We
ran into some lions on this walking safari and my video shows exactly
what happened...
Entry requirements : To
enter you must have been on one or more of the nature trips that appear
on the Top Adventure Tours list
in the past, or have done wildlife volunteer work.
More about the walking safari
The Kruger
National Park is widely regarded as one of the finest reserves in
Africa and it offers the option of seven wilderness walking trails that
have been chosen according to their scenic beauty and varied plant and
wildlife.
The safari travel contest winner gets to
choose which trail they and one other person want to go on subject to
availability because these walks are so popular that they are often
booked up for a whole year in advance.
Armed guides with vast amounts of knowledge
and experience of the African wilderness accompany the trail group
which can number no more than eight people ensuring minimal impact to
the environment.
Accommodation for this travel contest safari
is in a wilderness camp that is situated in a remote area of the park
that other visitors never get to see because the access roads are all
private. Rustic two bedroom huts with a verandah overlooking the river
are your living quarters for the duration of the trip which lasts for a
total of three amazing nights. All the morning and afternoon walks are
undertaken from the base camp every day.
A thatched lapa serves as both the eating
and socializing area and the kitchen has a refrigerator that keeps your
beverages icy cold for that all important time around the campfire or
when you get back from a walk.
Meals are a simple but wholesome affair with
a light breakfast being taken on the morning walk at a convenient spot,
maybe under the shade of an umbrella thorn tree on a rocky outcrop or
the river bed.
A huge plate of food consisting of freshly
baked bread, bacon, eggs, cheese and tomato is served at brunch on your
return from the walk normally sometime between 10:30 am and noon.
Dinner is announced with the beating of a drum and consists of a
barbeque or hunter stew menu accompanied by vegetables and salads. The
travel contest winner will definitely not lack for good food.
You haven't really experienced Africa fully
until you go for a walk in its wilderness teeming with wild animals,
free from the confines of a safari vehicle, where you can listen to all
the insects and birds calling, smell the flowers and fruit of the trees
and bushes, touch the long grass as you walk through it and just become
immersed in the landscape in a way that you never can on a driving
safari.
I've been lucky in that we came across lion (watch
the video) on all three trails and on one occasion we were
even charged by a lioness who was protecting her cubs that were hiding
in the bush nearby (if that doesn't get your adrenaline
pumping, nothing will). It was only a warning charge and the
guides are very experienced so they know the difference but had their
rifles leveled just in case anyway. The danger on these trails is
minimal because the guides know full well what the safety tolerances of
the big game are so you will get close to elephant, rhino, lion and
buffalo, but not too close.
And it's not just about the big game because
the rangers have a vast repository of knowledge about the smaller
creatures like insects and birds too, not to mention all they know
about the flowers, bushes and trees. And they are happy to share it all
with you. I tried to ask them a wildlife question that they couldn't
answer but eventually gave up because they were never at a loss.
I have very fond memories of swapping
stories around the campfire under a sky dotted with stars that have
never looked brighter and sitting on the hut's verandah just soaking in
the amazing view and the peaceful silence after the day's walk. The
trails that are the prize in this year's travel contest are something
very special and it's an experience that you will never forget.
Your trip
report about a top nature tour that you
have been on in the past is your entry into this travel contest. Wilma or I
will contact you personally for an e-mail interview about
your experience.
It shouldn't take
much of your time and I simply ask you a few questions about
your trip like where you stayed, what the food was like, what you saw
etc. You can re-live your holiday - second best to actually being on holiday, wouldn't you say?!
I then turn your
interview into a webpage and post it onto this website and that enters
you into the travel contest to win the walking safari. Your report will
be invaluable to others who are planning a nature tour similar to yours
because they can learn from your experience.
For further
clarity before you enter take a look at the travel competition rules
and make sure to check out the Top Adventure Tours list
to find out if you have been on a trip that qualifies you to enter this
travel contest.
If you have been on one or more of the trips
listed there, come right back here and fill in the entry form
below for another chance to win the walking safari…
