Night Game Drive

What is a night game drive safari?

Head out after dark on a night game drive safari and experience the bush in a whole new way. Night game drives are all about sighting smaller, nocturnal animals such as genets, civets, porcupines, and aardvarks, or the chance to catch a lion or a leopard on the prowl. On a night game drive you can sense the tension and high alert demeanor of the plains game and prey as predators ready themselves for a hunt.

When does a night game drive start?

Most often, a night game drive begins just after the sun sets, as an extension of your afternoon drive. You might sip a gin and tonic sundowner and watch the sky shift from hues of pink and orange. The veil of night falls, and stars blink into focus. As you make your way back to camp, your guide will be on the lookout for movement and retinas in the bush, perhaps aided by a spotlight. You will return to your tented camp or luxury lodge for a later dinner.

Where can you do a night game drive?

As with bush walks and walking safaris, night drives are typically not allowed inside national parks. To enjoy a night game drive, you need to stay at a safari camp situated within a private concession, reserve, or concession. For example, you can go on a night game drive in the Mara North Conservancy, but not inside the adjacent Maasai Mara National Reserve. Extraordinary Journeys safari specialists can help you navigate camp selection if you are keen on a night game drive.

Are night game drives disruptive?

It should be noted that bright spotlights can be distressing to animals (think of when a flashlight is shined in your eyes) so we are very excited about the rising trend of using a red filter over the spotlight. The red filter is a simple fix to minimize the impact on the animals’ night vision. A handful of properties, such as Molori in Madikwe, even offer clients night-vision goggles which offer no disruption to the animals and are really fun to use.