See it, feel it: there’s more to the experience than meets the eyes
“It began in the hush before dawn at Asilia’s The Highlands Lodge in Tanzania. The mist moved slowly across the Ngorongoro slopes as we gathered for coffee on the deck, wrapped in shawls, still sleepy-eyed.
“Suddenly, a radio call: ‘Elephants. Close.’ We barely had time to finish our mugs when the forest stirred with the sound of slow footsteps and rustling leaves. A matriarch led her small herd right past camp, just metres away. They moved with complete calm – we were the guests here, not them.
“Later, a guide whispered: ‘You don’t chase magic here. You just stay still and let it find you.’”
It’s a perfect example of what Viva Expeditions mean when they say ‘This is what travel should feel like’ – moments that can’t be staged, only experienced. And while some of these moments come in the form of heart-stopping encounters, others are found in the quietest of places.
Over at Asilia’s Sayari camp in the Serengeti, guests often tell the guides: “It’s the silence. We didn’t expect the silence.”
It’s not the absence of sound – there’s a symphony of wind in the grass, distant wildebeest, zebra calls at dusk – but the absence of distraction. No traffic, no buzz, no urgency.
There’s a spot facing the open plains that guides call “the still point”. There, guests often sit for hours doing nothing – just watching shadows move, sun dipping low, a hyena trotting by like a rumour on the wind.
When people leave Sayari, they say they feel taller, lighter. “We didn’t know how much we needed this,” they whisper. That silence is the sound of returning to yourself.
For travellers who want to move with the rhythm of the land, Viva Expeditions points to walking safaris as a brilliant way to explore. Robin Pope Safari’s mobile camps let guests explore on foot, where head guide Kanga Banda says it’s the details that make all the difference.
“It’s an early start for me and the team — we’re up before sunrise to get everything ready for our guests. Our housekeepers make sure there’s warm water waiting outside the tents so everyone can freshen up. Our guests get to enjoy all the creature comforts including hot showers!
“While we’re walking, the team breaks down camp and moves it to the next place. I always enjoy watching the guests’ faces when we arrive — they can’t believe everything is set up just like before. Even the book they left on the bedside is in the same spot.
“We then settle down to a hearty brunch. Even though our chef Alfred and I have been working together for years, I’m still amazed by what he manages to whip up in the bush kitchen. Our guests love to see where he bakes delicious bread, tarts and cakes – a literal hole in the ground!”
From culinary delights to thoughtfully arranged details, the best African safaris have a way of surprising travellers at every turn. At Robin Pope Safaris’ Tena Tena Camp in South Luangwa, head guide Bertie recalls taking a couple of guests on an early morning game drive that delivered more than their wildest dreams.
The couple, Katie and David, knew of the parks’ reputation for leopard sightings and were hoping they might spot one during their stay.Bertie had heard baboons calling at dawn, and had a hunch.
Just a few minutes into the drive, they found a mother leopard and her cub resting in a tree, full-bellied from a fresh kill. It was the kind of sighting you usually wait days for.
Later that morning, they came across another leopard, but this was not just any big cat.
“That’s Olimba,” Bertie whispered with glee. “You’ve just met a movie star.”
Katie and David were over the moon. They knew that name. Like many lovers of African wildlife, they had watched Leopard Legacy, the award-winning documentary chronicling Olimba’s heartwarming story. Seeing her now, sleek and poised in the grass, felt like stepping into the frame of a film they already adored.
For Viva Expeditions, it’s those sorts of feelings that fuel their passion for travel, and why so many Kiwis are now coming to them for help planning their own Africa safari.
As marketing manager Melanie Wright explains, “The sort of travel we specialise in is very authentic - it’s about experiencing the essence of a place and feeling a connection to it. Our itineraries are designed to fill you with joy and wonder, and leave you with a new perspective on life and the world around you.”
Tanya Gurtin, Viva’s Africa product manager, knows first-hand how an Africa safari does just that. “When I go to Africa, I love turning my phone off and finding that spot where you can just listen.
“In that first moment when you’re in the bush and hear those night sounds, it blows you away. It gets right into your soul.”
There’s no better place to experience that feeling than Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, where the star of the show at John’s Camp is a raised wooden platform overlooking the Zambezi floodplains – the star deck.
Sleeping under a sky full of stars is the main attraction, but guests can enjoy the space in many ways – beginning their day with a quiet coffee, listening to the bush slowly come alive; for yoga, a peaceful stretch, or to dive into a book with the breeze on their face.
Perhaps best, it gives a beautiful vantage point over the plains, where elephants, lions, wild dogs, hyenas and more often wander through camp.
It’s the kind of experience you didn’t know you needed, until you’re there wondering why you’ve never done it before, and how anything could ever compare. And if you ask Viva Expeditions, they’ll tell you this is what travel should feel like.
READ MORE: https://vivaexpeditions.com/whattravelshouldfeellike/africa