Big Five safaris in South Africa are a must-do for anyone fascinated by wildlife. Big Five refers to buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard and rhino and the term comes from the animals considered most dangerous to hunt. Now the thrill comes from photographing them in their natural habitat.

If you’re looking for a Big Five safari experience in South Africa you can go to almost any province in South Africa, but the Kruger National Park in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces remains an iconic tourism drawcard.

The Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) abound in the park, and you see them by self-drive, guided drives or guided walks through the bushveld.

But remember, you are not in the middle of a National Geographic documentary. You may well see all Big Five, you may well not, although your chances are high. Drive slowly, stop at waterholes, listen for the warning calls of birds, watch when other vehicles stop, and always keep your eyes open.

Prepare to be awed. To see a leopard dozing in the bough of a tree, spotting a black rhino half-hidden in thick shrubs, finding a pride of lions in the shade after a kill, or watching a large herd of elephants or Cape buffalo move soundlessly across the road – these are all priceless moments.

Always remember that you’re dealing with wild animals, and that you’re in their territory. There are rules of engagement relating to Big Five safaris in South Africa. Read your guidebook carefully and heed the words of your ranger at all times.

Don’t take anyone else’s word for it, get close to the bush and its wildlife with a real-life walking safari or bush walk experience in a game reserve with experienced guides and trackers who will show you the best kept secrets of the wilderness.

If you go on a bush walking or wildlife trail, you’ll get to experience wildlife at first hand. You’ll learn about the ecology, the birds, the game, the plants and insects, and also how to interpret the signs of the wild, including animal spoor. When you come face-to-face with that elephant, or watch that dung beetle labouring with his ball of dung, you’ll realise just how impressive and interconnected African wildlife really is.

A walking safari is your opportunity to experience the wild in a way that most humans have not for hundreds of years. You’ll be accompanied by a personal armed ranger, with a back-up guide or tracker, who’ll make sure that you’re kept safe at all times. These professionals will guide you along trails and tracks to watering holes and rivers, showing you the secrets of the bush up close and personal.

This is your chance to witness the real details of the bush, from the Big Five right down to the insects that are such an important part of the ecosystem. You’ll also get a feel for the plant life and trees of the bush, their uses and natures.

Typically, before you set out, you’ll be briefed on how to behave when encountering animals in the wild. Your guides are trained experts who know how to handle the situation you are in. The best tip is to listen carefully to what they say and to follow their directions quickly, quietly and carefully.

Walking safaris are an ideal way to really experience the African bush.

You get the opportunity to do more than just view animals, you’ll also be part of the environment where you’ll experience every aspect of it, the insects, the plants, the heat and the pure adrenalin rush of being on foot among wild animals in Africa.

Bush etiquette is more than considerate behaviour around wildlife. It also helps keep you and the animals safe, and eases possible tensions when there is congestion around say, a lion or elephant sighting. You won’t go wrong if you are respectful, observant and quiet.

That would be the person talking loudly on a cellphone while a lioness is suckling her cubs; the one that shouts at an animal to get it to stop sleeping and ‘pose’; the one hanging out of the vehicle or climbing on the roof to get a better angle.

Then again, even game-viewing veterans can do the wrong thing.

So what is suitable behaviour around wildlife?

If you are game-viewing in your own vehicle, there is more to bear in mind.