Simpson Travel

THE ALLURE OF AFRICA Africa’s appeal as a destination is not lions and elephants; cultures ancient and new; art or even landscapes (though it has them all in abundance). The trump card of Africa is that you will always leave with a story, something you saw or experienced entirely unexpectedly. After 21 years of leading safaris, I still start each day with very little idea of what it will hold. That is why I live here, and the very same reason that people come back and back again. “Out of Africa, always something new”, wrote Pliny, and that is still true. Where to start though? Below are my thoughts on how to experience the many chapters of this extraordinary continent. FOR THE NOVICE Nothing is more important on your first safari than to see lions and elephants*. Guests witness wonderful sights like cheetahs chasing prey, leopards climbing trees and hippos fighting, only to disregard them in the hope of spotting a lion. Once they do see lions (who sleep 18 hours a day) they are often very eager to go back and see ‘the animals that do things’! *Dismiss anyone trying to ram ‘The Big Five’ down your throat. It is an old hunting term, and excludes many animals that are far more fun to watch than buffalo, or even the somnolent lion. Where to stay... Shamwari Riverdene Lodge , South Africa. A family-friendly, colonial-style property at the end of the Garden Route. The trump card of Africa is you will always leave with a story. 12 ON TRAVEL WORLDWIDE