18
MOA | APRIL 2019
We had a pre-booked transfer which took us
to Lokuthula Safari lodges. When we were
discussing what we wanted from our trip
with the guys at Pure Africa, we really
emphasised on the fact that we wanted our
experience to be as authentic as possible.
Even though we are partial to the finer
things in life, whilst in Africa we wanted to
feel completely immersed in our
surroundings. This is why we chose to stay at
Lokuthula instead of the Victoria Falls hotel
which is renowned. The lodge was placed In
amongst the wildlife so coming back and
finding the local warthog and vervet monkey
congregation running riot in your pathway
was the norm! The main hotel was home to
the dreamiest restaurant which was
decorated with a thick grass roof and
exposed timber beams (which were clearly a
play ground for the monkeys). It overlooked
the crocodile infested waterhole which
attracted the likes of elephant families,
Giraffes and Hyenas just to name a few. So
to say we had dinner with a view would be
an understatement.
Why do you go away? So that
you can come back. So that you
can see the place you came from
with new eyes and extra colors.
And the people there see you
differently, too.
As expected our Zimbabwe itinerary was as jam-
packed as our previous in Cape Town. Once we
checked into our lodge we were shortly after
collected by our transfer to take us to the
Zambezi river where we would embark on our
sunset cruise. Sailing down the river in-between
Zambia and Zimbabwe was quite extraordinary.
Completely encompassed by the national park we
really felt the effects of what it meant to be in
the wilderness. As we slowly cruised upstream
we were surrounded by hippos and crocodiles.
The river was so peaceful and the setting serene
but there was something exhilarating knowing
what lurked just below the murky waters. The
predators every now and again slowly glided
towards to the surface to present a mere glimpse
of themselves before disappearing again. As the
sun began to set and the gin and tonics flowed
we noticed a herd of elephants descending in the
direction of the bank which was right before us. A
whole elephant family was coming to drink and
bathe in the river. They splashed around playing
carelessly to cool off from the baking African sun.
Seeing these graceful giants up close in their
own habitat so unexpectedly and witnessing how
they interact with each other was somewhat
emotional. Especially for me, I have been a huge
animal lover for as long as I can remember so
this experience I found slightly overwhelming. I
can't find the words to describe the emotion that
overcome me in that moment but I became fully
captivated in observing their behaviour..