THE LUXURY TRAVEL
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THE INSIDE STORY ON THE NEW SAFARI

Choosing the lodges must have been an overwhelmingly difficult task. How did you decide on a shortlist?

It took months of research to shortlist the lodges for their unique aesthetic. We chose them independently and they were included purely for their fresh approach to design as well as their innovative use of materials. And before making our final decision, we spoke to every designer and architect linked to the lodges.



How long did it take to photograph all 17 lodges?

About six months. I tried to photograph two lodges on each trip and would plan it that I had two sunsets and two sunrises at each lodge. I always woke before sunrise (in the middle of summer it was 4am), finishing after sunset at around 8pm – but will admit that a siesta was enjoyed in the heat of the day…



Sounds like a fabulous assignment! Most people would gladly exchange their career for yours. Take us behind the scenes.

Photography is a labour of love and often I find myself in the most exotic surroundings without a minute to relax and enjoy it because I am 'driven' to capture it in a unique way. It’s actually hard work constantly assessing, searching and looking for the perfect shot and a limited time frame doesn’t allow for time to relax. Often the staff of the lodge would try to lure me on to a game drive and were quite put out when I refused!



We all know that the journey to these lodges is often an adventure in itself. Any small-plane stories to tell?

Waiting on the sandy airstrip in the Namibian desert after two days at Little Kulala I spotted a small plane wobble its way over the Namib Nauklift mountain range. The plane came to a dusty stop and a sprightly pilot jumped out. To my dismay he looked no more than 18. I decided I would rather not sit next to him for the journey as I customarily did, if offered. We took off in a northerly direction - with the wind! I found this alarming because in my limited understanding of flight one should take off 'into the wind' for 'lift', especially since we had a very steep climb to clear the Nauklift mountain range. The engine screamed, the plane bucked and dipped, we had several stomach-churning 'falls'. The pilot could obviously not see over the nose of the plane because we were heading straight for the highest peak and it seemed he only realised when we were almost on top of it, at which point he veered off to the left, the craggy peaks virtually within arm's reach.



Tell us about your most memorable game viewing experience?

It didn’t happen on a game drive but right outside my room at Singita Boulders. There, the glass-fronted rooms are designed so that they’re absolutely private and one feels completely alone once in your room. I walked into mine and a few meters away stood a huge male baboon staring at me (on the other side of the glass). He was badly injured, his side ripped open probably from an encounter with a leopard. He quietly slipped away into the dense bush, leaving my heart racing. Later, while walking to the main lodge, a snake appeared out of the dry stone packed wall at my head height, I got the fright of my life but was relieved to hear later that it was a harmless 'egg snake'.



What is it about the safari experience that makes it so special for you?

Game lodges allow one to travel back in time, 'before man'. They take you to a place so far removed from everyday urban life, providing a complete escape and a life-changing experience that puts life into perspective. The lodges provide urban comforts in a different setting, a pre-historic place barely touched by man. I find it relaxing and exciting at the same time. And whether it was the night sky, the deafening sound of insects or the deafening silence of the desert, all the lodges had something unusual to offer.