"AFRICA'S
BEAUTY IS
REMARKABLE"
The next few days we catapulted ourselves into the heart of
Zimbabwe. We did everything from touring the great Victoria Falls to
visiting lion and elephant conservations. Our trip to the Fall's (which
is one of the seven wonders of the world ) was frightfully spectacular.
Nothing can prepare you for how dramatically remarkable the vision
of the gushing waterfall truly is. Just to get a better perspective of this
wondrous site we had arranged to swim in the ‘Angel pool’ which is
on the Zambia side of the falls. The pool is positioned on the edge of
the falls which sounds utterly barbaric but it was sheer exhilaration.
One of the many highlights of our stay in Zimbabwe was the precious
time we got to spend observing and interacting with the animals. The
feeling of stepping into their territory and exposing ourselves in such
a vulnerable manner also gave us insight into not only how they react
to human presence but there was an unexplainable sense of mutual
respect.
After two nights in Victoria Falls taking in all it had to offer and
learning so much about the African culture and wildlife it was now
time for the final leg of our journey: a three-night stay in Somalisa
camp in Hwange national park. This was the ultimate end to an
extraordinary trip. We headed back to Vic Falls airport to board the
bush plane to fly into Hwange. I managed to swindle my way into the
cockpit to sit next to the pilot… as one does on such an adventure!
However instagrammable the pictures were the experience was
pretty terrifying. Flying head first into clouds doesn’t sound like such
a bid deal, but let's discuss is once you have done it in a tin plane….
Joking aside it was quite the experience!
As we flew over the park the beauty of the vast African planes and savannah
became apparent. I had dreamt of going on Safari since I was a little girl so
this for me was the ultimate moment, especially as I got to share it with Jean
and his father. As we came into landing (a thin dirt strip surrounded by the
thick bush!) a dazzle of zebras and ostriches scarpered from the path. This
was way beyond anything I could have imagined and we had only just arrived.
Our guides met us in typical land cruiser trucks to take us to our camp.
We bundled our luggage together and headed into the thick bush. The Thirty-
minute drive ended up being slightly extended as we came face to face with
the bush locals. Kudus, Impalas and elephants were the first to acknowledge
our presence as we made our way through the savanna. This again was totally
different to seeing the animals in Victoria Falls, I think it might be because
they were just as curious about us as we were about them and this time we
were fully exposed and in their domain. We arrived at Somalisa which blew
our minds, the staff greeted us with their typical beautifully friendly and
welcoming Zimbabwean manner. The people made such a huge impact on me
I couldn’t believe how positively flawless their outlook on life was. Their
smiles and charm were infectious to the point where spending merely five
minutes with them was addictive.
The camp was heavenly! It was so perfectly undisputed with its decor and
locally sourced materials, but also the amenities and consideration for the
environment and wildlife was utterly inspiring. I couldn’t help but
acknowledge the profuse sense of gratitude and appreciation for that very
moment. In fact, I think I had many of these moments of appreciation and
acknowledgement throughout the entire trip. Africa appeared to have an
immense effect on me, at every turn and every experience I found myself
succumbing to the beauty of how wild and pure the country is.