Harnessing THE WIND

How a trip to South Africa with & Beyond has changed the way I look at travel.

- DESMOND LIM

The Sultan of Zanzibar had a shark infestation problem in his harbour. To solve the problem, he bought 12 hippos to keep them at bay. But when the sharks gradually disappeared, the hippos became a nuisance and the sultan decided to have them slaughtered, except Hugo, the exquisite pink hippo. Hugo the Hippo was a Hungarian cartoon from 1975. It was also a defining show that had me musing about Africa from a very tender age.

My obsession with palaeontology and wildlife saw me wandering through countless nature reserves and zoos growing up. Visiting Africa, especially, has always been on my list of things to do before I wilt. Thanks to my deputy editor, who joked about how she probably wouldn't be able to differentiate between a horse and a zebra, I was nudged into taking her place to experience Phinda, a private game reserve with &Beyond, an award-winning travel company that customises exceptional tours across their 29 privately owned lodges across Africa, Asia and South America.

Despite being a seasoned packer, preparing for Phinda proved to be something else. Given that it requires three connecting flights to get to the reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, an inherent weight allowance does stop one from packing like it is Fashion Week. For reference, a maximum of 20kg is allowed with an extra 5kg for hand carry-and it is vital to note that only soft trunks and overnighters are permitted, which means, sorry guys, no fancy Rimowas allowed.

Here comes the tough part: the contents of one's bag. What attire is appropriate for a safari to evoke the refined characters of Sydney Pollack's Out of Africa rather than resembling a character from Jumanji?