The Magic of Africa — Going on Safari
There is no WiFi on Safari but you will find a better connection
It is something everyone should experience at least once in his life. Going on a safari. There are different kinds of safaris. Safaris in different countries and on different continents. But they all have one thing in common. You have to sit back and wait. Be quiet and just open your eyes and ears. You have to be ready to wait for nature. To watch animals for hours. You won’t have WiFi but I will promise you, you will find a better connection!
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us” — Anonymous
What is a safari?
The word’s origin lies in the language of Swahili spoken in East Africa, and means “journey”. The meaning actually goes further back into the Arabic language and to the word “safar” which means “making a journey”.
The newer meaning of the word safari appeared in East Africa and is nowadays seen as a trip to observe and photograph wildlife. The word is usually connected to a trip in Africa but its meaning doesn’t tie it to a certain country or continent. It is a general description of a certain type of journey.
“A safari is
- a trip to watch, photograph, or hunt wild animals in their natural environment
- an organized journey to look at, or sometimes hunt, wild animals, especially in Africa”
Therefore it can be used anywhere in the world for this type of expedition. But it is widely spread across the African continent. More than on any other continent.
My first safari
Especially in the Alps, I’ve done lots of game watching. As a family, we did several hiking trips a year and my dad’s mission was to show us, kids, as many animals as possible. He has eyes like an eagle and would spot alpine ibex, chamois, and deer from miles away. Always searching the mountain ranges with his binocular for any unusual movement.
And we would love it. We loved to spot a wild animal in the distance. Groundhogs were the ones we saw the most. We heard them a lot. But we were lucky enough to see them sometimes from a distance of only a few meters from us.
In the evening my sister and I would sit down and write into our dairy how many animals we saw. It was a tiny hiking dairy. It would fit into our pocket and we would always have it with us in order to collect stamps from the mountain peaks and cottages we went to.
Probably one of the earliest days of my writing career. My writing career as a travel writer. And a storyteller.
My first African safaris
Ghana
My first African safari was in 2014. I did a few walking safaris in Ghana. A country not known for its wildlife but for its people. However, I did see animals. I did see wildlife.
With a group of volunteers, we walked together with a guide through a national park and were way too loud to be on safari. In my eyes. But we were lucky. We did spot a few animals. I can’t remember all of them but I do recall seeing two baby elephants playing in the water. That was definitely the highlight of the trip.
And it was my first connection with African wildlife. My experience of going on a safari. To see animals I’ve only seen in zoos before.
Tanzania
For the next safari, I went to the country where safaris were born. Tanzania. Together with the country of Kenya they possess the world’s largest migration of wildlife. Known as the Serengeti.
I’ve seen probably dozens of documentaries on TV about the wildlife in the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. The Serengeti is a national park that stretches across endless plains of the East African savanna.
Seeing the animals on TV and seeing them in real life is not comparable. It was unreal. The number of animals I saw. The variety of animals I saw. The constellation of animals I saw. All of it together was just breathtaking. It’s difficult to find words to describe what I experienced on this five-day safari in the wild.
It was a unique experience. An experience to remember for a lifetime. An experience that will always make me smile when I think back at it.
Namibia
In Namibia, I got the first time in contact with wild animals outside of National Parks. Which was impressive. They did not impress me with the numbers they appeared in. Not at all. But by its rareness, they appeared. By its location, I would spot them.
Right in front of me. On the road. Not caring about fences or National Parks. They lived and still live in the wild.
Botswana
In Botswana, I went on a horseback safari and traveled by boat into the world-famous Okavango delta. It’s an inland delta. All the water from the river of the Okavango floods the plains of this delta and finally disappears in the ground. It will never reach the ocean. And therefore you will find a very unique population of wildlife out there. In a high density.
On the horseback, I didn’t go far into the delta, but I experienced what it means living out there. We passed lots of donkeys, cattle, and sheep. We went through rivers and wetlands. It was a beautiful experience.
Then I did a two day trip with a mokoro into the delta. A mokoro is a simple canoe made out of one trunk of a large tree. It was just me and the guide. Nobody else joined us. We camped out there. In the bush. Surrounded by buffaloes, the roaring sound of lions and elephants making their rounds.
We did two walking safaris. One during sunset and one the next morning before sunrise. I will never forget it. Just the guide and me. He had a rifle with him. I had my camera with me.
Together we sneaked up to a herd of wildebeest, antelopes, a few giraffes, and two old elephant bulls. It is a totally different experience sitting in a car watching animals than being on your own feet staring at the head of a giraffe poking out of a tree. You understand the size of these animals. Their force and strength.
I learned so much on this trip about these animals. About their habitat, their way of living, and their behavior. I was one of them when walking through the grass and wetlands in the delta. I was vulnerable.
Almost forgot about it, but I also did a scenic flight across the delta. Which is also a type of safari. Seeing elephants, giraffes, and all the other animals in the delta from above, understanding the size of this area they live in.
South Africa
The last country on my first trip through Africa was South Africa. And it was the first one where I did a self-drive safari through a national park. The most famous park in the country.
It was also a special experience. Because it was the first safari where I did not have a guide with me looking for the wildlife. I did not have someone showing me the animals. I had to drive and look for them.
And I did find them. And it felt different knowing I was the one who spotted them. There was some pride involved. But also some cautiousness. Driving around in the territory of wild animals.
Safaris in Namibia
In my years living in Namibia, I’ve been on several safaris in the national parks around the country. I collected unforgettable memories and unique experiences with wildlife.
But I also saw a lot of animals outside these game drives. I saw giraffes walking next to the road on mountain ranges in Damaraland. I saw countless zebra, ostriches, and any type of antelopes on every single drive across the country.
I did see the desert elephants too. One of the last populations of the desert-adapted elephants in the world. In the Ugab river. A territory far from civilization, cell phone reception, and any official roads.
I had an elephant bull walking through our camp at night while everyone was sleeping. Demonstrating its power and name as the gentle giant. Making us understand who is the strongest one out there. He who could hurt us but he who leaves us alone.
What safaris taught me about life
- Patience. Safaris taught me to be patient. Safaris taught me that the time you spend waiting is not time wasted. You will spend a lot of time waiting for the animal. When you’re on safari. You will be waiting for the next animal to spot. Sometimes you wait and don’t get rewarded. If you have the wrong expectations.
But if you are patient and don’t mind sitting back and relaxing you will definitely get rewarded. Being patient helps you also in your daily life. If you’re more patient you spent less time being angry at someone. For being late. For not completing his work. Yet. Or for making a decision.
Give them the time they need and wait. It will solve so many problems.
- Be quiet. You will see more animals when you’re quiet. Animals can hear much better than we do. And they will hear you from miles away. But if you just sit somewhere. You sit in your car and don’t talk. You don’t talk and just wait. Then they might surprise you and walk past right in front of you. Because you’re quiet. Because you’re quiet they don’t see you as danger. And because you are quiet you will experience much more.
Sometimes it’s the same being in new surroundings. Just be quiet for a bit and listen. Listen to others and feel the vibe before you talk. It might open lots of doors that could have been closed if you said the wrong words in the beginning. So yes, sometimes it is good to be quiet!
- Be thankful. I’ve done lots of safaris throughout the last six years. I’ve done guided safaris. I’ve done safaris with friends. I’ve done self-drive Safaris. And I’ve done safaris where I was the guide. And this is one thing I did learn. Be thankful for every animal sighting. Not just for the big five. The rhinos. The lions. The elephants. Or whatever you were looking for.
No, every animal sighting is special and you should be thankful for it.
I’ve done once a trip with a friend and as we entered the park I spotted a leopard in the bush. I was so proud of myself. For spotting him. You might not know, but a leopard sighting in Namibia is a very rare sighting. I stopped the car. The leopard looked at us and crossed the road in front of our vehicle. I couldn’t believe what just happened. I was speechless. I was frozen. Stunned.
And then my friend just said, “okay, next one please, I want to see a lion now”.
I turned my head and looked at her. Trying to find out if she was serious. Do you actually know what just happened? Do you actually know how special this sighting was? We should actually turn around and leave the Park because it can’t get better. I wasn’t able to turn the car back on. I was still shocked by the leopard. And amazed.
But I knew now I wasn’t done yet. As a guide. I had to find a lot more animals. And I had a tourist with high expectations sitting next to me. Someone who is hard to impress. Someone who was ticking off animals of the list. Not living the journey. She was ticking boxes. And clicking buttons. Of her camera.
Until today I haven’t seen a leopard again. And I am so thankful for this special moment.
I learned to appreciate it a lot more a bit later. On another safari. With a different friend. This friend was the total opposite. Every time she saw a springbok (most common antelope in Namibia) she would get excited and smile. She loved watching them jumping across the plains. I couldn’t stop every time the car because they were everywhere. But she was just so happy. And thankful for every animal I did show her. We got extremely lucky in the end when we saw lions hunting a giraffe. But apart from that, we had no special sightings. Yet she was so thankful for every moment she spent looking out of the window.
And I did learn to be more like her. To be more thankful for the small things in life. Because they are important too!
- Share your memories. Share your memories with friends and family. Those memories will tighten your relationship with that specific person. The experiences you made together. The moments you shared. The conversations you had. All of it will create a special bond between the two of you (or more, depending on how big the group was). I met so many people on guided safaris across the continent. And even though I did not know them beforehand or spent more time with them — the bond is there. The special bond we created during this journey. Don’t stay on your own. Go out there and talk to people. Share your experiences and widen your horizon.
The world is colorful. The world is diverse. Go out there and live your life. Experience a safari and embrace the journey. Be open-minded and flexible.
“Everything in Africa bites, but the Safari bug is worst of all.” — Brian Jackman
Have you ever been on a Safari? If not, I highly recommend going on safari in Africa. It will be an experience not to forget!
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