Okay, no tigers or bears - but lions, yes. Packaged vacations and guided tours are about the furthest thing from my idea of a good time. So after learning that it's nearly impossible to see the African wilderness either independently or cheaply, I was less than eager to join the khaki-clad safari crew. Nevertheless, Russell convinced me and we signed our lives away for an all-inclusive (safari, flight, lodging, meals) 2-day adventure in the Selous Game Reserve. I doubt that the words that follow will do justice to the surprisingly phenomenal experience.
To begin with, the lodge - Selous Impala Camp. Sure our room was a tent, but an en-suite tent with electricity, running water and eucalyptus scented pillows. The quality was less that of a "camp" than an upscale resort, minus the uncomfortable pretentious vibe. Sensational multi-course meals were served riverside and under the stars. The attentive staff welcomed you as their immediate friend and transformed the camp into a family. It boggles my mind how they maintain such class literally out in the middle of nowhere - an expanse of African bush equivalent in size to Switzerland! To add a bizarre element of romance, I was about the only girl not sporting a shiny new band with matching diamond solitaire. We kindly refrained from telling the many honeymooning couples that we got a great last minute deal by booking our ticket the day before, while they paid the standard astronomical price by booking months in advance.
Although the camp was an experience in itself, I have yet to describe the best part - the animals! They say the Selous is the ideal reserve in which to observe "authentic" untouched Africa, and I believe it. At our camp we mingled with the resident hippo Andrea, wandering elephants and frolicking impala (antelope). For two full days we stalked the animals and explored the bush by open-air jeep, boat and foot. What raises the safari experience so superior to say, a zoo, is the raw purity of each creature in its element in perfect harmony with all the surrounding organisms. And you're repeatedly reminded how completely untamed the animal community around you is, where any walking must be accompanied by an armed ranger and even the night walk from our tent to dinner required a stick- and knife-carrying Masai as an escort. Our awesome guides taught us about the complex relationships within the animal community and took us to all the right corners of the wild, where we gawked at giraffes (my absolute favorite and oh so elegant!), zebras, wildebeest, elephant families, impala herds, swarms of baboons, lazy hippos and sneaky crocs, not to mention the vultures, kingfishers, bee-eaters and countless other exotic bird species.
At risk of boring you with way too many details, I must mention a few highlights - those moments when your heart skips a beat and leaps from your chest in awe. Like ... the 2 week old baby giraffe with umbilical cord still attached ... or the lounging trio of wild dogs, among the scant 4000 left in the world. And the safari finale couldn't have unfolded better if planned. As our last game drive was nearing an end, our guide heard rumor of a lion sighting and proceeded to race our jeep across the reserve in hot pursuit. We soon found ourselves looking eye to eye with an entire lion family - the dominant male, his multiple "wives" and their many playful cubs - feasting ravenously on a fresh kill of bloody wildebeest. As an encore to this amazing performance, Andrea (the hippo) decided to bid us farewell the morning of our departure by meandering curiously around our tent, keeping me trapped inside in nervous wonder.
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