Safari vehicles – stuck in the river with you

Safari vehicles are versatile, and can handle terrain you wouldn’t guess by looking at them. When I was in Zambia on my recent African safari, we drove through rivers on multiple occasions. Rivers. Oddly enough, it was when we attempted a dry river that we ran into trouble.

Safari vehicles can easily navigate a small, running river. Usually, rocks are piled into the designated crossing place ahead of time, allowing for minimal submersion. It’s cheaper than building a bridge. The ride may be bumpy, but one of my guides referred to the experience lovingly as an “African massage.”

Despite the unfettered awesome off-roading capabilities of the safari vehicles we rode in on our African safari, this dry river in South Luangwa National Park gave us some real problems. Check out the video and see how we solved the crisis.

The moral of the story: less weight is better, even if it’s just three skinny girls.

My trip to Zambia was sponsored by Abercrombie & Kent and Sanctuary Retreats, but the ideas and opinions expressed in this article are 100 percent my own.