The Most Important Secret to a Great Safari: The Guide (Part 2)

The feedback we receive most (and enjoy most) after a safari usually relates to the quality of the safari guide. In the Kruger National Park, we are fortunate to have our own top-quality safari guides, and they are among the most experienced in the business.

It's easy to underestimate what a difference a good guide makes if you have never been on safari before. The Kruger National Park can easily be visited on a self-drive basis, and many people do this to keep costs down. You book your own accommodation, rent a car, buy a map at the entrance, and off you go.

There is nothing wrong with winging it on your own, but having a knowledgeable guide who understands the bush, knows the wildlife, can interpret (and often predict) behaviour, and is an expert at spotting things you might never have seen, makes a huge difference.

It's not a mere coincidence that some self-drive guests complain that they hardly saw anything, while guests on a guided open-vehicle safari with an expert guide hardly ever have that complaint.

In part 1 we began our story with the guide from hell. As I explained before, these stories are made up, but not entirely fictional. They are based on actual incidents I have witnessed or heard about, and part 2 is no different. What you will read here is entirely plausible because I have seen how top guides operate.

I'll title my story with words we have so often heard from people who have been on multiple safaris and seen many different guides in action: "Best guide we've ever had."

So how is a "best guide" different from an average guide? It starts when you are collected at the airport. You've been a touch nervous about the moment of arrival. What if nobody is there to meet us? What if we can't find our guide? Or what if we can't understand him or can't get along with him?

All that disappears when you find that he is there waiting for you, smiling, well-dressed, well-spoken, with a witty and friendly personality that you instantly take a liking to. The guide immediately takes charge and helps you with your luggage trolley, leading the way toward the vehicle.

"No thanks, they're with me," the guide says as a stranger comes up to offer you a taxi ride. Outside the exit, you see touts and taxi operators offering people rides and unwanted assistance with bags, and you are thankful to have a guide who can keep them at bay.

You get into a comfortable, air-conditioned minivan. Before driving off, the guide spends a few minutes talking about the plan for the next few hours: where you are going and what you can expect. He seems to have anticipated many of your questions. He puts your mind at ease about safety, and as you begin the drive toward the reserve, it becomes clear he is a safe, courteous and professional driver.

Thankfully, the guide also understands that you are tired from the flight. He is not one of those motor-mouths who talks your ears off. His people skills and easy conversational style make him easy to listen to, and he seems genuinely interested in getting to know you.

He asks about your flight, your home country, your interests and expectations for the trip, and your interactions so far with the booking office.

By the time you reach the reserve, you've learned a lot about the country and had interesting discussions on many topics. You find it refreshing to engage with someone mature, well-read, diplomatic and wickedly funny at times.

He knows how to listen and seems more interested in hearing your opinions than promoting his own, although he is not reluctant to answer questions and share his own experiences with humble confidence. He obviously loves his country and his job, and this becomes more evident as you enter the reserve and find that your guide is as enthusiastic as you are about the wildlife you spot.

Your guide knows the first game drive is special and has planned for it. He does not rush you to camp to unpack and settle in. He takes time to stop for every new animal, and the most interesting stories begin to come out.

You spot a giraffe. At first you sit in silence and awe as you watch it browse from a nearby tree. Your camera shutter clicks non-stop. The guide notices this quietly, gives you time to take photos and just enjoy the sighting in silence, with the engine switched off. You can even hear the leaves crunching as the giraffe chews. This guide understands the power of silence and the importance of listening as well as watching.

Only after a few minutes does he begin to explain about the giraffe: how its long tongue twists around thorny branches and strips leaves without injury, and many other interesting facts.

He explains that the tree it is browsing from eventually begins to taste bitter, as the tree produces tannin as a defence mechanism. This not only convinces the giraffe to move on, but can spread to nearby trees as an alarm signal, triggering increased tannin production so that the giraffe may skip a few trees and continue browsing some distance away.

As if on cue, the giraffe stops browsing, gives the tree an ugly look and moves on, skipping the next few trees and walking gracefully to a different one further away. You realise immediately that understanding what is going on, and why, makes the sighting far more special. You would never have noticed this on your own, or with a less knowledgeable guide.

As the safari progresses, you find it amazing that the guide finds something new and interesting to explain each time you see the same animal. He does not overload you with a book full of giraffe facts at the very first sighting. Over four days and many different giraffe sightings, he has something new and unique to share each time you see one.

Just before sunset, the guide stops alongside an old skeleton of a big animal and asks if you can identify what it was.

It turns out to be an elephant carcass, and he explains the different threats to an elephant's life. Fortunately, this one died of natural causes. As you drive on, the discussion turns to elephant and rhino conservation and what can be done to combat poaching.

By the time you finally reach camp, you've seen so much it feels like you have been on safari for days already. Each time you stop somewhere, the guide takes time to explain where you are, where the restrooms are, how long you plan to stop, and what is going to happen next. You're never left wondering about what, why or when something is happening.

This may not seem like a big deal until you've had a guide who does the opposite; walking away without a word about why you are stopping, where the bathrooms are, how long you'll be, or when you need to be back at the vehicle.

You check into your room and find a problem with the bathroom: a water leak behind the toilet and a wet floor. You think about ignoring it, but the guide has made you feel comfortable about asking questions and letting him know if there is anything you need, so you mention the leak.

"No problem," he says. "Let's see if we can get someone to fix it right away, or move you to another unit before you even unpack." In a few minutes he is back from reception with different keys and shows you to another room, which turns out to be perfect.

In the evening, a new surprise awaits. You discover your guide is not just a good mediator, considerate driver, knowledgeable wildlife expert, funny company and problem-solver; he is also a master chef.

It turns out he has opted not to use the camp restaurant for dinner, but to prepare a traditional South African braai over an open fire under the stars. The atmosphere is magic, and the quality of the food and preparation is top class.

The next morning there is a gentle knock on the door at exactly the time he said he would wake you for the early morning drive. As you stumble out with sleepy eyes, you find coffee already prepared, along with traditional rusks. Breakfast has been packed, and the guide explains you will enjoy it later during the drive, around mid-morning, at a picnic site somewhere in the bush.

He explains the plan for the day and makes it clear the priority is game viewing, and the schedule will be determined by what you see and by what you as guests want to do. You can choose when you'd like to head back to camp, whether to continue longer, or even whether to stay out all day if you have the energy and would like to see more.

On the vehicle, you find he has already put out blankets and water bottles, and there is a courtesy pair of binoculars in case you forgot yours.

During the morning drive, it becomes clear your guide has a fascinating interest in and knowledge of almost every aspect of the bush. He does not chase only the Big Five but makes every sighting special and interesting: a troop of baboons, warthogs feeding on their knees, even two impalas grooming each other.

Each time, he kills the engine so you can observe animals in peace and enjoy the sounds of the bush. The guide welcomes your questions and once or twice stops to answer properly, relating your question to something visible right where you have stopped.

There are times when you drive for a while without seeing animals, but even these stretches are made interesting by occasional stories (and some entertaining jokes).

Sometimes he stops for something and asks what you see. Usually it is a well-camouflaged animal or bird, but occasionally he points out something totally different: a tortoiseshell, a track or dropping, or a tree growing out of a termite mound. Another interesting story follows.

Once he spots a chameleon while driving, brings it close for you to look at, then puts it back on the branch where he found it. How did he even spot that tiny green chameleon among green leaves while driving?

Another time he stops for a snakeskin hanging in a tree. From a distance it looks like a dry branch, but up close it is fascinating to see the individual scales and learn how snakes shed their skin like a whole garment. Once again you realise you would have totally missed this on your own, or with a "jeep jockey" guide who only chases after the Big Five.

Not that the Big Five are neglected. In many reserves, leopards are notoriously hard to find. They are well-camouflaged and elusive, and apart from luck, it takes skill and bush knowledge to spot them.

At one point, your guide stops and looks down at the soft ground along the edge of the road. Although there appear to be hundreds of different animal tracks everywhere, he noticed the distinctive shape of a big cat's paw prints while driving. He identifies them as fresh leopard tracks. Very fresh.

The guide thinks out loud for your benefit. The leopard might still be in the area, but if the tracks were made 20 minutes ago, the leopard could also be long gone.

Where would the leopard go? Up ahead is a road that turns off and follows a dry riverbed. Leopards love riverbeds with big trees, so let's take the turnoff.

Only a short distance down that road, the guide stops again and listens. Monkeys in the trees, chattering away. You would have thought nothing of it, but your guide explains that they are not simply having a chit-chat over early morning coffee. They are making a racket and warning each other. That sharp, chirpy bark is an alarm call.

He drives on and spots some monkeys high up in the trees. Through binoculars it is clear they are looking at something down in the riverbed, excitedly jumping from branch to branch.
"It's that leopard," your guide says confidently. By following the looks of the monkeys, he can see exactly where the leopard is walking along in the riverbed, although you are too far to see down into it.

But the guide knows this road and knows that up ahead, around the next corner, the road turns and crosses the riverbed.

"Get your cameras ready. We're going to try and intercept that leopard just as he crosses the road."

Sure enough, the road turns and goes down to the riverbed. He stops the vehicle in the middle of the crossing and switches off the engine. He tells you to be absolutely quiet.

You wait but see nothing. Maybe it was a clever trick; getting guests excited without seeing anything. You are about ready to give up when the guide whispers, "There he is!"

And sure enough, a beautiful, fully grown leopard comes walking down the dry riverbed right toward the vehicle. He crosses the road in front of you and even stops to pose for a photo.

As the safari carries on, the same thought comes back again and again: what an amazing difference it makes to have an excellent guide. How many times has he spotted something you would have missed, or predicted behaviour or movement to ensure an amazing sighting or photograph?

You end up seeing all of the Big Five, and so much more.

Animals great and small, plants, birds, reptiles, insects, tracks, bones; you name it. Even watching an eagle eating flying termites as they emerged after the rains seemed ordinary at first until you realised it only happens once a year, after the first rains.

Watching a herd of zebra in silence for a long time, seeing them play and pull funny faces. The sudden, unexpected charge by a lioness surprises and frightens you as much as it does the zebras, but you would never have seen it had your guide not been willing to sit and watch that herd for fifteen minutes instead of driving off after a quick picture.

As the sun rises on the last morning of your safari, you realise you have discovered the most important ingredient to a great safari experience: the quality of the safari guide.

You experienced first-hand the value of having a guide who is not only knowledgeable about nature and experienced at what he does, but someone who has mastered the diverse skillset required of a professional safari guide.

A great guide:

• drives well and safely
• communicates clearly and consistently
• plans well and explains what will happen next
• manages pace and guest comfort
• deals well with unexpected problems or delicate situations
• is safety-conscious and guest-conscious
• is enthusiastic and respectful toward wildlife and people
• is well-spoken and easy to understand
• is courteous, witty and easy to get along with
• works well with children and with people of many different cultures and languages
• is diplomatic, confident yet humble

I end my story here. There is no such thing as a perfect guide, but having had the privilege to work with a number of truly excellent safari guides over the years, I'm always amazed at their many skills and I salute them. They know who they are.

Part 1 showed what happens when guiding is weak. Part 2 is the counterbalance: what it looks like when guiding is truly excellent. When sightings deepen, logistics become smooth, and even quiet moments in the bush become memorable because you finally understand what you're looking at.

If you're deciding between self-drive and guided safari, or choosing between operators, speak to an Africa Safari Specialist about trips where guiding quality is central to the experience.