“Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain, like the features of a friend.” – Karen Blixen
Why Safari in Africa?
There are many, many reasons to visit Africa but perhaps the three that stand out, against the sunrises and the sunsets, and the rich heritage and authentic traditions, are its animals, it’s people and its steady, reassuring heartbeat.
Africa’s Animals
“The views were immensely wide. Everything that you saw made for greatness and freedom, and unequalled nobility.” – Karen Blixen
There is no other place within the confines of this planet that can go toe-to-toe with the African continent in terms of its wildlife. The great beasts and tiny critters, the flightless birds and gentle giants, the majestic manes and Creator-crafted camouflage, Africa’s animals are the things of myths and legends, of fables and fairytales, except each and every one of them is very, very real.
On a typical game drive it is not uncommon to see some of – or all of – the legendary Big Five. In fact, a short trip to a camp gate could as easily result in spotting a rhino as it could in sighting a leopard perched in a tree. A flight over sun-baked terrain could as simply reveal a herd of elephant as it could a giraffe, seemingly moving in slow motion as it gallops across the bushveld.
There is something incredibly rewarding about seeing the soft, fluffy toys of our childhood come to life. There is something magical about seeing the living, breathing cast of creatures that inspired a Disney movie go about their daily routine in front of our eyes. It is a privilege to see Mother Nature’s masterpieces roaming freely, untamed and untethered. This is the beauty of a safari, the respect that we gain for these animals simply by observing their species-specific traits, their movements, their hierarchy, their undeniably impressive presence.
Africa’s People
“It is their past… their roots and their identity.”– Karen Blixen
At Nalah Africa we are repeatedly reminded that people come to Africa to see the animals but they leave in love with the people. The continent’s human inhabitants are warm and inviting, friendly and principled. They apply as much authenticity to their interactions with visitors as they do to the conservation of the wildlife they co-exist with. Hospitality is part and parcel of the Nalah Africa safari experience and while a portion of this can be attributed to our team, the majority of the credit for our clients’ positive feedback must go to the people of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. It’s their big, cheerful hearts and deep respect for the wildlife and the terrain that makes a visit to Africa feel like coming home.
Africa’s Heartbeat
“When you have caught the rhythm of Africa, you find out that it is the same in all her music.” – Karen Blixen
When you embark on a safari, you don’t just head off on a physical journey, you embark on a mental one. You leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life behind you and you replace the stress with serenity, the tension with tranquillity and the urgency with vast open spaces in which to simply exist… and exhale. The safari landscape is one with possibilities as endless as the horizons, with travel companions you have yet to meet and encounters you can’t schedule. This is African time and it’s liberating. A Nalah Africa safari will transport you from the buzz of Johannesburg or the hum of Cape Town to the quiet, respite of your base camp in the bush – a camp or lodge where comfort and calm are standard issue, where luxury lulls you into a serene headspace and the promise of the next game drive offers as much an atmosphere of excitement as a chance to contemplate the place, its people and its natural perfection.