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SOJOURNERS’ STORIES

HONEYMOONERS RETURN TO AFRICA 22 YEARS LATER WITH FAMILY

Bowles Family with their Safari Guides in Hwange

A little over 22 years ago, we exchanged vows and boarded a flight for a honeymoon in southern Africa. We had chosen a 12 day participatory camping Safari in Botswana followed by a few days in Cape Town and South Africa’s Western Cape province. An all-inclusive beach resort or cruise ship was and is not our style. Our friends thought we were nuts, but as the wheels left the ground following our trip, we, without hesitation, agreed that we just HAD to come back.

Well, life carries on and we started a family. A safari with 3 young girls seemed daunting, so we hoarded and saved frequent flyer miles for that eventual return we knew we would make one day, this time with the kids once they were old enough to appreciate it. That time came in the summer of 2018. With our oldest graduating high school in 2019, we felt we should pull the trigger before they began to drift off, as kids tend to do.

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SOJOURNERS’ STORIES

A TRIP THROUGH MY EYES

I just finished my second trip organized by Global Sojourns (GS), this time with my oldest son, and I can’t get enough of the kind of trips GS plans!

As a photographer (amateur but incredibly passionate), being away from the crowds and immersing myself into the beauty nature has to offer are important elements to a successful and soul filling trip. GS has mastered the balance between the comfortable, the adventurous, the exclusive experience and the gorgeous ‘must-see’ viewpoints. Landscapes, wild animals, flowers, skies etc. have been offered unimpeded.

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SOJOURNERS’ STORIES

AFRICA – OUR TRIP OF A LIFETIME

Since as long as I can remember, I have always had a deep desire to go to Africa, to experience the unique culture, geography and varied wildlife, such a contrast from Canada.

Last summer Todd and I went on a trip to the Arctic (his bucket list) and during the trip I met Pricilla. I immediately connected with her on a personal level and was excited to hear about her volunteer organization in Africa and her travel company Global Sojourns (GS). By the end of our Arctic trip, she had offered to pull together a trip to Africa and within a few months of being home from the Arctic, Global Sojourns had created the most amazing African itinerary for us!

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SOJOURNERS’ STORIES

FAMILY TRAVEL – KENYA MEMORIES 2019

The Masai Mara in Kenya during the Great Migration is a matchless sensory experience. This this past August 2019 three generations of my family completed a 10 day trip to the preserved savannah wilderness. Nine of us traveled (76 to 13 years in age) my 3 children, 2 spouses, 3 grandchildren and me, grandpa who became known during the trip as “the General” perhaps because I had to sit in the front of the safari car, hopping in with the aid of my walking stick leading my undisciplined, bright and funny troops.

Safari Sundowner

Hands down there is unanimous family agreement that this was a trip of a lifetime. I couldn’t be happier and thank Pam and Priscilla of Global Sojourns for making it happen in their usual detailed style.

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TOPIC OF THE DAY

LUGGAGE RESTRICTIONS

Now that your safari plans have been set, the details begin to emerge and as you re-read your itinerary and your eyes do a double take as they land on the phrase “Note: luggage restrictions … “ and so it begins! THE most popular topic of conversation.

Yes, there is a high probability that if you are going on safari that you will be on a light aircraft flight, which means there will be luggage restrictions! Trust us when we say, we are not implementing these restrictions to torment you. Rather, these are set for safety reasons and due to limited storage space on board the plane.  The restrictions vary between the different light aircraft companies as the size of the plane does affect how small the luggage hold is.

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OLD WORLD SAFARI

At Global Sojourns, we often use the term “old world safari”. This describes a camp where your creature comforts are met but the focus is more on nature and the wildlife viewing experience than on accommodation luxuries. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of luxury travelers coming on safari. Many camps have responded by adding an array of amenities including expansive rooms, spas, plunge pools, wifi throughout, butlers and more. This has brought some benefits all around as everyone has “upped their game” comfort wise but for us, an excess of amenities can get in the way of providing one with what we find so special about the safari experience…. the awe of nature.

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SOJOURNERS’ STORIES

WHY I KEEP GOING BACK!

Shawna Renga

I’ve traveled to Africa twice in the last year.

Even as I write those words, my mind struggles to process that this is my life! For the first 35 years of my existence, Africa was a dream. Something that I wrote about in my diary while bored in school. Adventurers went to Africa. Strong, powerful, brave women went to Africa. Girls like me – from small town, middle class families – did not go to Africa.

My primary emotion is gratitude. I feel it fill my heart and warm my body from the inside out. I am grateful to Global Sojourns for planning the most amazing trip to Uganda last October. I am grateful that I spent time getting to know Priscilla on that trip, talking more about the work that the Global Sojourns Giving Circle does with girls in Southern Africa.

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SOJOURNERS’ STORIES

WHY I KEEP GOING BACK!

Erin West

I took my first trip to Africa in the 1990s. I will make my seventeenth journey there this September (2019). Why do I keep going back when there are so many places to see in the world? The short answer is Africa, to me, feels like home. I had that sense the second I walked off the plane on my first trip there. It’s pretty inexplicable. At that point nothing had happened. I hadn’t met any people, hadn’t seen my first gorgeous sunset, hadn’t seen any of the amazing animals. But a strong sense took over my body and told me I had come home. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it.  

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