Want to feel a closer connection to the bush?
The traditional 4×4 game drive isn’t the only way to go in Africa. So swap four doors for a mokoro, a horse or even your own two feet, and take a no barriers approach to experiencing the continent’s flora and fauna.
Here’s our pick of the five most unique ways to see Africa’s wildlife:

Float down Botswana’s Okavango Delta in a mokoro poled by the locals – or pole your own. This UNESCO World Heritage site home to Bush Elephant, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Lechwe, Lion, Cheetah and more…

Put your best foot forward in Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park and indulge in a rhino walking safari. Once located by your expert guides (who double as anti-poaching detail), it’s time for some serious eye-to-eye contact. A mere 10-metres, and sometimes less, between traveller and rhino. This is a great opportunity to understand the link between conservation and tourism, every visit helping to sustain ongoing anti-poaching initiatives.

Take five poolside and see the wildlife at your leisure. Where elephants rule at Elephant Sands in Botswana, the pool overlooks the watering hole. Continue game viewing while taking a refreshing dip.

Travel to Eswatini’s (formerly Swaziland) Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary – The park offering crowd-free wildlife viewing, even in the busy dry season. Ditch the 4×4 and saddle up for optional mountain bike or horse riding safaris. A conservation success story, the park’s 4,560 hectares are home to Hippo, Crocodile, Zebra, Blue Wildebeest and Kudu.

Etosha National Park’s floodlit waterholes allow for 24/7 game viewing under Namibia’s unpolluted starry skies. See what the witching hour brings and get those night viewing goggles on the go!

Of course, you can always reach for the skies. Book a balloon flight over the Serengeti National Park (see @thecuckooproject’s review). Or take a flight over the Okavango – one of Victoria Alao’s (Editor of the Stylish Trotter) favourite adventure activities. Both thrilling alternatives to the traditional game drive.