Your Virgin Bushwalk
Isn't it time you stepped out of the concrete jungle and into a
wilder world, the world of the African bushveld?
This may be a major step for most metro dwellers, as the city
life offers a certain sense of security, a place to dwell, free
from insects and the dangers spawned from mother nature's
indifference to man. What happens when the Landrover finally
stops and your feet meet with the Savannah floor? Do your
preconceptions of an African Safari drop away? Find out what
Sabi Sabi's ultimate bush experience is all about!
Ambient Sounds of the Bushveld Come Alive
On foot the intricacies of the African bushveld become apparent,
the soft textures of yellowed grasslands, the smell of the earth
and the ambient sounds of the bushveld come alive. Things that
would never be noticed above the slow, dull hum of a 4x4's
engine. Guided by a tracker holding a gun, you feel a sense of
nakedness as the primeval instincts your ancestors depended on
for survival slowly seep back into your awareness.
Large Trees Suddenly Take on a Supreme Importance
You are reassured by your guide that the roar of a lion can
literally be heard from up to five miles away. Large trees
suddenly take on an importance that had in the past seemed
rather arbitrary, they seem filled with a sense of reliability
that was never quite appreciated while living in the city. The
acacias of Africa are a wonderful sight to behold. Their
umbrella-like canopies imprint the bushveld floor with intricate
patterns matching the most ornate Persian carpet.
The tracker looks the part, years of experience are demonstrated
in every move that he makes. You may be requested to abruptly
duck, keep silent or place your attention on a part of the bush
that previously appeared insignificant, but that upon closer
inspection reveals an anomaly, something foreign, a surprise
that makes the bushveld come alive.
Be Amazed at the Artful Eye of the Tracker
The artful eye of the tracker hones in on the smallest details,
a track or spoor for instance. Once his cunning eyes have
followed this sandy lead to its conclusion, the reward of his
stealth and tenacity can be found at its end. His extended
finger directs your eye to the dark gnarled skin of a rhino or
the golden main of a sleeping lion.
Occasionally, a bushwalk will yield the grizzly remains of a
recent kill. Vultures hop around in a frenzied and anxious
fashion, with one eye focused on the corpse and the other on the
uncertain and precarious surroundings. The hot air, from time to
time, carries the faint aroma of death.
The Guide Nudges Your Shoulder and There It Is!
Following in the footsteps of your guide, the bush parts and you
suddenly come upon a half dry drinking hole. You wait. Faint
rustles stir from the surrounding bush. The guide nudges your
shoulder and there it is. Ever so slowly, making their way to
the waters edge, timidly following, one behind the other, a herd
of impala come to test life and death by the edge of this
crocodile infested bush puddle.
During the winter months game are known to congregate around
these dwindling supplies of water, as the winter months are
usually a time of drought.
Observing from a quite hide, together with your guide, an
afternoon or a whole day can come and go as you take in the
sights and sounds at the water's edge. The attraction water
exerts on the dry pallets of animals is irresistible. No matter
what, every living being needs water and, for this reason, the
best time and place to see game is in winter at a watering hole.
What becomes apparent over time is that the land and the life
found there is continually revolving in a cycle. Soon a pattern
is noticed in the behaviour of the animals. Patterns can be
discerned in how they react, whether it be by day or by night.
How they behave, at rest or when at their most active. Even the
paths they etch into the land, disclose their various migration
routes in a characteristic pattern, identified with an uncanny
knack by the tracker.
Find Yourself in the Midst of an Untamed Land
So much can be revealed when one understands the various
behavior patterns and intricacies displayed by wild animals.
Much can be learned from the diversity of plant life and so much
more about being human, if you find yourself in the midst of an
untamed land.
After many years of experience, Sabi Sabi's trackers take pride
in the fact that no guest has ever been injured by any wild
animal during a walking safari at Sabi Sabi.
The question is, when are you going to step out of the concrete
jungle and into the African bushveld?