Up close and personal! Snakes, spiders and scorpions. Bush Walk and reflections round the campfire!

Expedition leader, Tom, shares with us some written thoughts and reflections from the guys as they sat round the campfire on Sunday evening:

"Since we've got here, we have many new, different views about our own lives. In the few days we have witnessed the poverty side of South Africa as well as the wealthy side. Seeing the way the people on the poverty side live can be so uplifting considering they have very little compared to what we have. Even a little wave can put a smile on their faces and then makes us mirror their happiness. This has impacted us greatly and has made us realise how much we take for granted back home and we will now respect (what we have) a lot more.

A photo taken on Sunday's Bush Walk

Recently we have visited a game reserve and witnessed wild animals in their natural habitat. The fact that we made the animal superior and respected the eco-system, has given us a more in-depth view on how important their existence is to us. A talk was given in the evening about poaching and the effects it will have on our heritage; this talk was so inspiring we want to spread the word." 

Up close ... and personal - expeditioner's photo

 Michael Kingscote reports:

Sunday was wet! In the morning Anton* gave the group a morning of instruction on snakes, scorpions and spiders (see expeditioner's snake photo above). 

Becky J, whilst shaking with anxiety, managed to hold many varieties in her hand and overcame her fears.

In the afternoon they went for a long bush walk and saw giraffe, warthog, grey duiker and zebra (see expeditioner's photo above). It was most enjoyable, despite the rain.

Today, Monday, it is off to St Lucia for a boat trip up the estuary to see hippos, crocs, perhaps an African Fish Eagle and other wildlife.

On a lighter note: Harry D, enthusiastically, challenged Tommy (the Guide) to a chilli eating competition … and lost! It was also Leader Tom’s birthday on Sunday and he was fêted accordingly!

*Anton and Emma Roberts are the owners of Umkhumbi Lodge with a passion for wildlife and conservation. Anton is a world-renowned expert on snakes and other reptiles and has been a guide and logistics expert for TV series’ such as Venom Hunter. At Umkhumbi Anton has a Gaboon adder breeding project, two king cobras, chameleons,  other reptiles, frogs, mantids (praying mantis), spiders and scorpions.

Umkhumbi has an abundance of birdlife and small game like nyala, grey duiker, red duiker and rare suni. Evening visits by bushbabies and genets are frequent in the camp.