“Are you awake”? was the question, quietly spoken in the darkness from behind the closed door of my accommodation.
“Certainly am!” was my response as I pulled on my bush jacket to keep the chill of the early morning at bay.
I collected my camera and hat and made my way towards the lounge where I knew coffee and biscuits awaited.
I walked past the kitchen, where the lights were already on as the day began early for staff members and guides.
There was hot water to be boiled and cups and baked goods to put out for those of us early risers who were shortly heading off on a game walk.
It is not possible to put any of this out the night before as the lounge is open to wildlife that might visit during the night.
Heading off to where our walk would commence.
Guests are offered a few choices.
1] You can begin the walk from camp. The route is a large circle ending up back at camp.
2] Guests can be driven to a drop-off point and then they can decide to walk in a circle, returning to the vehicle to be driven back to camp.
3] Alternatively, they can walk back to camp and the staff will go and collect the vehicle while the guests are having breakfast.
Before we had arrived at the drop-off point, this Brown Snake Eagle attracted our attention.
We found this herd of buffalo BEFORE we got out of the vehicle. You do NOT want to come face to face with this species while you are on foot.
There is a reason why they are one of the Big 5, and are rated probably the most dangerous animal in the bush.
They are unpredictable and will often charge for no reason at all.
Did you know?
The term Big 5 ( lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) was coined in the late nineteenth century by hunters who came to Africa.
It was used to denote species deemed the hardest and most dangerous to hunt on foot. These animals were considered dangerous because of how aggressive they become if injured or cornered.
Time to set out.
There was a quiet sense of excitement as well as some trepidation amongst the guests who had not experienced an activity like this before.
This rifle, in the hand of a trained field guide like Nicolette, is there as a last resort when there is no other option if attacked by an animal.
A .375 or .458 is the calibre of choice as they have the stopping power should a situation occur and guests have to be protected from being injured.
Guides have to pass a proficiency test regularly to make certain that they are competent to handle a weapon of this size and in a given set of parameters.
As I said, this is a last resort and the guides that we had were able to get us in and out of sightings without disturbing the animals we were looking at.
Time to set off.
The most important rule is to do as the guide says, quickly and without question.
Single file and minimal talking while walking.
By walking in silence, guests experience just how ‘noisy’ the bush can be.
The bush is alive with the sounds of bird calls, the cacophony of insects as well as the occasional snort of a distant herd of impala or perhaps even the trumpeting of a breeding herd of elephants.
These sounds are usually drowned out by engine noise when guests are on a game drive.
Distances between guests are maintained so that no one falls behind.
However, I have to admit that it is usually me who brings up the rear as a result of my wanting to capture the experience in photographs.
And there is a strict policy about not walking in front of the lead rifle.
Most importantly, expect the unexpected as it is those moments that become special memories after your holiday is over.
A white rhino midden…
A midden is an area of communal defecation, that is used by several species like antelope and both black and white rhino.
Just to clarify, each species has its own midden and you will not find a rhino using an impala midden. And not all animals have them.
For instance, elephants will dump while they are walking, often without even slowing down!
A key function of a midden like this is territorial marking, and they are predominantly utilized by the resident bull.
If a strange bull comes into the area and uses the midden, the resident male can take appropriate action.
Matt taking a moment to explain tracks to our group.
Track identification is an art and for those who know what they are looking at it can be like reading a newspaper.
FYI: When guides do a track and sign assessment, they have to correctly answer 50 questions.
The guide has to demonstrate the ability to: Correctly identify the tracks, feeding signs, territorial marking signs and droppings of any mammal, bird, insect, reptile or amphibian within a designated area.
I have tried this task and I have failed dismally.
I usually begin well, get ahead of myself and then crash and burn towards the end.
It is usually the small antelope tracks that catch me out.
It is certainly not as easy as it seems and I am in awe of the experienced trackers that I have walked with.
While Matt was explaining the tracks, Nicolette, on second rifle, was keeping an eye open just in case.
Guides at Africa on Foot have to be constantly alert as the reserve is home to the Big 5, any one of which might make an unannounced appearance.
BTW, although it might seem counterintuitive, both guides walk and the front of the guests. But this in just in case there is an incident and both weapons have to be discharged simultaneously.
If one guide walked at the rear of the group, then the guests would be in the way should this worst-case scenario happen.
Giraffes can be inquisitive creatures.
This mom and her youngster watched us for the longest time before taking off at a gallop.
I don’t believe that we were responsible for them rushing off as they had been relaxed and had watched us intently for some time.
We returned like conquering heroes to the camp.
It was a wonderful walk that showed the international guests just how special the African bush can be.
Out on foot, nothing is taken for granted and individuals can shed their worries and enjoy the tranquillity that a walk offers.
For those who are concerned about fitness levels…
These walks are not about distance, but all about the experience. You can be out for an extended time but cover very little distance.
I have been on a walk with one of South Africa’s top track and sign assessors and the group I was with spent almost 2 hours without going more than 50m from the camp we were at.
Breakfast awaits…
All the walking had made the guests hungry, and this plate of fruit salad was just the beginning of a most delicious meal.
Many thanks to Matt and Nicolette for an educational and informative outing.
If you are going to be at Africa on Foot and have NOT been on a bush walk, I suggest that you give it a try.
Click on the logo for more information about the camp.
Travel is the proud winner of this prestigious award from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife. The award is in the category Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa.
Check out the archived and current interviews… click on the image above.
“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?”
Edgar Bergen
All images are the copyright property of
and may not be used without permission.
All images used in Travel & Things posts are edited using Ribbet software. To learn more about the product and what it offers both amateur and professional photographers, click on the logo above.
