Waking up in Africa overlooking the scarce wilderness, it is easy to remember that evolution of humans began here tens of thousands of years ago. Although at first glance the landscape is dry and desolate, at a closer inspection this habitat is actually thieving with life. From the smallest insects, to the kings of the jungle, everywhere you look the cycle of life and death is unfolding before your very eyes.
At Londolozi we are right in the epicenter of this and as I sit here watching a herd of elephants grazing I am instantly reminded of how lucky I am to be experiencing one of the most magnificent environments on planet earth.
Londolozi in Swahili means "protector of all living things". With 17,000 hectares of grounds this luxury safari lodge is literally teeming with wildlife. Renown for it's relationship with the land and the animals Londolozi is famous for it's leopards. As the 'original' luxury safari lodge Londolozi has a tradition of providing the highest quality safari experience tailored to it's customers needs.
From the second we touch down in Johanasberg Londolozi staff were waiting to transfer us to our private plane, their friendly greetings and generosity just a taste of things to come. With our luggage lost enroute from London to Johanasberg (thanks Lufthansa) I was left with no medication for my Crohns. Considering I have only just started to get better having a break in medication at this point could have had severe effects on my health. Thankfully the kind Londolozi staff came to the rescue and held up the plane so they could drive me to a pharmacy where we negotiated the necessity of the chemist giving me pregnisone without a prescription. Half an hour later we are screeching down the runway with my pregnisone safely on board.
It's funny considering I have flown my whole life, but in such a tiny plane every single noise and vibration feels like it is out of place and as my stomach twists in knots the pilot is quick to put me at ease with some friendly banter. As we descend towards Kruger National Park and ultimately Londolozi, we are told to keep our eyes peeled for wildlife. True to form some wildebeest are drinking from a water hole as we land. Upon disembarking and bidding farewell to our pilot our Londolozi ranger (Adam) comes to greet us on the tarmac. We climb into his jeep and soon realize we are actually being transferred to heaven on earth!
Driving towards the lodge Adam explains to us how he became a ranger and so attached to the land and Londolozi in particular. As a child actor Adam worked on a TV series filmed at Londolozi called "The Bush School". Year after year Adam returned to the lodge and filmed segments about nature and the animals. After school and the end of the program ,Adam went on to study conservation and wildlife at university, and of course completed his internship at Londolozi. Upon graduation he applied for a position as a ranger, and the rest they say, is history.
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