atravelynn

With Africa, that is.

Do you recall the moment when Africa got into your blood?

For me it was August 1994 in Nairobi National Park with a side trip I booked from the hotel on my jetlag recovery day before the safari began. The first animal I saw was a giraffe and then a cheetah.

afrigalah

Interesting, Lynn... as with you, before my first safari actually began.

I was sitting in the bow of a canoe on the Zambezi upstream from Vic Falls...my guide had paddled us into the bank of an island where an elephant was grazing in the reeds. With its trunk, the elephant flicked some water down on to me, splashing the leg of my jeans with mud. It was months before I got around to washing those pants. I was hooked.

I have to add that if I hadn't been captivated then, I would have been truly hooked on the first full day of the safari: I saw a young female cheetah chase down, kill and eat a reedbuck close to Mombo trails camp. I and my companions spent nearly all that day with that one animal. Before finding the cheetah on the morning drive, we saw a few lions and a honey badger carrying her baby in her jaws. The baby charged our vehicle when mum dropped him and dashed down a burrow. I cannot remember a better start to any of my safaris since.

John

moremiles

I'd have to say when we first went to Kenya over 20yrs ago and our first night was at a camp with individual huts-no idea what the name was, but we had the last hut on the end. During the night, we heard lots of rustling and movement on our thatched roof and my husband was ready with a chair to protect us from any animal that fell through-it was quite a sight! When morning finally arrived, we discovered it was monkeys(spider?) that had been on our roof playing half the night and so the wonders of Africa began and all the fatigue and fear from the previous night was gone and each day on safari brought more wonderful surprises.

MoiraS

Hi!

For me it was reading Born Free and watching the movie when I was a kid....I SOOO wanted to be Joy Adamson! I even named my first cat Elsa.

I watched every program I could find on Africa, like 'Wild Wild World of Animals' and dreamed of being a wildlife biologist...until I took biology in high school and realized how bad I was at it!

Moira

jesron

As long as I can remember I have been drawn to nature and which continent boost the best nature and wildlife?

My parents told me that my biggest wish was to go on a safari to Kenya, when I was a child, which never happend. I grew up in Denmark in the 80`s and that meant that the furthers south we would go was Spain on a charter.

But I can remember watching all the wildlife programs on Danish television that I could, which wasn´t that many anyway. The first 13 years of my life, we only had one channel! Strange to think about, No animal planet or National Geographic.....
It eventually took me 28 years before I got there, and just as soon as I landed in Africa for the first time I was completely sold. And still is.... My first trip lasted 4 1/2 months and I pretty much did everything that I had wanted to do.. I tracked gorillas and chimps in Uganda, Clibed Kilimanjaro, rafted the Nile, climed the Dunes at Souissesvlei, took river cruise on Chobe and the Nile, went on safaris in Etosha, Tsavo, Serengeti, Ruaha, Murchisons Falls, Chobe etc. Visited our sponsor child in Uganda, helped a african man build a new house, saw Vic Falls and so much more.. In those 4 months I just lived my dream out....

And this summer I am going back.... This time I will bring my 3 year old son with, so this will be a completly new experience. But one I am looking forward to...

matnikstym

on the first game drive leaving Mfuwe airport. Everything was WOW! A real elephant! WOW! A real zebra! WOW! Real hippos! Was already planning the return trip that day. Even now it's WOW! A real lion! etc. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Africa and am always planning the next <b>trips</b> back.

africatravel

Africa getting into my blood - half way through my Kenya-Tanzania safari in July 2006. I was at the Mbuzi Mawe, sitting by myself on the patio looking at miles and miles of the Serengeti. I could see loads of zebras and wilderbeests migrating towards Masaii Mara. I was at a night so it felt like I was hold court over the entire Serengeti... I was hooked.

girlpolo33

Africa cast it's powerful spell over me on my first safari, at night, surrounded by 'red-faced' lions. Four lions were feasting on an unfortunate bush buck. As the tracker swept his searchlight in a 360 degree scan of the immediate area, we saw four or five lions lazily pop up in the tall grasses. We were surrounded by lions at night...it was exhilarating, primal and chilling. I've been hooked ever since that moment!

Tropical_gal

For me it was the moment I stepped out of the aircraft at Abu strip, met Max our guide, climbed into the vehicle and within five minutes came so close to a giraffe I could have touched it! From then on the love affair has deepened until it has reached my very soul! I find myself reading all I can, browsing Fodorites comments, surfing the web, watching documentaries, writing my stories and planning my next visit which will hopefully be next year. There doesn't seem to be much time for anything else - I guess you could say &quot;Africa is under my skin!&quot;.

hanl

March 2002. My father had died the year before and my brother sent me and my mother on a trip to South Africa as a treat, to cheer us up.

When we went on our first game drive and two giraffes sauntered out of the bush, I looked over at my mother and saw her smiling with sheer happiness - the first time I'd seen her smile like that in over a year.

Since then, Africa has been my &quot;soul medicine&quot;!!

phernska

It was my first safari in 2001...I was sitting on my verandah on the banks of the Gache Gache River in Zimbabwe...The only sounds were birds and hippos...no cars, cell phones, no newspapers...just the sounds of Africa...I guess I really realized I was in love on the plane ride home--I cried almost the whole way. And, that SA flight was about 17 hours!

sandi

I was still at JKIA/NBO airport waiting for my bags and knew I was home! Saying to my parnter &quot;this is going to be something special&quot; and it has been.

For those who have landed at JKIA know the airport isn't all that appealing, but it did something to me. I was, from that moment, hooked. Our safari was just outstanding from start to finish and so have been back to the continent (East and Sourther) many times in these 13/yrs.

Khakif

It was the early ‘80s. After a hardy breakfast, I joined our guide and a local guide for a walking safari. (The other members of our group opted for the jeep.) Highlights of my full day’s walk: children’s laughter, the generosity of villagers who stopped to trade stories &amp; gifts, the arboreal Colobus parachuting in the sunlight canopy (and a few golden showers), the galaxy of butterflies in the green hills, shoulder height dense brush (just what did make those “tunnels” crossing our path?), Safari ants and a demonstration of how the Maasai use them for sutures, suddenly being pressed against the underbrush and told to “freeze” as three donkeys weighted with grain exploded down our narrow path, listening to the sounds while sitting in a green glade eating sandwiches, Mrs. Warthog and her three piglets (contemplating which tree to climb if she charged), crossing further upstream because of a large herd of buffalo, small threats—like fresh water snails, jumping across a wide stream (more likely pulled across by my two companions) to protect me from possible harm if I accidentally touched a body part to the water, sipping tea on the veranda of my tent while taking in an extraordinary sunset I was…. exhausted, exhilarated, enthralled and definitely in love with Tanzania. This love affair has spanned two decades.

Botsfan

For me it was in February 1974. I was with my husband on a business trip to South Africa. We flew up to Mala Mala from Jo'burg in a small red plane with propellers at both ends, known as a 'push me pull you'.
A party from a cruise ship docked at Durban cancelled at the last moment so we had the whole place to ourselves.
I fell in love with Africa and safaris that weekend, and have been back every year [sometimes twice] ever since.
My husband died in 1984, but I met my second husband the next year, and when he proposed I said yes, but only if you'll come on safari to Africa with me!
Sadly he too died in 2000, but I still go back on my own now. I'm booked up for October to Botswana, my favourite destination.
Over the years I've visited 64 camps, and this year I'll be staying at both Jack's and Nxamaseri for the 10th time.
Jan

safarilover

Botsfan

Our stories are quite similar. While single and still in my 20s, my sister and I traveled to South Africa, Victoria Falls, Hwange, and Lake Kariba in 1972. That's when I really fell in love with Africa. Because I was still talking about how wonderful Africa was, my husband agreed to go, and we made our first trip in 1985. He, too, became hooked, and we had many fabulous safari holidays until he passed away in 2000. Before his death, however, we purchased a small condo in Gordon's Bay where I stay for about six weeks twice a year.

ShayTay

I don't know that there was a specific moment on my first trip (Kenya 1998), but at the end of it, I knew I was home and didn't want to leave. For months afterward, I was homesick for Africa.

I do remember a moment in Botswana that, I think, says it all. We were watching some lions when we heard hyenas nearby. We had seen a lioness go in that direction earlier, and the lions we were watching suddenly took off in that direction to assist their &quot;sister&quot;. We quickly followed them, hurtling through the Bush. At that moment, I remember thinking, &quot;I've never felt more ALIVE than I do right now!&quot;

Patty

Being awoken by the hippos returning to the springs from their overnight foraging on our first morning at Finch Hattons camp in Tsavo West. Up until then, we were having a great time on our first trip to Kenya, but that was the moment that sealed it for me.

eyelaser

As a child growing up in the suburbs I convinced my parents I was going to be a game ranger. I knew &quot;all&quot; the animals names by age 3 and did reports on Pygmies, Watusis and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Since my early teens my S. African cousins tried to get my family to visit but my father was either too busy or didn't want to go(he finally went for the 1st time 2 years ago at age 85). Luckily on one my cousins visits to the US when prompted again about visiting my dad said I can't go but Eric can. So in the summer of 1977 I traveled to Cape Town, Jo'burg and a 3 night stint at Mala Mala. We buzzed the old air strip once to clear it of impalas or wildebeest...my memory is a little unclear...and landed in the middle of the bush. I was in heaven! The game drives were very tame by today's MM standards. One 3 hr. drive we literally saw nothing except bushes. It was still one of the great afternoons ever. Just the expectation of running into whatever wildlife was around had my heart racing.It is amazing that till this day I have a hard time sleeping throughout my safari waiting with such expectation what the morning will bring. Africa is not just in my blood it's in my soul as well.
Its just a shame work, money and time get in the way of how much time I get to spend there.
Regards,
Eric

Mega4namaddy

What a lovely thread

Like others, I was attracted to Africa's mystique as a child. An imaginary lion lived under my house I watch any wildlife films or TV I could, Tarzan, Jungle Jim and Wild Kingdom. Repeats were always welcome.

Gosh it didn't take long for me to fall in love with Africa once I'd arrived and recovered from my jetlag.

I recall the second morning on my private deck at Baines Camp in the Okavango Delta.I got up into the dim light of the false dawn. Hippo grunting in the pool but still to early for the most birds and the frogs had gone to bed. As the true dawn came it cast that unforgettable golden light while the Hippo pool has a soft pink tinge reflected from the sky. All was cool and calm. Every day after that I fell more hopelessly in love.

And every day since, I am impatient to return, totally distracted from my everyday life.

This is where my mind takes me when I close my eyes and smell the insect repellant I used in Africa

atravelynn

Thanks for all the inspiring love stories!