Night Game Drive

Overview

While most people associate African safaris with sun-drenched images of wildlife, the nighttime bush offers an entirely different perspective. Night game drives in Tanzania’s savannas and parks provide a unique opportunity to experience nocturnal animals and behaviors. As the sun sets, an array of wildlife awakens under cover of darkness.

Guided night drives utilize spotlights to locate animals by eyeshine and thermal imaging cameras to detect body heat. On these drives, you may encounter hungry predators like lions, leopards, and hyenas on the hunt. Nocturnal species like bushbabies, galagos, civets, and genets are also active. Herbivores like hippos can be heard chomping grass or spotted grazing along riverbanks.

In addition to wildlife, night drives showcase constellations of the southern hemisphere sky that are invisible during daylight hours. Guides will point out stars, planets, nebulas and share African folklore about astronomy. You may even see shooting stars streaking overhead. Most drives conclude with sundowners and night-viewing equipment to experience the bush after dark.

Offered in many Tanzanian safari destinations like the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, night drives provide an adrenaline rush spotting predators after dark. Far from the typical safari, these drives reveal the mystery and drama of the African bush at night through exciting animal encounters and stargazing against pitch-black skies.ecosystems.

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