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Elephants

travel

SOULFARI: Why a Safari is Good For Your Soul

…as seen on Yogalife

It’s more than just a landscape, Africa has an incredible way of earthing you, from the moment you land on its clay red soil in a small inter-safari Cessna, to driving across the tundra in a Toyota jeep designed purely to encourage those 360* magic moments with its inhabitants. The landscape runs from horizon to horizon, punctuated only by the trees and rocks, whose shapes and shadows mimic the animals we avidly search for, roaming the terrain.

 

 

The wind drives the Serengeti’s scents and smells, wild basil perforated sporadically under the tyres of the jeep, whilst the aroma of baking earth under foot is tinged with an almost pleasant dusty note that serves to remind you you’re in real nature. The Serengeti safari drives are winding and uneven, but even the incessant bumps quickly move from spine jerking to a more melodic perpetual motion. As the warmth of the sun gleams through the windows of the jeep, you fall further into a state of total relaxation. It’s here at this moment that your daydreams are all too real.

 

 

Bringing you out of this somewhat meditative stare across the fields and fields of golden grass that rocket past are the indescribable viewings and encounters with the animals that inhabit this terrain. Hippo’s lounge around upstream, keeping a wary eye on the crocodiles basking on the shore, whilst trumpets pierce the silence from the largest of all the Earth’s beings as they warn of their arrival with their young, at the local watering hole. This isn’t about a bucket list of the  ‘big 5’ but a really personalised discovery of why Africa is referred to as God’s land.

 

 

Time slows to allow every whisper through the blades of grass meet your ears, feigning a sense of urgency or looming presence with their dramatic soundtrack. The whistle of the wind loudly finds gaps in the natural surroundings of the hotel, complemented by the music of the cicadas as the sun goes down and their predator’s cries with beautiful feathers. The sun sets in vibrant pinks, fiery oranges and plum-like purples to remind you there’s a rotation, but under what feels like a never-ending full moon, you’d be forgiven for thinking that time here stood still. As the dawn breaks, there’s no risk of monotony with hours to be spent out under the Tanzanian skies, it’s the most soul-connected place to be.

 

WHERE TO STAY: Four Seasons Serengeti, for the ultimate up close and personal luxury experience with the Serengeti and its animals.

travel

A South African Safari

There’s nowhere i’d rather be than amongst animals. A true African safari is an adventure that’s been on my bucket list for many years and i’ve had the privilege of visiting a beautiful camp on the Botswana border a couple of years ago, spotting all the big 5 in one weekend, spending the days lounging around in our bush lodge when we weren’t out on a trek. So to visit Kruger Park, with its wide open spaces was my ultimate dream.

No longer surrounded by fences or gated in any way, Kruger Park spans the same amount of land as France. Whilst that is incredible for the wild animals who have been left to freely roam around in their natural habitat, it makes it slightly harder to protect them from poachers. It also means that spotting them all in one weekend might be slightly trickier too. We flew from Johannesburg to Nelspruit on Airlink in just under an hour, where we were greeted and driven an hour to the park’s borders. Kruger Park opens at 6am and closes at 6pm too, allowing public cars to register and enter the park at their own will (through a security gate). This means that occasionally when you do spot an animal, there may be a little traffic to deal with too. South African Safari

Once we arrived at the gates, it took us another hour to reach our lodge Lukimbi as we drove at no more than 50kms the whole way, allowing for a few zebra crossings… literally. On arrival we had a light lunch and prepared for our first bush drive, revelling in what turned out to be the most glorious sunset. Logging 3 out of the big 5 on our first evening, we saw elephants, rhino and lion’s all within 25 mins of the resort. Our ranger was quick to spot tracks left during the day, as well as identifying the herds and packs who’s territories we’d encroached in. Stopping for a quick sunset drink, toasting the surrounding nature made the moment even more surreal. South African Safari

It’s an early wake up for those who are keen to see what other animals are starting to stir. 5.30am call time for a 6am departure from the lodges. You have to be escorted from your rooms during the dark hours too, just in case a passing leopard takes a fancy to the boardwalk – which i’m assured has happened before. The winter is without doubt the most beautiful time of year to take it all in, but it’s certainly not the most comfortable. When the weather’s warmer, the outdoor pool overlooking the local watering hole (theirs not ours) is a fantastic place to hang out in and literally watch the world go by. During the winter though, the temperature can reach as low as a couple of degrees and without the sun up, the wind passing through the open roof cruiser makes it even colder. Waiting for you in the car is a hot water bottle and blanket, but dress warm anyway. South African Safari

Passing a rhino mother and her young 1 week old baby has to be one of the most incredible sightings, alongside a mother Hyena and her tiny little black cubs. We also spotted leopards, buffalo, mongoose, warthog, civet, jackal, crocodile, giraffe, zebra, kudu, impala, waterbuck, nyala, some spectacular birds and my very first hippo! So no shortage of animals in our surrounding camps. It’s a trip you will remember forever. The smells, sights and sounds (often a tad unnerving at night) are all just so tangible in the bush. South African Safari