“If you are ever chased by an ostrich,” said the farmer, “never run. Instead just lie on the ground and just cover your head. This way, it might jump all over you, even break a few ribs, but it will not kill you. But if you are standing, a kick from an ostrich could easily kill. Can you see its feet?” I looked down at its

I’ve met my match, and it’s the wild dog. My check of rare African animals is almost complete, but the elusive wild dog, numbering only in the few thousand for all of Africa, has evaded me so far. I knew Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Nature Reserve had them, and for two days straight I roamed its dirt roads in search of the elusive animal. I was not the only

As I entered the gates of Kruger National Park, it took less than a minute to spot a lion. Lions in Kruger are traffic-jam animals – the herd of cars around them being a dead giveaway. I wonder what lions think when their sleep under a thorny tree is disturbed by engine roars and an occasional angry outburst from a tourist whose view becomes abstracted by yet

In the Kalahari our eyes met and I melted. My knees would buckle if I wasn’t already sitting. For a second there, I thought he was about to jump into the car through the open window and tear me apart, but I didn’t care – he was just that beautiful. Young, three-four month, maybe less, but by his amber eyes you could clearly see why he is up

Sep 15, 2008

I’d walk the Kalahari Desert if they’d let me. Herds of springbok would race by, pronking in the insane and magnificent way they do, showing me how strong and healthy they are so I wouldn’t even attempt to catch and eat them. Oryx would watch me carefully, then run off, and turn back to see what I’m up to again and again. Hartebeest and

In a seemingly dead place, barren of any signs of life, only by reading the “Bushman’s newspaper” – tracks in the sand, he found them all and then showed to us on an outstretched hand. I’ve learned to appreciate a good guide. One who seems more like a magician when he practices his craft – conjuring unearthly views or rare

A rough boat ride from South Africa’s town of Kleinbaai brought me into stormy open sea next to a small island with a fur seal colony. Crammed into a steel cage like sardines in a can with a few other brave souls, I submerged to see great white sharks. To my surprise, I wasn’t scared when the first shark showed up. There was no “TA-NA-NA-NA,

Flat-top mountains, red with rocky Mohawks. Hills with boulder rims just below round bold tops that remind me of Catholic monks’ heads. Blond grass on burnt-sienna fields rich with iron. Brilliant blue skies with pinches of stark-white clouds. I am in Africa. You’d think a twenty seven-hour flight, with a layover in Abu Dhabi, would suck me dry of

Maryl visits with Alexia of i-to-i Meaningful Travel at the Los Angeles Times Adventurers Travel Expo help on February 10-11. Alexia helps us understand more about the concept that connects travel and giving back to i-to-i communities in over 30 countries worldwide. This is one of the most important aspects in traveling and conservation. Produced by Wayfarer

Bulungula. A place of mystery and laughter. Of beautiful water, soft sand and crabs that dance. A place filled with happiness and despair and beauty. A place that should remain hidden so it will not be destroyed. Once I had arrived at the Bulungula Lodge, I could not dream of a more peaceful place, although getting there was a bit of a struggle. Located on the

Affectionately known as the Mother City, Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest city. Founded in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck and his band of Dutch settlers, Cape Town is rated one of the most beautiful cities in the world – the backdrop of flat-topped Table Mountain juxtaposed by the sweep of the Atlantic Ocean in the foreground. Cape Town has a relaxed

Known as the gateway to Africa, Johannesburg is a city literally built on gold. Established in 1886 when gold was struck, the city has been rebuilt four times in the past century – it started as a tent town, worked up to a tin-shack settlement, a four-storey Edwardian settlement and finally graduated as a modern city of glass and concrete skyscrapers.