There are a number of locations around the world where safari guides are in great demand, these include places like certain countries in the Middle East and the wilder parts of North and South Africa. However, for those who want to explore the very pinnacle of what it means to be a guide there is really only one destination that will satisfy them and this is the Mother Continent – Africa.
And for those who want to become safari guides there can simply be no more wonderful place to enjoy the grandeur of nature as in the distant past.
But aside for an inherent love of smells, sights and sounds of the African continent why would anyone want to become a safari guide? The hours are long, sometime the bush can be a harsh place to spent week after week and the stresses and stains of taking care of an ever changing clientele – as well as the dangers of the bush all contribute to a job that can be frustrating and extremely stressful.
But for most safari guides it is a labor of love. They enjoy people and find that the complex webs of relationships between flora and fauna and species is something that simply makes them feel fulfilled.
There is also an undoubted satisfaction of seeing the joy and wonder on people’s faces when they spend time in the African bush. each day brings something new, but there is a also a certain timelessness to the rising of the sun and the setting in that blaze of glory that only Africa can deliver – and also in the passing of the seasons and the cycles of death and rebirth that surround those who call Africa home – if only for a little while.
The sheer variety of the functions that a safari guide will fulfill for guests does keep the job fresh and interesting. Imagine if you will a week with a select group of guests where one is called upon to be a teacher, a mentor, a friend, a teller of tails, a cook and a guide. For those who love people and the bush this comes just about as close to being the perfect job as is possible.
A safari guide will be required to calmly and patiently reveal natures secrets to guest, but at the same time, either from the back of a vehicle or on foot to share some of the excitement of the African bush. It is this responsibility that makes it essential that the good safari guide combine the artistry and deep feeling for the natural world with a wealth of scientific knowledge.
And it is not only the responsibility of imparting knowledge that they must assume. The African bush can be dangerous. There are animals that can injure or kill in a heartbeat. The safari guide must be able to control the adrenaline of the guests, while at the same time allowing them to share in the excitement of the safari experience. it is a thin line to walk.
Every day as a safari guide is one of personal growth. Learning about responsibility, selflessness and sincerity are only some of the skills that the safari guide will pick up as they become more experienced. he or she will never stop on that journey of self discovery.
During that journey he or she will be exposed to some of the most wonderful spectacles that nature has to offer. elephant at watering holes, a lion kill or hers of majestic animals moving across the Savannah. there can be no greater privilege than that – and to share it with others is even more of a privilege.
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