Effusive voices fill the African air as the Zulus wave their hands and the jeep grunts past the undulating terrain. It is time to embrace the ‘freeze-the-seconds' philosophy that defines Thula Thula, a wildlife reserve in South Africa.
Located in the Zulu heartland, Thula Thula was earlier the private hunting ground of King Shaka. In a welcome transformation engineered by conservationist Lawrence Anthony (who administers the reserve), the Zulus have been co-opted into the preservation of the region's flora and fauna.
The accommodation, which includes eight cottages and two suites, mixes earthiness with luxury, and blends into the landscape. The verandahs lead to green vistas and antelopes grazing around. The safaris, conducted twice a day — at dawn and in the evening — provide enough avenues for the shutterbugs in us to prosper.
In search of the beast
As forest rangers, led by Marco and Victor, straddle the vast arc between quirky one-liners and in-depth knowledge of the African wild, impalas and wildebeest leap and vanish. Soon, there is the pressing matter of tracking an elephant. Fresh dung offers hope, but as Marco steers the vehicle in search of more clues, there seems to be a dead-end. Victor proffers the antenna linked to a tuning radio. “We have put a transmitter collar around the elephant's neck,” Marco explains.
The static on the radio grates the ear, but Marco hopes for the best before banking on intangibles such as destiny. Suddenly on the horizon, a speck gains size and speed, and minutes later the elephant strides forward and evokes awe. “In the jungle, plain old good luck is better than technology,” dead-pans Marco, while the elephant, oblivious to a few gaping humans, munches on its favourite food — leaves from the amarula tree.
The sun's descent forces the safari to wend its way back to the lodge, though there are sudden glimpses of wild buffaloes, zebras and rhinoceros. It is time then to rest the limbs, and savour the generous helping of food that's a mix of African and Continental, besides the soft banana bread.
Among the big five African animals, Thula Thula has four — elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros — while the lion is missing. For those more tuned to watching wildlife through the likes of National Geographic and Discovery channels, a trip to Thula Thula is an eye-opener.
There's one grouse though — there is no escaping civilisation, because mobile phones work in this wild space! Is that good news for the twitter generation?
Getting there South African Airways has daily flights from Mumbai to Johannesburg. From Johannesburg, head to Durban, and hire a cab for a two-hour drive to Thula Thula.
Tariff Ranges from 1900 to 3000 Rands. (One Rand equals Rs. 6.50 approx)
Website www.thulathula.com
(The writer was in Thula Thula at the invitation of the South African Tourism Department)
