I was honoured to have sat down with long-standing friends and guests of Londolozi, Nigel and Vicki Colne. Their story and connection with Londolozi is one that I simply had to hear more about. During 2023, we have been exploring what “The Londolozi Effect” means to our global family, and theirs is one that truly touched my heart.

Thank you, Nigel and Vicki, for taking the time to share your Londolozi Effect with us. 

Nigel and Vicki live in the UK and were with us just a few weeks ago, they first visited Londolozi in October of 1983. So I knew, I had to track them down and find out more of their story. I will let Nigel’s words speak for themselves, what an incredible journey they’ve had with Londolozi the place, Londolozi’s people, and Londolozi’s animals for over 40 years.

But before he begins, Nigel, what is your Londolozi Effect?

“I started to think about what it is that is so special about Londolozi. And I think, that clearly the wildlife is spectacular, and the quality of the teaching and education is excellent, and the standards over 40 years have grown and grown and grown. But I think for me, the real connection, is the family nature of Londolozi. The friendships that are made and sustained throughout the years.. Shan and Dave came to spend time with us twice already on this visit – and we have known them for a long time as well. I believe that Londolozi has something that transcends just a game lodge – it has a philosophy and an ethos that has a lot to tell the rest of the world outside of wildlife. We have calculated that we have been here roughly 30 times. We have celebrated Vicki’s 40th, 50th, 60th birthday’s at Londolozi, and this trip is in celebration of her 70th birthday. Londolozi has become a thread of our life, which has become absolutely important to us. And actually, as I have gotten older, it has become more important to us because you realise you have achieved what you have in life, but the really important thing is friends and family, and that calling phrase of leaving a legacy of making sure that this, and other parts of our world are sustained for future generations.”

Nigel begins as I pick up my coffee…

“It was life-changing. I can genuinely say that our first visit to Londolozi changed a lot of things in my life. We met so many interesting people, and it really enforced my interest in conservation and wildlife”

“We came back to South Africa a couple times a year, and once we found Londolozi we continued to return year after year. In those days, it was a small clean little room that we slept in. Dinner was whatever we got served, there was no wine, and the entertainment was John Varty playing his 35mm films in an open air cinema projected onto a white sheet around the boma. It was wonderful being so close to wildlife, in an open vehicle, that not many other people were doing, and it captured us totally”

 

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The original Lookout deck 1972

Nigel went on to describe the importance of connections, particularly with people that he and Vicki have made over the years, and how those connections have blossomed into lifelong friendships.

“I guess the next check point was in 1989, when we were here in the old Tree Camp. The highlight of those days was who you met on the safari vehicle. One couple in particular, Richard and Gale Hancock have turned into lifelong friends. Richard’s family in itself was still returning to Londolozi in 1989 after helping in the early days of Londolozi’s inception. And the second couple are now in fact Londolozi almuni, affectionately known as Trishy and Jimmy. The Marshall’s worked at Londolozi for 10 years and when we met them James Marshall was our ranger and Trish Marshall was running Tree Camp. We witnessed their wedding, and ultimately the birth of their boys while we visited Londolozi year after year. From there we became six very dear friends, all thanks to our connection to Londolozi. Trish and Jimmy’s children are our god children. Sadly Richard passed away about 20 years ago, but Gale remains a special friend. On every level Londolozi has been influential in our lives. Two of the kids now live in England and we have remained very close to them… so the story goes on. Londolozi has been a place of milestones for our group, we celebrated Jim and Trishy’s wedding in 1992, Birthday’s and so on.”

Trish & Jimmy Marshall got married in 1992 on the rocks of the Sand River at Londolozi, with flower girl – Bronwyn Varty

This next part of their incredible story is something I really hadn’t been anticipating. It’s hard to find the words to describe how special this is…

“And I guess for me one of our highlight years, totally by total accident, we came in 1991 to Bush Camp, and we happened to be here when Nelson Mandela was at Londolozi. When Jimmy picked us up from the airstrip, he turned to us and said, “we have some special guests at the lodge”, there were 6 of us in the group, and at that stage it meant we took our the entire camp. We had a wonderful time, and Mandela was a remarkable man with an exceptional presence. There was certainly a Londolozi Effect afterwards. I came to Cape Town to do work in the country and I had just bought his book, Long Walk To Freedom, and I thought it would be lovely if he would sign the book. Periodically he was based in Cape Town, and so I rang Mandela’s office, and I said that I had been privileged to meet him at Londolozi, and asked if he wouldn’t mind signing my book, thinking that I would probably hear nothing. I get a phone call a couple days later, “could you please present yourself at the parliament offices”, and so I did, thinking that I would hand the book in and that it would come back to me with his signature. It was nothing like that. Nelson Mandela called me into his office, remembered both Vicki and I, talked about Londolozi in glowing terms and he signed my book. That book is probably my most treasured possession today. Londolozi was desperately important in bringing those bits together.”

“So, I have a lot to thank Londolozi for. I can’t imagine a world without it. And actually, when I leave tomorrow sadly, I will have a tinge of genuine regret. I am 83 and a bit, will I make it here again? Yeah I hope so, but you are never quite sure. So that final going will be that much harder as far as I’m concerned. Londolozi is a place of social responsibility. And above all, a place of abundant wildlife and a sense of protection of that wildlife, that you don’t see in many other places, there are a few, but Londolozi stands out for me.”

Varty Boma 1983

Varty Boma 2023 (some things are timeless)

“The people I’ve met have been sensational. Trish and Jimmy, our dear friends are here visiting with us now. And we have kept in contact with the lodge, the Londolozi family, and our own friends over this journey of 40 years. I can’t quite believe its been that long, because I can remember the night before we first arrived, having a sleepless night because I couldn’t imagine what “the bush” was like. Would I be nervous? Would I be threatened? I felt totally at ease when I first arrived here, and I still do – It’s the most wonderful place in the world.”

Game Drive 1983

Game Drive 2023 (some things are timeless)

“When we came in 1983, it was just called Londolozi – there were no camp names, so we really have seen Londolozi through the era’s. We stayed at Bush Camp which became Founders Camp, and Main camp which became Varty. We have seen so many changes, but there has always been an underlying frequency which we believe to be our Londolozi Effect. The essence of Londolozi remains the same, throughout the years. Yes, Londolozi has changed in that its become a lot more luxurious, but when you get out into the bush, its still the same. Whatever additions, whatever you do through luxury and upgrades through the Relais & Chateaux qualification, make sure the focus is still out there, and keep encouraging people from all nationalities to come here and experience the bush. I can’t make the changes necessary to secure the planet, but the next generation, and even the next generation after that can – and that’s what I think Londolozi demonstrates to the world.”

Tree Camp 1983

Tree Camp 2023

Bush Camp 1983

Founders Camp 2023

40 Years Of Learnings At Londolozi

“The kindness and knowledge in the quality of the staff are at every level. From Robert, our butler, who knows I want hot water every day and I never have to ask for it, to the knowledge of the Tracking and Ranging team. It’s been so lovely to return over the years to see guys who were initially night porters, to now being rangers, to see that growth has been incredible.”

“Those early days were incredibly raw and incredibly special, and every time we come back to Londolozi we get the same feelings 40 years on. We have had some of the best sightings we have ever had on this trip, we can’t believe it. The bush continues to surprise us. We have had sightings that we have never had in 40 years.”

So Nigel you and Vicki have been here so many times, you have witnessed so many incredible changes and seasons of Londolozi. You’ve stayed at all of our camps and tried all of our experiences. You’ve spent days on end with us… what is your one Londolozi Safari rule? Is there one?

“There is a rule: Never miss a game drive. You never know what’s gonna happen. The worst weather can produce the most exciting results.”