Walking Safaris of South Africa, by Hlengiwe Magagula and Denis Costello

Walking Safaris of South Africa: Guided walks and trails in national parks and game reserves, by Hlengiwe Magagula and Denis Costello. Penguin Random House South Africa. Imprint: Struik Travel & Heritage. Cape Town, South Africa 2021. 9781775846901 ISBN 978-1-77584-690-1

Walking Safaris of South Africa: Guided walks and trails in national parks and game reserves by Hlengiwe Magagula and Denis Costello: A braid of animal tracks threads through themeda grass to a shallow pan, where rhino wallow. A baobab tree shades a rocky outcrop, a leopard lookout.

In the void of a sandstone gorge, martial eagles glide, effortless in the updraft. And through it all we wander, experiencing Africa's bushveld just as our ancestors did - on foot. The great conservationist Dr Ian Player, who more than anyone made it possible for us to experience South Africa's wild places safely on foot, said how important it was for people 'to feel the soul of Africa through the soles of their feet'. And Africa's soul is in its wilderness, away from the tracks of vehicles. In South Africa's many wildlife reserves, safaris are usually a motorised activity and the regular notices to 'Please Stay in Your Vehicle' are sound advice. After all, these wild areas are the preserve of big cats, elephant, buffalo, hippo, rhino, crocodile and other potential dangers. And yet, we wish it were otherwise. For most of human history, our forebears have walked these open spaces, and that yearning to wander freely on foot in the wild still lingers in everyone. Happily, we can still do so. South Africa has a unique set of characteristics that makes it the world centre of walking safaris in big game areas: a huge expanse of protected habitat with healthy populations of wildlife in well-managed reserves; high-quality tourism infrastructure with trail guides of the highest calibre; and a climate and culture that favour outdoor adventure. Each year, South African national parks and private reserves welcome tens of thousands of walking safari visitors who can avail themselves of a growing number of wonderful opportunities to explore the wilds on foot. The first question that arises is an obvious one - is it safe? The answer is simple: yes, when we observe the rules, as instructed by professional guides, it is very safe. The next question follows - isn't it easier to view wildlife from a vehicle? That is true, but it's not an either/or choice, as there's always an opportunity to do both. Being on foot is a different experience to driving through a reserve. Which leads to another question - why do it? And that is even easier to answer, for so many reasons. On a motor safari we are observers of the natural world, and on a foot safari we are participants in it. For nature lovers, no experience is better than being on a trail at dawn, listening to the chorus of birdsong, knowing not what wonders await. From the grassy dunes of the Kalahari to the heathlands of the Cape and subtropical forest of the lowveld, South Africa has an exceptional variety of walking terrains, many teeming with wildlife. Vast wilderness areas are conserved where little has changed since earth's earliest humans first roamed them. It's a rare and special thing to walk this land, where we are but one animal among many. [...]

Hlengiwe Magagula is a freelance writer based in the Kingdom of eSwatini. She specialises in travel writing, and is a resident blogger for returnafrica.com and a contributor to various publications including the Sunday Times, Travel Africa, Getaway, Escapes, High Life and Wild.

Denis Costello is an avid adventure traveller. Having visited more than 130 countries, he has completed solo treks in Greenland and Papua New Guinea, descended the upper Congo River by pirogue, and driven across the Sahara Desert. When not travelling, he works as an IT consultant. He also runs the website www.walkingsafarisofsouthafrica.com.

This is an excerpt from Walking Safaris of South Africa: Guided walks and trails in national parks and game reserves, by Hlengiwe Magagula and Denis Costello.

Title: Walking Safaris of South Africa
Subtitle: : Guided walks and trails in national parks and game reserves
Authors: Hlengiwe Magagula; Denis Costello
Photographer: Shem Compion
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Imprint: Struik Travel & Heritage
Cape Town, South Africa 2021
9781775846901 ISBN 978-1-77584-690-1
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 184 pages, throughout photographs, maps