Game Drive Etiquette: How to Be a Great Safari Guest

A game drive is a shared experience: you share the vehicle with fellow travelers, the road with other safari groups and the landscape with wild animals going about their lives. Good etiquette makes every sighting more rewarding and protects the wildlife you have come to see.

Our guides see the best and worst of safari behavior every season. These are the habits they appreciate most.

Respect the animals

The golden rule is to let animals behave naturally. That means keeping voices low, avoiding sudden movement, never calling out or whistling to get an animal's attention and never feeding wildlife.

Stay inside the vehicle unless your guide says it is safe to get out at a designated area. Do not sit on the roof or lean far out of windows; to an animal, the vehicle is one large object, and a person breaking that outline can cause alarm.

Be especially careful around animals with young, such as elephants with calves, which can become protective if they feel crowded.

• Keep voices low at sightings
• No feeding, calling or tapping on the vehicle
• Stay inside unless at a designated stop
• Switch off camera flash, especially at night

Follow park rules and trust your guide

Tanzania's national parks and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area have clear rules, including staying on designated roads in most areas, speed limits and timing restrictions. Off-road driving is generally not permitted except where specifically allowed.

Please never ask your guide to break the rules to get closer to an animal. Guides can face serious penalties, and more importantly, the rules protect wildlife and fragile habitats. A skilled guide will position the vehicle for the best possible view within the regulations.

Be considerate to fellow guests

In a shared vehicle, take turns at the best windows and photography positions, especially at popular sightings. If someone is filming, keep conversation quiet so their audio is not spoiled. Ask before you stand on seats or lean across someone.

If you want to stay longer at a sighting or move on, talk with the group and your guide. Different people have different priorities, and a little communication goes a long way.

Tell your guide early on what you most want to see and how you like to travel. Some guests want to tick off as many species as possible, while others prefer to wait an hour at a single den. Knowing this helps the guide plan the day around the whole group.

Sharing sightings with other vehicles

At busy sightings, vehicles take turns so everyone gets a view. Avoid blocking an animal's path, especially when a cat is crossing the road or approaching water. Your guide will also avoid crowding animals or cutting off a hunt.

Patience is rewarded. Some of the best sightings happen after the crowd has moved on.

Leave no trace

Keep all rubbish in the vehicle and dispose of it at camp. Even small items such as fruit peel or tissues can harm animals or spoil the landscape. Remember that Tanzania has a ban on plastic bags, so bring reusable alternatives.

Smoking is best avoided during game drives because of fire risk and fellow guests' comfort. Wait for a designated stop and ask your guide.