African Safari -- Life in the Bush

In anticipating this safari journey, it was difficult to imagine what it would be like. Movies influence one's conceptions and expectations, but it is not until you are in a place that you begin to understand the difference between reality and fantasy. For one thing, Africa is a big continent and what might be depicted as "Africa" in films like "Tarzan" and "Out of Africa" are not what you would find in the deserts of North Africa or the woodlands of southern Africa. That's geography for you. 

Then there was camp life and our daily regimen. The camps where we stayed turned out to a great surprise in terms of comfort, space, food, activities, hospitality, and professionalism of camp staff. We knew we'd be in wild areas, but we couldn't anticipate how much fun and excitement we would have on game drives.

This blog will describe our life in the bush and our unforgettable experience in Nature. It is a trip I would recommend to anyone interested in Africa or in a safari experience. In fact, I can't wait to do it again!

 

Every camp welcomed us with either drums or singing. Such gestures immediately make you feel welcome and give you the sense that you really are in Africa. This is our first camp in Zimbabwe: Kashawe Camp West Hwange.

 

 

 

 

 The Tent

Although we lived in tents, we had all the amenities of a hotel: bathroom with hot running water, decanter of filtered water with ice, comfortable and engaging beds, an overhead fan, and little touches of hospitality like our elephant-sculpted towels. A housekeeper came in each day to freshen up the room. We also had the luxury of staying in each camp for three nights, which cut down on the wear and tear of travel. Day-long laundry services were available or we could do it ourselves with powered soap provided in each tent's bathroom. Most camps asked us to do our own "smalls" (underwear).

 

Another view of my room from the entrance. The overhead fan and window flaps kept the air flowing, which was especially important in the summer's humidity and heat.

 

 

The bathroom and hot shower were simple, rustic, and convenient for a tent. I had to be careful not to rely on the walls for support since they were canvas.

The three horsemen of camp safety in the bush: Doom spray for bugs walking around the tent, an air horn in case of emergency like an animal intrusion, and Peaceful Sleep, a fragrant bug spray to protect our skin.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Here's the exterior view of my tent that includes a nice porch for relaxation. We needed to be careful that we used the latch to keep our doors closed. The baboons love trying their skill at breaking in and checking out things. At night, a staff member escorted us to our tents to make sure we were safe from any animals that might be taking a stroll at the same time we were there. We were also advised to stay inside our tents until daybreak and always to be on the alert. Should an animal appear, fleeing quietly and calmly into the nearest tent was our best defense. The animals by and large "respected" the tents, as staff would say, and didn't cause any harm or destruction.

The view from my porch is a room with a view in the midst of the bush. It's quite extraordinary to live in Nature. You become more respectful of what is around you and learn to play by Nature's rules of predator and prey--and we were the vulnerable prey.

 

 

 

Camp staff assured us that the animals "respect" the tent and don't try to enter it (except for curious baboons). The animals regard the tent as a large entity before them that doesn't move and that they can't see around them. However, that doesn't stop them from messing with the things around the tent. Elephants took a liking to this tree near my tent at our fourth camp, Santawani in Botswana. One night a leopard had been nosing around my tent. I didn't see or hear him but one of my night time escorts saw them. That's the reason we were advised to stay in our tent at night and to keep a lookout while we walked in the camp during the day.

 

Camp Facilities

The camp's shared areas included the dining room, bar, and lounge. These photos are from our fourth camp in Botswana, Camp Santawani, but all the camps had this sort of layout.

The dining area has a roof and a back wall. The other three sides are open and look out to the wild woodlands. Frequently we would see animals crossing the area, which is what they did on our last morning in the most dramatic way.

 

Game Drives

photo by Susan Brown

 

Our day began with a wake-up call from one of the staff members. "Good morning", he would say at 5:30 a.m. That meant we had half an hour to ready ourselves for the day and be at breakfast at 6 a.m. At 6:30 we climbed into the jeeps and were off to look for the animals.

Despite this grueling early morning regiment, no one complained because we all knew that the heart of this trip was the game drive. Everything else revolved around it. Some days we spent seven hours looking for animals--four in the morning and three at night. 

Seeing the animals and taking photos of them was the goal, however, these game drives turned out to mean so much more. We were seeing the animals in their natural habitat. We were seeing them interact with each other. And, we were experiencing Nature in her most unadulterated form--except for the roads that had been built for safaris like ours. We were entering the animals' world, a rare privilege to witness.

 

Morning and Evening Breaks

Because our game drives began so early, around 10 a.m. our guides stopped for a coffee break, which was a welcome treat. The guides used either the front or the back tailgate as a serving table for coffee or tea. Sometimes, they brought rosemary cookies. They'd also check for "bathrooms" behind trees, bushes, or termite hills and make sure they were free of critters. Here are Fannah and Gulley taking good care of us.

 We'd return to camp about 11:30 and have lunch. Then it was free time until 3:30 p.m. We'd have either "high tea", a conference, or some other activity. At 4:30 we were back in the jeeps for a late afternoon game drive.

Around 5:30 we would have a tailgate Happy Hour at a spot where there were  spectacular views of the landscape. The parks closed at 6:30 and by 7 p.m. we were back at camp for dinner.

 

 

 

 

At our first camp, Kashawe in Zimbabwe, we had been game driving for 3 hours and had Happy Hour on a cliff overlooking a river valley. Godfrey and Caspar provided some people-pleasing hospitality as we sipped wine in metal glasses. What a life! They also brought some snacks for us to munch on before we returned to camp--and we indulged ourselves royally. Besides red or white wine we sometimes had gin and tonic, which includes some quinine, a tasty protection against malaria.

 

Patricia and Denise chow down some snacks (above) while Stephanie (left below) and Dan and Jeanne (right below) try them out as well.

Susan takes some time to reflect on her African experience as she gazes on the view.

"The Three Amigos" who made our experience in Zimbabwe unforgettable:  Game driver/guides Godfrey and Caspar with MC, our trip leader. As we prepared to return to camp, we had a spectacular sunset. So hard to beat!

 

 

Picnics 

On long days we had a picnic lunch "on the trail". However, these picnics were like no other. Staff gave us the "white glove treatment" in every way: taste, variety, color, and service. The chef from Santawani Camp took extra pride in her work. She even made a crocodile-shaped loaf of bread!

 

Wine, beer, and soft drinks were always available and expertly served.

It is interesting to note that for the most part we ate French food at the camps. Imagine, French food in the African bush! The reason for this is that chefs who go to cooking schools are trained in French food. Sometimes they would add an African twist to our meals. Staff were also trained in French-style serving. This gave new meaning to the term "fusion food". 

 

 Afternoon Conferences

At 3:30 we usually had a demonstration or a conference on a particular topic. One of them was about the "wraps" called chitenge,  that married women wear and use for various activities. (Sometimes this wrap is called "kitenge", depending on the region.) One of the camp staff made the presentation.

The chitenge is used on different occasions and in many ways. For example, it can provide an extra layer for weather changes, carry a baby or groceries, filter water, serve as a mat or a cover for sleeping, be hung up on a wall as an art piece or used as a table cloth. Women often wear a matching head wrap.  

Our presenter also showed us how to grind ground nuts into peanut butter with a heavy stick. Stephanie and Meghan tried their hand at grinding, and we had an opportunity to taste the finished product.

Game driver/guide Gulley talked to us about the Okavango Delta, one of the largest inland deltas in the world. He gave us a geography and ecology lesson on the challenges facing the delta during these times of climate change. Click here to see my blog on the Delta.

 

 

 

At Camp Baobab in Botswana, we learned about basket weaving. Baskets are a traditional craft that only women make and learn to do as young girls. Baskets have all sorts of uses, and they come in different sizes and shapes. What is so beautiful about them are their colors and designs. Baskets are sold in markets that are a part of the informal economy that help people earn a living in the face of high unemployment.

 

 One afternoon we had a discussion on trophy hunting as a means of conservation. Preserving game for the future began with the European colonialists of the 19th and early 20th centuries who were killing so many animals that various species were disappearing. In order to continue hunting, they developed a reserve system, which eventually became the national park system, on certain designated lands, and they  banned the hunting of certain animals like hippos and elephants. For more information on this subject, see the blog: Trophy Hunting in Zambia.

 

One afternoon while we were on a break during a game drive MC, our trip leader, gave us a lesson in animal tracking he called "Shitology". Paw prints and dung droppings give the trackers clues about which animals had traversed the land. For more on this topic, see my blog: "Game Drives and Tracking Animals".

 

Recognizing animals' droppings and how fresh they are is another means of tracking. The dung at the top of the photo is from an elephant; the second from a zebra; the third from an impala.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evening Entertainment

 

 

 

 

 

 

The camps had fire pits where we could gather for informal socializing after dinner. At one camp, some people drank their coffee around a fire pit before breakfast.

 

 

While at Camp Toka Leya in Zambia, we were treated to a cruise on the Zambezi River, which came complete with a Happy Hour. 

 

 

Always on the look-out for animals, we saw a pod of hippos and a lone crocodile for the first time. On shore, a huge bull elephant fanned himself from the summer heat by  flapping his huge ears. Although he concentrated on munching grass on the shore, he left no doubt who was in charge.

                                        

     

 

Signs of human habitation flanked different parts of the river as well. Some of the houses were fancy indeed.

 

The Zambezi River starts in Angola and moves east into the Indian Ocean. It is the fourth largest river in Africa (1600 miles), and the longest eastward flowing river. If flows into the Victoria Falls, which we saw on the Zimbabwean side as well as the Zambian side.

 

 

On our last night at Toka Leya Camp, a dance troupe treated us to some traditional dancing and drumming around the fire pit. So engaging was the music that group members eventually joined the dance and gave it their all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 At first, we were observers. Then some of us joined in the dancing. We were asked to share something and decided on song parodies about the animals, namely the rhinos and the dung beetle. We were a hit!

 

 

 

 

When it began to rain, the dancing continued inside the dining room without missing a beat. Then, of course, we couldn't resist dancing and posing with the performers. It was a special evening indeed!

Our days were always full of fun and surprises. We rose early and went to bed early. We had an itinerary that outlined our activities, but MC, our trip leader, always provided us with the unexpected. He created a spirit of adventure in the African bush that we will never forget.

 

Resources

photos by Meagan Gillcrist and Susan Brown