09/03/2025
Cleaning out my emails...I came across this article from June 2024 Africa Travel Magazine. Teresa Allen really captures the thoughts of going on a safari. Want the experience for yourself? Consider joining my November 2026 trip to Kenya
Ten things to love about safari
By wildlife artist and Travel Africa reader Teresa Allen on why she cherishes time in Africa
For me, the safari experience goes far beyond the obvious act of seeing wildlife in its natural habitat; itâs about delving into the subtle gifts and deeper messages that surround the whole adventure...
1. No guarantees
No safari will ever be the same. Even if you travelled every day on exactly the same routes, your experience would be different each time. Animals roam freely in the reserves, so every day the slate is wiped clean. My advice is to show up with an open expectation and hopefully youâll be delighted by the unanticipated moments of serendipity... I assure you, âmiraculous happeningsâ can take place when youâre in the right place at the right time!
2. Tell-tale signs
Tuning into the environment and listening out for the sound of alarm calls from birds, baboons or antelopes means you become aware of clues that may lead you to fascinating discoveries. Animals alert each other to danger, so knowing their signals could result in you finding a predator lurking out of sight. Also remember to look up to the skies: vultures circling overhead or perched in trees are not there by coincidence!
3. Nature doesnât judge
In the bush everyone is on a level playing field. Modern society can put people on pedestals if they are successful, rich or famous, but nature doesnât care about your status. There is no bypass ticket to see certain elusive animals or to watch predators on the hunt. What you experience on a game drive will be whatever nature serves. Itâs a game of chance â and often patience too.
4. âSleep-lessâ nights
With wake-up calls at 5am, youâre likely to have no problems sleeping out in the African bush, but hopefully at some point youâll be lucid enough to hear the songs of the night. No, not snoring from your fellow guests(!), but the call of wildlife. There is something truly magical about lying in bed, under canvas, and listening to the guttural resonating call of a lion or the low-to high-pitched âooooo-wowwâ whoop of hyenas. It always makes me feel so connected to my surroundings.
5. Sensory overload
You canât photograph for others to appreciate the fantastic scents youâll encounter. Every time I go to Africa, I am reminded how much Iâd missed the smell of the sweet-smelling grasses and natural fragrances like sage. During a recent trip to Botswana, I was particularly struck each morning by the soft aroma of smoky coals as I washed my face in water that had been heated over the campfire. It made the experience feel so much more authentic and natural.
6. Immersion
A mobile tented safari means a 24/7 opportunity to become part of the environment. Rather than dipping your toe in on a game drive and then stepping back into a modern, glam hotel room, where the experience becomes diluted, living out amongst the trees offers a unique opportunity to feel the echoes of our ancestors and to fully engage with the natural world. This is off-the-scale mindfulness; you canât help but be present. So, shake off modern creature-comforts and enjoy life in its basic and simple forms. (P.S. Who knew open-air bucket showers were so liberating?)
7. Off-grid
No Internet and no mobile signal = absolute heaven! When your phone has no connection and is only good for taking photos/videos, it opens up a new world where you have real-life conversations and discussions with fellow guests. Itâs a great bonding experience. I also particularly like quiet times of reflection between drives to let it all soak in, because some spectacular sightings are âpinch-meâ moments that take a while to contemplate. (P.S. Star-gazing is the replacement evening TV, so take the time to look up and appreciate the spectacular dark sky.)
8. The joy of not following the crowd
Fight the urge to see what everyone else is looking at and be prepared for the benefits of going in the opposite direction. My favourite wildlife sightings are when weâve been the only vehicle present. The atmosphere is calmer and it feels more special because you and your companions are the only people witnessing it.
9. There is no pause button
Whatever happens on safari takes place in the moment. Wildlife will not wait for you to be ready, with your camera on the right settings, which is why itâs important to let go of any frustrations from not capturing the âperfectâ photo. Rather, place significance in taking some time to SEE with your own eyes â there is extra value in experiencing rather than recording things that happen in a flash. For example, I donât have photographic evidence to show the occasion a leopard chased an impala and made a kill in front of our eyes, but I can relive it clearly in my head, and thatâs worth more than a grainy, blurred photograph and a disassociated memory from being behind a lens.
10. Natureâs lessons
An impala doesnât panic and run every time it sees a lion in the distance. It will be alert to its presence but will carry on its life. It wonât expend energy if it doesnât need to. Equally, once itâs run to safety after being chased, it will resume its goings-on. As humans, we often over-think and fret about things that might never happen, applying anxious energy to situations that are completely unnecessary. If we took more time to observe the lessons provided by nature, life would be a lot more simple! Donât hold on to the past: let it go. Donât worry about the future: live in the now.
And thatâs what I love â nature has straight-forward answers to lifeâs complicated questions.
Hey there, fellow travel enthusiasts! đâď¸ Ready to dive into the ultimate trifecta of life: eating, drinking, and exploring? I'm your go-to travel advisor!
