A number of clients ask us what books they should read before their safari and it’s always tough to recommend great books – as there are just so many timeless classics.
Photo source: Friends of Africa website
Safari must-reads
A few of our personal favourites are:
- ‘Out of Africa’
- ‘Gorillas in the Mist’
- ‘I dreamed of Africa’
- ‘Born Free’ and of course,
- Hemmingway’s ‘Green Hills of Africa’
Daphne Sheldrick
However, one book we read recently was Daphne Sheldrick’s autobiography ‘Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story’, which is largely set in Tsavo National Park in Kenya. In its ‘hey-day’ Tsavo was a wonderful National Park, but has been badly affected by poaching and drought. It still offers a great safari experience, but is often overlooked in favour of other parks and reserves in East Africa.
Live with nature
Sheldrick, honoured with the title ‘Dame of the British Empire’ for her work with conservation, offers insights into what it is like to really live with nature – from hand-feeding orphaned giants such as elephants and rhino to the small and mischievous mongoose. She also highlights the causes and effects of the widespread poaching problems, which continue today across Africa, in a manner that allows readers to fully understand the issues that stem from poaching – both within the local communities and for the wildlife it directly affects.
In short – we think this is definitely a book to add to the list prior, during or after your safari in East Africa!
