As much as we try to bring the African bush – and Londolozi in particular – to people from all over the world, we have to accept from the outset that we are doomed to fall short.
Crazy videos, unbelievable photos of some of the rawest scenes in nature and as descriptive writing as we can attempt, but nope, it’s just not going to cut it. Whatever we do, we can only appeal to your senses of sight and hearing. Touch, taste and smell are – at least for now – beyond the realms of digital media.
The African wilderness is about far more than simply seeing and hearing…
So where does this leave us? Fortunately, the two sense that we can target are also the two which will receive the vast majority of stimuli when actually out on safari. It is an overwhelmingly visual and auditory experience.
The reality though, is that much like a pinch of saffron will add the final touch to the ingredients of an award-winning dish, so too will the subtleties in your other three senses provide the synergistic finale to your African Safari experience.
We can show you a video of a leopard scent marking and calling in the chilly dawn, his breath steaming on the cold air, but sadly we can’t enhance it with the tingle on your cheeks from the winter’s morning, the dryness of the air and the faint scent of buttered popcorn from the leopard’s urine.
Wild dogs could be running amok across a clearing, impala fleeing for their lives before the pack, but as bouncy as the video might be, we can’t replicate the heart-pounding excitement of racing after them in the Land Rover, clinging onto the bars above the seats , your hair whipping across your face.
We can play as many audio clips of lions roaring as we like, but we can’t digitally recreate the feeling of sitting with the lights out, the southern stars emblazoned across the sky above you, with probably Africa’s most iconic species rumbling the vehicle with the sheer volume of his bellowing.
One of the Majingilane sounds off into the night…
There are no words or video out there that could properly recreate the feeling of witnessing something this dramatic first-hand…
The smell of the potato bush as you return to camp in the evening, the warmth of a hot water bottle under your blanket in a winter’s dawn, the ice-cold gin and tonic on a summer’s evening with the cicadas shrilling or the grainy texture of Africa herself as you place your palm in the track of a lion, your hand suddenly appearing puny by comparison… these are the minutiae that complete the picture.
The real magic of an African safari lies in the fact that it is an ensemble of the most astonishing depth. It is far more than simply the sum of its parts, and many of its subtleties will ultimately go unappreciated, so seemingly insignificant might they be, but every piece of the experience out here, from the dung beetle buzzing past to the distant whoop of the hyenas, serves to deepen the connection that only Africa has to offer.
I guess that what I’m saying is it has to be experienced to be truly understood, as cliched as that might sound. It’s the truth though…
It is so true James. There is nothing, no video and no picture that can compare with the real experience. The potato bush is flowering for the first time after I planted it a few years ago. I wanted to post a photo of the flowers on Instagram but thought that to capture the smell is just not possible. You’ve got to experience it for real.
James,
You’ve captured the difficulty I’ve had for years attempting to “explain” our recurring visits to those who have never been.
Appreciated your mention of the smell of the potato bush, an experience we had not had previously and which was pointed out repeatedly by a novice visitor.
James, I totally agree, the smell of the bush, the quiet hearing, and the taste of the gin & tonic!
What an amazing story.
So true. All the movies, videos, television programs can not adequately explain the experience of a safari: the subtle differences in attitude of the animals, their lack of aggression toward those in the safari vehicles, the incredible shock of looking a wild cat directly in the eye and seeing their intelligence and strength, the overwhelming beauty of the land undisturbed by human settlement. You are correct, James, it must be experienced first hand to truly understand – and that is why so many keep returning time and time again.
Thank you for writing about the key to truly understanding the joy of a game drive . . . just close your eyes and listen, take in the smells of the bush . . . listen when the Ranger stops to describe the medicinal value of a plant or a bush or taste the raw fruit from a Marula tree that the Elephants love so much. That is the joy of a game drive.
It is hard to put the total safari experience into words, but you’ve done an admirable job, Janes. I wish all my friends could experience even one safari day at Londolozi – and they, too, would be as ‘hooked’ as I am!
Well said, so true. Listening to a lion call on your phone in your living does not compare to hearing him call and not be sure where he is. Victoria
Ah, it can be a deeply spiritual feeling as well, and that certainly goes beyond the normal five senses
Absolutely the truth, James! You have to be there to know what it really ‘feels like’. No photo, no video can ever replicate sitting in the Land Rover, observing every detail with all your senses, up close and personal! ❤️
James, no truer words were ever written. My most vivid memory, from a September visit to Djuma, was the refrigerator cold at the bottom of the hill on Gowrie Main at 6 o’clock in the morning. You have to BE there.
Once again James you have exactly captured the almost indescribable essence of a safari in the bush. I have copied that into a note for us to give those who ask us why we go back to Africa over and over. Your words capture that elusive but transformative sense that can only be felt by being in the land rover as those events occur!!! Kudos once again!
James, the experience of my visit lives in my mind. Any picture or video brings me back to the reality of the moment. You never lose that. I live each day with this blog and some others and place myself behind the camera as if am am there. Now having said this it’s time to come back. Greatest experience of my life. Best vacation I have ever taken. If I were younger I would apply for a Ranger training program
So perfectly expressed James for all of those reading the Londolozi blog. The armchair traveler can tune into a series of wildlife documentaries, seeing lion kills, birth of an elephant, wild dogs in a hunting frenzy but the adrenaline rush of experiencing all of these from the seat of a Land Rover is unparalleled. After a first trip to Africa, one knows a return visit is inevitable- the smell of the bush after an early morning rain, the taste of bush coffee and biscuits after an amazing sighting and the touch of the warm earth sprinkled with leopard tracks. It can’t be explained to someone accurately, only experienced to feel the true spirituality of such special places in our world. Thank you!