With your backpack on and your shoes tied tightly, you head off on foot to experience a whole new side of the African bush...

We all know that the main activity when you visit a lodge are the game drives, and while they are the main focus, bush walks are equally as stimulating. The feeling of walking through the bush is very different and gives another perspective on what the safari experience is about.

One of the aspects that I enjoy the most about bush walks is knowing that you are walking along the same paths as many animals have before you, and as you walk along these paths you can see evidence of that almost everywhere - be it the track of a large bull elephant, or the tracks of lions that seem to be cemented in the ground from when the soil was wet and has since then dried out. This concept really gives the sense of being one with nature when walking.

When you walk through the bush you are completely immersed in nature, the sound and feel of the safari vehicle is gone and it’s just you and the bush. You are able to hear the many sounds around you, both near and far - such as the sound of the hooves of zebra running across the plains, or branches breaking as a herd of elephants move in the distance. The wing beats of birds become louder and you begin to look using your ears and not only your eyes.

Animals and trees seem larger and yourself much smaller on a walk, and coming across antelope is suddenly a different experience all over again as you see life from their level and perspective. As you stand there and watch their constantly moving ears flicking back and forth, listening for the slightest bit of movement, you begin to do the same and become much more aware of your surroundings.

While walking, you are also able to focus on many smaller things such as flowers, trees, grass and insects and you will notice how all these things around you, however small, play an integral role in sustaining the natural environment. A very simple example that causes a chain reaction is the pollination of bees. Bees pollinate plants and are therefore responsible for their abundance, the plants in turn are eaten by herbivores who are then eaten by carnivores. This shows how the smallest organisms can play the largest role in keeping balance in an ecosystem.

Walking rejuvenates your mind and keeps you active, and it is something that has come in handy throughout lockdown. While many of us have been unable to go for a walk in the bush, a walk through a nature sanctuary or to the local park has done wonders!

I look forward to going back and being able to experience these bush walks with people from all walks of life again! So, the next time you visit, put on your walking shoes with us and let’s explore!