Water-based safaris are magical game drives from a boat, where travelers can spot animals as they congregate ... where travelers can book a boat safari. Each experience-canoeing across floodplains ...

Tours take visitors out on the water, and you're guaranteed to see ... which provides an oasis for dozens of safari animals.

Here are seven things that surprised me during my first safari trip. Animal encounters were better and more close-up than I'd imagined. I knew I'd be near animals during the safari, but I was not ...