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Binoculars for B. Z and SA
We're heading on the B, Z and SA trip in August and wondered if the camp vehicles provide binoculars or not?
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We're heading on the B, Z and SA trip in August and wondered if the camp vehicles provide binoculars or not?
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No, never been offered binoculars on a Tauck safari, even on that tour. Frankly, since Covid , I would not want binocular near my face that someone else had just been using.
On the recent Northern India & Nepal tour, the safari vehicles in Bandhavgarh National Park had binoculars for use. There were two in my vehicle (in addition to the ones used by the spotter).
Totally agree with British about health reasons.
When I said safari, I should have clarified and said my African safaris.
Our drivers on both K&T and B,SA,Z had binoculars that they would share, but only had one for the entire vehicle of driver and six passengers. The only times the drivers used binoculars was to initially just find the wildlife. We also had a night vision device ("star scope") on K&T but the view was fuzzy/grainy and easily washed out if another vehicle used a spot light.
Frankly, in addition to any health issues, if you are not close enough to see wildlife clearly with the naked eye, you are just not close enough to truly appreciate it, especially if the vehicle is moving. The drivers go out of their way to get you up close and personal and are successful most of the time. I took binoculars on K&T, but rarely used them, and did not take them on B,SA,Z.
Thank you very much for your responses. We're excited for the trip
@Viper if memory serves me, when on safari in SA and Botswana we were close enough to the animals that we never needed binoculars. To me, that was an advantage and very different from Kenya and Tanzania where we could rarely go off road, so animals were much further away. Enjoy.
We have always able to get close to animals most of the time in K and T. I’m sure SeaLord would agree
Good for you, British! I was just commenting on my experience in Ngorogoro Crater and some areas in Kenya, where we could not go off road.
Then you had some bad luck there. In Botswana, Chobe, we could not go off road, lots of brush an barely two way tracks, that was crazy when a big cat was seen, traffic jams like I have never seen anywhere.
No, they don't but you might want to contact the camp via email- they might rent them. Some camps rent photographic equipment, maybe binoculars too.
From my experience, you don't need them... you're always pretty close to animals as British Mentioned. In Chobe the biggest attraction from the river are the elephants and the boats do get pretty close to them.
a word of advice... take the least amount of equipment, take essentials if you are a photographer, phone and a camera, no tripods etc.. the jeeps are moving constantly, and Terraine is uneven, so you do shake a lot. The driver will stop for you to take a picture.
Amazing Safari.
Enjoy.