The Digital Safari

The Digital Safari

April 20, 2017

When one considers that humans are the most connected species on the planet how we share our Safari can be a really interesting observation.

The heritage of Safari has been shared for over a century around a fire, fabled in story and legend and quite possibly serves as one of the many early communication platforms that has lead to modern day connectivity.

Is it still that way?

I read a blog post recently from one of the most famous luxury Safari lodges on the continent. What amazed me was how connected their guests where…literally…phone, camera and all. Modern technology is so perfectly designed that going on Safari no longer requires a handful of porters to carry your camera equipment. Today your 20mega-pixel smartphone just slips perfectly in your designer khakis and holds a 2day charge. So there they all stood, phones and tablets out perfectly capturing the lion eating the buffalo. One wonders if the Safari experience was as simple as that.

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But we wanted to understand more. We are so passionate about Safari that for a moment we were worried that the whole experience was being lost to a digital engagement that captured rather than experienced. Just the other day I saw a ranger being filmed by a guest whilst he intern was filming a pack of Wild Dogs on his phone. This was very bizarre and makes one realise that the use of mobile devices on safari have really changed the way we capture the experience.

The use of social media and the Internet has certainly changed the way we engage as people. For the open-minded, it can be seen as a positive in tourism, nature conservation and of course Safari. It’s a platform that highlights the plight of endangered species, challenges in conservation creates communities of common interest and also shares those magical safari experiences that change lives forever.

Our ultimate conclusion is that whether the digital era improves the Safari experience or not, its completely up to the user. We at Safaria will always try to create the middle ground between the classical Safari experience and the digital connection. Why, well because that’s the world in which we live. Yes, we will provide WIFI on all our vehicles because we know how powerful digital dopamine is but the highlight must always be the wilderness and mother natures curing distraction. Getting that balance right requires a delicate approach and a specialised storyboard.

So jump on one of our Safaria game vehicles and allow us to help you get the most out of your Kruger National Park experience.