Howzit Fellow Adventurers,
Every once in a while, an opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, and the #Bushveld2020 adventure is one of those. This is a bucket-list type opportunity to travel and immerse yourself within the uniqueness of South Africa, taking place from 14 - 27 May 2020.
You see, anyone could book their own trip to South Africa, and they could have an enjoyable time visiting the main attractions, with the aim of hopefully engaging with the locals and experiencing their traditions.
However, with Inkwazi Adventures you WILL experience South Africa like never before... It will be Active, Immersive and Rewarding.
"Your outlook on life WILL change, your view and respect of nature WILL grow and you WILL shift the boundaries of how far you can push yourself."
Your outlook on life will change...
Leading up to the Bushveld 2020 adventure you will engage with your friends, colleagues and anyone who will listen about your amazing goal of fundraising five bicycles. These bicycles will be personally delivered by you, to five lucky school children in rural South Africa, and you will be part of changing their lives forever. (Our goal is to deliver 40 bicycles in total as an adventure group.)
These children walk nearly half a marathon each day just to get to school and back, which impacts their attendance, education and future chance of rising above their circumstances. Therefore, Inkwazi Adventures have partnered with #BIKES4ERP who specialise in identifying these communities and creating a platform from which to deliver these bicycles to the students. (You can read more about it here)
When you arrive in South Africa, the bicycles will be ready to be personally delivered by you. You will spend time engaging with the community and also spend time with the lucky recipients learning more about their world.
"For a short moment, you will be immersed in their circumstances, which will remain with you to be treasured for a long time to come."
In a matter of days, you will be reminded of how easy life in Australia is, getting a new appreciation for what is important, and learn not to stress about the small stuff anymore.
Find out more about our #BIKES4ERP part of the trip here.
Your appreciation and respect for nature will grow...
There is not a better place to reflect on the #BIKES4ERP experience than in the bushveld; specifically the Greater Kruger National Park. Switch off your mobile phone (it won’t have signal anyway), disconnect from social media by replacing your phone for binoculars, and get back to the basics for four days.
You will carry everything you need in your backpack and with every step in the bush, you are further and further removed from society. You will be immersed in the beautiful and unique nature of South Africa... the bushveld.
Inkwazi Adventures has partnered with the best in the industry. Lutz Otto, owner of Spirited Adventures, is not only a superb wildlife guide, but he is an expert in this part of the world and will therefore expose you to unique moments that only a handful of people will ever experience.
You will walk in silence listening to the birds changing their calls as you approach. (listen out for the Oxpeckers as it means that an encounter with buffalo or elephant could be imminent). You will get a whiff of the smell of dung along a hippo trail towards the river and dig for drinking water in a seemingly dry riverbed. At night you will listen to Lutz and his right-hand man sharing amazing bushveld stories about close encounters and their conservation efforts in South Africa, all while sitting next to the campfire. (Off course, you could also just soak up the atmosphere and African sky-light while sitting in silence).
The first time you see one of the Big Five on foot, it will blow your breath away. You will be impressed at how quickly elephants can walk, how alert (and intimidating) buffalo can be and how wary lions are during the day. You will realise that we humans are not at the top of the ladder when you take away our technology. We are actually one of the slowest species in the bush.
The best is there is no set trail, schedule or established campsites during the four-day hiking safari. We take it as it goes, and let nature guide us. When we come across a great sighting, we will soak it in as long as possible. If we come across a beautiful viewpoint, we stop for a break. This is about the journey, and not the destination... and you can find out more here.
You will be challenged physically, grow personally...
The Oxpecker Trail is one of the best and most popular trail-running events in South Africa. Inkwazi Adventures has secured your own front-row spot to this amazing, unique and already sold out trail running event. The marvellous and picturesque track is the main attraction, but there is so much more that this event has to offer.
There is a wonderfully mellow and festive atmosphere in the race village leading up to the two-day trail run. You can very clearly distinguish between the serious runners and the social runners (it is reflected by the amount of beers consumed). Which type of runner are you?
As you line up for the start of the race the butterflies, or oxpeckers, will flutter in your stomach. You will run with your mates, but you will ultimately be running against yourself. During the race you will enjoy the scenery and the camaraderie of the running community, especially when the going gets tough. Share a laugh or two, and engage with the friendly locals manning the water points.
Later that day you will share your experiences, and a couple of cold ones, with anyone who will listen. You will enjoy the party atmosphere and see some “traditional” South African dancing. Do not be shy to join in by asking a local to show you the moves.
That night as you lay in your tent, you might even stop to reflect on how the distance you covered that day (20 km) is similar to what the #BIKES4ERP recipient has to cover daily to get to school... and how their life has changed now that you have given them a bicycle.
The next day will not be as hard as the first (16 km), but it will still be challenging enough for you to push yourself. The nice thing about trail running is that you can always think of a reason to stop for a breather or when you want to admire the view. “Wait, I think I have a pebble in my tekkie.”
After two days of running, you will walk away from the event feeling like a winner. You will have achieved something special and experienced a unique and memorable race. Find out more about the #Oxpecker part of our tour here, and make sure you watch the following video as a teaser.
Challenge yourself and register today...
Inkwazi Adventures guarantees that you will look back on your adventure as a changed person. It is not only about WHAT we are offering, and WHO we are offering it with, but more importantly HOW we are offering it. You will embark on the trip as strangers, but it is our aim that you will return as friends for life.
For more information regarding the Bushveld 2020 trip, and to register click here. You can also read more about what makes this an Authentic African Adventure here.
We can only take 7 adventurers, so get in now to ensure you don't miss out.
I look forward to meeting you on this adventure.
Cornel van Onselen
Inkwazi Adventures Leader