The holidays are just around the corner, and after what felt like a roller coaster of a year, we’re all welcoming a bit more of normalcy in our lives. Since some of our guests have had to cancel their Christmas and New Year plans we have decided to share one of our favorite safari activities that you can do from anywhere in the world: a bush breakfast! All you need is motivation, a favorite breakfast meal, a natural spot and some of your favorite people.

To perfect our bush breakfast guide, Ale & Tayla decided to experiment first hand and take each other out for an urban safari activity. Any excuse to guide, be outside and have good coffee was all they needed.

But…what is a bush breakfast?  you may ask.

© Singita has done a great job at illustrating how delicious it can be

To put it simply, a “bush breakfast” is a breakfast picnic cooked out in nature. It should be inclusive of a lot of planning, pans, bacon (or fakon if you are vegetarian), flasks with hot water to make coffee (or tea) on site, and a beautiful view.

Now, there is a science behind organizing and executing your own bush breakfast and making it a success. Here’s our how-to list:

1. Location, location, location. Choose wisely. We are spoiled that the animals in the estates around the Greater Kruger area are impala, zebras and giraffe and so we had a bit of a “wild” feel. Although we decided to have our bush breakfast close to a bird hide, we’ve had plenty of bush breakfasts in gardens, parks and dams. The important thing is: get out of the house and cook outside!
2. Prepare the menu and ensuring you have a skottle or a gas bottle so that you can cook eggs, bacon and toast the rolls/bread on it. Don’t forget a pan (it’s tastier when you cook everything on it but make sure you cook the eggs at the end), cutlery and napkins. Remember to pack a flask with hot water so you can make your coffee or tea right on site.
3. Sauces are vitally important too for making a “bush sandwhich”. Our poison of choice? Wellington’s Sweet Chili Sauce and All Gold Tomato sauce.
4. Ensure you have the correct attire. This is a special occasion and you must wear something that will make you feel like you’re out in the wilds of Africa enjoying the view from the riverbank. A hat, a safari shirt, the right shoes are a necessity. While we are in the process of launching cool branded t-shirts, you can indulge in the meantime and purchase a pair of colorful and proudly South African Veldskoend shoes, or the appropriate canvas hat that Tristan and Tayla have been sporting out on safari. You can purchase these items here and use.
5. Prepare the rolls the right way: apply butter on the inside and pan fry until golden. Don’t miss this step, don’t count calories, count the happiness in every bite. Get creative with the contents, the options are endless. For our bush breakfast we had:

• • Bread rolls
  • Cherry tomatoes and onions
  • Rocket
  • Bacon
  • Eggs made to preference (of course Tayla had to be picky about them, she couldn’t have scrambled).

And voilá our urban version of a safari activity.

The most important thing about this experience? Remember to take it easy – this is the key to any successful safari experience. Having a bush breakfast is not a task to be completed but rather an opportunity to slow down so take your time. Have a cup of coffee, notice the songbirds around you, let the silence fill the space as the sun comes up. Take a short walk, stretch your legs, pay attention to the small things. Once the stomach is almost growling – add the butter to your pan and start frying; magic will happen.

Don’t worry about having to rough it a little, if your face isn’t covered in sauce, was it even worth it? Digest while you sip more coffee (if the weather is cool enough), or drink some water.  Make sure you talk about the outside world, conservation, the amazing world we live in.

Fill your heart with optimism. You got this and if you’re feeling a little lost, just remember to wander outside.