L
ook at the lion spoor,
Mummy!” says my three-
year-old son. Sure enough,
there it is. The clear
imprints of a lion’s paws tracking their
way across the soft, brown play-dough
he’s been occupied with for the last 30
minutes. I pass him a plastic tiger and
it’s immediately rejected: “There are
no tigers in Africa, Mum.”
Indeed there are not, but there are
more than enough other fascinating
and equally endangered creatures in
the vast tracts of pristine wilderness
Africa is famed for, including the
continent’s legendary Big Five (lion,
elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino).
It’s been a good few months since we
encountered them on safari in South
Africa and Botswana, but they clearly
made an impression. Enough so that
even the concrete-preserved hoof
marks of Sai Kung’s cows, spotted
when hiking out to Tai Long Wan
Beach, are regarded as ‘spoor’.
Often considered as more of a
honeymoon adventure, going on
an African safari makes an ideal
family holiday. Offering educational
experiences aplenty, safaris also
provide family time away from
electronic distractions (although Wi-
Fi is becoming increasingly common
– a fact most safari lodges and camps
avoid sharing with their guests to
preserve the back-to-nature, device-
free atmosphere). Another factor is
malaria – or the lack thereof in many
areas of South Africa and Botswana.
(A short course of Malarone
paediatric tablets gives peace of
mind to worriers like me). And surely
parents are the most qualified early
risers in the world. If you’re going
January 2016
59
