149: Paradise Found with Chantal Young

Hello, it is 8 am in New York, 2 am in Johannesburg and 7 pm in Bangkok.  Welcome to the Expat Happy Hour. This is Sundae Schneider-Bean from www.sundaebean.com. I’m a solution oriented coach and intercultural strategist for individuals and organizations and I am on a mission to help you adapt and succeed when living abroad and get you through any life transition

Burnout, boreout, resilience or endurance, these are the topics we’ve been talking about on Expat Happy Hour. Why? because many of the listeners here are either on the brink of burnout or boreout and are looking for more ways to rejuvenate. 

So this episode of Expat Happy Hour is a bit special, we are going to zoom in on one great way that you can rejuvenate. For many of you who are listening, it’s going to be something that is once in a lifetime, maybe even on your bucket list. And if you’re someone like me who lives in Southern Africa, it might be a common topic, but today I want to give it a new twist.

In the last episode we talked about bucket lists and limits with Nicole Whiting, how you can use a physical challenge like a marathon to stretch yourself in new ways. There are some of us who are constantly pushing our limits, so busy with our work life in our family life just want to decompress and check out for a moment. And I can’t think of a better way than to do what is on many people’s bucket list, is go on safari. 

So talking about safaris in South Africa, I’m going to be really transparent. When I tell my kids were going safari they like, “Oh, no another safari.” Because we have to get up really early in the morning, but as soon as we get there, they are completely enthralled and forget about tech. 

So this is why I’m bringing up an idea of the bucket list safari to my listeners because one, it is either a bucket list item you’ve had for your life or it’s something you have access to and you might not be taking full advantage of it and I might even include myself in that category.

On the topic of bucket lists, this is just a reminder, if testing your limits in your business and serving more people has been on your bucket list do not miss out on applying to Expat Coach Coalition because the program begins very soon and I want you there. Go ahead and check out the show notes if you are a professional serving expats and you want to do more in your business.

But let’s get back to the safari as a bucket list. I can tell you when I think about safaris in South Africa I do think of the animals, but some of the most beautiful things that I recall are the sun sets and the moon. Things that leave an impression your lifetime and no photo can capture it justice 

So that’s what we’re going to talk about today, how do we step out of our crazy lives and say yes to an experience which breaks us away from tech, brings us away from the hustle bustle and helps us settle in and reconnect with our family in new ways. I know people who love planning trips and they use an opportunity to plan a getaway as a way to connect with their partner and they spend hours in the evenings pouring over lodges and potential places to go, dreaming into it and connecting in the process. But in my home we’re both so busy the last thing we want to do is spend hours looking for a hotel or location and we just want to rely on an expert. 

So I have invited someone in my backyard to join us today because they do this and just a caveat. One of the organizations that joining us today is called safari.com and this podcast is not sponsored by them, I’m not making any money from them, I’ve simply invited them because they’re a neighbor here in South Africa and they have served over 200,000 visitors to experience memories all over Southern Africa.

And I love that they’re helping connect to people with their bucket list to an actual location that they’re going to enjoy and meets their desires. So safari.com has agreed to join me on Expat Happy Hour today. Really happy to have an Africa safari expert Chantal Young. Chantal is going to spend some time with us helping us understand the idea of what are some hidden gems in South Africa, even for the most seasoned expats.

What you should do before during and after a safari to make the make the most of it and she offers some interesting insights that I wasn’t expecting about some cultural practices that you might want to think about so you can be a respectful tourist. 

So let’s welcome Chantal to Expat Happy Hour.

Sundae: So it is my huge pleasure to have Chantal Young as the African safari expert from Safari.com here with us today, welcome Chantal to Expat Happy Hour.

Chantal: Thank you so much Sundae. 

Sundae: I’m so happy to have you here where actually, you know in a global standard we are neighbors because I’m in Pretoria and you’re in Cape Town. 

Chantal: Fantastic, that is really great. 

Sundae: So you are an African safari expert. Before we dive into some of the questions that our audience might have I want to hear from you, how did you get to do what you do? 

Chantal: I think it was, I just fell in love with Africa you know, even though I’m a South African and I’ve been born and bred in Cape Town. I think the more and more I kind of participated in safari the more I fell in love with it. Because it’s so unique and so different and it’s just a different outlook to to being a South African, a different appreciation was born. And I think just from all the years I’ve been in travel, that has kind of been my passion and love and I think I’ve just kind of wanted to know more and just felt so intrigued. And that’s why I think I’ve just remain where I am for now because of my love and passion for the product and because it’s so diverse, so unique and there are no two safari lodges that offer the same experience. So it’s kind of, it’s quite a growing, intriguing industry to be in and that’s basically where and why I’m in it at the moment.

Sundae: And what a time to be a South African after winning the Rugby World Cup, it’s such a great time. 

Chantal: It’s really exciting. 

Sundae: I’ve appreciated, after being here for three years, you know looking at what does it mean to be South African, what are South Africans proud of and where do they sort of tap into their identity. And the nature is definitely one aspect I’ve seen people unify besides rugby, I’ve seen that unify. 

So here’s the thing, the people that are listening are either dreaming  about a safari as one of their bucket lists, you know how everyone has a bucket list. And there might be some people that have zero clue, they’ve never been on the continent, this is just a dream, they don’t know if it’s tangible. 

Then there’s another group of people that are seasoned expats, they’ve been on the continent for years and might have the assumption that they kind of have already seen all there is to see.

So I would love to just explore with you, what do you think are some bucket list ideas for Southern Africa that people just shouldn’t miss? 

Chantal: Okay, so I would like to start with South Africa in that regard because South Africa is a country with nine provinces, so it is massive, it’s vast. And generally what happens is that the consensus around South Africa is that there are certain locations that need to be combined in order to get the best value out of your experience. But there’s so much more to that and you know, there’s often where clients aren’t aware that there’s a West Coast or there’s a Kalahari or the intriguing beautiful part which to me to me is KwaZulu Natal, the northern side of KwaZulu Natal. 

So there’s all these beautiful little gems, hidden gems in South Africa. And I think for South Africa mainly it would be for people that are willing to self-drive. So a lot of the times when guests visit here, it would be either a guided tour, although we just stay in one location and do day tours, whereas if guests are open to self-driving they’ll be so surprised at how beautiful South Africa actually is from a cultural and authentic point of view. 

Sundae: So I’m going to pop in there for a second, for people who don’t understand what you’re what you mean by self-drives. So a couple options when you’re thinking about South Africa, people might fly in to Joburg and then fly to an area where everything is taken care of for you. 

And what I have I discovered which is really fun because some of our South African friends, this idea of self-drive where you are on your own and it really does tap in to this sort of rugged experience. And I’ve been on beaches with no one around. We had to lower the air on our tires so we can actually go in the sand. Like there’s this, I want to say rugged aspect to South Africa that I’ve really appreciated discovering through my South African friends. That if you just sort of book what’s easy and don’t think about it you might miss out on.

But let me just be really honest here, people who don’t know South Africa might be afraid to do that because they, you know, if you Google South Africa things come up like crime and then they feel like they have to do everything with a guide. Tell us more about your opinion on that. 

Chantal: So first of all, one shouldn’t be too skeptical when reading the tabloids, I think there’s a lot of unnecessary hype that’s created around South Africa. In my many years of travel and I’m talking just over a decade, I’ve never had clients experience any issues when self-driving. I myself have embarked on many a journey throughout South Africa by self-drive and have never really encountered any issues. 

What happens with South Africa is there are a number of national roads which are very well monitored and maintained by government and these roads lead to all those beautiful hidden gems like your West Coast where you would find the Cederberg, beautiful. And then, you know going into the Eastern Cape where you would find those beautiful untamed beaches, and these are all reached by national road. So where safety is concerned that really shouldn’t deter guests. In fact it can hinder you if you even become too skeptical because you really are missing out on some beautiful hidden gems South Africa has to offer.

So I would say self drive is quite safe provided you remain on those national roads, they are times where you would need to go off-road but these roads again are also well monitored. So I think it’s just kind of taking in those locations which are on the map, so obviously not delving into areas which are unknown to anyone. So very important, speak to a tour guide, speak to your operator, communicate rather than just read and believe what you see because that can hinder an experience because most of South Africa is, the beauty lies within those hidden gems and there you really get to delve into the authentic side of South Africa.

So it’s really just making sure the vehicle is all good, and this is what the car hire companies do, they ensure that the vehicles are all up to standard, it’s all roadworthy. Provided you have a good GPS or a good map with you, you’d be absolutely fine. 

Sundae: So what I love about the sort of more rugged approach is what it offers is such a break from people’s chaotic everyday lives. That when I’ve been on safari or we’ve been on a drive somewhere with our car looking at the landscape it just gives you sort of a tech-free escape to  reconnect. And what I’ve learned about South Africa since living here is just how shockingly different the landscape is from Cape Town versus Pretoria versus Durban versus Joburg and Limpopo, I mean the landscape is just incredible how it changes and that makes it exciting when you’re driving. 

What do you think people need to know before they go and please feel free to also include some of the more outlandish questions people have asked you that have maybe surprised you.

So what do you think people need to know before they go? 

Chantal: Okay, so if we’re looking at a safari for example, so that is one of the main reasons we have visitors coming to South Africa is safari. So let’s see if we can just focus on how you can prepare for that. 

Ensure that you read, like I said earlier one safari can differ to the next. So it also depends on what is it that intrigues you about visiting South Africa? What has stood out for you that you would like to include in your itinerary? So I think just narrowing it down helps you to kind of tick off the bucket list. And just making sure that you are aware of certain reserves that are malaria zones, making sure that you’re reading about seasonality because that does impact a safari.

Sundae: People don’t realize it gets cold here.

Chantal: This is the thing, yes.

Sundae: I’ve been frozen on safari, because I didn’t bring my rain jacket, for example. 

Chantal: Yes, so exactly that, because the activities are taking place at dusk and dawn and of course during winter, it’s actually better to come on safari in winter. So yes if you’re not prepared, if you’re not educated it can be quite a shock to the system. 

So it’s just making sure you read, you know some YouTube clips also help. And just making sure that you’re aware of the gear that you’ve got to pack.

Sundae: I’ve learned the hard way, teeth chattering in the back of a safari with hot chocolate because we didn’t anticipate just how cold it would get at night and I think that the weather was rare that week, it happened to get cold. So then there’s the other thing and people coming from Northern Hemisphere might not automatically remember that the seasons are reversed. 

Chantal: Exactly right.

Sundae: So expect huge heat at Christmas and cold in June and July isn’t something everybody’s already thinking. So before you go get informed about some of the details, what you need to know. I like that you brought up malaria, like for example in Kruger Park, what are the malaria seasons, what are the best malaria prophylaxis you want to take if it’s high season so that you can go at ease. 

What about once you’re there? 

Chantal: So once you are there, I must just stress that once you are on safari you realize how far away from the first world you actually are. Once you land in in Johannesburg and you are venturing into safari, either by a light aircraft or transfer, it’s important to know that safari lodges are in incredibly remote locations. So first of all, there’s going to be less Wi-Fi, there’s going to be less influence with technology. 

So you are completely detached from reality once you are there. And my biggest thing is just go with it, just enjoy the experience of just slowing down and taking in every step of it, because it is quite a shock to the system to realize how slow it starts becoming because you are completely emerged in nature. And you and those that are around you, the staff, even the guests, they’re all kind of on the same wavelength of just switching off and enjoying the surroundings and suddenly you start realizing the importance of just enjoying the birds and enjoying elephants walking past the room and you kind of start slowing down. 

So once you are there it’s really just taking it all in, Sundae. There isn’t really much that you would want to do because your senses start becoming quite aroused by the experience. So once you are there it’s all about just taking photos, taking a video now and again, engaging with the people, South African culture, just learning a little bit about it. The guides absolutely love sharing stories and facts and little fables, so engaging with South Africans is a very easy thing to do and because that comes along with the whole experience, you really do feel that you become more and more enriched as the Safari goes along. So I think the biggest thing is just switch off, enjoy and just absorb everything that happens around you because it’s going to be it’s quite an extreme difference shutting off from first world and coming into into the bush.

Sundae: I mean first of all for those of you who are hearing, there’s no Wi-fi, catch your breath, you can sometimes get Wi-Fi and I mean I am so connected to the internet, you can and your lodge do have some Wi-Fi. But when you’re on Safari, you do an Instagram feed right? 

Chantal: Absolutely. 

Sundae: I think one thing I would add, I mean we’ve we’ve done so many safaris my kids kind of get sick of it, they’re like, “Oh God another Safari.” But what I would suggest is not to get so attached to finding the big five, sometimes people are like “We must see the big five.” And they can get really attached to that idea and then feel disappointed if they don’t tick off all five. I have to tell you some of my greatest memories on the safaris that we’ve been on have been the moon and sunsets. It has nothing to do with the animals, it’s just been you know out in the bushveld and watching the sun go down has been breathtaking. 

Chantal: Exactly right. 

Sundae: We’ve also seen lions mate, which was pretty special, I felt kind of like a voyeur but it was pretty special to see something like that. So that is fantastic. 

So get prepared before you go, once you’re there be present, allow yourself to shut off. And what about after? Anything that you could recommend people should do after they’ve had this epic safari experience?

Chantal: Okay, so obviously after the experience you’re going to feel the sense of lethargy  were you will just want to keep things at a bit of a slower pace. It’s actually surprising to see how much a person slows down after safari. So don’t rush into getting back into reality, kind of mull over the experience, look at the photographs, get an electronic photo album, kind of keep it alive during conversation, share it, share the conversation with friends and speak with your children that you’ve experienced safari with.

So kind of keep it alive for as long as possible, but you will also find that those memories stay with you for a lifetime and that is the impact of safari, is that you don’t really need to do much after because it does all of it on its own. There is a great sense of appreciation when you leave a safari, a great sense of appreciation for the nature, for the fauna, the flora, just the little things that kind of brings you back to your roots. 

So afterwards I would say just enjoy where you’ve been and I think speaking about it keeps it alive for as long as possible. And of course planning your next safari is also great, you know trying to get family and friends along with you to go and just experience where you’ve come from and that also kind of keeps it alive and exciting. And of course, there’s like I said, there’s no two safaris that are the same, so you could look at “What else can I do if I have to do this again? What else can I incorporate?” And of course, there’s so much that you can do to keep it varied.

So there’s a lot that one can do afterwards to try and keep that alive within you, but I would say just go with it because it’s going to take your mind into places where you’ve never been. 

Sundae: And I’ve also noticed with the different lodges that we’ve gone to. I’ve learned what’s really important to me, you know, we went to a really remote lodge and had a very individualized experience and then we’ve also been to more mass lodges and for me and what I was looking for it was too many people at one time so it took away from from what I was really going for. So I think it’s important to know what you’re looking for. 

And that brings me to something that I feel like it’s important on everybody’s mind. There’s two things that a lot of travelers have on their mind is that; One how do we be culturally appropriate when we’re interacting in another context? What are some things that people should know, some of the respectful, not only to the local people that they’re interacting with but also ecologically with animals. So what are some things we need to watch out for? 

Chantal: So I would say the first thing is to get to know the culture. So just educate yourself on just the cultures around where you visiting because they do differ from South Africa into Southern Africa, also differ from South Africa to Namibia and maybe differ into to Botswana and so forth. So I would say just being aware of just the economic climate. A lot of guests they want to know a lot, they come in and know about the politics and the diversity, the inequality that happens. And yes, we are all quite familiar with that, but for guests that come here, they just need to be aware that there can be a sensitive topic for some, even the staff at the lodges. 

So I would say try and keep the safari to safari. There will be some that will want to share a little bit more, but I would just say tread lightly where that’s concerned. And of course just you know, were animals are concerned, taking photographs of local people. You’ve got to respect privacy when you are there. You’re obviously going to get informed of how to behave on safari by your guide, so just sticking within that, so not standing up in the vehicle and not feeding animals or picking the plants. So as little impact as possible is I think the biggest thing, so environmentally and culturally one has to just be sensitive around those issues.

Sundae: That’s interesting, I think you can also probably use that as a measuring stick when you’re choosing the lodge that you want to go, how much do they talk about the footprint that they make and how they treat the animals. I know there’s some controversy around tours which let you pet animals, baby lions, etc. So it’s interesting if you want to let your priorities lead as you choose your tour. 

I have a question, when I got to know Safari.com, I was impressed with the wide variety of experiences they offer and is it true that people can call you and basically do some of the research for them and then help you book their itinerary? 

Chantal: Oh, yes absolutely, that’s exactly what we are used for. 

Sundae: What have we been doing this whole time? I think how much time, because it’s so overwhelming when you don’t know the area or you don’t have a lot of time. I was like “Why have I not been calling you guys this whole time.” And what I do know, is that you specialize for people who are outside of Africa, so that people who have never been here before, to give that sense of security and holding their hand and leading them through to find the right itinerary for them. 

Chantal: Yes, so you know, there’s a lot of sort of consensus at the moment where guests feel like they want to be independent around planning their safari. They want to obviously feel that they are empowered to do that. And that can sometimes hinder the experience because, you know if for us for example, we don’t charge for that service. So the advice and the tips we give you and just the guidance and support. There’s nothing that we charge additional besides just being with you in it and because the industry pays us the isn’t any further cost onto that service that we deliver. And of course, we do this all day every day, so we  are continuously updated with the partners that we use and we know exactly which lodge to match with which client. So as long as the client is open to sharing what they envision, we can basically create the perfect safari itinerary for them. 

Sundae: I love that because it’s like, you’re not going to send them somewhere they’re not going to be happy because that would be bad business for you guys, I love that you make that match. 

So now I’m going to ask you a little harder question because you know, we’ve been talking about general safari. For those who haven’t gone on safari I think all this information is really useful, but there are some some more hardened South African expats who are listening who have been to all the major places. They have traveled around, they’ve looked around. 

I’m going to just challenge you for a second. What do you think those who already have quite seen a lot in Southern Africa or in South Africa, what do you think they need to see before they move on to their next destination that they might not have thought about yet? 

Chantal: Okay, so there’s obviously the lesser known locations in Southern Africa, for example, if you are going into Botswana, there’s Hwange for example, that’s the lesser known reserve to visit. Where you would, for example get eighty thousand elephants passing through it at one time. 

There’s also Mana Pools in Botswana, which is really stunning where you would also focus more on walking safaris and watching the leopards take a kill up a tree and where you would be able to see a sunset over Baobab trees. 

So there are some beautiful untouched locations that aren’t really sold as commonly because of the unfamiliarity of it all. And of course there are those who are focused on conservation and education in the villages that are nearby. So for example this ABC African Bush Camps, to focus on schooling for the less fortunate, you know the environment. 

So there’s quite a few that are tapping into the conservation side of travel and that also becomes purposeful travel. So it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to go there and just work, but it kind of gives travel a purpose and safari a purpose. 

So there’s everything for everyone, I believe that you could probably continue visiting these locations and they’ll forever be discovering new ways and efforts in conservation. So that’s also quite special, you could go to KwaZulu Natal, there’s Phinda Game Reserve who focus on Pangolin conservation. 

Sundae: Really? My son is 7 and loves Pangolins, I mean, I don’t even know what a Pangolin was and he learned about it Wild Kratts.

Chantal: I mean how incredible is that? This is something that’s quite new, but The African Pangolin Working Group work with “& Beyond” at Phinda and they basically focus on the conservation of Pangolin. So there’s so many unique ways on how to preserve the beauty of Africa and guests can now start joining in these initiatives. Whether it be with volunteering, whether it be trying to go into a school to help with with stationary for a school where the children have nothing. So just taking the plight of being part of change, I think that all that is something that if somebody keeps it at the back of their mind, again it becomes quite an enriched way to travel and to visit these countries.

And there’s a lot of these safari lodges that employee the local villagers, the people from local villages, where they can help kind of uplift things around the areas. It’s just kind of engaging and seeing what is it that, where would they like to invest their time their time in and kind of just tap into that and they’ll be surprised how many initiatives there are out there. 

Sundae: I love that you mentioned that travel with more purpose and some of the more off the beaten path options. I know Baobab trees are one of my favorite trees, I found Baobab in West Africa when we were in Burkina Faso, I fell in love with them. And there’s a lodge that we go to here in South Africa that what has one really big Baobab tree and it just feels so sacred.  I just can’t explain, there’s something about a Baobab that feels sacred and it’s worth seeing when you are on the continent.

This idea of going to a Pangolin Reserve, I just think that’s fantastic and that now I can get for my son for a birthday present. And then really challenging yourself to go to other areas and have different experiences. I know for myself I get so busy and I know this sounds super out of context, but it’s like, because we go on safari a lot when our guests come, there are times I’m like, “Oh another safari.” Because we invest in them and we’ve seen the antelope, we’ve seen the elephants, we’ve seen the whatever. And every time I get there, I’m like, “I’m so glad I came.” I can’t explain it. 

Chantal: Exactly it, because you know Botswana for example is so vast and just the expanse is just so incredible, where you would have two lodges per/ 65,000 hectares. Whereas in South Africa, you’ll have 45 lodges in the same amount of space. So it’s the terrain, it’s this lush Savannah, it’s the sunsets, it’s just the stars and it’s just tapping into those beautiful. gems that you wouldn’t necessarily have to pay for you just have to be open to it. 

Sundae: Yeah, and I guess it’s I mean, I guess I’m speaking a little bit to the people who are in the region and are getting a little complacent about where to go and what to do. And I’ve been there, it’s like, “Oh, I’m so busy in everyday life, is it really worth the effort?” And that’s why I’m like, one of my friends is South African and she’s been so kind to help us book our tours and understand where to go and I didn’t realise there was actually a company that will help you do that. 

So it’s wonderful, and thank you so much for joining us. I realized for so many people we’re talking about bucket lists, last week we talked about running a marathon as a bucket list with Nicole Whiting, some things that people set as a goal to do for their life to run that, to run that marathon. And I thought the safari would be a great second focus on bucket list, some people want to go on safari for a lifetime bucket list. Others are in Southern Africa and are running out of things on their bucket list to do because they think they’ve seen it all and you can go deeper and look further.

Chantal: Yes absolutely, so just me being open to that and just communicate, you know, if they make contact with Safari.com you just have to communicate what you are looking for and we will basically tailor everything around you or whatever you have in mind so that you can tick off those bucket lists, because often you don’t know it’s about this bucket lists but as soon as it gets brought to your attention you get a bit of inspiration that comes to play. 

Sundae: And one of my philosophies, and if you’ve been a listener of Expat Happy Hour for a long time, you’re going to know this, but how do you live abroad without regret? And you know, I was in Burkina Faso and we suddenly left, actually about 18 months earlier than planned. And there were one or two experiences I had on my bucket list in Burkina that I was never able to experience because of abrupt transition. And now, being in South Africa I’m thinking about what’s on my bucket list. 

I don’t want to fly out at the end of our assignment and say, “Yeah, I wish I had gone to….” So this is also an invitation for those of you who are on the continent or living abroad and have an opportunity, a luxury of privilege to choose where you spend your time on holiday, to really think about “What is on my bucket list? What kind of experience do I want to offer my family?” And all of the things that we’ve talked about are really no alignment with reconnecting with nature and connecting with yourself in a different way when you’re out in nature as well as connecting with locals. 

And in this high-tech environment that we live in, where we’re constantly connected and constantly on devices, I can’t think of a better place to go to disconnect to get reconnected with your family and yourself. 

So thank you so much Chantel for joining us an Expat Happy Hour, if people want to know more, Safari.com is it really easy web address to remember. 

So if you want to know more, of course, you can hop on over to Safari.com. But Chantal has also shared her direct email in the show notes. 

I hope today’s episode has given you something to dream about. If a safari is not on your bucket list where do you want to go, where do you want to take a break from the tech, from the busyness, from the hustle and bustle of your life and reconnect with your friends and family.

And only last week we talked about doing something really challenging and testing your limits, like a marathon with Nicole Whiting, this week we’re talking about something where you actually shut down and open up to nature in ways that you haven’t done in a long time. Maybe for you it’s something else, maybe it’s going to the ocean and watching the whales or maybe it’s going on a long walk in the forest with your family on a Saturday. 

Whatever that is your resilience counts on taking time away for rejuvenation, your connection with your family counts on breaking out of the routine and connecting in fresh ways. 

I hope this episode has inspired you to think of your own bucket list and how you’re going to make it happen. 

And remember if running a successful business that serves expats is on your bucket list,  don’t miss out on Expat Coach Coalition. 

This is Sundae Schneider Bean and you’ve been listening to Expat Happy Hour, thank you for listening. 

I’ll leave you with the quote from Annette White, “Stop dreaming about your bucket list and start living it.”