Zululand is without a doubt the most beautiful region of South Africa, and there is no purer way to experience its beauty than to explore it on foot. This is life as it is was once meant to be: No electricity, no watches and mobile phones, cooking simple food over a camp fire, sleeping under the stars or in a tent, be on nightwatch guarding the camp against dangerous animals whilst the others sleep. And then in the morning searching for lions, elephants, buffalo, rhino etc. with nothing but a rifle in your hand and a backpack with some food and water on your back. 'Pondering' can literally be lethal here, you've got to be in the 'now', relaxed but concentrated, in a heightened state of awareness, taking nature's beauty in using all your senses, loving it. Finding tracks, interpret those and then follow them. There is no more intense feel of accomplishment than finding that rhino after you've been tracking it for hours. There is nothing more exciting than to lead the trail, being fully responsible for the safety of the others in your group, seeing an elephant enter thick vegetation in riverine forest, and then decide to follow it, try to track it and catch up with it so you can watch it from 50 meters away without the elephant noticing you and your group.
The safari guide of Tailor Made Safaris joined the students of Bhejane Nature Training on their trails guiding course, to help out the senior instructor, and to get more experience and learn more. Below a small photo essay:
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| Sunset over iBandla Trails Guide Camp |
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| Close up of the camp, screw the buildings, we slept in the tents |
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| Walking hills |
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| Crossing rivers |
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| Looking out for dangerous game |
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| The senior instructor Dylan Panos from Bhejane Nature Training, a legend, armed to the teeth, not only with weapons, but also with a wealth of experience and knowledge. Man, this guy knows how to track animals and interpret tracks! |
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| This is what it is all about, finding elephant, watching them without them knowing you are there. |
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| A big tusker mud bathing |
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| Viewing a white rhino cow and calf from 25 meters away |
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| This impala was killed just minutes before we arrived (it was still warm). The lioness must have noticed us coming and vanished. Note the bite marks in the neck. The next morning we checked again and luckily the lioness had returned and took away her kill to eat. |
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| But on trail you also admire the smaller things such as tortoises |
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| and chameleons |
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| And how awesome is this? |
What a most awesome week! And tomorrow Tailor Made Safaris embarks again on a private safari for two persons. The planning: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, Kosi Bay, swimming with wild dolphins in Mozambique, Tembe Elephant Park, Mkuze Falls 5 star lodge, and Swaziland.
We still do have some availability for 2012, so don't wait too long, email us and let us take you on the safari of a lifetime!
Tailor Made Safaris, going the extra mile!
