Most people have a wish list of things they would like to do again, right? My wish list is not huge, but one of the things on it is an Africa safari to see the Big Five in real life. For years I have been saying that I would very much like to do this again. It subsided for a while, but has picked up again. Because of our stay at the Beekse Bergen safari resort (yes, really) and the trip my sister made with her family to Africa, where they also did a safari, of course.
However, there are a few things that currently prevent me from booking such a safari trip. I hope to be able to change that in the coming years so that I can still make one of my dreams come true.
I say above that I have been saying for years that I would like to make a safari trip in Africa. Now that 'years' is actually still putting it mildly, because I think this is something that has occupied me since childhood. And yet I still haven't taken the step. Why not, I sometimes wonder. But actually there is always a reason why a tour of South Africa has not yet been carried out. Too bad, yes!
I am a huge animal lover and have always been fascinated by wildlife. Not so strange that such a safari is on your wish list of course. Although as a small child, during our vacations on Texel, I fearfully dreamed of an elephant on the roof of our tent. So I don't think I had such a Big Five wish at that time as I do now. But that aside.
For starters, my parents weren't those travelers. So it's not in my blood. We often went on holiday within the Netherlands and occasionally to France. Probably because my father as a fighter jet pilot has already seen the whole world. During his vacations, he no longer felt the need to fly. Especially if he couldn't fly the plane himself, haha.
So I didn't really get that traveling from home and a safari in Africa is a big step. I am not a world traveler myself. I have visited the necessary countries, but the majority of them are located within Europe. With a few exceptions such as Morocco (so I have already been to Africa) and Curacao with our toddler.
In addition, recent years have been dominated by children who were born, grow up and go to school. Moreover, I have the idea that it is such a shame to make a long journey with your young children. I'm afraid they won't remember anything about it later. And the moment you think your kids are old enough, there's another reason. In any case, we do. For example, two years ago we bought our dream house in the countryside. A fantastic place, but with the necessary renovations in the offing. And a hefty mortgage. Another reason not to book that Africa safari yet.
Furthermore, it is difficult for me to take Frank with me on a safari in Africa. He has the idea that safety is hard to find there, but I think you can safely make a tour in Africa. As long as you don't do it all on your own.
And then there is one last reason that should not go unmentioned. I may be an animal lover, but I'm not very fond of spiders and other insects. Yagh. In my experience, Africa is suffocating. So that's still a threshold I have to overcome, but hey, there's probably some course for that 😉 .
It wouldn't even occur to me to go that way all by myself without arranging anything. I think you should leave this to the experts. A good travel organization can book a kind of tailor-made trip for you, in which the wishes are included. After all, they know best where you can see cool things (such as the Big Five), but also where you can spend the night and where there are any safety risks.
In addition to sniffing culture and doing a safari in Africa, I think there is at least one extra element on the wish list of this trip. Sandboarding! I saw my niece do that with her boyfriend (on video) and I thought it was so cool!
What about you? Have you been to Africa? And if so, what was your best experience there?
