“Why do you love Africa so much?” This specific but wide-ranging question was presented to me over the Christmas break by some friends from Australia who were back in the UK visiting their family. My first answer was instant but rather pathetic and child-like “I just do”. But then thinking and discussing it further over some festive cheer it became quite difficult to give an easy answer and almost impossible to sum it up in one. Out came “There are many reasons why…” and I began to list a few…people...scenery…sunsets…animals…food…big skies…sundowners…smell…ocean…and so it went on. 

I then regaled them with stories of some of my experiences - wildlife encounters, road trips, rooms with views, laughter and silence, roaring and birdsong. It took a while but they seemed interested. I even offered to get out my many photographs and videos but this was (wisely with hindsight) thought better of by my wife and they stayed in their boxes and memory sticks.

Having visited Africa over 20 times in 30 years the one thing I can say without fear of contradiction is that each and every visit was different from the last and each and every future visit will be different from the next. And in realising this maybe it was getting easier to begin to answer the original question. 

Unique is a much over-used word but in all my years in the world of travel, there is no doubt that Africa is one area to which this can be applied all of the time. “That’s it. It is unique” I ventured. “But is that a reason to love it so much?” came back the reply. Well yes it is but finally at the end of the conversation as cheese was finished and the port sipped for the last time I reverted to my initial response. 

“The reason I love Africa so much is, well, it’s because I just do”.