‘It’s all about connecting the dots looking back… AND to stay Hungry & Foolish’ said Steve Jobs in his Stanford speech to the graduating class of 2005. We all have dreams and aspirations growing up that we want to achieve sometime……..; when we grow up, get a job, save enough money, take a sabbatical, etc. Luck and Will play a big part to fulfill some of these. For me this was one such experience that unfolded in a way I never imagined. Growing up on National Geographic society’s views and stories for over two decades, then learning photography, and self-training with National Geo’s field guides… One big dream on the bucket list was to travel, do photography, and video content myself on land, air, sea, and most importantly to live that life on the African subcontinent.
Until 2006, I could only respect Steve Jobs saying the above line, however after being there and done that, by 2011 I could finally relate to him. Zooming back to 2007, when I made a decision to relocate to India after a corporate career in the US, it seemed shaky ground but being a firm believer of ‘think with your Mind but do what your Heart says’ – gave me most of the conviction required and there’s been no looking back!
Finally, come September 2008 after a move up the corporate ladder within my organization, the global recession looming huge on our business forecasts and some personal commitments pushing me the other way a similar situation presented itself yet again! Pursue what I ‘love’ or ride out the recession in the corporate world and see how it spans out. The heart ruled once again and I set out on a journey of personal discovery of
sorts. It all started as I finally headed into Africa. The next 6 months took me through 30,000+ km of sub-Saharan terrain and 26 border-crossings.
Some experiences – standing on the Equator in Uganda to witness the earth’s magnetism behave 3 different ways, a 1988 dream to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park at 5,000 ft and get elbowed by one, seeing lions chase game in the 14,763 sq km Serengeti National Park, lead a camping tour of 25 on the edge of Ngorongoro Crater, fending off a pack of invading hyenas, snorkeling with a family of dolphins off the Zanzibar coast, swimming in the world’s big Clearwater lakes Malawi & Tanganyika, living in the 15,000 km of Okavango delta where the desert swallows a complete river, 5 of us overnight on a uninhabited island in the Bazaruto Archipelago with a million crabs for company after sundown, braving the world’s highest bungy jump, and many more. One doesn’t easily get all these within his lifetime and it has felt nothing short of a re-birth.
Standing on the Equator line – Uganda 
Serengeti – Game drive 
Tanzania – Ngorongoro Crater 
Ngorngoro Crater – The creator of the Serengeti Plains 
Top night – Camping in the Serengeti 
Serengeti Truck – Game drive with the crew – Jacko (UK), Maggot & Muppet (NZ), Nigel & Bridget (AUS) 
The Great Migration – an fathomable experience 
Lion hunters – The Masai (Serengeti) 
Masai village with Samy n Jacko 
Giraffe’s on the Serengeti ridge. 
True Tusker – with tusks touching the ground. A rare find in the Ngorongoro crater 
Power of the bull – Serengeti/Ngorongoro 
Gorillas in the Mist, Rwanda 
The Great Ape, Eastern (Mountain) Gorilla [Genus: Gorilla Beringei Beringei], Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. 
As good (close) as it gets. Ultimate experiences while chasing my 1988 dream to come face to face with Gorillas in the mist at 5,000 ft. ASL on Mount Karismbi, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda 
Mount Kilimanjaro from Arusha, Tanzania 
Zanzibar – A place in time 
Zanzibar – Colonial lodgings 
Old town Zanzibar 
After a month in the bush, a well deserved chill week in Zanzibar 
A dive with the dolphins, Ocean National Park, Zanzibar 
The perfect shot, Zanzibar 
Hyena, Malawi 
A part of the 500km long Lake Malawi in the rift valley, Malawi 
Sunset at Lake Malawi, Malawi. 
Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Roar that Thunders), Victoria falls, Zambia 
Double Rainbow, Victoria Falls 
Immersed in the mist of Victoria falls, Zambia 
Just can’t get enough at the Mosi-oa-Tunya, Victoria Falls 
Hello Hello! Mosi-oa-Tunya 
The veil between Zambia and Zimbabwe, blessed by a rainbow! 
Flying over Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls 
Midnight Rainbow, Best shot ever, Zambia 
Walking with Lions, Zimbabwe 
Charging lions, Zimbabwe 
First contact with a (preggy) caracal, Zimbabwe 
Flying over the Victoria Falls, Zambia 
Chobe National Park, Botswana 
Okavango Delta, Botswana 
Riding a Mokaro, Okavango Delta, Botswana 
Take a chance on me and dare – The world’s highest commercial bungee, Tsitsikamma, South Africa 
A leap of faith, ‘Face your Fear’, off the Bloukrans Bridge, South Africa 
Fear Conquered, Life’s good – Can’t help falling in love with you!!! Thank you @www.FaceAdrenalin.com, South Africa 
Enroute to the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique 
Sand bars in the Ocean, Mozambique Channel, Mozambique 
The low lying flat islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique 
Staying overnight on a un-manned island, Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique 
Almost sunset on the un-manned island, Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique 
Snorkelling, Maputo, Mozambique 
You can almost catch the fish by hand, Tofu Beach, Mozambique 
When fishing for dinner as you sail, if your line brings in a barracuda, Life’s good – Bon Apetite!! Mozambique Channel, Mozambique
This wonderful journey also put forth man-animal conflicts, decimation of nature and showed mankind is mostly dependent on ‘Nature’. It made me think – ‘what could be done‘? and lead to ’Why not help the
conservation cause in India to avert such situations and save our greens‘. Also what better than Project Tiger? Thereafter on checking, the Forest Department requested – If you can help our main goal of creating inviolate space you would help conservation many-fold! ‘Sure, why not?’ said something inside.
Thereafter, these learnings became a call to action and a new journey in conservation and sustainability. After an honorary appointment with the Rajasthan Forest Department as a GoodWill Ambassador and Conservation Catalyst, the challenge was to help voluntarily relocate about 1,000+ families across multiple villages to a better life outside in civil society. This in turn would help restore up to 50,000 acres to the inviolate space – thus aiding Conservation and Integrated Landscape Management all around – for the communities, their livelihoods, the landscapes, and the bio-diversity!
Since 2011, it has been a delight to share my life path and journey experiences to a wide range of audiences towards sensitization and outreach. ↓ 2011 Speaker Introduction brief
Route & borders crossed on African subcontinent‘s Absolute Safari.
Overland Route A (Guided – 12 weeks)
Kenya (Nairobi N.P., Lake Nakuru N.P), Uganda (Kampala, Entebbe, Lake Victoria), Rwanda (Kigali, Volcanoes N.P), Uganda (Lake Edward, Jinja, Nile), Kenya (Old Paieta Sanctuary), Tanzania (Serengeti N.P., Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Lake Tanganyika), Zanzibar, Malawi (Lake Malawi N.P.), Zambia (Mosi-oa-Tunya N.P. Victoria Falls, Lusaka N.P), Zimbabwe, Botswana (Chobe N.P), Namibia (Etosha N.P.), South Africa (northern, western and eastern Cape).
Overland Route B (Self – 13 weeks)
South Africa (Garden route, Coffee Bay), Lesotho, South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal), Swaziland, South Africa (Mpumalanga, Kruger N.P.), Mozambique (Limpopo N.P., Bazaruto Archipelago N.P.), South Africa (Mpumalanga, Sun City, Limpopo), By Air to Rwanda (Kigali, Gisenyi), Democratic Republic of Congo (Goma, Mt. Nyrigongo, UN-MONUC station, Kanyabayonga, Lake Kivu), Rwanda (Mt. Bisoke, Gitarama, Butare), Burundi (Bjumbara), Rwanda (Nyungwe Forest), By Air to South Africa (Mpumalanga, Johannesburg), United Arab Emirates (ADB).
Bhushan H. Sethi 