The safari vocabulary has a specific, practical meaning that often differs from common English usage. Understanding the terminology is not about sounding like an expert β it is about understanding what your guide is telling you, and making better-informed choices about your safari experience.
These are 50 of the most commonly used and most commonly misunderstood terms in the Tanzania safari lexicon. We have omitted the most obvious ones β you know what an elephant is β and focused on the terms where the safari meaning diverges from the dictionary meaning, or where the context changes the significance.
βA guide who uses terminology you don't understand is not a good guide. A guide who explains why the terminology matters β that is someone worth listening to.β
The Essential 50 Terms
Bush
Wild, undeveloped rural landscape β typically savanna, woodland, or scrubland. On safari, 'in the bush' means in the natural environment, away from towns and infrastructure. Not a polite term β it is the accurate one.
Big Five
Lion, leopard, rhinoceros, African elephant, and Cape buffalo. Named by colonial big-game hunters as the five most dangerous animals to hunt on foot. All five are present in Tanzania's northern parks. Seeing all five in one trip is achievable on a well-planned northern circuit.
Game Drive
A wildlife viewing excursion in a vehicle β typically a 4x4 Land Cruiser. The standard safari activity, conducted in early morning and late afternoon. The quality of a game drive is determined almost entirely by the guide, not the vehicle or the park.
Private Conservancy
Privately-leased land adjacent to a national park where an operator holds a concession. Private conservancies offer experiences prohibited inside national parks: off-road driving, night game drives, and walking safaris. The Serengeti's private conservancies β Lamai Wedge, Grumeti Reserve, Mara North β are widely considered to offer the finest safari experience in Africa.
National Park
Government-managed protected land. In Tanzania's national parks (Serengeti, Tarangire, Ngorongoro), rules are fixed and enforced uniformly: no off-road driving, no night drives, no walking safaris. National parks offer excellent wildlife viewing with regulatory consistency.
Migration / Great Migration
The annual circuit of approximately 1.5 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle moving between the Serengeti (Tanzania) and Masai Mara (Kenya) in pursuit of rain-fall and fresh grass. The world's largest remaining land animal migration. The calving season (January-March) happens in Tanzania's southern Ndutu plains; the river crossings (July-October) happen along the Mara River in both Tanzania and Kenya.
Game Scouting / Tracking
Locating wildlife by reading signs: fresh tracks, dung, alarm calls from other species, and radio telemetry from collared animals. The alternative to following a radio signal. A skilled tracker can follow a lion by the direction its ears have been pointing for the last hour.
Breaking Camp / Breaking News
No, this is not about journalism. 'Breaking camp' means the morning departure from a safari camp, when the tents are struck and the camp is packed for the next location. 'Breaking news' is when the guide receives information about a significant wildlife sighting β via radio, telephone, or from another vehicle.
Buffalo Boma
A defensive formation that Cape buffalo arrange when threatened β a tight cluster of adults facing outward, with calves protected inside. Seeing a buffalo boma form as a pride of lions approaches is one of the most dramatic wildlife spectacles in Africa. The buffalo typically hold formation until the lions give up or a stray animal is isolated.
Leopard in a Tambouti
A tambouti is a sycamore fig tree. Leopards habitually hoist their kills into tambouti trees to protect them from lions and hyenas. A kill cached in a tambouti β sometimes visible from the vehicle, occasionally 15 metres up with vultures circling β is one of the most reliable leopard sightings in the Serengeti.
Musth
A periodic condition in adult male elephants characterised by heightened aggression and sexual activity, driven by a temporary elevation in testosterone levels. A bull elephant in musth β recognisable by secretions from the temporal glands and a distinctive walk β is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. The condition typically lasts 2-3 months per year. Experienced guides manage the risk by maintaining significant distance from bulls in musth.
Conservation Fee / Park Fee
The daily fee charged by Tanzania National Parks Authority for entry to national parks. As of 2026, the Conservation Fee is approximately $70-90 per person per day depending on the park. This fee funds anti-poaching operations, ranger salaries, road maintenance, and infrastructure within the parks. It is non-negotiable and applies to all visitors regardless of how they arrive.
Fly Camping
The most minimal form of safari accommodation β a fly sheet, a mattress on the ground, access to a fire and basic food. Set up for one night in a remote location away from the permanent camp. The experience is intentionally stripped of infrastructure in favour of immersion. Fly camping is only possible in private conservancies, not national parks.
Flush
To flush is what a predator does when it deliberately startles prey into movement β typically in order to isolate a weaker individual, separate a mother from her calf, or drive prey toward an ambush. When a guide says 'the lion is going to flush them,' expect sudden, explosive movement from multiple directions.
Predator View / Prey View
Terms used to describe the two perspectives a game drive vehicle can occupy. A 'predator view' is a position that gives you sight lines to where predators are likely to be or are actively hunting. A 'prey view' puts you in an area of high prey density. Experienced guides spend more time in predator view β positioning for where a hunt is likely to happen rather than where animals are currently resting.
Sundowner
A drink taken at sunset. The word comes from British colonial usage β 'sundown' was when the working day ended and a drink was earned. On safari, the sundowner is a ritual: the vehicle stops somewhere beautiful, the sun drops toward the horizon, and cold drinks are passed around. It is one of the few genuinely unchanging pleasures of the safari experience.
Have Questions About Safari Terminology?
Don will explain any term or concept during your safari β that is part of what a great guide does. Contact him before your trip to discuss anything you are unsure about.