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Tlou & Vilane
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Private Safaris. African Stories. Guided by Heritage.

Stories from the Field

Not dispatches. Not updates. The things we want you to know.

A female leopard resting in the branches of a marula tree, watching calmly
Field Notes

Why the Leopard Waited

We had been sitting with her for forty minutes. The impala herd had moved twice. She hadn't. Most guests would have called it a failed sighting. Khaya called it the most important lesson he could teach.

Khaya TlouAugust 20256 min read
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Ndebele beadwork in geometric patterns of ochre, red, and black
Culture

The Ndebele Word for Welcome

There is no direct translation. The closest thing in English is 'you are seen.' I have been thinking about that difference for thirty years.

Khaya TlouJuly 20255 min read
Bavu in the bush at sunrise, a hand-written notebook open in his lap
Personal

My Father's Safari

My father Sibusiso taught me that limits are placed on you by other people, and that your job is to politely ignore them. He applied the same philosophy to the bush.

Bavukile VilaneJune 20258 min read

The stories are why we do this.

Come and make one of your own.

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