We Tried It: A $200 Safari with Uber in South Africa

What it is: Uber’s one-day safari tour that just launched from Cape Town, South Africa. Bookable on the Uber app starting October 2, the trip includes transportation to and from Cape Town, a welcome drink and lunch at Aquila Private Game Reserve, and a nearly 3-hour game drive in the 24,000-hectare nature reserve, where guests will look for the “big five ” Africa – elephants, lions, rhinoceroses, African buffaloes and leopards.

Who tried it: Mackenzie Schmidt, editor of PEOPLE’s Home and Travel

First Impressions: I definitely raised my eyebrows at the words “Uber Safari” when they arrived in my inbox in August, imagining a mid-size limousine bumping around the rough terrain of a big game reserve or worse, looking at a distressed rhinoceros. But Uber’s latest out-of-the-box launch — part of its “Go Anywhere” series aimed at making bucket-list trips more accessible — is thankfully much more than on-demand wilderness transportation. Instead, it’s a full-day trip you book up to 90 days in advance, the field portion of which is led by veteran wildlife guides driving safari trucks, not Jeff who’s two minutes away in a Corolla.

Mackenzie Schmidt

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Experience: I’ve been lucky enough to go on a safari once before, and I did the full-tilt version: I traveled hours off-road into the wilderness, stayed at a remote resort, woke up at dawn every day for a game drive. It was a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime trip, and honestly, I thought this couldn’t compare. And I was wrong.

The first important consideration for any trip to South Africa is the often lengthy process of getting there. For me, that meant a 15-hour flight from New York. On this trip, I was grateful to be able to fly United’s Polaris product direct from Newark to Cape Town. United reintroduced direct flights on this route six days a week in 2019 (most airlines fly to Johannesburg, requiring another hop to the southern city) and added a new DC to Cape Town flight in 2022. Every lie-flat seat is a game-changer for flights long-haul, so you can arrive rested, but I discovered a few more perks for this one, including a “relaxation mode” on the entertainment screen, where fliers can choose from a variety of serene scenes to watch while listening to nature sounds or ambient music before dozing off .

Mackenzie Schmidt

After arriving in Cape Town, I spent the day exploring the famous wine town of Stellenbosch and the Babylonstoren winery before a day of safari. Uber is also running a promotion where users can get a 30 percent discount (maximum ZAR 100) on rides in the Cape Winelands using the code CAPEWINE24.

You will have to dedicate a whole day to the safari experience. When booking in the app, up to 90 days in advance, you select a pick-up (9:30am) and drop-off location, which can be anywhere in Cape Town. For the day, we set off in a luxury Uber Safari SUV for a roughly 2.5 hour drive east into the Karoo region. It’s a drag for sure, especially considering you’ll have to do it again that evening, but the arid mountain and semi-desert landscapes you pass through are beautiful and almost foreign.

An elephant captured sitting in a cafe near an African safari camp — see the photos!

Mackenzie Schmidt

On arrival at Aquila Private Game Reserve, I was greeted with a glass of champagne and welcomed by the guide before an alfresco lunch, which was especially sublime given the very remote location. After lunch, we climbed into our safari trucks (open-air, off-road vehicles that hold 6-9 guests each) to drive to the 24,000-hectare reserve.

This was really the moment I realized that the experience was going to be on par with my previous safari with a luxury outfitter. Our experienced guide was equally friendly and knowledgeable about the land and the animals that lived there, sharing facts and answering our many questions. He expertly navigated the rugged terrain to lead us to three snoozing lions, the story of a zebra, a mother giraffe with her 6-week-old baby, and three breathtaking elephants surrounded by an eland (a large native deer) while communicating with other guides via radio to get the latest information on the locations of active animals. However, it is important to remember that a safari is not a zoo and there is no guarantee which animals you will see or for how long.

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While the Uber Safari media preview included an overnight stay and another morning drive, we were very likely able to see all the animals we saw in one excursion, as we revisited some during our dawn drive to see them in the second part of their day.

Mackenzie Schmidt

The goal of most safaris is to spot the infamous “big five,” and we found all but the leopards, who tagged three (lions, rhinos, and buffalo) in the evening and one more (an elephant) in the morning. Elephant lovers, fear not, the guides generally always know where the big guys are, even in this vast environment.

Our pickup truck stopped a few meters from the softer animals and still startlingly close to the potentially fiercer ones, leaving several safari goers clinging to their seats as they snapped photos. (A late-afternoon addition is an amazingly magical picture light.)

My visit in September was particularly cold as it was before the real safari season started in October, but our van was equipped with fleece blankets and all that bouncing around helps keep the blood flowing. Even in high season, which lasts until February (South African summer), it’s important to remember that temperatures in the desert drop dramatically in the evening, so be sure to pack several layers. Towards the end of our ride, we stopped for hot drinks at a small, permanent hut overlooking the extraordinary scenery and watched the sun set over the mountains.

Mackenzie Schmidt

While we were staying, a typical Uber Safari excursion would then return to camp, where guests would return to standard vehicles and drive back to Cape Town for the night — a long but unusual day.

Who it’s best for: Uber Safari is ideal for anyone planning a trip to Cape Town, who wants to squeeze in a variety of experiences: exploring the vibrant city, perhaps spending a day touring the vineyards of the Cape Winelands, and hang out with famous wild animals. It allows visitors to have the full safari experience without spending more than a day on their trip.

This is also an amazing option for budget-conscious travelers. Multi-day safari experiences at remote tented camps or luxury resorts can easily come with a price tag in the thousands. Uber Safari is an almost shockingly affordable alternative: all for $200 for up to four guests. With three friends on board, that’s $50 per person (that’s less than driving to the airport in New York).

courtesy of Uber

Verdict: The price alone makes this a win. A flat fee of $200 is unheard of when booking any safari experience, and the game drive itself is on par with luxury overnight camp tours.

If you’re planning a trip to Cape Town with a city or wine focus but feel like a safari, this is the perfect way to get the experience without adding days to your holiday or blowing your travel budget.

Uber Safari is available to book on the Uber app starting October 2 for Friday and Saturday trips starting October 4 and running through January 25, 2025.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education