A Visit To Truly Wild Africa

A Visit To Truly Wild Africa

Save Valley Conservancy, June 2025

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of our first safari, my wife and I arranged to hunt Humani Ranch with Guy Whittall. In addition, we had the honor to host another couple (old friends) who were making their very first African trip…and the choice to do so with Roger Whittall Safaris was one of the smarter decisions of my hunting career!

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of our first safari, my wife and I arranged to hunt Humani Ranch with Guy Whittall. In addition, we had the honor to host another couple (old friends) who were making their very first African trip…and the choice to do so with Roger Whittall Safaris was one of the smarter decisions of my hunting career!

After flying into Harare, we chartered down to Humani where we were met by Guy and Petrus Kok, the second PH for our group. With everyone “howdy-ed and shook”, we piled everything into the hunting cars and drove to the RWS lodge, a beautiful affair situated above a bend in the Turgwe River.

Our friends’ objectives were pretty standard for a first safari: buffalo, kudu, eland, zebra, impala, wildebeest, warthog and with sufficient applied sweat, all their species wound up in the salt. They formed an immediate friendship with Petrus and had the time of their lives discovering something new and exciting around every turn!


My own objective list was much shorter but imminently more difficult: beyond helping Michael and Ruth have a wonderful experience on their first safari, I was after a true “scrum cap” dugga boy…broken horns and all! I might have asked Guy to produce the Holy Grail or to show me the Fountain of Youth (I suspect either would have been simpler!) and we hunted hard and looked at hundreds of buffalo, but ultimately came up empty. Still, I put a stunning nyala bull on the ground as a consolation prize from the Red Gods.

Turgwe Lodge is as comfortable as it is scenic, with open, thatched chalets facing east and offering an unmatched view of sunrises across the river. Slipping into life at Turgwe is like pulling on your favorite pair of old blue jeans…it’s like coming home!


The Save Valley Conservancy in general, and Humani in particular, is a vision of Africa as the Creator intended…and the diversity of wildlife present was such a pleasure to behold for us (and absolutely jaw-dropping for our friends!). “Magical” was how Ruth described the world of Humani: I could not agree more.

Truth is, I’d have been smiling if I’d never fired a shot the entire trip. Just to BE THERE and to see an Africa that only exists in isolated pockets anymore was humbling beyond belief. To be able to hunt country where frequently bumping into wild black rhino (and white as well!), elephant, buffalo, wild dogs, lion, leopard (plus a plethora of other game) is an experience NOT to be missed.


The Whittalls and Humani do not disappoint!


M. Price, May 2025

After flying into Harare, we chartered down to Humani where we were met by Guy and Petrus Kok, the second PH for our group. With everyone “howdy-ed and shook”, we piled everything into the hunting cars and drove to the RWS lodge, a beautiful affair situated above a bend in the Turgwe River.


Turgwe Lodge is as comfortable as it is scenic, with open, thatched chalets facing east and offering an unmatched view of sunrises across the river. Slipping into life at Turgwe is like pulling on your favorite pair of old blue jeans…it’s like coming home!


The Save Valley Conservancy in general, and Humani in particular, is a vision of Africa as the Creator intended…and the diversity of wildlife present was such a pleasure to behold for us (and absolutely jaw-dropping for our friends!). “Magical” was how Ruth described the world of Humani: I could not agree more.

After flying into Harare, we chartered down to Humani where we were met by Guy and Petrus Kok, the second PH for our group. With everyone “howdy-ed and shook”, we piled everything into the hunting cars and drove to the RWS lodge, a beautiful affair situated above a bend in the Turgwe River.


Turgwe Lodge is as comfortable as it is scenic, with open, thatched chalets facing east and offering an unmatched view of sunrises across the river. Slipping into life at Turgwe is like pulling on your favorite pair of old blue jeans…it’s like coming home!


The Save Valley Conservancy in general, and Humani in particular, is a vision of Africa as the Creator intended…and the diversity of wildlife present was such a pleasure to behold for us (and absolutely jaw-dropping for our friends!). “Magical” was how Ruth described the world of Humani: I could not agree more.

Our friends’ objectives were pretty standard for a first safari: buffalo, kudu, eland, zebra, impala, wildebeest, warthog and with sufficient applied sweat, all their species wound up in the salt. They formed an immediate friendship with Petrus and had the time of their lives discovering something new and exciting around every turn!


My own objective list was much shorter but imminently more difficult: beyond helping Michael and Ruth have a wonderful experience on their first safari, I was after a true “scrum cap” dugga boy…broken horns and all! I might have asked Guy to produce the Holy Grail or to show me the Fountain of Youth (I suspect either would have been simpler!) and we hunted hard and looked at hundreds of buffalo, but ultimately came up empty. Still, I put a stunning nyala bull on the ground as a consolation prize from the Red Gods.

Our friends’ objectives were pretty standard for a first safari: buffalo, kudu, eland, zebra, impala, wildebeest, warthog and with sufficient applied sweat, all their species wound up in the salt. They formed an immediate friendship with Petrus and had the time of their lives discovering something new and exciting around every turn!


My own objective list was much shorter but imminently more difficult: beyond helping Michael and Ruth have a wonderful experience on their first safari, I was after a true “scrum cap” dugga boy…broken horns and all! I might have asked Guy to produce the Holy Grail or to show me the Fountain of Youth (I suspect either would have been simpler!) and we hunted hard and looked at hundreds of buffalo, but ultimately came up empty. Still, I put a stunning nyala bull on the ground as a consolation prize from the Red Gods.

Truth is, I’d have been smiling if I’d never fired a shot the entire trip. Just to BE THERE and to see an Africa that only exists in isolated pockets anymore was humbling beyond belief. To be able to hunt country where frequently bumping into wild black rhino (and white as well!), elephant, buffalo, wild dogs, lion, leopard (plus a plethora of other game) is an experience NOT to be missed.


The Whittalls and Humani do not disappoint!

Truth is, I’d have been smiling if I’d never fired a shot the entire trip. Just to BE THERE and to see an Africa that only exists in isolated pockets anymore was humbling beyond belief. To be able to hunt country where frequently bumping into wild black rhino (and white as well!), elephant, buffalo, wild dogs, lion, leopard (plus a plethora of other game) is an experience NOT to be missed.


The Whittalls and Humani do not disappoint!

M. Price, May 2025

YOUR NEXT READ

YOUR NEXT READ

BOOK YOUR SAFARI

Fill in your details and preferred dates, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you select big game hunting, you can provide further details in the comments section. Please note that bookings are subject to availability.

BOOK YOUR SAFARI

Fill in your details and preferred dates, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you select big game hunting, you can provide further details in the comments section. Please note that bookings are subject to availability.

BOOK YOUR SAFARI

Fill in your details and preferred dates, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. If you select big game hunting, you can provide further details in the comments section. Please note that bookings are subject to availability.

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our Newsletter

By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

YOUR NEXT READ