When you’ve been lucky enough to visit as many magical places as I have, it’s easy to think you’ve seen it all — but this Pre-Indaba Fam Trip reminded me that sharing the magic with others makes it feel brand new all over again.
This year, just before Indaba, we rounded up a few of our favourite agents and headed off on a little “Pre-Indaba Fam Trip”— a chance to reconnect with our properties, rediscover their magic, and (most importantly) introduce them to people who are just as passionate about wild places as we are. And this Fam Trip? Well, it might just have been the best ever.
I had the absolute pleasure of travelling with four incredible women:
- Vicki from A4 Away – an industry expert with over 25 years of experience and a never-ending curiosity for new perspectives.
- Kseniia from Big Magic Studio – the creative soul of the group, always ready with a camera in hand and a huge smile on her face.
- Natasha from African Path Finder – the group’s lively storyteller, overflowing with safari knowledge and an infectious sense of wonder, no matter how many game drives she’s been on.
- Marie from Wild Spirit Safaris – our Parisian powerhouse, equal parts elegance and humour.
We were a diverse little tribe – ages ranging from 26 to 65 – and from the moment we met, it just clicked. The laughter started in Maun and didn’t stop until Victoria Falls. Now, I’ve been to all these properties before, but seeing them through fresh eyes? That was the true gift of this trip.
Mankwe — Welcome to the Bush in Style
We kicked things off with a helicopter transfer from Maun to Mankwe— landing just 10 minutes away from camp. And guess what greeted us right at the helipad? Elephants! Yep, the bush wasted no time in saying hello in the best way possible. I couldn’t have planned a better welcome if I’d tried. I turned to see everyone’s eyes wide, jaws dropped. “Welcome to the bush, ladies!”
Game drives at Mankwe delivered in full force. The wildlife seemed to be queuing up for roll call: leopard lounging in the afternoon sun, lionesses with cubs, crocs gliding silently through the water, herds of buffalo, and elegant tsessebe bounding across the floodplains. The variety was astounding — red lechwe, waterbuck, sable, wildebeest, kudu, zebra, giraffe, and impala… every drive brought something new.
Camp Kuzuma — Elephants at the Waterhole & Serious Style
Next up was Camp Kuzuma, and oh wow it didn’t disappoint— the reactions to the elephants at the waterhole were just golden. It’s one of those moments that gives you goosebumps, and was one of my favourite memories from the whole trip. It was as if the bush knew we were coming and had prepared a little performance.
The rooms get me every time. Spacious and oh-so-comfortable, with just the right touch of wild elegance. That night, we enjoyed a proper boma dinner — tender ribs and garlic bread grilled over the fire. Simple, hearty, and utterly delicious.
And then came the birding gems. We were incredibly lucky to spot a secretary bird nesting in a tree — a needle-in-a-haystack find, especially once it lay down its nest and vanished into the branches. But the real showstopper? Four Southern ground hornbills in flight — a scarce sight. These large, “vulnerable” birds may not be classically “pretty,” but seeing them take to the air was something I won’t forget. Even after all these years, I had never seen that before.
Nantwich — Ice Cream Dreams & Galloping Giraffes
Ahhh Nantwich. If you know, you know! The staff here are beyond amazing — warm, engaging, and always up for a good laugh. From the moment you arrive, they make you feel like family, and this trip was no different.
Now, let’s talk about that ice cream. It all started as a joke — Marie (who, by the way, lives in Paris) claimed it was the best she’d ever tasted. We laughed and teased Leeroy that we’d be expecting ice cream at every meal. What started as banter quickly turned into a delightful running joke… that the staff took very seriously.
Lunch, dinner, brunch, even breakfast before we left — somehow, ice cream appeared, freshly made, creamy, and completely irresistible. Chef Kudzai even shared his recipe with us (though poor Kseniia’s attempt to recreate it at home didn’t quite live up to the original — sorry, Kseniia!).
But Nantwich offered more than sweet treats. Our guide, JC, blew us away. Even Vicki, with her decades of experience, said she walked away having learnt something new — a testament to the depth of knowledge and passion on offer here.
One unforgettable drive brought us to the saltpans, where a journey of giraffe were chasing each other across the open space. The only sound? The pounding of their hooves on the hard ground. It was surreal — like watching a ballet in slow motion, surrounded by silence.
Bumbusi — Lions, Walks & Whispers in the Night
Bumbusi greeted us with a beautiful walk along Deka Gorge, followed by a dreamy bush dinner setting — the kind that makes you fall in love with safari life all over again. But what truly set the tone for our stay was the constant presence of lions — calling to each other through the night, so close it felt like they were just outside our stone chalets. One of my most memorable moments: a lioness softly calling her cubs. Not roaring, but whispering. I’ve heard lions roar many times before, but this was something else — haunting and beautiful.
Another highlight of our stay was a morning bush walk through the nearby stone ruins — a short “hike” that adds an unexpected layer of history to the safari experience. And between the lions, the ruins, and the elephants moving through and around camp like they were part of the team, Bumbusi offered a raw, unfiltered glimpse into life in Hwange.
Victoria Falls: Cruising Into Sunset
Our final night brought us to Victoria Falls, and what better way to end our journey than with a sunset cruise aboard the River Odyssey, the newest addition to Ilala’s cruise experiences? The golden light on the water, the birds drifting across the sky, and the easy chatter of friends made for the perfect send-off.
As we settled into our rooms at Ilala, hippos grazed quietly just in front — as if giving us one final show before we returned to the real world.
The Heart of It All
But the real highlight of this trip? The women I travelled with. We laughed until our sides hurt, shared stories around campfires, and created inside jokes we’ll probably still be quoting next year.
To wrap it all up, I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to my incredible fellow travellers — Vicky, Kseniia, Natasha, and Marie. You brought the laughter, the curiosity, and the camaraderie that turned this adventure into something truly unforgettable. From the early morning game drives to the late-night laughs around the fire, you made this the best ever fam trip — and I mean that with every fibre of my being. “Jaaa…”, “Yesss…”, “the best ever what?” — the best ever fam trip, indeed.
