Elephant Back Safaris
Many visitors to Africa express an interest in interacting with arguably the most emotionally intelligent animals on the continent, elephants. Obviously any sighting of
an elephant on safari is a thrill; however, should you wish to engage more meaningfully with these magnificent creatures you have the choice of an organised elephant safari
or a visit to a centre specialising in elephant interactions.
The most well known of the more organised elephant safaris take place in Botswana’s Okavango Delta at Abu Camp and Baines Camp and in South Africa’s Kapama Private Game
Reserve bordering the Kruger National Park.
Abu Camp in particular provides a unique experience allowing guests to interact with the resident elephant herd, meeting each individual and initiating a journey into the
complex behaviour of the largest land mammal on Earth. Guests at Abu Camp are invited to become part of the elephant herd during their stay: watching the evening feeding,
sharing the simple joy of a frolicking youngster, and accompanying them on foot as they move through the bush. Viewing wildlife from atop an elephant allows a closer approach
to other animals than can be achieved when simply walking as an obvious human figure.
If you can’t spare the time or budget doesn’t allow, there are centres which provide visitors with an opportunity to engage with elephants. These are largely in South
Africa and Livingstone in Zambia. We would also highly recommend a visit to the fabulous David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya.