A graceful maiden draped in a green sari, her winding roads like ebony braids weaving through the untamed wilderness. She stands at the continent’s edge, where waterfalls spring from her heart and white mist caresses hills crowned with jasmine petals, delicate and eternal. It is as if the first human took their breath here, in this cradle of untouched beauty. And now, that very beauty calls to us—drawing us into an embrace as old as time and as deep as the earth.
Sometimes, we need to lock the doors of our busy lives and open the windows to our souls, letting ourselves be swept away into nature’s embrace. It’s essential to escape the grasp of routines, to feel our minds and bodies flow beneath cascading waters, or rest in the arms of ancient trees whispering stories forgotten.
Once in a while, we must press our own “shift” button, shatter the chains of screens and schedules, and set out into uncharted landscapes or unexperienced lives. With that spirit leading us, five Telugu families in South Africa, along with children in tow, embarked on a four-day pilgrimage to Sabie. What began as a weekend would unfold into a timeless journey.
Encircled by forests that drape like green necklaces and centered around a city shimmering like a hidden pearl, Sabie lies nestled in the heart of Mpumalanga, South Africa, by the banks of the Sabie River. Its name is derived from “Ulusaba,” meaning “fearsome river” in Siswati, as these waters once teemed with the jaws of Nile crocodiles.
Over time, the Afrikaner settlers transformed the name to “Sabie,” but the soul of the place remains unaltered. Our journey wove itself around this enchanting town—following the river’s curves, listening to the whispers of waterfalls, tracing the paths of towering mountains, and roaming through forests where the wild runs free. It is a realm where the handiwork of man blends seamlessly with nature’s artistry, a place that stands among South Africa’s treasures, with the nearby Kruger National Park a crown jewel in its own right.
Departing from Johannesburg in Gauteng, some 360 kilometers west of Sabie, felt like returning to a mother’s embrace after wandering far. As we journeyed, the landscapes grew more familiar, then slowly gave way to a new, untouched beauty. Each turn brought us closer to our roots—those of the earth and the heart—as we breathed in the scent of the land and found ourselves amidst rolling farmlands. We marveled at the expansive fields, whispering to one another, wondering when such advancements would touch the soil of our homeland. The quiet marvels of the land spoke to our souls, as if reawakening memories we didn’t know we had forgotten.
Our first sanctuary on this path was “Fo Guang Shan Nan Hua Temple,” an oasis of peace, the largest Buddhist monastery in Africa, spread over 600 acres of calm. Built to extend the hand of Buddhism to the continent, it is a place where silence speaks louder than words. We wandered through the temple’s serene spaces and grand structures, where even the stones seemed to breathe with tranquility. With reverence, we stood before the statues of Buddha, their stillness a reminder of a world untouched by time, and resumed our journey, carrying a sense of peace within us.
A little further along the road, we stopped at Alzu—a rest stop unlike any other, where the roar of passing cars fades into the wild’s whispers. Children and adults alike marveled at the sight of grazing wildlife, their presence a reminder that life is much more than a race. With hearts and cars refueled, we pressed on, the road stretching before us like a promise.
As we drew closer to our lodgings, the landscape unfurled like a poet’s dream—each twist of the mountain road an invitation, each tree bending slightly as if to whisper secrets to the wind. Mist hung like a delicate veil, wrapping the world in a sense of wonder, making us feel as though we were journeying between realms, somewhere not quite of earth, not quite of sky.
Our refuge for the coming days was a collection of cottages nestled deep in nature’s embrace, where the river’s song was an ever-present lullaby, and the rustle of leaves hinted at secrets just beyond reach. Each family claimed a cottage, complete with the warmth of a fire and the simplicity of the earth. As dusk deepened, a chill settled into the air, and we gathered around a bonfire, our laughter mingling with the crackling flames. The river added its voice to the conversation, flowing as steadily as our shared stories. In the absence of signal and screen, we found a rare, pure connection—not with devices, but with each other and the world around us.
Day 1:
Before dawn’s light had fully torn away the darkness, the sun’s first gentle rays kissed our cottages, and birds sang their cheerful morning songs, weaving notes into the stillness. Leaves, young and tender, greeted us with a sprinkle of dew, and the grass beneath our feet danced with a quiet joy. It felt as though the earth had dressed herself in her finest, just to welcome us. With swift hands and light hearts, we readied ourselves, packing a simple breakfast and lunch before setting off on our day’s adventure.
Our first destination was the Graskop Gorge Lift, a doorway to the heart of a forest. The lift carried us down 50 meters into a world where every leaf and stone seemed to breathe life. Wooden bridges crossed streams that whispered secrets to the wind, and the trees bent low to greet us as we walked—a walk not merely through nature, but into the very soul of it. We climbed from the shadows of the forest to the heights of God’s Window, a place where the horizon stretched endlessly and clouds lay below us like an ocean of dreams. It felt like standing at the edge of eternity, gazing out over the world as though through a divine portal.
The path from there led us to Berlin Falls, where water tumbled gracefully from the heights, like a sari of white silk unfurling in the wind. Though we could not approach too closely, the sight filled our eyes and hearts, and we shared a simple picnic amidst the splendor. We journeyed next to Bourke’s Luck Potholes, a natural wonder carved by time at the meeting of the Treur and Blyde Rivers. These swirling waters had shaped the rocks into deep caverns and colored stone pools, as if painting the history of the land itself. We stood on wooden bridges above, marveling at the ancient artistry of the earth.
As the day drew to a close, we visited Sabie Falls and Lone Creek Falls, both flowing along the Sabie River. The former, though small and tranquil, shimmered with quiet beauty, while the latter thundered down from heights so great that the spray hung in the air like a misty veil. The falls’ roar seemed to speak of distant lands and times long gone, carrying tales of the river’s journey through this ancient landscape.
Day 2:
Kruger National Park awaited us—a sanctuary as vast as the imagination, stretching over nearly 20,000 square kilometers, where the wild roams free and life unfolds without human interference. Established in 1898, Kruger is more than a park; it is a realm where the spirit of Africa thrives in its most untamed form. As we entered, a local park ranger welcomed us, recognizing the small Ganapati and Hanuman idols on our dashboard—a touch of home in a world so far from it.
Inside, the park breathed life into every moment. The sight of hippos basking in still waters, giraffes gracefully nibbling at the sky’s edge, and zebras grazing in the open fields brought us face to face with nature’s grandeur.
At one point, a herd of elephants crossed our path, moving with a grace that belied their size. We waited as they made their way across the road, their silent procession a reminder of time’s gentle passage. Not long after, we encountered two lions resting by the roadside, their golden coats blending with the pale grass. The proximity of such powerful creatures stirred something ancient within us—a sense of wonder and humility.
The journey continued, unveiling rhinos and cheetahs, crocodiles and countless other wonders. At Lower Sabie, the river welcomed hundreds of animals seeking to quench their thirst. Here, it felt as if we were watching life’s grandest performance, where every creature played its part in a story as old as the land itself.
Day 3:
Our final day began with a visit to Sudwala Caves, ancient beyond imagination, their stone halls carved out some 2800 million years ago. Walking through the caves felt like stepping back in time, into a world where the earth itself held secrets yet to be told. The air was warm, and every rock seemed to carry whispers of the past.
Our last destination was Dullstroom Birds of Prey Centre, where we watched the sky come alive with wings. The bird show captivated us, each species offering a glimpse into a world where flight is freedom. The children’s laughter rang out like the calls of the birds, a fitting end to a journey that had felt like a soaring escape from life’s constraints.
And so, our four-day odyssey came to its conclusion. We returned home with hearts filled to the brim, knowing that the world awaited us once more. Yet, we carried with us the spirit of our journey—the scent of the earth, the call of the river, the rustle of leaves. This was more than a trip; it was a rekindling of the soul, a reminder that life is not lived on screens or schedules, but in moments that take our breath away.
This was a journey without a map or destination, where we shut the doors of the car but opened the doors of our hearts. We left a piece of ourselves amidst the mountains, painting our memories on the canvas of trees and sky. Like birds, we wandered and built a nest of experiences that will stay with us always. Such travels ground us, rooting our global lives in the enduring truths of nature.
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