True enchantment asks three things.

‍

Is there an indistinguishable magic in the air, the light, the atmosphere? If yes, you’re a third of the way there.

‍

Do you sense a great escape tempting the innermost conformist of your soul? Two out of three.

‍

And do you feel like you’ve stumbled upon a secret? The kind that feels like a gift? Then, true enchantment you have found.   

We have a better chance of finding enchantment than most, because we operate in Africa, where the light is illuminating, secrets are aplenty, and souls by their very nature break free of conformity. But even in Africa, we search for that indistinguishable magic between the cookie-cutter-safaris and bucket-list destinations. It’s our calling as archetypal Explorers to be at the top of the mast, peering through the telescope, searching for the first signs of enchantment.

True enchantment is what we found in Tuli.

At this time of year, in this cycle of drought, Tuli is a dust bowl on Botswana’s southernmost border. A boulder-strewn and baobab-flecked landscape that skids to a grateful halt on the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River (thank you, Rudyard Kipling). Bare, brown rock-work - the canvas of many, many Bushman secrets and stories - gives way to the winding line of green canopies and cool shade produced by the presence of water. It’s the edge of two worlds - heaven and hades - and the presence of these extremities is just what makes it enchanting. 

Koro River Camp is the soft place to land in Tuli, in the deep shade of weeping boerbeans, brown ivories, and winterthorn trees. A tented settlement steeped in luxury, constructed of canvas and timber, quietly amplifying the song of its riverside location. From the peaceful shade of the deck and the swirl of the plunge pool, there’s a view of Eden across the river. Saddle-billed storks and Goliath herons wade knee-deep in the clear pools, spearfishing for catfish - a game of patience. Baboons pick at fallen berries and seedpods, crocodiles disguise themselves, log-like, on the sandbanks. Leopards lie in wait between giant polished river rocks, undetected if it weren’t for the eagle-eyed squirrels who shriek in protest of this predator. 

To walk the banks of the Limpopo, boulder-hopping at the shallow crossings, is to trace the movement of animals drawn to an oasis. Padded, hoofed, and passerine imprints are left in the wet sand, hinting at who might be watching from beyond the riverbank, or above in the boughs of overhanging trees. Our soles, and indeed our souls, leave their own trail along the river, adding to our ancestral presence in this great, enchanting land. 

Sunset arrives as the sticky, sweet reduction after the long, slow, simmer of the day. The sun, caramelising in the sky, turns to marmalade, inviting you to devour the horizon. A relieving freshness to the air, a softness to the light, and a certain indistinguishable magic lure you up the rocky rise behind Koro to where baobabs took root thousands of years ago. Here, above the river, away from the life-giving ground water, the view of Tuli transforms from the crowded alleyway of riverine trees to the bare expanse of rolling mounds, rising dust, and rugged silhouettes of a leafless landscape. 

High on a hill, we see what our forefathers saw many moons ago; the same smooth, silvery bark of baobabs, the relative safety of cavernous rock hollows offering a cool reprieve from the scorching sun; and we realise that we have belonged to this landscape for all time. Not apart from it, but deeply connected to it. It’s no wonder our souls come untethered in Tuli, dancing for the primitive beauty, both barren and bountiful. 

When the last syrupy colours of sunset sink below the horizon, a veil of stars is drawn across the darkening sky. Mythological characters take shape in the heavens, finding their place in the pages of a bedtime story that has been told through aeons in dialogues and dialects almost forgotten. Our eyes trace the outlines of the heroes and the villains that formed the fabric of ancient African beliefs, and we feel the depth of our significance here on Earth. 

‍

A campfire to warm your face, home cooking to nourish your body, and the familiar comfort of Koro River Camp await to close the chapter on the day. But if you’re like us, and the sight of the stars has stirred you up and sucked you in, then head towards the hills where you’ll find the star deck. The thrill of a sleep-out under a wild night sky meets the calm sense of belonging you’ll feel under the gaze of the Southern Cross and Scorpio. 

‍

It was, after all, our adventurous spirit that led us to Koro.

A quest to find true enchantment, a place where magic and secrets nudge the Explorer in our souls. And when we arrived on the banks of the Limpopo, at Koro’s inviting doorstep, we discovered that what lay ahead to greet us was truly, Tuli Enchanting. 

Image credit: Koro River Camp.

More about Koro River Camp:

‍

Koro River Camp is the only camp in the Central Tuli Game Reserve. It is a 4-hour drive from Polokwane Airport, or an 8-hour road transfer from Johannesburg (included in the rate). The layout, facilities, and location make it an ideal secluded safari breakaway for families, solo safari lovers, birders, and active travellers with walking and mountain biking on offer.

There are only seven large, tented master bedroom suites laid out along the river with peaceful views from beneath the trees. Koro River Camp is an undiscovered gem in the southern African safari circuit, in a rugged landscape that transforms through the seasons, in turn leaving you transformed.

‍

Koro River South African resident rates & family special:

‍

‍

Reach out on hello@bhs-safari.co to find out about availability, discounted rates, and details about this special slice of paradise.