Many people feel that visiting Africa is a “life changing” experience. Some people are moved by the African vastness. Others are moved by the primitive way that the local people live. Other people are challenged by how the different races are moving to resolve their racial issues. Many people are moved to tears as they observe how animals live in the wild. The quiet, the remoteness moves people to become more introspective. To me, Africa opened me up to many different thoughts, challenged me to live a different way and gave me a chance to be thankful that I live in such a wonderful country.
To begin with, I PACKED TOO MANY CLOTHES. REALLY, too many clothes….so many that I’m embarrassed to say just how badly I over packed. I found myself only using 2 pants and 1 pair of shorts while we were in Botswana along with 4 t-shirts/tanks. After we didn’t have our luggage, I lived with even less.
So imagine, Beverly Hills Mari going on her first safari. Of course I had to have 3 dresses (in all fairness because part of our trip was in the Wine Lands and Cape Town which was city living). I also packed 2 dress slacks and a sweater and even a sweater set. I threw in a few scarves and makeup. Wow…too much stuff! Next safari (sorry, Jeff, there WILL be another safari) I will develop my own safari list using the lists out there in cyberland but fine tuning it Mari-style! 
What I experienced was a gradual stripping of my societal conventions. Formal clothing evolved into camp clothing like Exoficio pants and button down bug and sun protection blouses. This was another first, since I wouldn’t have been caught dead wearing these clothes anywhere in the greater L.A. area. For the first time in my adult life, I allowed my naturally curly air to go wild. No blow dryers for me. At least I didn’t scare any monkeys that I know of when I encountered them with my wild native hair.
Living without my clothing, my face wash, toothbrush and my comforts of home was challenging. Talk about having experiences “out of my comfort zone”. Well, I did it!
I still can’t believe that I got into a 6 seat airplane. Well, I did and by the time we took our final small airplane flight, I was a calmer Mari. Facing my fear of flying in a tiny airplane accomplished! Bring them on!
We ate at wonderful restaurants – those South African chefs take their cooking seriously and it shows! Taste, presentation and delivery are quite apparent.
We saw Southern Africa’s Big 5 and enjoyed our game drives and our introductions to the various breeds. Four of the six of our guides/trackers were outstanding and we learned a lot from them and enjoyed hearing about their perspectives. We experienced &Beyond’s little surprises such as lunch along the Gamote Canal and sunset drinks with hippos to name a few.
So, would I go again? Yes, definitely. I would love to return to Kirkman’s Kamp and Sandibe and choose somewhere else rather than Xarana (they had too many internal management problems and poor guides that made me feel uncomfortable because they tried preaching their religion). I would also recommend 2 nights at Victoria Falls rather than rush to do everything in less than 24 hours. Breaking up the camps and finding civilization at a nice hotel with good air conditioning was the right plan so no regrets.
I am so proud that I made this arduous journey. Ruth, Dan, Jeff and I worked well together and I think this experience brought us even closer as friends. We each brought our individual experiences together to give insight and assistance to the group. Dan, Ruth and Jeff were 3 brilliant doctors with biology and physiology degrees working to match up their combined knowledge to the professional guides with their extensive written and practical experience. The discussions that they had were exciting and because I was the non-science person in the group, I definitely learned a lot.
We also worked well with helping each other carrying luggage, sharing the tips, Dan and Ruth were there for me urging me to drink more water and pour water on Dan’s bandana to help keep my neck wet that Dan insisted that I use after he noticed that I was close to having heat stroke. Sorry, Dan, the color looks better on me so…I’ve borrowed the mustard and brown bandana forever :-).
I loved our discussions about animal mating, child birth and the male/female behavior of each individual animal. Dan’s an internal medicine doctor, Ruth’s specialty is obstetrics and gynecology and my Jeff is a veterinarian specializing in dogs and cats. We definitely kept our guides on their toes and everyone was engaged. I credit &Beyond for this. You can’t teach how to be an interesting guide– it must be a part of you. We all felt that Gift in Sandibe and Anton at Kirkman’s were the best of the best guides that &Beyond had to offer. Hats off to them!
So now, I am returning to life in Beverly Hills, as a slightly changed person with wild African curly hair. I’ve walked where wild animals have walked, overcome my small airplane fear and more. 
Here are my hints if you are thinking about visiting Africa:
*Work with an experienced Safari travel consultant. This is not the trip you want to plan independently. It is important to work with someone who understands the pace of life while you are in Africa as well as can anticipate any problems that could occur.
*Stick to the packing lists. In time, I’ll have my personalized list that I plan to create after consulting with Dan who is a packing expert. While we were away we borrowed 3 hats, a bandana (still mine), a handkerchief and a pair of undies and pants for Jeff. I’m in awe of Dan’s packing abilities.
*Invest in excellent cameras and binoculars.
*Bug spray was given but if you have sensitive skin, please bring your own
*The African sun is unforgiving. Bring plenty of suntan lotions a wide brimmed hat and a cloth to cool yourself with. Water,water, water!
*As far as money, bring lots of 1’s, 5’s, 10’s, less 20’s maybe 2 50’s and 1-2 100’s to be used for tips and miscellaneous items.
*Bring something that you think someone else in Africa might use. Jeff and I brought colored pencils and markers for the children to be used at their school. Giving is a good thing!
*Purchase the correct luggage and travel purses. Please contact me for my recommendations. *If Cape Town is in your itinerary, PLEASE make dinner reservations well in advance of your visit. I would love to help you with this too.
*Dan mentioned that this was the most physically rigorous trip that he had even taken and it was. You have to be physically fit to climb into a Range Rover. The roads are fair in Kirkman’s Kamp but really bad in Botswana. We would hold onto the bars in from of us and be jostled up and down, side to side. We were driven off road during our game drives. Places like Victoria Falls have mobility issues as well such as climbing up then down stairs. So, if you think that a safari like mine sounds wonderful, please double check with your doctor and get his/her opinion about whether you are able to visit Africa.
If you want to go to Africa get ready to open your mind and try new things like eating Kudu stew or stay a night or two at Le Quartier Francais so you can dine in their world respected restaurant, The Tasting Room so you can taste African food and hear about how the food was prepared. You will learn about the different African vegetables, local herbs and roots that are used in the preparation as well as hear more about the recipes.
Remember, when you arrive to this disorienting special place that took such a long time to journey to…
*Take your time to stop and open your mouth to taste the unique flavors of Africa.
*Close your eyes to better hear the large and small sounds that enrich Africa.
*Feel the richness of the cloth made in Africa as well as feel the beading that is a part of some African masks.
*Use your nose to smell the earth, the fragrance and the spices that make up Africa.
*Watch the stars on a clear African cloudless evening.
*Try to do more with less.
It has been an absolutely wonderful transforming vacation for me. I was moved by the surroundings and in awe of animals that I would never have imaged seeing in the wild like Jeff’s beloved lions, leopards and cheetah.
I hope that you have enjoyed my insights about our first trip to Africa. Please contact me if you have any questions. Let’s work together to create your own African Safari experiences to share with me and others!
Until then…
Mari
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