Our Africa Adventure
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many truly amazing places thus far in my lifetime, but it’s taken me until now to set foot on the African continent. Finally, everything fell into place to make it happen this past month. I had the time (always the hardest part about getting away!) and an enthusiastic travel companion, and the trip fit in perfectly with my personal agenda of doing some reading up on International Wildlife Law during summer break. What better way to follow up reading about wildlife than by hanging out with the elephants and leopards themselves?
After landing in South Africa and spending our sixth wedding anniversary at African Rock Hotel in Johannesburg, my husband Seth and I headed to Zimbabwe. The chance to be with the animals in their own environment is an experience that I wish each person could have at some point during his or her lifetime. We encountered all kinds of animals — animals I didn’t even know existed before this trip. And we did so quietly and respectfully, mindful not to intrude upon them or disrupt nature in progress. We were there simply to bear witness. I remain in awe of the power and peace one finds co-existing in the wilderness.
A brief overview of our incredible journey:
- Hwange National Park
We stayed at the Little Makalolo Camp, with a tented suite that overlooked a large watering hole, a gathering place for many animals, especially elephants. Our expert guide Sibbs demonstrated a consciousness and spiritual connection to the land and animals that made me trust him enough to put me within twelve feet of a male lion. Another highlight, a herd of about 700 buffalo. At first they looked like a collection of dots, or black shrubs, on the horizon; having a Shakespeare moment, I was reminded of the Birnam Woods coming to Dunsinae in Macbeth. It only got better when a baby hippo emerged from the water and started mingling with the crowd, trying to make some new friends. 
Lake Kariba
Getting from place to place required air travel, small planes that seated from four to twelve people. There were five of us, including our pilot, on the trip from Hwange to Kariba, and the first view of the wide expanse of the lake was simply breathtaking. By volume, Lake Kariba is the largest man-made lake and reservoir in the world, and the wildlife that comes to it is spectacular. Our guide Madison grew up in the Lake Kariba area, and he often displayed a playfulness during our drives together — still delighting in the discovery of an animal, as I imagined he did when he was just a kid. From the balcony of our room at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge, Seth and I watched elephants strolling down the beach. During game drives that took us closer to the water, we were amused by wart hog families nuzzling their faces into the mud, and I was utterly captivated by the sight of waterbuck drinking at the water’s edge. Talk about idyllic settings. Overhead, fish eagles and kingfishers put on quite a show, followed by dazzling sunsets. It was also at Bumi Hills that I had some very engaging conversations with individuals active in anti-poaching efforts. (More about that at a later date…)
Mana Pools National Park
Our next home for a few days was Ruckomechi Camp. The elephants, though still wild, come right into the camp. Our tent was poised at the edge of the Zambezi River. As I practiced yoga gazing out at Zambia just across the water, the hippos were talking to each other and the elephants were swimming nearby. I had some really great crocodile sightings at Ruckomechi, too; a canoe trip down the Zambezi got us up close and personal with crocs and hippos. We were blessed with the expertise of a few guides during our stay at this camp — Sean, Justin, and Champion. We spent the most time with Champion, who asked us to write down the word NAMASTE for him before we departed: “the light in me honors the light in you.” No better word to describe this experience, and to leave with our new friends in Africa.
Victoria Falls National Park
One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Victoria Falls comprise the largest single curtain of water, and the rainbows in the mist are just as mesmerizing as the falls themselves. We arrived in Vic Falls via a Cessna 186 (a four-person, single propeller airplane) and our pilot was able to get clearance to do a “fly-by” of the falls, which meant several minutes of circling overhead to take in some incredible views. The Victoria Falls Hotel was the ultimate indulgence, especially after coming in from the wilderness. The hotel is the epitome of old-school charm and luxury, set in lush tropical gardens and just a ten-minute walk from the falls. A far cry from the bush, but Vic Falls offered us some of our best opportunities to view baboon families interacting with each other. And Seth got to zipline across the gorge.
A Day At Camp- 6:00am: Wake-Up & Breakfast
One of the guides would call from outside our tent, “Wakey, wakey — good morning!” The camps host about a dozen guests in addition to the staff, so it’s an intimate group that gathers for breakfast. We were treated to oatmeal and toast made on an open fire, hot coffee or tea, juice, and granola and fruit. - 7:30-noon: Morning Game Drive
Animals and birds were all around us. Early morning was the busy time, with things quieting down as the day grew warmer and we got closer to lunch time. A couple of mornings we were more actively searching for lions, when we’d heard the roaring in the middle of the night — the male calling out to the lionesses. We also spent one morning looking around for (and finding) a pack of wild dogs, when there had been a sighting of them the previous day. Seth and I either had a jeep and guide to ourselves, or shared the ride with another couple. Ron and Shirley from San Diego, with whom we shared several game drives, were awesome. 
Noon-3:00pm: Lunch & Siesta
Camp guests and staff gathered for lunch (quite elaborate meals here!). We’d compare sightings from the morning and plan afternoon activities. Siesta time for me often meant practicing yoga, or indulging in an outdoor shower. Our accommodations at Ruckomechi also included an outdoor tub that was pure bliss.- 3:00pm: Tea Time!
- 4:00-7:30pm: Drive or Activity/ “Sundowner”
Game Drives that went into the evening hours were always interesting, a chance to see some of the nocturnal animals. Once it’s dark, guides use a red light to catch the reflection of animals’ eyes. It was during a night drive that were were able to watch a leopard, licking his paws and grooming himself just like a domestic cat; we also saw hyena and a HUGE porcupine. Other later-in-the-day activities (but before sunset) included our canoe trip down the Zambezi and a boat cruise for two on Lake Kariba.
Wherever you are as the sun sets, there’s a time-out for a “sundowner”; our guides would break out a bottle of local wine along with some snacks (dried fruit, nuts, and homemade potato chips), for us to enjoy the beauty of Africa. - 8:00pm: Dinner
Dinner was a multi-course affair back at camp — for us, the camps prepared special vegan meals. On our first night at Little Makololo, the staff took extra care to arrange an anniversary dinner for us: a pathway of lights led us to the outdoor pool area, where candles were floating and a table was set up for two. Seth and I enjoyed a private meal together… though we could hear the crunching of branches (elephants) just an arms length away in the darkness. - 9:30pm-Bedtime: Conversations Around the Fire
The fire pit serves as the centerpiece for ending each day with conversations and stories among the staff and guests. Each person at each campfire was remarkable in his or her own right; and crossing paths with all of them, spending that time with them under the starry sky, was as special and intrinsic to the journey as encountering the wildlife. Finally, when it was time to say good night (a couple glasses of wine later), a guide escorted guests back to the their tents.
To ease the concerns of those not exactly into the camping scene, this experience is hardly roughing it. Daily laundry service makes it easy to pack light and still enjoy clean clothes each day. The tents are more like Manhattan studio apartments, with amenities including separate bathrooms with running water and flushing toilets. However, the accommodations are eco-friendly and camps are conscious of their carbon footprint in all respects: electricity and hot water come from solar energy; the tents and facilities adhere to national park standards — no imposing permanent structures. And there’s an air horn on the nightstand, just in case you have any four-legged nighttime visitors and need to call for help.
An extra-nice touch for guests: heated water bottles tucked under the covers made the bed extra cozy to crawl into each night. As I was falling asleep to the sounds of the wilderness, it was hard at that moment not to feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing with you some other photographs from our trip. Enjoy!
Thank you to my former high school classmate Meredith, guide Mark Homann, and Hills of Africa for helping us plan the perfect safari adventure.
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Good Evening Sharon,
Your blog is fabulous!!! Very well written and it certainly pays tribute to the warm hospitality that Zimbabwe is known for!
I will be in touch on email and send you my weekly newsletter so you can keep in touch with Africa!
Wow. Sounds AMAZING!
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful adventure, Sharon! So glad you and Seth were able to live the magic of Africa!
Sharon and Seth. We’re so happy that you had a wonderful time on your “once-in-a-lifetime” trip to Zimbabwe, Africa. To be able to see the elephants, hippos, zebras, lions and all the other animals in their own habitat – living naturally in the wild, must have been almost surreal! Life… it’s about love and experiences! We’re glad that you are both enjoying “the love” and making such wonderuflly happy expereinces together. And, that you got to enjoy your 6th Wedding Anniversary while in Africa added a special “romantic touch” to the trip… making the whole experience that much more “fantastic!” Grrrreat!!!!
Sharon, thanks for sharing your wonderful trip with us! I can feel your passion for Africa when reading between the lines, the most important part! What a great read!
fabulous post Sharon! you manage to capture the magic of what we experienced in Zimbawbee ourselves, quite a feat! it almost feels like a dream as it was so amazing.
We are delighted to hear about how much you loved your recent trip to Zimbabwe! Your adventures sound truly amazing and we are so glad that we could help build your dream vacation to Africa.
We look forward to seeing more of your pictures from your trip!
Warm regards,
Sandy
So you saw a few things we missed – hyenas and wild dogs (though we saw injured ones in a sanctuary), porcupine, and a leopard. we saw a leopard in kenya years and years ago, but not this time in south africa. otherwise your amazing experience sounds similar to what we were fortunate enough to experience as well. we were always especially surprised by the evening wine and snacks during the game drives. we were like, really? here? but it was so much fun! chris and i talk about it all the time and miss the peacefulness of that life every day. i love the part of your blog about your anniversary. your dinner with seth sounds lovely. congrats to you both!