We often get asked by people interested in going on safari just what it is that makes it so special. Most people who go come back refreshed in both body and spirit, yet most probably expected it to be hard work, with early mornings, long days in dusty vehicles and sleeping in tents.
Everybody knows about the animals. The “Big Five” are well documented and high on the wish list of anybody who heads off to Africa. Of them, you have an excellent chance of seeing Lion, Elephant and Buffalo. Rhino can more elusive as they are much rarer, although a well-constructed safari itinerary will increase your chances considerably. (For example, a visit to Lake Nakuru in Kenya will 9 times out of 10 reveal Rhino, whereas more popular areas such as the Masai Mara have very few and those only in guarded areas).
The most sought-after animal is the most elusive. The leopard skulks in undergrowth and in trees, roams from area to area and is hard to spot. Perhaps 1 in 3 will see one but if you are lucky enough to do so, it is worth the wait and effort.
As well as the Big 5, there is a wealth of other flora and fauna to look at, meaning that when out on game-drives there is always something to be looking at or looking out for. My personal favourite animal is the Warthog, perhaps the ugliest of all the animals on view but also one of the most amusing, with its bemused look and “Africa 1” tail.
What visitors do not expect is the sheer joy of the whole experience. Watching sunrise may look like a sly way of saying “Early morning”, but when you are there at the dawn, watching the light gain strength over the savannah and the noise level rise up as the natural world around wakens, is an uplifting moment. The sun coming over the horizon, its golden rays filling in the earthy colours that are so typically Africa. The smell of the earth after a storm. The sun sinking below the horizon as you look out over wilderness untouched by man, apart from the sundowner drink in your hand. Supper by a roaring fire. Coffee under a ceiling of a million stars (perhaps these days I should say a trillion – suddenly a million does not seem so many…).
During the day you can relax on a shady verandah or in the pool and relax and recharge the body. Seeing mighty animals living their lives unconcerned with activities of man in an environment unchanged for millennium; that is enough to refresh the spirit of any feeling person.
That’s the thing about safari. It opens your eyes and senses, and gives your own life a perspective.
