Luxury in African Wilderness
Luxury in African Wilderness
My last trip to the beautiful African continent was almost a year back, which you may want to read about here. After leaving this place in wonder and awe I knew I had to make a trip back soon because there is so much to see, discover and experience.
Africa is truly unbelievable and words don’t do justice to how amazing this place is. So many people have misconceptions about this continent and often are judgmental about places they have never seen before. One thing through this trip and blog I would like to advocate is that travel opens one’s mind and makes us realize how small the world is and how little we are.
The last time I was in Zimbabwe I was taken by the rainbow filled views of Vitoria Falls to elephants bathing in the Zambezi River and much more. This time around, I was honored to be hosted by Amalinda Lodge; an exclusive, privately owned safari lodge located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Matobo Hills, the oldest National Park in Zimbabwe. This area is one of the most sought after destinations in Zimbabwe and I was grateful to experience this in person.
Amalinda Safari Collection offers one of the best safaris in some of Zimbabwe’s premium wildlife and cultural destinations. They have four luxury and intimate safari lodges set in the remote wilderness areas of Hwange National Park and the Matopos National Park.
The staff and people I interacted with at Amalinda were so passionate about sharing their knowledge and personal experiences about the surrounding. People are so humble and courteous here. This experience also made me realize how the concept of luxury tourism is evolving. We often associate a luxurious stay with some of the big hotel chains like Four Season or Mandarin Oriental or other 5-star hotels. However, the new and refined form of luxury is shifting towards wanting to live or experience something that most people can’t. A new way of luxury is having access to places, experiences and things that are very remote and not accessible. That’s luxury!
This was an unforgettable wildlife safari experience to see hoards of animals walking and drinking water right in front of you, in the amazing Hwange National Reserve Park. This park goes all the way to Bostwana – Chobe and is spread over 43,000 km2. It’s home to pretty much all wildlife one could imagine, from elepahants, lions, zebras, hypos, cheetahs, crocodiles, snakes, gazelles etc.
The Hwange National Park can be accessed via a chartered plane and can fly unto 12 guests to any designated area within Zimbabwe, Zambia and Bostwana. The park a two hours drive from Victoria Falls. I took the charted plane option by CATS (Central Air Transport Service) from Harare airport and it took only 74 minutes to arrive in the middle of the safari park. Imagine my surprise when the pilot told us to wait a moment as the zebras were crossing the runway! Only in Africa could you experience this.
This was such an adventurous day at the Khulu Bush Camp in the African Savannah. A big thank you to the professional pilot from CATS for taking us in the middile of the Hwange National Park and to the beautiful and extremely passionate conservationist running Amalinda Safari Collection, Sharon.
I am truly grateful to experience the African wildlife and the beauty of nature, animals and luxury tourism that this place has to offer. I will be leaving with so many precious memories and stories that I can’t wait to share. This truly was a once in a lifetime experience! African luxury needs to receive a lot more admiration and attention because the untouched natural beauty you see here I am sure you won’t find anywhere else!
