on safari
greater kruger, 2024
I never really thought about going on safari. It was a concept I knew about, and frankly had to be acquainted with in my line of work, but never really saw myself ever experiencing, it was so far beyond my imagination. It seemed like an incredible way to travel, but as a city girl at heart, my travel aspirations were made up of bustling cities and historic architecture.
But then I had the opportunity to go to Cape Town for a week. And then somehow, suddenly I found myself on safari. Surrounded by the stark silence of the bush. A city girl immersed in nature she never thought she’d see. An experience that was, without exaggeration, life changing, perspective shifting, a rewiring of my brain.
to go from the loudness of new york city to the quiet of kruger was a lesson in tuning in after years of tuning out
It’s a simpler life. A slowed down rhythm of routine anchored by two game drives and all too many meals. A juxtaposition of refined luxury in the lodge and the backdrop of wildlife running free in the bush under expansive skies. Being carted around from sunrise to sundown in the open air, breeze in your hair, sun on your skin. Hanging out with the elephants as they much on their branches. Accompanying a lion on his morning walk. Pausing to dote on a pack of wild dogs napping. Visiting a leopard sitting pretty on a tree. Catching a glimpse of a colorful bird skiting through the sky.
From the Big Five to the Little Five, to the elusive honey badger. Listening to the stories of the animals, familiar and unfamiliar, finally understanding why Planet Earth has such a loyal audience. When you slow down and disconnect from the world beyond, you suddenly become much more connected with the world around you.
If the Big Five are the beloved Disney Princesses, the Ugly Five are the alt cool Disney Villains. Hyena, vulture, wildebeast, warthog and marabou stork. Maybe it’s because I am a 90s child baptized by the Lion King, but as ugly as the others are, warthogs are pretty endearing.
Just look at these cuties. Look at that warthog basking in golden hour, ass in the air digging for grub.
Going on safari is a lesson in presence. Where the only task was to look, listen, observe, appreciate the little details and majestic wonders of nature, take in the ecosystems existing around us. And feeling small in the vast horizon, where the dirt roads seemed endless, and feeling conscious of the cycle of life and patterns of day and night that get lost in the blur of everyday civilization.
the breathtaking wonder of driving alongside a nonchalant lion on a morning stroll, rubbing his face in a bush and having a little drinky drink and lounging with two lionesses
The first drive was equal parts delirious and wondrous. Everything was fresh, new, exciting in the blurry consciousness of jet lagged eyes. But quickly the body adapts to the rhythm, a sense of familiarity in this new routine, hearing and seeing things that I would have been blind to just days before. Calling out the names of animals like a child. The pure joy of seeing something new.
Still couldn’t help but think the lions looked cuddly. Still couldn’t resist squealing at the baby animals and their moms.
The badass honey badger, the unlikely most exciting sighting. A tiny little fighter just digging a hole.
Never been one for birds, but the striking vibrant blue and purple lilac breasted roller might be the most beautiful animal I have ever seen. She’s Met Gala ready at all times.
Spent a morning having a staring contest with a pretty girl with clear blue eyes sitting in a tree. With the grace of a dancer and alertness of a hunter. A hyena lurking nearby, waiting to see if she’d leave her impala prey.
The big cats really are the main character. And getting up close and personal was thrilling. On the prowl, and, more often, napping.
Rhinos on the other hand, notably scarier. The sheer size, like a wall of cement charging at you. Crazy how a thing that munches on grass can be so formidable.
Every day on safari starts with breakfast. Well, breakfasts, plural. A cold breakfast spread and hot coffee at sunrise before the morning drive. Followed by a multi-course hot breakfast after the morning drive, outside with panoramic views of the bush. Feasting with the elephants and water buffalo lounging by the watering hole.
Life at the lodge is leisurely. Well fed, well rested. Luxurious bathrooms and plunge pools and plenty of places to lounge. Somehow not enough time to lounge with the drives and meals. Cabins with panoramic windows to wake up with the sun.
Inside blends with outside, and the safari comes to you. Nyalas hanging out throughout the lodge. Monkeys redecorating the patio. Elephants taking a drink from the pool.
The art of the sundowner. In the middle of the bush, watching the red gold sun fall beneath the horizon. Lanterns lit, drinking globes of gin and tonic while lounging in the open air.
There’s also something so beautifully refreshing about driving home in the dark. Like an accomplishment of a long day (even if that day was mostly spent sitting and laying). The air fresh, the temperature drop as the blankets and hot water bottles come out. Enveloped in deep darkness, no light pollution. Suddenly grounding.
It was difficult to leave this peaceful paradise that healed all the depression and anxiety of reality. To trade gentle giants of elephants pulling at branches for messy humans. Long roads with mountains on the horizon for traffic on highways. Breakfast al fresco on the bush for crowded restaurants that require reservations.
Goodbye, bush.
see also
SNAPSHOTS FROM YOSEMITE
A WHIMSICAL PARADISE IN MEXICO