Krishnan KP
The continent of Africa during the middle of the year has always been a constant travel destination in my annual calendar. It is because I get to witness ‘Great Migration’ which predominantly occurs in the Serengeti region. It is a phenomenon during which animals (mostly wildebeests) migrate in large numbers for grazing — it is in fact considered as the biggest display of the food chain diversity. This particular occurrence makes me visit Africa over and over again!
To speak about the countries I travelled during the recent trip, I had been to Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa. I would say exploring national parks and sanctuaries like Serengeti National Park (Tanzania), Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya) and Kruger National Park (Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa) were absolutely an experience of a lifetime.
The natural setup of never ending horizons on the plains of the savannah is only best when experienced — the variety of mammals and avian life in that natural setting makes you want to come back every time! All these places exist today and its serenity is maintained due to the extraordinary support of the locals. They even double up as guides and they are very proud of their culture and take immense pride when people from other countries visit them.
The most exciting memories of this trip were during river crossing (the occurrence when the animals while migrating cross rivers) and when we spent a full day with two prides of lions. Apart from this, spending almost two hours with black rhino and its cub was an adventure in itself.
Also, I have to share that Africa understands global cuisine like no other country in this world. I am a vegetarian and I have never felt so good away from home — thanks to the large Indian population which has settled in Africa. Every good camp in Africa serves all kind of food ranging from Indian to global and vegetarian cuisine. I would cherish this whole 10-day trip which I travelled with tourists, nature photographers and their crew, along with the locals.
My only suggestion for those who wish to travel to this continent would be to just be free and ready to merge with nature without any inhibitions. That’s when you will really enjoy Africa! For my forthcoming travel plans, I am visiting Africa yet again and I am also planning for a trip to the Antarctic region around November.
