"and the throngs of vehicles jockeying for position when something significant is spotted really kind of spoils it."

I once read a great article about one of these game parks.

The people in one vehicle had spotted some Lions
and driven up to see them. They were the only vehicle.
Everyone else were in other locations.

His comment was, when one vehicle stops, every other vehicle
moves to that location so you end up with a circle of cars
around what you are looking at, the end result being the animals piss off !