Looking back over more than 30 years in the travel industry, I’ve realised that it’s not the number of trips or the stamps in my passport that matter most, it’s the feelings certain moments leave behind. Some experiences quietly fade, but others lodge themselves firmly in your memory, ready to resurface years later with startling clarity. Here are a few of mine, moments from Southern Africa that still give me goosebumps.
I remember feeling utterly discombobulated on a sunset cruise along the mighty Zambezi River, watching elephants slip into the water and begin to swim, calmly, confidently, their trunks poking out like snorkels. It felt surreal, as though I was witnessing a secret side of these giants that few people ever see.
Then there was Mozambique, fresh from completing my very first PADI course. Floating weightless underwater, I experienced something truly ethereal as gentle, harmless guitar sharks swept silently above us. The ocean went quiet, time slowed, and for a moment the world felt completely other-worldly.
One of my most vivid safari memories still makes me feel like a time-voyager. I’ve been lucky enough to join a Cycle of Life rhino dehorning at Bayala Private Safari Lodge. Spending time with this prehistoric animal, was deeply moving. Knowing that rhinos first evolved over 50 million years ago adds a humbling layer to the experience, a reminder of just how small we are in the grand sweep of time.
Speaking of humility, I’ve grown up spotting whales from the Cape coastline, but nothing prepared me for how humbled I felt seeing them up close on a boat-based whale watching trip in Walker Bay. The sheer size, grace, and calm presence of these ocean giants left an imprint I’ll never forget.
In Namibia, I found myself completely enthralled by the haunting beauty of the ancient camel thorn trees in Dead Vlei. Their stark silhouettes, set against the blazing orange dunes of Sossusvlei, create a landscape that feels both ancient and impossibly artistic, like nature’s own gallery.
Another moment where time seemed to pause was flying over Victoria Falls by microlight. Suspended in time, I looked down at the endless power of water carving its way through rock, a geological process unfolding over millions of years. Seeing it from above gave me an entirely new perspective on scale, patience, and the quiet force of nature.
Reverence washed over me on a five-day canoe trip down the Zambezi when our picnic lunch was gently interrupted by an entire herd of elephants ambling silently past. No drama, no rush, just quiet coexistence.
Sometimes one feels like pinching oneself to make sure it’s all real, that’s what it was like for me, sleeping in a sky bed under the stars in Botswana, profoundly beautiful.
Closer to home, I was recently awestruck after hiking the Guinea Fowl Trail into the Blyde River Canyon. The reward? Sweeping views of the Three Rondavels and a blissful swim in a crystal-clear natural rock pool. It’s the kind of place that calls you back before you’ve even left.
And finally, a simple but deeply privileged pleasure: sitting on the deck at Rainbow’s End Wine Estate, soaking up dramatic views with a glass of their gorgeous wine in hand. Sometimes, magic doesn’t need to be wild, it just needs to be savoured.
These moments remind me why I fell in love with travel in the first place. Not just for where it takes you, but for how it makes you feel, long after you’ve returned home. Luci Buckland