Paradise Lost?

In search of the classic African safari

by Dominic Chadbon, 19 September 2008

The sound of water being poured into my washstand woke me up a second before the soft morning wake up call from one of the camp hands. It hardly felt like morning - pitch black and distinctly chilly. The hot water bottle placed in my bed the evening before had become just a water bottle and I could hear lions roaring not so far away, a blood-freezing sound that made my genes shiver in distant, primeval recognition.

The kinder clink of crockery told me that coffee was ready. I emerged from my tent and headed, moth-like, for the fire. I was in Botswana, a land perhaps better known for its diamonds but also boasting an awesome reputation as one of Africa's prime safari destinations - and my camp was located deep in the Kalahari, under the canopy of thorn trees in the remote Nxai Pan National Park.

A great day lay ahead: the morning game drive was to reveal not just the lions (who had pulled down a baby giraffe) but also a pair of regal-looking cheetah, interspersed with sightings of zebra, wildebeest, springbok, jackal and impala - oh, and some distressed-looking giraffe. Even an elephant put in a cameo appearance, incongruous in this semi-desert environment.

We then spent the afternoon lazing in camp reading, sleeping and bird watching (ok, mostly sleeping), then finished it all off with an afternoon drive and G&Ts to accompany the blazing sunset.

Is this what a safari is all about?

Back in the office I got to talking with some of Go2Africa's safari experts. These people live, breathe and sell safaris and according to them a safari is less about location and more about sensation.

East Africa travel expert Maureen Stover says a safari is an adventure - with the essential ingredients of wildlife and a sense of escape, adds southern African expert Janine Krook (who accompanied me on that trip to Nxai Pan).

Monique Roden, an East and southern African travel expert, defines a safari as being 'surrounded by the bush, far from the hassles and noises of modern life: job, family, commuting, bills - all those kind of things.'

'The bush can be anywhere in Africa,' she continues, 'from the semi-deserts of Namibia to the tangled woods of the Kruger or the wide open plains of East Africa - and I know when I'm there because my senses come alive: the smell of rain on dust, of wild sage and dry grass,' Monique explains. 'I've even got used to the smell of buffalo.'

Knowing you're there seems to be more about headspace, than place. 'I always know when I'm there because I hear - in my mind at any rate - the sound of drums and African song. I call it my Lion King moment,' says Maureen, somewhat sheepishly.

'For me it's a combination of emotions,' says Janine. 'I feel invigorated; all my senses are working overtime and I'm excited, you never know what's around the next corner: a lion kill, a leopard, anything.'

Maureen agrees: 'I feel fortunate, because I'm aware that not many people get to experience this; excitement, because anything could happen; and...' She pauses before confessing, 'I feel a little scared at times - a real safari destination can be a day's drive from anything resembling civilisation - and Africa's animals can be huge!'

The other 2 warm to the theme. 'It's a humbling experience,' explains Monique, 'to be out of your comfort zone and rendered insignificant by the scale of Africa - its scenery, its wildlife.' 'Yes, it's a reality check,' agrees Janine, ' a safari reminds us of our mortality, and triggers deeper, more basic instincts that we've lost in today's world - it's going back to how we were.'

As for favourite safari destinations, they all name South Africa's Kruger National Park, Botswana and Tanzania ... but for different reasons.

Janine points to the Kruger as a safari destination with great diversity, excellent guides and a range of accommodation to satisfy all kinds of travellers. Monique adds that the private reserves around Kruger can always be counted on to deliver the classic Big 5 experience, and she particularly recommends it for first time safari-goers.

Botswana's huge, remote reserves have tons of animals, superb guides and - compared to other safari destinations - very few visitors. 'It's very personal,' says Monique, 'and diverse: a 30-minute flight can take you over wetlands, desert and woodlands.'

If you're looking for iconic imagery and classic savannahs chock-a-block with wildlife then it's Tanzania according to Maureen. The others agree; the gritty realism of the Serengeti is mentioned more than once - and that's before they get started on Tanzania's less-visited parks in the west and south of the country.

My experience in Botswana's Nxai Pan then certainly ticked all the right boxes - exciting, remote, humbling and full of large animals with sharp teeth. And more than that, it was an escape, even if was just from the incessant nagging of my inbox.

The root of the word 'safari' lies in the Swahili word for 'journey'. But I believe - and experts would appear to agree - that it's more than that: it's as much a journey of the mind as an adventure set in the great African wilderness, where everyday worries become irrelevant, and where the unexpected always happens.

Readers' Comments:

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Article © Copyright 2008 Go2Africa.

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