BANK manager Philip Goh went wild during his honeymoon in October last year.

He and his wife, a customer service officer, surprised their parents when they chose to go to South Africa to see wildlife, instead of the cultural attractions of European cities.

'It was amazing, and a very good experience,' he says of his safari.

'We got very close to the animals, about 8 to 10m away in a jeep. We love it so much, we're planning to go again,' he says of his 10-day trip which cost more than $3,000 per person.

The Gohs are not the only ones opting for stampeding buffaloes, sweltering heat, charging lions and parched, dry lands as part of their holiday. Travel agencies here say they are lining up more of such trips to meet rising demand.

SA Tours, for instance, has garnered a steady growth of about 100 travellers annually for the past two years, says general manager Alicia Seah.

There were about 200 travellers in 2002 and 2003 when it started its safari tours to South Africa. The number grew to about 300 last year and so far this year, close to 400 people have gone on packaged tours which range from $3,548.

Likewise, CTC Holidays has seen a healthy increase in demand in the past three years, from about 10 tour groups annually to the present 30, with an average group size of between 25 and 35 people, says Ms Joycelyn Su, its senior manager for outbound tours.

The travellers mostly choose to go to South Africa, staying at a game lodge and going on safari drives. The African packages cost from $3,388 whereas the Australian ones start from $1,688.

Ms Su believes Singaporean tourists are becoming more sophisticated, resulting in a demand for unique travel experiences worth writing home about.

The travel agencies Life! spoke to note that retirees in small groups and young professionals like doctors and lawyers form the majority of these adventure-seekers.

"The most popular location is Africa, specifically South Africa, although Shenzhen, Thailand and even South Korea also offer safari tours in their nature parks," says Mr Alex Lee, executive director of Ananda Travel.

Its business has grown in the past five years since it introduced its Kenyan packages.

Ananda has also seen a more than 50 per cent rise in the number of honeymooners answering the call of the wild, compared to three years ago.

But industry sources note that purely safari packages are not popular. Instead, travellers prefer to spend two to three days in the wilderness and then move on to a city or some other destination.

But even in those two or three days, safari tours promise a very exciting experience with rides in jeeps through animal territory, living in a game lodge within the nature parks and even hunting for those who are not averse to the sport.

And of course, they give you the unique opportunity to see the 'Big Five' in their natural habitat.

No, we are not referring to the five families in The Godfather series.

But these five - elephants, rhinoceroses, buffaloes, lions and leopards - are just as dangerous.

GAME ON? SIGN ON

CTC Holidays
(Tel: 6532-0532)

• 10-day South Africa Special from $3,388
  Includes two game drives - sunset and sunrise - and a three-minute helicopter ride in the morning for a view of the whole area.
  
  
• 10-day South Africa + Garden Route from $3,688
  The tour packs in a two-night stay in Sun City and features a game drive in the beautiful Pilanesberg National Park.
  
  
• Six-day Flavours of Melbourne from $1,688
  The Werribee Open Range Zoo offers an open-vehicle adventure, similar to a South African safari tour and a good and cheaper alternative for travellers, especially families.

SA Tours
(Tel: 6557-2567)
It offers a 10-day South Africa Special which includes an overnight stay at a private game reserve with two game drives, Sun City extravaganza show and a cultural village experience, from $3,548 per person.

Olympia Travels & Tours
(Tel: 6732-3229)
A game walk, a game drive and visits to cultural villages are part of this six-day-four-night South Africa Cultural Experience.

A minimum of only four people are required before the group departs, from $2,628 per person.