My first visit to South Africa was on 1996 on a stopover to London. On that trip I had my first experience of seeing the African landscape, it’s breathtaking wild animals and its beautiful sunsets.  Since my first experience, I have travelled back to Southern Africa on many occasions to experience the beauty of the wilderness and the amazing animals that live there. I have travelled over much of South Africa, which include Kruger National Park, Durban, Kwa Zulu Natal, Cape Town, and driven the Garden route to Mossell Bay area.

I undertook my first volunteer camp (with family) near Hoedspruit in the greater Kruger area at the base of the Drakensberg mountain range. Other training camps I have experienced was in the Thabazimbi area, and Makuleke camps in the Kruger area,  as well as the Mashatu Reserve in Botswana, and the Okavango delta. My particular interest are the camps that offer Safari and Trail guiding training experience as well as Anti-poaching.

On a first visit to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, I was lucky enough to experience the magnificent falls, which flows through the Zambesi National Park. Victoria falls itself is a very small community and frontier town on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. I have returned to Victoria Falls on numerous occasions and spent much of this time in bush camps just out of the township on a private reserve.

A was privileged to experience an Anti-Poaching course mainly on the private reserve as well as the Zambezi National Park and Panda Reserve. I got to know many hard working and inspiring local people who devote their lives to protecting the wild animals in the region. I also got to meet a local school Principle and have kept in touch ever since. During Covid-19 and during the long lockdowns, I financially assisted several families in the remote community of Masuwe with basic needs such as food and replacement of solar panels at the local school as well as stationery supplies and sporting equipment when I can.

We need to spare a thought for the people of Africa who live in terrible conditions with little hope of anything better and we need to do what we can to help someone who needs it. Even the smallest gestures goes a long way in helping others who struggle to survive.  

If anyone visits these remarkable places, I recommend reading any of David Livingstone’s books on the early exploration of the African Continent, well worth the time to read and understand the beauty of the lands and its people, the hardships he experienced and the amazing stories of wildlife and adventure.