Wild Africa Trek
The next morning we had scheduled the Wild Africa Trek! We were planning to get into the park around 11, since the Trek started at 11:30. I had my annual pass but Jason didn't have a park ticket, so my CM friend very kindly agreed to meet us at AK that morning to let Jason in. I have some truly amazing friends
Being at AKL we got to AK earlier than we needed to be. So we grabbed some breakfast at the coffee stand outside of the gates - a blueberry muffin for me, and a donut for DH! Once my friend arrived we headed out to the Wild Africa Trek to check in. We were still early, so we poked around in the gift shop before going back.
The Trek was absolutely incredible. To start off, they suited you up in your gear. You were weighed to make sure you were in the weight limit, and then they put a vest and harness on you. We also each got a water bottle for the trek, which we got to keep as a souvenir afterward. And we were given headpieces so we could hear the guides talking. Finally, if you wanted to bring a camera (and of course I did!) they gave you a clip and a string to secure it to your vest. Anything else had to go in a locker (wallet, keys, cell phone, etc.). Here's our group all suited up!
We started out by going on part of the Pangani trail, the one that is open to the public. However, it was great having the guides there, as they pointed out things you might not have noticed and provided some interesting tidbits along the way.
Then we were "off roading" it, going up a path that is off limits to the public. We followed our guides who led us to... the hippos! The ear pieces were great, as I could hear everything they were saying, even when I fell a little behind to take some photos (They warned us that if we got too far behind the ear pieces might not work anymore).
We ended up right above where the hippos were on the safari. They attach your harness to a metal pole so you can stand toward the edge and look down at the hippos without having to worry and still being safe! A third guide came out and told us a bit about the hippos. Apparently hippos kill more humans than any other type of animal. He said this is because they are very territorial, and if a human happens into its area the hippos feel like they have to protect their area.
They then spent some time feeding the hippos, which brought them right over to us! One came close by, with his head up out of the water, opening and closing his mouth to eat. It was neat to get to see his head up and mouth open! Talk about a great photo opportunity!
Next up on our journey was the crocodiles. This is when we crossed over a "rope" bridge above the crocodile pit. Of course it's Disney, so everything is very secure and safe, even though it's made to look treacherous. And of course they harness you in and everything. I get scared of a lot of things, but this wasn't scary at all! It was such a fun, unique opportunity! You actually crossed over 2 different rope bridges. The first one went over where the safari vehicles drive by the crocodiles, so I had this view:
You can see the height of the rope bridge from this picture of me crossing:
And here's DH, clearly fascinated by something below him:
And I love this picture of me with my camera, because I think it's very typical of me!
One thing I'll also mention here is that the guides have their own cameras that they take pictures with throughout the Trek. That's how we have pictures of ourselves. They take pictures of everyone on the Trek at various points, as well as their own pictures of the animals, so that if you didn't bring your own camera you can still get photos of the experience. Then at the end of the tour they give you a download card with a code, when you can find all of your photos! I thought that was a really great idea!
The second rope bridge is the one that goes over the crocodile pit.
Once we all made it over, we took a more in depth look at the crocodiles in the same way that we did with the hippos - by being attached to a metal pole so we could look down on the crocs.
Up next was our own private safari ride through the savanna. This truck is set up differently than the regular safari trucks. There are also designated spots throughout the safari where our driver could pull over. That way we got to spend longer periods of time looking at the animals, and we could stand up and take some time to get some good pictures.
We got to stop near the giraffes - and the baby giraffe, Mosi, was there! They told us at this point it was only Mosi's third day out on the savanna. The giraffes are always my favorite, and it was so cool to see the baby!
We also stopped for awhile near the elephants:
Then, halfway through the safari, we pulled over to a small outdoor building where we got to have lunch. They gave us little buckets with a taste of different things. It was really delicious! Check out my dining review if you want the full details, but I really enjoyed the chicken curry.
Yum, I'm ready to dig in!
After eating and using the restrooms that were there, we also had some free time to just watch the animals and take pictures.
(Umm, of course I'm taking pictures of the giraffe!)
Then we were back on the truck to finish up our safari ride. This time we stopped near the rhinos and the zebras.
We got lucky with the zebras. Not only were they out, but they were super close to the truck!
As we ended our tour, they told us that a portion of the fee we paid for it would be donated to the Wildlife Conservation fund. They let us choose which animal we wanted to give to, by putting a rock inside a box with the pictures of animals on it. I, of course, chose giraffes!
I highly recommend this tour to anyone that might be considering it. The experience was incredible, especially for someone like me who loves the Animal Kingdom. And if you are a photographer it provides some amazing opportunities for animal pictures!
Jason and I grabbed some ice cream before heading back to AKL to get ready for our photoshoot at Art of Animation that evening!