It’s an absolute privilige to be included in this years prestigious Africa Collection of National Geographic Traveller Magazine. If you are a member of National Geographic you can check it out on their website, otherwise here is the excerpt from the magazine.

National Geographic UK: Unearth Experience

This trip is not any trip. It’s the perfect trip. It’s a trip to Africa, and our clients get to see it all. The safaris, the animals, the cities, the sea, they do all the things they’ve read about doing in Africa, with all the luxury they’ve heard about having there. Whether they’re travelling to the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the Sossosvlei Desert in Namibia, the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, the Zambezi in Zambia, the Great Migration in Tanzania, the pristine beaches in Seychelles, or the Gorilla’s in Rwanda, they barely need to lift a finger because it’s already planned out: accommodations, activities, transportation, support available 24/7 because, really, this is the best way to travel. And at the end of it all, we want our guests to have memories, stories and photos to fill dinner conversations for a lifetime.

Unearth Experience is a full-service luxury travel company, focusing on unique, bespoke itineraries for travellers to experience the true essence of Africa. The Unearth Experience team is deeply service-orientated, ensuring the road our guests travel is flawless, with every detail accounted for and every step a memorable one.

Unearth Experience goes much deeper than just any other travel company. With what started as a vision to make a positive change in this world, our parent company, Unearth was born. A conservation & empowerment company with a mission to create an extensive conservation footprint by developing self-sufficient, bioregional economies built on uniting communities, efficient land reform, film-induced tourism, job creation and empowerment of local entrepreneurs. This all comes to life on an inclusive broad-based basis, partnering with the communities 50/50.

We believe that the wilderness of Africa and its people are brimming with an evolution waiting to be realized and it is our mission to help this potential come to fruition. Unearth Experience will be the vehicle to drive tourism into this wild and beautiful land.

We are luxury. We are boutique. We are unique. We are at your service and we have style. African style, to show you how to be where you are. We are trained. We are skilled. And we are from the land we invite you to see, so we know how best to see it. We are fun. How we plan is, well, up to you. How we execute is what we do best.

Contact Unearth Experience today and let us craft your incredible African adventure.

Location: Johannesburg, Gauteng, Sub Saharan Africa, South Africa

Key Treatments:

• Okavango Delta
• Serengeti & Maasai Mara
• South Africa
• Zambia
• Islands

Facilities List:

• Handcrafted Itineraries
• Photographic Safaris
• Family Holidays
• Group & Incentive Trips
• Honeymooners

Contact Information:

Website: www.unearthexperience.com

Telephone: +27-79-765-9287

Email: info@unearthexperience.com

Don’t Miss:

A hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti Plains witnessing nature’s greatest spectacle – The Great Migration

The post Africa Collection: National Geographic Traveller Magazine appeared first on Unearth Experience.

Lioness Eyes – Photo Credit: Rory Loader

I remember the morning like it was yesterday. At the time, I was working for the world renowned Londolozi Private Game Reserve as a Lodge Manager at Founders Camp where a Big Cat Safari has become synonyms with Londolozi.

We had a honeymoon couple, let’s just call them Mr and Mrs Smith who wanted to do something special and requested to sleep under the stars at the Londolozi lookout deck. Being a romantic at heart, the Founders team and I set up an incredible evening for this great couple.

Just think lanterns, candles, beautiful Londolozi bed, draped in an Out of Africa mosquito net, surrounded by an incredible River view, a finely prepared picnic dinner and an assortment of luxury beverages, not to mention the sounds and the incredible stars, bringing you closer to nature, a spiritual connection. What an incredible evening, little did they know the morning would bring a sighting like no other.

It was awesome to be out so early in the morning, still dark, the air was crisp and I had a sense of excitement about me that I couldn’t quite explain. I set off, following the sand river, passing Taylor’s dam and Pioneer Camps entrance and through open areas to Mhangene Double Crossing to where the look-out deck was situated.

Conversing with Mr and Mrs Smith over the radio I made my way through the giant Jackelberry trees towards the deck where the couple were eagerly awaiting, with big smiles, excited to tell me about their night and how special it was. After enjoying a fresh, hot cup of coffee we all set off back to camp to meet up with their guide Sandros, who would take them out on their morning game drive.

It was starting to get light now with a slight mist hovering over the dewy grass, Impala attentively watch us from the open areas and a chorus of baboons barking in the background alerted us to something incredible.  With limited time, we moved on and followed the sounds, moving closer and closer to camp, we were eagerly followed the barks of the baboons. We had no idea what we would find.

With the barking escalating in volume and witnessing the baboons scrambling from tree to tree to get a better vantage point, we came to a sight that to this day is etched in my memory. Turning the corner towards the Pioneer entrance and the wall of Taylors dam, rightwhere I had driven early this morning, were two of the famed Mapogo Male Lion Coalition, Kinky Tail and Mr T, devouring a sub adult hippo.

These Incredible lions, had successfully taken down an animal 4 times their size with ease and were now enjoying the spoils.  It was an absolutely incredible sighting, positioning the vehicle so the guests could get the perfect shot, all I could hear was the “cha cha cha” of the shutter of Mr Smith’s Canon SLR like a semi-automatic machine gun, mixed with tearing flesh and low pitched growls as the two males fed.

Kinky Tail – Photo Credit: Rory Loader

Calling in the sighting we left to get back to camp to ensure we were able to meet up with the other guests. The lions had a large meal and we knew they would more than likely be there for some time, coming back to visit them later. It’s incredible

We had to warn staff at Pioneer Camp to ensure they were aware of the lions right outside their entrance and to be mindful during the day as the interaction was bound to attract other predators to the scene.

The staff canteen was full of commotion about the lions and the hippo they had killed, so much so that we decided to go out to see how far the lions had got and whether there was another story to be told.

Heading back towards Taylors Dam, to where we had seen the lions that morning, we found not two but now four lions, two lionesses from the Styx pride had heard the commotion and had come to investigate.

It was an unusual sighting, as one of the lionesses you could see was quite skinny and clearly hungry but was not feeding, where the other lioness and older female was feeding alongside the males. Every time the younger lioness tried to feed, the males would aggressively confront her, forcing her to submit and retreat to a nearby bush.  She would try again and the interaction would become more and more aggressive, leading to the flashback Friday image of the lioness bearing her teeth at Mr T. Sheer power seen in both lion’s bodies as they face off each other before the lioness very wisely submitted and retreated.  Why was one lioness accepted and the other not? And what would happen next we all thought!

We would find out that evening, as the often tranquil evenings, was now filled with lion roars, growls and cries, that were so loud I don’t think anyone slept that night.

Investigating the area in the morning, we came across a gory sight, the lions had moved the hippo closer to Pioneer car park, and we could see by the spoor marks, fur and blood throughout the Pioneer car park that a huge fight had taken place that evening and someone had come off second best. But who?

We found out about an hour later over the radio, warning staff that there was a lioness walking through the staff village. The guides moved in to investigate to find the female breathing heavily at Camp Dam, she had been mauled by the two males and was in a bad state. Nature at her cruellest, watching the magnificent animal take her last breath in front of us was very sad. Why had the males killed her? It’s hard to understand the lion dynamics in the Sabi Sands, and ever changing saga, which fascinates us all on a daily basis.

Nothing is wasted in the end, the lioness’s body was later consumed by crocodiles who found her body on the banks of camp dam.

I will never forget the events of that day and it will forever stay with me and all that had the privilege of seeing nature in all her glory.

The circle of life.

Give me a call or send me an email today, if I can help you create your next experience.

+27-79-765-9287

rory@unearthexperience.com

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The beauty of Chiefs Island is that the wildlife viewing is absolutely incredible, famously named the “Predator Capital” of Botswana. The sheer numbers of big cats, wild dogs and hyena were something to be marvelled at, all while interacting with the amazing array of herbivore species that call Chiefs home.

Nature certainly didn’t disappoint with what it always seemed on a daily basis that there were lions popping out of every bush and leopard out of every tree. It was truly a magical place to live and work.

The exciting part was waking up every day and not knowing what action or excitement would occur that day.

May 11^th, 2011 would turn out to be one exciting day indeed. We had said goodbye to our group of guests midmorning, leaving the camp unusually empty for the afternoon and like “When in Rome, do what the Romans do” we headed out into the bush for some much needed R&R and of course in search of big cats.

Guides Rex and Ali had located the Boro pride that morning and had left them stationary close to Martial Eagle Pan so we had a good chance of relocating. The Boro pride at the time had 5 large lionesses, 8 sub adult cubs and two large males who we liked to call the Boro Boys.

There was an excitement about us as we headed towards Martial Eagle Pan, would we find the lions? and what would they be doing?

It was midmorning and the air was crisp, we had already seen impressive herds of elephant, buffalo and of course, the resident impala all huddled together to keep warm. It was just so nice to be out and about.

We rounded the corner towards Martial Eagle Pan, happily know by its resident Martial eagle nest atop a huge umbrella thorn tree. We made our way closer to where the lions were last seen. “No Lions.” Geg Binnie and I, our resident Helicopter pilot, jumped out the vehicle to investigate the numerous tracks left behind to get some sense of where the lions had gone. The only issues were that the tracks literally went everywhere and were all fresh. Something must have happened!, But what,? and where have the lions gone?

Scratching our heads, trying to make headway of where the lions had the head off too. We didn’t have to wait long, as we got our answer a couple of minutes later.

We were enjoying an Amarula Coffee in the bush, I was about to enjoy a homemade camp rusk when out of nowhere we heard loud contact calling and growls, and what I can only describe as a loud rattling/ rasping noise coming from about a kilometre down the road.

Without skipping a beat, we were back in the car and raced off to find out what was going on, following the continual growls and rattling, we drove deep into the bush. We soon came to an incredible scene. We found the Boro pride alright, but we weren’t quite expecting what we saw, there amongst the sub adult cubs was a sub adult honey badger fighting for his life and is the basis for our flashback Friday blog.

Once we manoeuvred the vehicle we could really find out what was going on, there in front of us was the entire Boro pride, the lionesses and the males were uninterested in what was going on, doing what lions do best , but the sub adult cubs were now playing with fire, literally as you just don’t mess with a Honey Badger or Ratel in Afrikaans. A fierce little creature and when people say dynamite comes in small packages, they would certainly be right when talking about a honey badger. The adult lions had the sense to leave the badger in peace but the overconfident youngsters decided it would be a good idea to take him on.  “Big Mistake” as the lions tried to grab the badger, he would swing round in his skin and bite the lion on the nose or soft tissue, letting out a loud rattle/ rasp, with the corresponding loud uncertain painful growl from the young lions.

This incredibly went on for about 20 minutes, which must have been exhausting for the young badger, but all credit to him he battled hard inflicting a lot of pain on the lions. It was a fascinating scene, with 8 sub-adult lions battling 1 honey badger and I can tell you one thing, the badger was winning. The lions would move in and then back off, again and again with constant vocalisation.

The constant back and forth would turn deadly, as one of the lionesses, decided enough was enough, deciding the cubs game was now over.  She circled around behind the badger and with one swift bite to the back of the badger’s head, the game was over. Once the badger was dead, the cubs moved in now, brave of course, started to play with the body, bringing us to the flashback Friday image.

Sadly the badger’s life was no more and the cubs would learn a valuable lesson, do not mess with a badger.

As much as I love lions, I was certainly rooting for the little badger, I do think if it was an adult badger, the situation would have been very different and I am sure the lions would have made a different decision altogether.

Once again an incredible sighting!

The post It’s a numbers game: Lions vs Honey Badger appeared first on Unearth Experience.

Day 1:

Arriving in Maun on the Air Botswana flight, Rory and I were filled with excitement. It was my first time to Botswana, with the Okavango Delta being on my bucket list for more years than I can remember. Rory had lived and worked in the Delta, although he hadn’t been back for many years.

After we cleared customs, we met with the girls from Africa in Focus, Ker & Downey Botswana and 6 other agents who were also fortunate to be on this epic adventure. Our group checked into our Safari Air flight and boarded the Cessna 208 Caravan for our first stop – Okuti in the Moremi Game Reserve.

Rory was co-pilot with a lovely female pilot taking the reins. It was a short 20minute flight which gave us plenty of time to appreciate a bird’s eye view of the Okavango Delta. The vast landscapes, deep water channels and abundance of wildlife spotted from the aircraft made for an eager group upon landing.

With 10 of us being in the group, we jumped into 2 open air land cruisers, receiving a warm welcome with chilled towels, a cold drink and a quick safety briefing which included signing an indemnity form. We travelled a few minutes before stopping at the foot of the Moremi Game Reserve to sign one more form and off we went.

We were driving along, appreciating the phenomenal bird life when we were surprised by a beautiful set up in the bush for high tea. We were welcomed by the camp staff and offered a glass of bubbly and a slice of banana loaf. We were in heaven! After mingling, drinking our champagne and eating our banana loaf, we hopped back into our land cruisers and continued onto Okuti. As we were driving to the camp in anticipation of what was awaiting us there, we came across a beautiful big bull elephant who came right to the vehicle to say hello. After admiring the elephant for a few minutes we continued along and before we knew it, we were being greeted by the beautiful African voices welcoming us to Okuti.

We arrived at camp just after 5pm so we decided to delay the room orientation, and take advantage of the approaching sunset by exploring the Okavango waterways by motorboat for our sundowners. We were cruising along through the channels, appreciating the gorgeous sunset and reflections on the water. We stopped at the banks of the river and enjoyed some gin and tonics as the sun was setting. We arrived back into camp after dark and were escorted to our mosasa. Mosasa is an ancient tribal word for house of reeds. The room was absolutely beautiful. Rory and I stayed in the honeymoon unit which featured a double bed, outside bath, and an indoor and outdoor shower. We freshened up and joined the group for dinner.

We all met at the boma and were greeted by the friendly staff awaiting our drink orders. As we all settled in, enjoying our beverages, we were welcomed by the lovely voices of the Okuti choir. We all appreciated and enjoyed the show and were danced to our seats for dinner.

Dinner started off with a roasted tomato soup followed by the main meal which was a lovely kudu fillet and veggies, with dessert never disappointing, a delicious home-made apple crumble with custard. After dinner, Moses decided to introduce us to their speciality drink – Grenadine, Amarula and Whisky = Mudslide = hangover material. After many hours of exchanging stories by the boma, we all decided to hit the hay with an early game drive awaiting us in the morning.

Day 2:

We were woken at 6am to a knock on the door and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. We met on the deck at 6:30am and after a quick breakfast we were on our way to see what the Moremi Game Reserve had to offer. After some great game viewing we met at the airstrip and were split into 2 groups to board 2 very small Safari Air, air vans.

We all arrived safely at the Shinde Airstrip and were transported to Shinde for a quick lunch before the group were split up between Shinde and Footsteps camp. Rory and I were heading to Footsteps first and we were very excited for the rustic experience. Due to the unusually high rainfalls, we were transferred to a crossing point which was a 20min drive from Shinde. We were met by Noah and as Rory liked to say his arc, which took us across the channel. It was my first ever Mokoro ride. I loved the peacefulness and how close to nature you got. Once we all crossed the channel we had a 90min drive to Footsteps Camp.

We were given the sad news on our drive that a cheetah cub had been killed by the wild dogs the day prior. We went by the kill and saw the carcass completely cleaned by the vultures, all that was remaining was the skull and bones. We continued driving and found an impala which had been killed. Our guides Opi and Noah knew it was the cheetah who had killed the impala and knew they were still close as the hyenas hadn’t found the kill yet. After a few moments, Opi spotted the cheetah returning back to the kill with her remaining cub. We had a great interaction, listening to mom calling for her cub, the cub playing and having a bite to eat. After some magnificent photo opportunities, we were on our way to Footsteps.

When we arrived to Footsteps camp, the heavens decided to open. We had 34mm of rain that evening which is completely out of season for the area. The rustic tents were furnished with 2 comfortable beds, an en-suite bathroom, bucket shower, buckets to wash your face, and battery operated lights.  Prior to dinner, Opi gave us an insightful and knowledgeable presentation on how the Okavango Delta was formed and how it still exists today.

We had an intimate dinner under the dining tent due to all the rain. The Footsteps choir greeted us with their beautiful voices before dinner was served. Tonight we had a lovely oxtail which we all went back for seconds, a traditional African dish called samp with spinach and perfectly roasted veggies. We had a lovely rich cream based dessert with crumbed biscuits and banana. After a few hours of sharing stories over a few glasses of wine, we all went to bed with the sound of raindrops hitting the canvas tent.

Day 3:

At 5:30am the rains were heavier than we anticipated. Thankfully by 6:45am the rains had stopped, just in time for our walking safari. We were given a safety briefing before heading out on our bush walk. Opi was leading the walk and was very knowledgeable, pointing out plants and telling us the stories of how the bushman used them for contraception and others which were used to smoke. Within 15minutes we were lucky to see a big elephant bull, peacefully feeding on the trees. We walked quietly towards the elephant, giving him plenty of space. Moments later we heard another elephant to our left. Opi moved us off slowly allowing the elephants to continue feeding. As we continued on our walk, we witnessed beautiful plains game and phenomenal bird life.

Another wonderful surprise awaited us. A bush breakfast with hot eggs, bacon, sausage and freshly brewed coffee – all set up on the banks of the river. After a hearty breakfast we walked back to camp and enjoyed a bucket shower for the first time before heading back onto the vehicle to drive to Shinde.

On our drive back to Shinde, we decided to go back to see if the cheetahs were still around. We noticed that the Impala was untouched by the hyena’s so we knew the cheetahs were close. We were impressed with Noah’s spotting eyes when he spotted them about 500m away on top of a termite mound. We captured more incredible photographs and continued onto Shinde.

We arrived at Shinde just after 1pm. We said a quick hello to the rest of the group and they were on their way to Footsteps. We enjoyed a delicious lunch before being escorted to our tent. Our tent featured a double bed, large en-suite bathrooms and phenomenal views of the open grasslands. We had a short time to settle in before we embarked on a fishing trip for our afternoon activity.

We cruised along the Delta and stopped at a favourite fishing spot. We had many good laughs during our fishing expedition and caught over 20 fish between the 5 of us. We released each of our fish and enjoyed the sun beaming on our faces. On our boat trip back, we had a pit stop for sundowners with other the guests staying at Shinde. We enjoyed another gorgeous African sunset with a chilled beer, biltong and dried fruit before heading back to camp for dinner.

Dinner didn’t disappoint. Tonight we were spoilt with a cauliflower soup to start, roasted chicken, baked potatoes and roasted veggies for our main and a divine brandy pudding for dessert. We all ate quickly in anticipation for our night drive. The night drive was chilly and unfortunately due to the abundance of rain, the grass was extremely long so we didn’t get to see too much but it was still an incredible experience. We arrived home at 10pm to a hot shower and a comfortable bed.

Day 4:

We were woken at 5:30am to our favourite smell – freshly brewed coffee. We enjoyed our hot coffee and headed straight out on our morning safari. We witnessed an abundance of plains game and a beautiful sighting of a big female hyena. We were tracking 2 big male lions, when we got distracted by the commotion in the trees. The baboons were having a great time, although at times we couldn’t figure out what was happening. Between all the alarm calls, fighting and bonking, we could only imagine what they were up to. After a few full-bellied laughs, we continued to track the lions until we saw that they crossed over Paul’s Pan. We turned around and drove back to camp where a hot breakfast was awaiting us. After breakfast, we were transferred to the airstrip where we caught a flight to our final camp for this trip, Kanana.

During our flight, we appreciated incredible sightings including an elephant herd of approximately 50 elephants. As we came in for landing, our transfers were awaiting us to take us directly to camp. The guides mentioned that a lioness and 3 sub adults were in camp this morning, so we went looking for them before arriving to camp. It was amazing! We found the lioness with a full belly lying in the middle of the road with the 2 youngsters. We were appreciating the sighting of the 2 sub adults when we heard bones crunching, as we turned our heads 180 degrees, we saw a beautiful sub adult male lion munching on an impala leg. We enjoyed the sighting and captured some great moments before heading off to camp.

We were welcomed to Kanana by the wonderful staff singing in their native language and a delightful spread for lunch. We can appreciate why Kanana is described as a hidden gem on the Xudum River. The sheer beauty of the islands leaves you mesmerised. We were taken to our tents and again, they did not disappoint. Beautifully furnished with a comfortable double bed, a spacious en-suite bathroom and views of the Xudum River.

After freshening up, we met the group for some Young Explorer activities. Young Explorers is a specifically designed safari which offers families the opportunity to discover the wonders of the African wilderness together. The guides are well trained and the kids absolutely love it.

High tea was scrumptious – we enjoyed our chocolate cake and coffee and embarked on a motorboat. We were heading towards paradise island for our mokoro ride. The birdlife was sensational along the way. We saw Malachite Kingfishers, Jacana’s, Green Backed Herons, African Fish Eagle, African Harrier Hawk, Stately Egrets just to name a few and a pod of 4 hippos’ in the water. We arrived at our destination and were all so excited to get into our mokoro’s. All I could think of whilst I was peacefully cruising along the waterways of the Okavango Delta, appreciating the day lilies, chirps of the birds and small crocodile on the river bank, was who needs to ride a gondola in Venice when you have this!

Our surprise stop for sundowners was under a giant fallen down baobab tree! After a few laughs, more stories and some heavily poured gin & tonics we took a leisurely boat ride back to camp. This was our first night that clouds weren’t covering the beautiful night’s sky. We all sat around the boma before dinner, appreciating the constellations. Dinner was divine! A hot creamy soup with homemade bread to start, perfectly cooked beef fillet and roasted veggies followed by granadilla cheesecake and a few too many jokes left us in a fit of giggles.

After dinner, Rory, Leonie and I, were the only ones eager for a night drive. When we arrived back into camp, the rest of the group were incredibly jealous to say the least. It was Leonie’s first night drive and we definitely had beginners luck on our side. We saw 3 hippos’ out of the water, grazing, a serval and a very rare sighting of an aardvark. We appreciated the star gazing whilst our guide was pointing out the constellations with his laser.

We enjoyed a night cap when we returned to camp, before calling it a night.

Day 5:

Today was the day we were all dreading. Departure day! We had a whirlwind adventure and were heading out for our last safari experience. Rory and Brad went on their own vehicle to focus on a specific photographic safari, with the rest of us enjoying our usual game drive. The boys found lion tracks which they called in over the radio. Our guide, Doctor, followed suit and the ladies were helping the tracking efforts. After approx. 10mins, the girls found the lions! The boys weren’t too impressed… It was an incredible sighting. Mom was full again, the 3 cousins were huddled together, showing affection and activity through their large yawns. We were appreciating the lion sighting when, out of nowhere, heavy mist came rolling in. It was freakish.

We all decided it was time to return to camp and enjoy a hearty breakfast and a hot steaming shower before we boarded our last flight to Maun and then home.

The flight home was uneventful and left me yearning for more! I loved the Okavango Delta and cannot wait to go back. Amongst the wonderful staff, luxurious camps and unforgettable activities, we had an experience which we will cherish forever.

The post Okavango Delta appeared first on Unearth Experience.

A week since arriving back from witnessing natures greatest spectacle, the Great Migration, life has gone back to normal. It always amazes me how quickly reality sets in after experiencing a life-changing event.

I sit here, on our back deck listening to the birds, sipping on my hot coffee and reminiscing of the time Rory and I were sitting in the open air land cruiser with an iced cold beer waiting for the wildebeest to cross the famous Mara River.

We were in the Serengeti for 7 nights and we were lucky to have seen 5 river crossings over that time. We stayed at 2 luxurious migratory camps with Asilia Africa, Olakira Camp and Kimondo Camp. Most guests won’t stay 7 nights in the same area as there is so much to see of the Serengeti, although we wanted the best opportunity to witness the millions of wildebeest crossing the Mara river. It was definitely worth the time spent. Specifically, on our last 2 nights, we saw 2 major river crossings. Both crossings had herds of over 2,000 wildebeest all waiting to cross the river.

The first of the river crossings was successful. Each of the 2,000+ wildebeest crossed the river with no injuries or death. The second river crossing they weren’t so lucky. Choosing quite possibly the toughest crossing point of the river, the 3,000+ wildebeest and 50+ zebra weren’t all successful like the previous herd that crossed the afternoon prior. The herd were challenged by 7 monstrous crocodiles and very rocky terrain which many succumbed to.

Waiting for the crossing to happen can take several hours. Over the 5 crossings, we waited over 14 hours. The scene is set for quite a funny reality TV show as you listen to yourself and other people in vehicles around you commentate and become storytellers. As the beers start to flow, the creative juices go into overdrive. I have no doubt that the next script for an animation can come from the banks of the Mara River waiting for the wildebeest to cross.

When the first wildebeest decides to cross, they all follow. A stampede occurs, within a matter of seconds, the silence turns to loud screams and cries as the wildebeest do everything in their power to successfully cross the river. It’s exhilarating, drama-filled and sombre all at the same time. I felt as though I had dived into the TV set whilst watching the epic National Geographic documentary of the Mara River Crossing and we were privy to the front row seats of the greatest natural event in the world.

As your camera continues to take hundreds of photos, and the last of the wildebeest either successfully or unsuccessfully cross the river, you start to feel the raw emotion of what you’ve just witnessed. With that experience, there are many life lessons which I was reminded of.

1. Be Patient
2. Take the opportunity when it presents itself
3. Don’t hesitate
4. Help others
5. Take the time to mourn for those you’ve lost
6. Live life to the fullest
7. Be observant
8. Family is everything
9. No regrets
10. Listen
11. Capture and appreciate life’s moments
12. Life is unpredictable

With this reminder, we left the Serengeti rejuvenated and ready to get back to the amazing work we are doing in South Africa. I feel very fortunate to be able to work in an environment where we are helping people in need and working to improve a system that’s been broken for a very long time.

The post A dozen life lessons I was reminded of whilst witnessing The Great Migration appeared first on Unearth Experience.