But wilderness means different things for different people. For some it’s an uninhabitable place home to wild beasts waiting to attack you. For others, it fosters romantic visions of African sunsets and gin and tonics. For modern hunter-gatherers, the wilderness is a regular source of food, medicine, and resources. And for many, it’s a place to reconnect with the divine.
In reality, the wilderness is our original home and it made us who we are today.
Homo sapiens have existed for around 300,000 years, and for 95% of this history we were deeply connected with nature for our survival. If we liken these 300,000 years to a 24-hour day, our life with technology, farming, and living in organised villages, towns, and cities spans only about one hour. In many ways, we remain closer to our hunter-gatherer roots than to our modern selves.
It’s the reason why people are drawn to go on safari in Africa, climb mountains, walk trails, swim in rivers, or simply take a detour through a city park. At a deep psychological level, we remember a time when nature provided for our needs, food, water, cover, entertainment, and spirituality.
We shared critical relationships with the plants and animals, like the greater honeyguide bird – a symbol of one such ancient bond with nature. We may have forgotten, yet the bird still remembers the days of our cooperation.
Five years ago, my perspective radically changed when I moved to a town environment. Though Pietermaritzburg is not a big city, it is alive with the usual buzz of urban life. And while it did take a bit of time, eventually, perhaps sadly, I adapted to a life as a visitor to nature.
Whenever I return to the bush for my work, the transition between the two worlds is so stark, and I cannot help but notice a sense of calm that comes over me within a short time of arrival. This is not a subjective feeling – even my Whoop device registers a noticeable improvement in my heart rate variability.
The peace and quiet that is associated with the wilderness allows our minds to rest and to transcend our daily anxiety-based thoughts and obligations. I believe our subconscious recognises the sights, sounds and scents of nature – and is reassured.
It’s like returning to a place you’ve always known.
With the distractions gone, our minds can begin to quieten, and we can turn our attention inwards. Questions such as What would I do if I weren’t afraid? become common in this state of mind. Personally, I always feel a great sense of life’s prospects when I’m in the bush.
In this way, the wilderness will challenge you to confront yourself.
Sleeping out in nature allows you to hear its distinct sounds – the call of birds, the chirp of insects, the roar of lions and the whooping of hyaenas. Occasionally, the nighttime movements of a leopard are given away by monkeys calling from the trees near the camp.
The following morning is an opportunity to follow its tracks and see where it went and what it did. This is where an expert tracker comes into their own. And if you watch carefully, you will see that tracking is a showcase of deep technical prowess and artistic expression.
The coolness of dawn and the heat of the noonday sun get you attuned to the rhythm of nature. You begin to share the same active tempo as the animals. The rhythm is ancient, and your body begins to adjust without you even realising.
The more frequently you immerse yourself in the wilderness, the more noticeable and lingering the effect.
If this resonates with you, consider visiting one of our KrugerUntamed tented camps. Both the Tshokwane River Camp and Satara Plains Camp are situated in vast wilderness areas inside Kruger National Park, and they offer the ideal settings for complete wilderness immersion.