Why do we go on safari? No. It's not a trick question, but rather one designed to get your brain juices flowing and actually think about what it is about the prospect of an African adventure that pulls at the heart strings and gets the wanderlust all hot and bothered. Is it the possibility of complete, Out of Africa-style decadence in the middle of nowhere - the old "glamping on steroids" scenario? Or is it the call of somewhere out of this world, far from reality and the everyday grind? What gets us off our couches, pulls our noses away from our cellphones and makes us want to go wild? 

For each of us there's an element of all of the above when it comes to the appeal of a safari - the thrill of luxury in a remote, pristine wilderness, of going somewhere totally off the radar and off grid where what we do every day in the concrete jungles we choose to live in fades into insignificance. But the most overlooked reason of why we want to come to Africa is the one that probably first grabbed our attention - its wildlife.

The Attenborough effect

We can blame this one firmly on the BBC and the dulcet tones of the legendary Sir David Attenborough, whose presentation and narration of some of the finest natural history documentaries ever have presented Africa's phenomenal wilderness areas and their inhabitants to a waiting world. 

Who hasn't watched Planet Earth and Africa and drooled at the incredible footage the BBC's crack squad of dedicated filmmakers have captured of this continent's legendary species doing what they do, and wanted to see it for themselves? 

Who hasn't dreamed of being in the middle of the Great Wildebeest Migration and breathing in the heat, dust and drama of millions of heaving gnus and zebras risking life and limb to cross a river filled with teeth? Or encountering a huge silverback mountain gorilla in the forests of the Virungas? Or watching hungry lions on the hunt in the Okavango Delta? 



Into the wilderness

The fact that getting to most of Africa's amazing wilderness areas is relatively easy makes a safari more than just a dream, but for many of us the understanding of wilderness doesn't hit us until we are in it up to our necks. Being in a remote place where there are hardly any humans and lots of wild beasties, many of which are long in tooth and claw and able to destroy us in an instant, is mind-blowing. And intoxicating. And addictive. 

There's something primal in all of us that makes us feel re-connected to the planet when we are up to our armpits in wild Africa, surrounded by nature in all its (sometimes) gory glory. It activates our Spidey senses, makes our eyes sharper, our hearing more accute and our sense of smell miles better than it is when living in a smog-soaked city! 

We become part of the environment rather than separate to it. And that cuts us and our egos down to size because we suddenly realise how insignificant we are when compared to all the creatures around us who deal with life-and-death situations on a daily basis and just get on with it. Without shopping, without gadgets, without streaming. Just living.

So, while Africa's amazing animals are the Number One reason we travel here without their precious habitats, they wouldn't exist. Which is why all of us here on the safari coalface work so hard to protect it and the creatures that live in it. Your safari helps us do that, injecting not just financial help but also turning you into ambassadors for African conservation.

Life 2.0

A safari does things to you. Things that can never be undone. It's an attitude adjustment of note and can lead to some serious lifestyle contemplation! Spending time so close to nature, observing animals in their natural habitat and understanding how life works when it's not interfered with by human hands is a veritable slap in the face for your ego. But a good slap. We promise. Not traumatising. Just enlightening. 

A safari makes you feel better about everything. It allows you to see life in a whole new way and encourages you to simplify everything in it. Think of it as therapy without the therapist! We're all a little nuts until we come to Africa but after a few days on safari the craziness subsides and we open our eyes to new possibilities. The never-ending WOW moments just feel so good they're like a soothing balm for your psyche and a reboot for the soul!

The secret sauce

It may be the call of the wild and the wild beasties that draw you to Africa, but a safari depends on one other, vitally important ingredient... People. On your safari you will meet a lot of them. They'll be looking after you every step of the way, making sure you have a life-changing, awesome, amazing time filled with incredible adventures and unbeatable experiences. 

People are the icing on safari's cake. They're the elves to Africa's Santa, working hard in the background to help you fall in love with this incredible continent and want to come back and explore some more. There are some amazing people out there waiting to welcome you to Africa and show you her unbeatable beauty. Let's not keep them waiting too long - get in touch to chat about getting you on safari!