For our family, when considering a holiday, nothing beats beautiful landscapes and amazing wildlife encounters (likely with a gin & tonic in hand).
With that in mind, I guess Africa should have been a no-brainer, but this destination wasn’t decided by me. It had been something of a lifelong dream for my parents, particularly my dad, to travel to Africa. After a visit with them last year, my husband, Rob, suggested perhaps it was time to make this a reality. Queue much agonising research, and with the help of the kind and knowledgeable experts at Go2Africa, we finally decided on an itinerary.
Planning, saving, vaccinations, visas, there was much to be considered, especially travelling with our 6-year-old and her grandparents in their 70’s.
When it comes to wildlife travel experiences, Africa is surely the jewel in the crown, so it was hard to imagine we wouldn’t love it. But I don’t think we anticipated just how life-changing this trip would be.
Africa smacks you in the face not long after you arrive.
We didn’t spend much time in Johannesburg, just long enough to rest up after the flight. We knew we would all be impatient for our first safari. After being collected from Krugar Mpumalanga airport and not long after entering the private game reserve at Kruger National Park, we had already spotted giraffe, impala, and warthogs out the window of our van.
As we arrived, a huge bull elephant was blocking the gates to Umkumbe Bush Camp, and we had to wait until he was ready to move on. So it’s fair to say that from the outset, we knew we were in for some amazing experiences once our safari actually began!
Our wildlife encounters here over the next 3 days were prolific.
There was something new and different to see around almost every corner. Our guide was exceptional, so if there was a section of the drive with less activity, Ruan would show us animal tracks, a dung beetle, an interesting plant, or share a fascinating tidbit about the landscape.
Our daughter’s animal bingo card was ticked off completely over the course of our stay here. The big 5 were just as breathtaking as you might imagine: two rhinos sleeping right beside the road; a huge herd of Buffalo grazing past our safari truck, stopping for sundowner drinks; and a family of elephants strolling past us as the sun set across the African landscape. But for me, it was the quieter moments of magic; encountering a hippo in a waterway with a turtle on its back; a family of cheeky monkeys jumping on our tent roof; a hyena meandering past us with barely a backwards glance. Pinch yourself, moments like these were plentiful.
The next portion of our trip was a visit to Victoria Falls, which we experienced at the absolute peak of flow after a generous wet season. Then on to the Chobe River & Chobe National Park, including a couple of nights on a houseboat.
The experiences flowed on endlessly: giraffe neck fights, female lions sauntering down for a drink after feasting on a warthog; river cruises with crocodiles and huge numbers of hippopotamus; an elephant charging down to the water and diving in, face-first, so he was fully submerged. A visit to a Namibian village where the townspeople generously showed us their beautiful mud huts, sharing a glimpse of their tribal traditions with us through dance and song.
And finally, Nokanyana bush camp in the Okavango Delta. Wow. All our experiences in Africa culminated in the Delta, like a thundering crescendo.
After 4 nights at this amazing camp, we fell in love with the Delta. The wet season had been particularly severe this year, with extensive flooding, resulting in a helicopter flight to the camp since the nearby airstrip was completely submerged.
The wildlife revealed itself slowly at first, as if to prove that it wouldn’t keep to anyone else’s timeline, and we put in long hours in the safari trucks with our dedicated guides.
At this time of year, the animals tend to be more dispersed. It’s widely recommended to travel to Africa during the dry season, as animals concentrate along the waterways and sightings are easier with less foliage.
However, we loved it here in April.
Fewer travellers, and very pleasant temperatures. We found so much beauty in the delta after the wet season, our eyes feasting on the lush green landscapes and expansive waterways. Hippos in the mist at dawn, surrounded by waterlilies, elephants ambling through hundreds of wildflowers, a pack of wild dogs sunning themselves by the roadside.
It wasn’t until the last day that we finally discovered the cats. Two cheetahs resting in the shade with huge, full tummies, blood still staining the fur down their neck from feasting on a recent kill. Their heads-up scanning, facing opposite directions to ensure they are always observing 360 degrees, ever alert for the slightest hint of a nearby lion that could instantly turn them from predator to prey.
As the sun began to descend, proclaiming the first hints of sunset, we drove silently and contentedly towards a delta waterway for our last sundowner drinks. We saw other trucks observing an animal and approached them for a closer look. As my eyes focused, I could see a golden animal, and slowly it dawned on me that it was a lion.
It played out like a scene scripted by a Hollywood director or perhaps generated by AI. The king himself, in the Okavango Delta, standing lazily on a log at sunset, surveying his territory. He lay down, resting, yawning, napping and stretching to the soundtrack of a variety of camera shutters clicking frantically from our trucks. Before finally standing again and poetically descending the log and strolling off into the fading light. We looked at each other in awe, all our cups full to overflowing and high on the exhilaration of the moment.
Africa exceeded all my preconceived notions and expectations.
I was unsure whether our daughter Lilly, at 6 years old, would be old enough to remember and appreciate the safari experiences. I know now, there was little to worry about. The magic of what she had just witnessed was not lost on her and was confirmed to her by our reactions & appreciation of it. I know that these moments spent alongside her parents and grandparents, emersed in nature, are shaping who she will become. Her appreciation of nature and her understanding of why we need to protect it are growing through each of these experiences.
For Rob & I, the care and dedication of the crew in the safari camps added so much to our growing understanding of guest experience and customer satisfaction.
These people truly were leading the way in balancing the guest experience with ethical and sustainable wildlife encounters. We left Africa feeling reinvigorated and ready for the whale-watching season soon to commence.
It would be a lie not to admit that we still feel the pull of Africa in our hearts. What had started as a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip became an adventure that we already know we will repeat.
Till next time, Africa. It seems I left my heart behind.
