The Solo Scale:

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If you’ve gone on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom, have you ever noticed the unobtrusive little sign to the right of the queue? It’s the one advertising the “Wild Africa Trek”. In this case, it’s not more theming for the ride. It’s actually an Enchanting Extra that you can purchase for your vacation to get closer to the hippos and crocodiles and trek across wooden bridges inside the safari.

This is something that you can book sixty days before your trip at midnight. Restaurant reservations start at 6AM, but enchanting extras happen at midnight, so if you’re eager to get something specific, set your alarms for the right time.

If you do manage to get it, read the warnings carefully. There are some important details in booking this. Take note when it comes to the clothing you need to wear (closed-toed shoes and pants, primarily).

Checking In & Setting Up

The Wild Africa Trek has a limit of twelve people. Before the trek, you need to arrive thirty minutes before the start time to check in. Once your entire group is there and you’ve signed all the necessary waivers, you’ll start with set-up. This begins to the right of the queue entry where the Wild Africa Trek sign looms.

One by one, they’ll bring each person in. First, you need to be weighed. There is a 300 pound limit for this experience, but I’ve heard that there is some leniency in that. However, the limit is due to the harnesses that are in use. Once you’re off the scale, the team at the Trek now knows which harness is right for you. Each of these weighs roughly five-pounds. You wear them for a little over an hour. If that’s a worry, this might be something to build into your pre-Disney regimen with a weight vest if you have one.

This is where you’ll also receive lanyards for your cell phone, sunglasses, and other loose items that you might have on you. You’ll also receive a radio and headset and your complimentary water bottle. There’s two water filling stations. One is at the beginning of the tour and there’s a second after the crocodiles before you arrive at the boma where more water awaits. I highly recommend staying hydrated. The water bottle was fantastic at keeping things cool, even in the heat of the sunny day.

Once you’re outfitted and safety checks are complete, you step to the side to wait for the remainder of your group. Then, it’s time for that group picture before testing of the radios.

Then, you’re off!

The Trek

The first bit of the tour actually takes you through a walk of the first half of the Gorilla Falls trail. You’re not going to stop and linger, but you will get a bit of flavour of the experience if you haven’t done it before. Halfway through, prior to arriving at the gorillas, you get to head backstage to a hiking trail. Watch where you’re walking. This is a nature trail, which means there’s lots of tree trunks sticking out of the ground and are definite tripping hazards. Your first stop is going to be with the hippos. Before you even get to them, you get to learn a little more about them.

We met up with Evelyn, one of the keepers. From her, we learned a few interesting hippo facts while looking at a hippo skull. You spend a couple of minutes here, but get to learn about the range of a hippo’s jaw (wider than you’d think!) and the surprising size of their teeth (which can get up to 50 cm or 20 inches long).

Soon enough, it’s time for your first adrenaline-inducing event. You’ll be taking your harness and receiving instructions about how to clip onto a line. This area takes you out over an overlook where you can lean forward and watch as Rosie & Panchita, two of the hippos were fed by Evelyn. Lettuce and watermelons were on the menu during our visit, which means you get up close views of those massive and impressive teeth. While you’re doing this, you’ll have professional photos taken of you and the hippos. These pictures are available for download later via a card and are included in the price.

Essentially, the harness system makes you feel very safe, but it does feel just a little like you’re taking yourself on a walk with a leash.

However, I never felt any danger, even when leaning forward. If you’re going too far, you’ll feel a light tug against your back which will be your sign to ease off. You’ll spend a few more minutes here watching the hippos feeding, submerging and coming back up to feed again. The keepers do a great job of making sure that the hippos are lingering nearby during your visit, so you won’t have to worry about missing them.

Once you unclip, you continue onward to crossing the rope bridges. These have been built to be intentionally dangerous-looking and slightly rickety. There are two rope bridges that you’ll be crossing. On the first, looking down you’ll find the hippos lounging on the beach right beneath your feet. Don’t worry, there’s netting below you, so if you do slip a little, you’re going to be fine. For extra safety, your harness is attached to a safety line above you. The bridge is a little bouncy, which can be nerve-wracking if you’re scared of heights, but it’s plenty safe.

Once you’ve crossed over, you disconnect your carabiner from the one bridge and then connect to the next. This is also where you can spot your photographer. Make sure to strike a pose when they ask you for one! The next bridge is a little more sedate. This is over the crocodiles, who mostly lounge in the sun like happy little rocks.

At the end, you disconnect and clip onto another ledge area where you get closer to the crocodiles. At this vantage point, you’ll also see plenty of Kilimanjaro Safari vehicles driving past you. You can also see one of the food sources for the crocodiles as they tend to hold onto their food (rabbits, in this case) for eating over days.

Once you reach the end of the clothesline, you get to hand over your weighted vest. The experience is far from over, but at least there’s no more 5lb vest on your back. Next, you’re on to your own private safari.

The Safari

Once you finish with the bridges, you load up into a smaller vehicle with open siding. This is where you get to take the safari path to see the animals with the usual commentary. However, because you’re in a Jeep, you can stray off the main paths. Right before the end, instead of heading off to see the goats, the car takes a detour.

It’s here at the tembo that you unload from the vehicle, right in view of the savannah on one side, and the elephants on the other. It’s in the perfect place for great views!

The Food

Arriving at the tembo, you have the opportunity to go to the washroom and wash your hands prior to your snacks. You can pick a table (it’s four to a table) and set down your things before wandering around. There are binoculars you can use to view the animals. There’s also some fun educational pieces on display and the photographer is still around to take shots of you with the safari in the background.

Ready to eat? Your food comes in a camp kit (a tiffin) with multiple layers. Each table also gets big pitchers of water and POG juice, which is refilled regularly. Insider the tiffin you get a variety of items. These include tandoori shrimp, a tropical fruit salad, chicken wraps with harissa aioli, mozzarella pearls, prosciutto, gherkins, and hummus and pita.

In my opinion, the hummus is the star here with the chicken wrap as a close second winner. The prosciutto is thick cut and good quality, but the mozzarella pearls lacked flavour. However, add in some POG juice and it’s a fantastic break to relax and enjoy the animals in the distance.

When you’re done eating, you’ll pack up the tiffins for the team to clean up and return to the jeep to conclude your three-hour tour.

The Photographs

Not only will you get an amazing experience, great food, and a semi-private safari, but the entire Wild Africa Trek is supplemented by incredible professional photographs of you and the animals. You receive the information to download your photos on a little card so you can download them after. It’s an amazing souvenir that helps to justify the cost of the experience. This is something that one of your guides will be tasked with doing, so make sure you give them your appreciation at the end with a thank you!

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I absolutely adore the Wild Africa Trek and can’t recommend it enough. In fact, I’ll be returning to do the experience again (reservations pending!) when I visit with a friend. It’s the perfect mix of adventure, animals, food, and gives you a unique experience at Animal Kingdom that not everyone can say they did!

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