At the age of 16, Liezel had the privilege of backpacking through Germany for three weeks on a school trip and that’s where her love of travel began. After graduating in Travel & Tourism in Cape Town, she moved to London, where she lived for two years and travelled extensively across the UK and Europe.
In 1994, she returned to sunny South Africa and began her career in the tourism industry, working in sports travel and later corporate travel for a few years, before realising her passion lay elsewhere. Her deep appreciation for nature and the African bush led her to begin her career as a safari consultant in 1996. Over the past 30 years, she has had the privilege of travelling to many pristine and remote safari destinations across Africa.
I have had so many amazing safari moments over the years but experiencing the red sand dunes in the Namib Desert in Namibia on a quad bike, truly was a unique adventure. The endless open spaces, the night skies, peace and tranquillity and the ever-changing colours of the dunes are truly breathtaking. You can either set off before dawn on your quad bike adventure and catch the sunrise and watch the desert come to life or go on a sunset drive and see one of the most magical sunsets ever. Apart from the scenic beauty, the area is home to unique desert-adapted wildlife, like the bat-eared fox that looks like something from the Ice Age movie.
It is difficult picking one favourite safari activity, as each activity offers its’ own unique experience. A mokoro ride, however, really does offer a front-row seat as close to the Delta’s beauty as possible, offering you the opportunity to appreciate the finer details of the bush. It is such a peaceful way to explore these incredible waterways, with no vehicle or engine noise to disturb the animals, allowing you to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature at your own pace. It is a photographer and bird lover’s dream and one of the most authentic ways to explore the Delta.
