale
This yacht is preserved for the early birds! Night Owls may also get onboard depending how late they stay up.
Abercrombie & Kent 2024 Asia Portfolio is here
Round up the family and get planning an Asia jaunt. Or, if they're hard to handle, brush them all and go it alone!
Elevate your earnings: Final days to secure double commission with Inspiring Vacations’ March offer
What could inspire you to sell more Inspiring Vacations? Double commission of course! That's all the inspiration needed.