More Than Marketing

Being made aware of the many facets of the bush – beyond the Big Five – makes a trip to the wilderness a fascinating, satisfying experience.

- David Batzofin

Visitors, both local and international, enjoy spending time in South Africa’s national parks. The wilderness, by its very nature, connects us all on a visceral level that goes back to the beginning of time. Hearing the roar of a lion, following the tracks of a leopard or witnessing the strength of an elephant as it breaks branches off a tree feeds our collective souls.

Karongwe Game Reserve in Limpopo can be found adjacent to the Kruger National Park and is home to the sought-after Big Five (leopard, lion, buffalo, rhino, and elephant). And these 9,000 hectares of land is where the EcoTraining camp can be found.

As I recently discovered, being on a bush walk or in a game drive vehicle is not always about the large mammals. In fact, it is the exact opposite. For without the smaller flora and fauna, the larger species would not survive.

A regular visitor to the bush, I found myself slipping into the first category of traveler: always in search of predators, preferably those snacking on something. It’s not that I was being complacent about my time spent in game parks, but just that I was feeling jaded and not really getting excited about seeing one herd of impala after another.

Fully appreciate what’s around you

It was for that reason that I decided to try the EcoQuest course that EcoTraining has on offer at Karongwe. The company mission statement says it all: “To be the global leader in environmental education by reconnecting people with nature and doing so by offering inspirational and immersive learning experiences.”