| Costs | £1360 / $2788 (US) / €1958 |
| Group Size | 6 - 20 |
| Countries Visited | South Africa |
| Dates | 21 Oct to 17 Nov 2008 25 Nov to 22 Dec 2008 14 Jan to 10 Feb 2009 18 Feb to 17 Mar 2009 25 Mar to 21 Apr 2009 |
- 29 Apr to 26 May 2009
- 03 Jun to 30 Jun 2009
- 08 Jul to 04 Aug 2009
- 12 Aug to 08 Sep 2009
- 16 Sep to 13 Oct 2009
- 21 Oct to 17 Nov 2009
- 25 Nov to 22 Dec 2009
"You’ve seen it on TV, now live the experience!"
Antony Wilson - 2007
Learn how to be a safari guide, discover how to survive in the South African bush, master the art of tracking wildlife, drive a 4x4, camp out in the wilds, shoot a rifle, see the ‘big five’, witness a variety of birds, identify a plethora of plant species, successfully qualify as having the knowledge of a field guide and have a fantastic adventure!
The dramatic landscapes, variety of wildernesses’, and abundance of wildlife makes South Africa a fantastic place for a safari, but what makes this safari guide course stand out from other safaris for uniqueness, authenticity, and beauty, is that it requires you to immerse yourself deep into the ways and wilds of the South African bush getting closer to nature than you could ever dream.
Run in partnership with South Africa’s most prestigious and respected safari guide training school, this four week course covers all the topics required to complete level one of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) programme. Renowned trainers will safely guide you through training that complies with government standards and is recognised by South Africa’s universities, to cover practical and theoretical programmes within ‘big five’ (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalos) areas. Grasping a fully comprehensive understanding of guiding, tracking, and the dangers existing in South Africa’s beautiful wilderness will give you the skills to not only explore the game reserve but actively thrive in it. Each morning we will walk with our instructors into the wilderness learning all the skills required to navigate our way around the reserve and discover the plethora of flora and fauna that lives in the area. To successfully master how to track animals we will follow the trails of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and birds, utilising a range of tracking techniques from following footprints, to analysing animal dung for freshness. Constant vigilance and an analytical mind are required to learn the variety of signs that animals leave in their wake, which if followed will lead you to amazing creatures that you will learn how to approach safely and that will blissfully unaware of your presence.
Before lunch we will have lectures that cover a range of subjects including geology, meteorology, weaponry, animal biology, anthropology, and working in the safari business. We will then have time to ourselves to relax and read wildlife books, or have a game of volleyball down by the river bed, before heading out once more into the South African bush. The afternoons will be spent going on drives in a 4x4 ‘game viewer’ to look for more dangerous wildlife including the ‘big five’, taking it in turns to drive, navigate, or sit in the special tracker seat located on the front bull bar of the vehicle. Mastering the art of driving 4x4 vehicles in the terrain they were designed for will seem a world away from tarmac roads and roundabouts, and will require you to drive ‘off-road’ sensitively without eroding the environment. Those not in the driver’s seat will keep a watchful eye for animal tracks and successfully navigate the driver along the route the animal has left.
Our instructor will show you how to safely drive into dangerous game sightings, teach you how close you can get to the animals, and demonstrate how to be aware of escape routes that may be required. Mastering such skills will grant you the freedom to get unforgettably close to the animals with an increased knowledge that helps you understand the South African wilds and your own place amongst the potentially dangerous but wholly magnificent creatures that reside in the reserve. Our cook will have a freshly prepared dinner ready for us upon our return, which we can enjoy eating under the stars before we fall to sleep to the amazing sounds of the bush, including the mating calls of lions and leopards.
In order to successfully triumph as a ranger you will be required to learn skills in four weeks that it sometimes takes professional rangers years to master, and needs concentration, team work, and courage. This Safari School Special may test you beyond your known limits, but the sights you will see and memories you will take home will make all the hard graft all the more worth it and provide you with stories to recount for years to come. As the great former South African President Nelson Mandela said ‘There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living’ – this adventure is truly the height of excitement, adventure, beauty, and South African safaris.
If 1 month is too short, then why not have a look at our 1 year Safari Guide Course.
