As I sit here in the perfect stillness of the South African Pilansberg resort at sunset, I feel a deep peace wash over me. ‘Is there any place in the whole world quite as serene, beautiful and still as this place?’, I wonder, as I notice out of the corner of my eye, a springbok, a dear, leap out the bushes in its grace and delicacy. I look towards the sky of brilliant colours ahead of me as it meets the magnificent landscape and feel so grateful that I was blessed to grow up in such a beautiful country.
When I first laid eyes upon Israel as a young woman, I knew at once that that’s where I would choose to live, that that would become the beloved land I call home. And yet a piece of my heart would always belong to South Africa. I was fortunate to be able to visit South Africa at least once a year in my formative years after making Aliyah. Every trip home was a balm to my soul, my parents’ warm embrace, the comfort of the kind South African faces, the sweet dedication of our loyal maid but perhaps most of all, the holidays were got to take on every trip back. This is where the seeds of The Kosher Safari started taking root.
There is nothing like the South African holidays, whether it’s the utter range and contrast of choices one can visit, from the many stunning game reserves just a few hours from where I had grown up or the gorgeous costal options, many places so luxurious but most of all utterly peaceful like this one. The standard of South African holidays is one of the highest in the world. We were never disappointed.
I wonder if it’s because of the many childhood memories thst cime up which makes these moments so powerful, or if it’s really just the power of the South Africa beauty. I remember as a child going to different resorts every holiday and what was most memorable to me was being in nature, I remember taking rambles on my own noticing different birds, I remember my father stopping the car to point out the monkeys in the trees, the hours spent in the tidle pools on the coast and hiking magnificent views on school trips. Nature was simply a huge and beautiful part of my South African childhood.
I was so excited that after I met my South African husband, I noticed that as different as our families and personalities are, we shared this passion for African nature.
As the years passed and our visits to south Africa became less frequent, we missed those special times in the bush.
When The Kosher Safari was born, I felt like we were coming full circle. Not only were we making the rich beauty of South Africa part of our life, but we had the opportunity now to introduce this unique and amazing gift of an experience to people all over the world.
