I have done thousands of game drives. But the moments that have stayed with me deepest are the walking safaris. On foot. No engine, no windows, no distance.
You smell the savanna differently when you stand in it. You hear the grasses bending in the wind. You see the wildebeest tracks in the sand and understand their age from the sharpness of the edges. And then, suddenly, three giraffes are standing thirty metres from you.
How does a walking safari work?
A walking safari in the Serengeti is always with an armed ranger from the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) and our guide Jonas or Collin. The group is a maximum of 6 people. It starts at sunrise, before the heat of the day.
Jonas reads the ground like a book: fresh tracks, droppings, broken branches. He always determines the safe wind direction and chooses routes that take into account the locations of dangerous animals.
Is it safe?
This is the question I always receive — and I understand it. Yes, it is safe. In my 20 years I have never had a serious incident. But I am also honest: a walking safari is not for people who have panic reactions. If an elephant looks at you, you need to stand calmly.
The ranger is always armed. But the weapon is the absolute last resort — and in practice has never been needed. Animals flee when they smell humans — they do not walk towards you unless they feel threatened. The art is: no sudden movements, breathe calmly, trust Jonas.
Who can do a walking safari?
Anyone who is in good health and can walk steadily over uneven terrain. Age minimum is 12 years. There is no upper limit, but I advise against it for people with serious heart problems or mobility issues.
How fit do you need to be? We walk 2–3 hours, approximately 6–8 km, on flat savanna terrain. No mountain. No running. Moderate fitness is sufficient.
What do you see?
This is different from a game drive. On a walking safari you see small things you would never notice from a vehicle: a dung beetle rolling a perfect ball, a lion's footprint in the sand, the texture of an acacia bark that an elephant has scraped. You learn to read what nature is telling you.
And yes — you also see big animals. We have walked to within 40 metres of buffaloes. Giraffes that stare at you and then slowly walk away. A cheetah sitting on a termite mound, ignoring us.
How do you book a walking safari?
Walking safaris are not possible in all parks. In the Serengeti they are possible in the western corridor and some parts of the central park. They must be applied for in advance from TANAPA.
At Simba Tours you can add a walking safari to any Serengeti trip of at least 3 days. We arrange the permit, the TANAPA ranger and the route. You just need to put on good footwear and drink your morning coffee.