Wild Africa
“The giraffe must have seemed so implausible to the Europeans who came here two centuries ago”
of its depth. I thought safaris involved open top Land Rovers and muscled men with guns. A gun? We have an umbrella in the boot and a picnic on the passenger seat. As the day goes on I come to feel that self-
driving is the only way to do a safari. We explore and discover, driving roads that stretch the length and breadth of the park — spot ing things for ourselves. My goal is to see big cats. Pilansberg is like a supermarket for the cats
that live here — animals are everywhere. A herd of zebra appears, easy to see against the scrubby grass and emerald vegetation. We see kudu and other deer, such as impala. I’ve eaten these creatures in the last few days; seeing them in the wild feels a bit strange. Our pulses quicken at the sight of an animal
we’d both wanted a glimpse of. Again this one isn’t so hard to spot, its long neck a total giveaway. Munching on high foliage, then cantering off without a care in the world, the giraff e must have seemed so implausible to the Europeans who came here two centuries ago. Pilanesberg feels natural and wild, but in fact it
was Bophuthatswana’s chief who thought up this huge wildlife park, his eye on Johannesburg and its tourists. The park is even closer to Sun City resort, which pokes over the horizon at points — a kind of Las Vegas of super hotels, casinos, restaurants and bars. It makes a fascinating counterpoint to the wilderness. Animals were brought from all over Africa to populate the park when it opened in the 1980s, from rhinos, hyenas and antelopes, to lions, cheetahs and leopards — the largest game reset lement programme in the history of the country.
64 ABTA Magazine | June 2017 We leave the main road and bump over dirt
tracks, get ing ever deeper into the park. The topology slowly unfurls in a blaze of showiness — it’s a former volcano and before long you get a feel for where you are in the crater, where the caldera’s walls once would have been. Suddenly, movement — something grey is
slowly fl apping. We creep forwards quietly and a majestic herd of elephants appears, swot ing away fl ies with their ears. I feel small, totally in awe and a bit in love. They’re truly dazzling beasts. We stare for what could be an hour. I’m
reluctant to leave but we must press on, continuing our search for big cats. We scour the horizon, and for a while there’s nothing at all. It gets slightly tedious, but the hunt for the next animal sighting pushes us on. We stop by a watering hole feeling hopeful. There’s nothing at fi rst, but then out of the blue a hippo family arrives, proceeding to have the kind of bath that makes washing the family dog look like child’s play, mud fl ying everywhere. Time is ticking. We need to make our escape
before the gates are locked. I want to come back tomorrow, and the day aſt er that, and the day aſt er that. I’m hooked. One last cruise across some open ground brings us nothing else of note. It’s time to leave. I’d love to fi nish the story by telling you that we ran into lions on the way out of the park, or found one hiding on the roof of the car, but the art of safari is the art of acceptance. Some you win, some you lose. I haven’t seen a big cat today, but the memory of my fi rst ever safari will linger long aſt er we’re back in Johannesburg. This safari-sceptic is converted: wildlife-spot ing in Africa doesn’t have to be a cliche.
SAMPLES
VIRGIN HOLIDAYS has a 7-night package for two people costing £3,464, which includes flights from London Heathrow to Johannesburg, transfers and B&B accommodation at The Palace of The Lost City at Sun City. From there you can go on full-day game drives into Pilanesberg, which is directly next door. Departs 7 October 2017
virginholidays.co.uk
KENWOOD TRAVEL off ers a package for two to Kruger National Park in South Africa for £7,458 departing on 7 October 2017. This includes flights from London to South Africa, full-board accommodation at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge which is within the park, and game drives.
kenwoodtravel.co.uk
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