MilliOnAir Magazine July/August | Page 227

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..