Nearly three years ago was the culmination of one of the biggest decisions I have made in my life. Having never been to Johannesburg, I boarded a plane and flew 16 hours, halfway around the world, into the unknown. I was moving to a city where the only person I knew was the woman who had hired me. Mid-flight I awoke from an exhausted sleep in a panic about the decision I had made. It was the only moment in the past three years, that I doubted my decision to leave home.
Neither words nor photos can capture the chaos of the great migration. It is a wildlife spectacle that needs to been seen to understand the scale on which it unfolds. Every year an estimated one and a half million white-bearded wildebeest travel over 300 miles in a giant loop across Kenya and Tanzania in search of fresh grass. Along this trek they birth their young; attempt perilous river crossings where many wildebeest drown or are eaten by crocodiles; and they fall prey to awaiting lions. The entire display is filled with drama and suspense and was something I had wanted to see since I moved to South Africa.
South Luangwa is famed for walking safaris with two notable companies (Norman Carr and Robin Pope) offering multi-day walks or shorter walks between permanent camps. I wasn’t spending enough time in the park to take advantage of either of these options, but Tena Tena, the camp I was staying at, offered walks in place of the standard game drive. Unlike walks I have done in other countries, a walking safari in South Luangwa National Park feels more wild and remote.
Londolozi is famed for its leopards, but Londolozi is also a top photographic destination. The Sabi Sands is one of the best places in South Africa for wildlife sightings because of the concentration of game and because the animals are extremley relaxed around vehicles. Photography at Londolozi is unparalleled, not only because of the wildlife viewing but because of the other photographic services offered at the camp.
Traveling is how I relieve stress and recharge. Lately, I have had to scale back on my travels due to work commitments and while I try to build in stress reducing Pilates classes, massages, or explorations in Johannesburg, these activities are never as relaxing as my weekends away. Away from my daily life, I give myself permission to relax. At home I can’t quite give myself license to do nothing.
Travellers planning their first safari to South Africa often ask me loads of questions and a number of queries center around what to expect. How early is the morning wake-up call? How much free time will I have? How close will we get to the animals? In an attempt to answer these questions, here is my guide to 24 hours on safari based on my recent trip to Ngala Tented Camp.