A thought is only as important as it is in the moment — unless you give it a home. Daniel Kahneman,
There’s a strange thing that happens out here. Days begin to merge. Morning drives fold into evenings, sightings blur together. That leopard in the marula… was that this morning or yesterday? The bush moves fast, yet somehow feels timeless.
That’s why I’ve recently started journaling.
Not long ago, I realised how many moments had slipped through the cracks. I could remember my first Londolozi leopard, and my first pride of lions roaring together, but not which pride it was. And who was my second leopard? I wish I’d begun from my very first drive as a guide. The stories that have come and gone – small, fleeting, and golden- are what make this life what it is.
There’s always a tension between being present and preserving, between seeing and remembering. Journaling, I’ve found, sits quietly in that space. It doesn’t pull you out of the moment; it helps you return to it later.
The Safari Blur
Anyone who’s spent time on safari knows how easily it all blends together. One morning, you’re watching elephants mudwallow, the next you’re tracking wild dogs, and before you know it, you’ve forgotten which sighting came first. Each day feels full, yet the details start to drift.
Journaling brings it all back into focus.
It’s like taking a photo with both cameras on your phone: one facing forward and the other back at you. One with your eye, one with your mind. The first might capture the way the light fell across a leopard’s coat; the second catches what you felt in that moment.
The Quiet Notes
Your journal doesn’t need to be poetic or perfect. It might be a few lines before dinner:
- A lilac-breasted roller caught a small scorpion
- A herd of impala spooked by the wind, not a predator.
- The sound of elephant footfalls at night.
Lists of birds, animals, or trees slowly become a record of your own noticing. The more you write, the more you see. Don’t worry about the right words; the act of noticing is enough. Record your questions, not just your sightings
Why It Matters
Even if you don’t keep a daily journal at home, the safari is the perfect place to start one. The experience is rich, layered, and often overwhelming, and a few lines each day will help anchor it.
You might find, as I have, that writing deepens the experience rather than distracts from it. It slows you down. It teaches you to look again.
Reading back weeks or years later, you’ll find a quiet kind of wisdom. You’ll see the things that once caught your attention, what you valued, what you missed. You’ll see your journey, both the one across the open grassland and the one within yourself. In the end, journaling is just another form of tracking, only this time, the tracks lead back to you.
What a great idea. I wish we had done it on our august visit. Putting it back together through the photos is tuff for sure!!! Next time!
Mark
Hi Keegan, who’s the lion of the first picture? Very intense photo. They are all a best choice- the Ndzanzeni female in grass and peculiar light that enhances her beauty and royalty is priceless. I think the mother and cub are the Ximungwe female and her cub? The elephant pictures I remember them well. Can’t give a name to all , leopards and lions… but excellent choice, and the diary makes them absolutely unique. I’ve always kept a sort of diary, a description of what I photographed for the ethograms and else. Or just for me, to be able to give that moment a special meaning…. really beautiful
Hi Keagan
What a good idea to keep a journal. I have done this for nearly all my holidays whether safari days or other holidays and have found it really satisfying. At home, when I look at my photos and maybe create a video or a photobook, being able to look up what actually happened on a particular day or drive is very useful to put the pictures or experiences into context and/or the right order. And it also helps you remember what exactly you have watched or experienced in a lodge, with animals a.s.o.
A beautiful post. We are multiple-time visitors to Londolozi, every word you say is true and I wish we had journaled during our stays – we will in the future!
Thanks for your blog today Keagan as your message rings so true. As one heads out on a drive, all senses set to high gear, you’re positive that whatever happens you will remember it in full detail. But then there’s breakfast, perhaps a massage and then the afternoon drive and by bedtime all you want to do is look at the stars before falling asleep. The next day is full of sightings and activities as well and then, when trying to remember where that rhino sighting was, the moment is blurred. So, as I learned a while ago by a very wise ranger, keep a notebook in your camera bag and jot down dates, drives and simple details so that you can expand later. Using an iPhone along with your camera also helps with remembering details…. Not only is this good advice for a first time safari adventure but a good reminder for those of us that pack a few weeks of travel into a single trip…..
An inspiring blog, Keagan! I think of my thousands of photos as a journal but a written supplement covering the little things that can’t be photographed is a wonderful idea. Thanks!
Keagan, Thanks for sharing some of your most amazing images! Absolutely stunning – each and every one! Your idea about the journal is right on and we will do it on our next visit!
I love this blog post. I think it’s so important to make notes or journal on adventures like this. Thank you! See you next year
I could not agree more, Keagan. I have been a journaling for years and find that it contributes so much value to my life. My journals are truly treasured.
So true. I have been journaling for a long time, not only for safari trips but for every nature trip I made abroad. When I read them now it brings me right back to all those wonderful moments.
Absolutely Keagan. I am so glad that I started to keep a list of short notes about each game drive almost from the offset. Little did I know how valuable it would became after an unanticipated 150+ game drives! Luckily Bennett was able to fill in a few blanks from my first visit many moons ago.
Hi Keagan, I think this is the best way to keep track of all the animals and birds you have seen and when you saw them. Very good idea Keagan, I am sure many guests will follow your great idea.
Always always keep notes! On my first safari in 2016, I did not keep notes, and never even considered it. Now, I wish that I had. On every safari since then, I have kept detailed notes in my phone, and they are getting more detailed all the time with info about sightings, and especially complicated or fascinating interactions. I use these notes all the time after, to write stories or blog posts, to match up with my photos and to remember the details, and simply to enjoy reliving the trip again and again!
Hi Keagan. Although it’s time consuming I’ve always kept a diary right from the start, and I’m so glad I have. I jot down basic details during each game drive, then expand them later when I have more time.