SAFARIS

“There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne — bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive.”

– Karen Blixen, author, Out of Africa

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English grammar is freely abused in the context of wildlife. One of the most misused words in it is ‘safari’.

 

The word is often used to refer to the morning and afternoon drives that tourists make into national parks and sanctuaries from a safari lodge. More sacrilegiously it is used to refer to the drives in closed vehicles inside zoo enclosures with captive animals.

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Cambridge dictionary defines it as “an organised journey to look at, or sometimes hunt, wild animals, especially in Africa.” Dictionary.com describes it as “a journey or expedition, for hunting, exploration, or investigation, especially in eastern Africa.”

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‘Safari’ originates from a Swahili word with Persian roots called ‘safar’ which means “to journey”. A safari is an adventure expedition, albeit an organised one, usually overland, travelling across geographies to explore wild landscapes and wild animals. Game drives––the drives one makes in an open jeep to look for wildlife––are an important part of a safari but they are not the safari. A safari begins the moment one steps out of their front door with bags packed. The expedition is the safari.

 

Safari is usually used in the context of Africa. But India is no stranger to it. As a matter of fact, this style of travel began much earlier in India than it did in Africa. The word for it then was ‘shikar’. Indian royalty, aristocracy and colonial officers were the first to start it and indulge in it. They would travel across the country to hunt, and while these journeys could be treacherous, they were made as organised and comfortable as possible. They stayed in shikar kothis (hunting lodges), forest bungalows, dak bungalows or under canvas. They had elephants, jeeps, butlers, cooks, trackers, beaters and a shikar guide leading the hunting expedition.

 

With the abolition of hunting in India (thank goodness for it) and wildlife conservation taking centre-stage, it is inaccurate to call journeys of exploration, wildlife observation, photography and filming into India’s majestic wilderness areas ‘shikar’ any longer. ‘Safari’ is thus as applicable to India today as it has been to Africa.

 

A safari is perhaps the most pleasurable way to explore the world.  It is a celebration of life on earth, of wildlife and wild landscapes—a celebration indeed of ones own life and existence while travelling in comfort and style, perhaps even a touch of glamour. It is truly a life changing experience.

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A professional, seasoned and knowledgable safari guide is a quintessential part of any true safari expedition.

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Safari is also a style of travel that comes with a lot of responsibility—done right, it is a key contributor to conservation and the persistence of the planet’s last wild places in all their grandeur. Done wrong, it is a nuisance and negatively impacts conservation.

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As a wildlife conservationist first and a responsible safari practitioner alongside, Aditya only uses lodges that operate at the highest standards of sustainability. They directly contribute to conservation in the areas they operate in. Aditya himself ensures that every stage of his trips has the least impact on the environment.

 

More than that, he has a knack of turning his guests into ambassadors of conservation when they return home.

 

For the finest safari experiences in India, with world class guiding and hosting, join Aditya on a grand adventure to India’s most awe inspiring wild places. 

 

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