u/DorsiaTravel

Before I go anywhere on safari, I ask if there are any conservation projects near the camp. These are usually local conservation charities that need something paid for, in this case a collar, and as a visitor you get to ride along whilst they go about their job. It’s like being an unpaid intern, except you, the intern, pays. Oh, so when they do it it's fine, but when I offer people the chance to clean my gutters and pay me for the privilege, suddenly it’s “exploitation”.

In the last twelve months I’ve been there for a rhino relocation, rhino dehorning, elephant collaring and, now, my favourite animal, the African wild dog, sometimes known as the painted wolf. They’re one of the most underappreciated, endangered predators in Africa. I have far too many books on them, and one of my favourites opens with the view that if you set out to design the perfect animal — a ruthlessly efficient predator that has never attacked a person in the wild, good-looking, and devoted to its family — you’d be wasting your time, as it already exists. Facts.

Wild dogs cover enormous distances and have little interest in the difference between the reserve and your farm. When a pack wanders off, it’s dealing with roads, but more importantly, unhappy farmers and domestic dogs carrying rabies, distemper and god knows what. Have you seen what your dog is up to? Wild dogs are incredibly social, so once disease gets into one, it’s not unusual for the entire pack to die. A GPS collar lets the team know where the whole pack is, close to real time, so they can get there before a problem becomes a funeral.

Anywho, my prayers were answered when it came back that there was a pack near where I was staying that needed collaring. So one afternoon, off we went looking for them. Never before have I felt more manly than here. Testosterone levels reached eleven, I promise you. With a buffalo leg in the back of the truck in case it was needed to lure them out, and me standing on the back of the car as we drove around… for the first hour. Then the sun hit, and I slithered my way into the front seat.

After nearly three hours of trying, with all hope (and light) starting to fade, we found them, the vet darted one, and in "we" went. The moment the dart hits, the rest of the pack are spooked and run from the sound, and in less than a minute the heroic dog is down, having a nice snooze. The vet goes in, checks all is well, and then the work starts.

I “helped” lift up the pooch and screw in the collar, much like your three-year-old child “helps” you make dinner. They just made me feel good about not being a complete waste of space. But for around 40 minutes, whilst they worked their magic, it was an incredible experience to be there with Mr. Fluffles, as I have christened him. At the end, they trimmed the collar and gave me the offcut as a souvenir, which I have now stored in my wallet for the rest of my life, as those pictures of my family aren't really needed anymore.

These "activities" are always an honour; always a privilege.

Working my way around South Africa, with the occasional lion and buffalo for company. Feel free to ask any questions.

I don't know if I love, or am just intrigued by, the randomness of where some hotel groups decide to launch. Last year, Le K2, known for their skiing properties in France, announced they're launching in the Maldives. And then Vestige, known for all their properties in Spain, announced they'd launch not one, not two, not even three, but four properties at the same time in Namibia. YOLO etc etc.

Anywho, have to say, it is very intriguing as Namibia lags so far behind its neighbours in the luxury market. But, best laid plans, and that "Autumn 2026" date ain't gonna happen, and instead they're coming piecemeal with Xaudum just announced as opening in March next year.

https://vestigecollection.com/namibia/

I'll wait until they've finished all four properties so I can do the entire circuit, but if anyone wants to volunteer to go first...

There are a few times a year where I get to stand somewhere and think: WTF is happening. Occasionally in a good way.

I used to be obsessed with going on every single game drive, convinced that the one I didn't go out on something so remarkable would happen that I'd be internet shamed for millennia for not having witnessed it.

But these days I read the additional activities list first. My kids have shadowed an anti-poaching unit, visited local schools, swum in rivers, learnt to fish, stargazed with people who (apparently) know what they're talking about, and hiked up hills to stare at bushman paintings. "Hiked" is doing a lot of work there. They were carried.

But, without a doubt, the coolest thing is when the conservation team come calling. There are times when they need to sedate an animal in order to tag it, as part of their efforts of trying to reduce human/animal conflict and know where the animals are. I've been lucky enough to do this twice with rhinos, once as part of a relocation project in Zimbabwe, where the area had simply ended up with too many of them. There are worse problems.

Last week, we were present for an elephant collaring. Essentially, the conservation teams need donations for these things, cos helicopters are as expensive as you may imagine helicopters are, so they rely on guests. I guess this counts as my good deed of the year and I'll take the other 5 months off. They dart it, it goes down, and you've got roughly thirty-sixty minutes to fit the collar and do whatever else they need to do, before it wakes up and reconsiders its relationship with everyone standing nearby. We were there for the whole thing.

Being next to the largest land animal in the world is quite something. I've included a video where you can hear it breathing.

Lions next, I guess...

https://reddit.com/link/1vq2v56/video/35xfrh3trrjh1/player

I'm back for the second time - back to a place I was incredibly (and I mean incredibly) suspicious of when it was announced, but immediately won over the moment I arrived on property. Kisawa is one of those truly "one of a kind" places that stands alongside the real greats of the industry. It is the destination itself, and warrants traveling long-haul just to come here, rather than feeling the need to combine it with anywhere else (even though we are doing just that and going on safari afterwards).

Happy to answer any questions whilst I'm here, as this time my family (kids aged 5 and 3) are here too.

I have waited so, so long to experience these two events: a croc having a nibble at a river crossing, and lions taking down a buffalo in daylight. I wrote about it last year: https://dorsiatravel.com/hyper-focused-safari-experiences and love to annoy my guide at every opportunity and ask for it, only to see the absolute look of despair in their eye when they know it won't happen. They are both extremely rare. So rare, that in having been to over 100 safari lodges, and spending over 2 months a year in Africa for the last decade, I've only mostly seen lions fail at hunts (or, most likely, sleep) and crocs sit motionless.

And so, I just departed Singita Mara River Tented Camp and Sasakwa, for my second and nine billionth time, respectively, and quite astonishingly, against every odd imaginable, managed to get not one, but both events. I booked this trip for myself, purely for those two events.

So please use this post as evidence to annoy your guide too, showing it is indeed possible and all they need to do is work harder.

https://dorsiatravel.com/review-reteti-house-kenya/

You've got questions; I've got answers.

Who'd have thunk it'd finally open? A mere six years late. Now let's see when Aman Maldives manages to launch, which is scheduled to open next year. No laughing in the back...

https://www.aman.com/resorts/amanvari