Safari Isn’t a Destination – It’s a Reunion with Nature

How often do you replay your favourite travel memories? The kind that lifts you when life gets loud, that wraps around your soul like a favourite song. Like power anthems, they carry you through demanding schedules and the fast pace of everyday life. And your African safari memories are the most powerful of all.

Some of my most precious travel memories do that for me. Their effect is even stronger when I share them with those who were there: the time our safari vehicle sank into the mud, surrounded by the possibility of wild animals coming to investigate.

Or, years ago, kneeling next to my then-toddler son, quietly watching an elephant bull drink water next to our villa. He was so close we could hear his breath, while we held ours!

You Don’t Just Visit Africa – You Return to It

It’s about deliberately choosing to separate yourself from the comfort of home in favour of bravely stepping outside your comfort zone to experience life beyond your usual horizon.

In the early 20th century, advances in technology boosted travel infrastructure. Cause-and-effect developments gave birth to a whole new industry: tourism. Soon, local trips became international, and long-haul journeys gained popularity. With more opportunities to travel, commerce and trade expanded too. Dreams of seeing faraway places became possible, backed by the means to make it happen.

Now I’m noticing more airlines making Africa more accessible, carrying travellers with Africa-fuelled travel dreams from the global north. Planes in French, German, Norwegian, British, and American colours all bring people to our shores.

Africa: Always Dancing to Its Own Beat

With the comforts of modern life, many of us may take the chance to travel for granted. We know we’ll come home with memories, maybe a few carefully chosen mementoes.

The problem isn’t choice, as there’s so much of it, but the impetus itself. Too often, our “why” gets diluted into a “why not”, drowned out by hype and decision fatigue. So what are your reasons for visiting Africa?

The Bush Remembers You

Africa is said to be the birthplace of humankind, with remains found at South Africa’s hominid site, the Cradle of Humankind. By that reckoning, all who travel to Africa are returning to our proverbial ancestral home.

Is it for this reason that, when gazing up at the night sky in Africa, our souls feel connected to the great beyond? As we explore our natural habitat, the sonata of crickets in the bushveld provides the backing track, punctuated by the elephant’s trumpeting, the hyena’s cackle and the lion’s mighty roar.

Here, we follow in the footsteps of humanity’s earliest ancestors, in our search for connection. It’s about Africa calling us home, us recognising her voice, and answering the call time after time.

Local Travel Planners: Expert Knowledge in Action

That’s where a seasoned travel planner makes all the difference. Someone who knows the land, who’s navigated the cornucopia of choice, and who can guide you on where to go, how to get there, and how long to stay.

Janine Gous is a travel planner at Rhino Africa, working in the English-speaking team alongside her German- and Spanish-speaking colleagues. Her recent 5-star Trustpilot review entitled “Unforgettable” sings of her travel planning prowess.

During her career, she’s invested thousands of hours researching, travelling, and planning trips for her clients to Africa. And, it shows!

Referrals Aren’t Recommendations – They’re Invitations

Janine says many of her clients tell her they’re already planning to return for another stay and that they’ll happily recommend her to anyone who wants to come to Africa.

“This knowledge not only makes me ecstatic, but it also triggers my imagination. Armed with the knowledge of my clients’ travel history, likes and dislikes, and my first-hand experience of the areas I’ll recommend, I aim to exceed their expectations all over again.”

Belonging Isn’t Bought – It’s Felt

Some of Janine’s clients even ask to return to the same hotel, lodge, or safari camp during their next trip. The reason? The flicker of recognition in your host’s eyes, of being known, seen, and welcomed back.

Go Beyond Travel

This sense of belonging keeps people coming back, not just the wildlife. However, inspiring a love of conservation is a powerful outcome that turns belonging into stewardship.

Beyond the support that comes with travel itself, visitors often choose to sponsor programmes or donate to Africa-based causes that benefit communities and conservation in Africa.

A Travel Reunion on Repeat

Africa doesn’t just welcome you, she remembers you. She doesn’t belong on any one-hit wonder list. She is the wonder. Rhino Africa’s team lives for those African sun-soaked moments, the sight of meerkats standing tall at dawn, and thrives on planning the seamless trips that weave experiences into memories.

So, what are you waiting for? Don’t just visit Africa. Come home to her rhythm. Let Rhino Africa plan the trip of your dreams.

Featured Image Credit: Angama