Adventure Advisor:

For a low-tech alternative to the standard Range Rover safari, you can hire an armed ranger to walk you through the wilderness. For obvious reasons, you probably won't get as close to the animals as you would in a quick getaway car. But you'll have the advantage of learning about the Big Five (rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo) without the interfering rumble of an engine.

Guided "bush walks" in Kruger National Park last three days and cover up to 35 miles, giving you plenty of time to extract game ranging tidbits from your all-knowing escort. Despite the fact that Kruger is sometimes criticized for its zoo-like appearance (fake watering holes, a few cages, a smattering of planned feeding frenzies), those who work there tend to know their turf. One warning: Spontaneity and bush walks do not coexist. Plan to reserve your spot at least a year in advance.

A less-traveled option is Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, one of the largest protected natural areas in all of Africa. Since getting there requires extended travel through semi-desert on sub-optimal roads, it's got a much higher animal-to-human ratio than Kruger-- a definite bonus, unless you find yourself being eyeballed by a hungry Kalahari lion.

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