Celebrating 25 years, our Circle of Seasons

April, with its gentle rains and spirit of Easter, always brings a sense of renewal, fresh beginnings, new grass, and vibrant life breaking through. For us, this April weaves together so many meaningful moments in our family’s story, and it feels right to pause and celebrate each one.

Mikey and I marked our silver wedding anniversary on April 21st, a milestone that neither of us believes has come around so fast!

We’re also celebrating 25 years of Specialised Safaris, cherishing every journey and friendship we’ve built along the way.

And, with deep love, we remember Sue Carr-Hartley (Granny Sue), who left us on April 4th, but whose legacy as our unwavering rock, and her belief that “life is for living”, continues to inspire. Sue dedicated herself to nurturing both people and animals back to health and happiness.

Sue Carr-Hartley, with Mikey and Tanya and Colleen, enjoying a sundowner with Eleanor our bush bar!

This April, more than ever, feels like our circle of seasons, full of endings, beginnings, and the enduring rhythms of life.

After generations of wandering and 25 years of refining our path, we find ourselves returning to what matters most. We are surrounded by an incredible team and our three remarkable children, and we feel deeply grateful for the raw inspiration that safari life in this extraordinary continent brings us year after year.

This is home. It lifts us up and reminds us why we love what we do.

Africa isn’t just a place on the map, it’s the cradle of humanity, the ground where our shared journey began. To visit here, or for us to live it every day, is to feel that deep, unmistakable sense of belonging.

Some call it catching the “Africa bug,” others simply say, “we feel like we’ve come home.” For us, we are fortunate, this wild, captivating land is both home and livelihood, woven into our everyday lives. 

Our safaris celebrate both people and place, the stretching tawny savannahs, deep indigenous forests, and volcanic mountains and valleys where rivers etch out the passage of time itself.Our camps sit beneath vast, uncorrupted skies crowded with stars. This is a place where getting lost is not a mistake, but a gift, and where you find a true connection to “mother earth.”  This continent calls you to feel the earth deeply and to understand its intricate connections.

If there’s magic left in the world, this is where it pulses most strongly. And in April, beneath the soft rains and vibrant life, that magic glows even brighter.

Safaris allow us to reconnect with ourselves, to embrace our senses and to slow down.

Small moments become profound. Time cannot be bought. Space becomes the greatest luxury. Light remains pure and unpolluted.

You might jump at Sessen’s playful “mock” charge, or feel the gentle tickle of grass as he hides near your ear, reminders to stay alert and fully present.  Mikey might lead you across luggas and along tough tracks, where suddenly you sense that touch of risk, that thrill returning. As the sun sets, we gather for sundowners, share stories by the fire, and laugh together. Then we drift off to sleep, surrounded by the soundtrack of the bush, feeling completely alive.

It’s the simple moments, like a matriarch elephant gently guiding her young, that ground us, along with the daily rituals of sunrise and sunset, rain and shine. No two days in this “office” are ever the same, and that is part of its magic.

We are often asked, “What’s your favourite place in Africa?”, and we pause, wondering how to answer such an impossible question. Can one truly choose?

The only certainty we have is our desire to share this remarkable continent while we can.

Our daughter Tisa once said that her only envy is for those who have not yet travelled here, who have not yet seen the incredible wildlife, for ahead of them lies the unrepeatable joy of a first African encounter. That magic moment of recognition, when people truly connect with the spirit of this wilderness, is often accompanied by a powerful sense of belonging in the cradle of humankind.

While we reflect on the past 25 years, we also look ahead, always thinking about the people and places that inspire us, and the incredible destinations that remind us why we love what we do.  Much has changed in the travel space over the past few years, but safari life continues to bring this family alive, drawing us back to our natural curiosity and sense of exploration, something we see reflected in the next generation too.

Sala, now 22, ran her first marathon in London last weekend, achieving an incredible time of 3 hours and 35 minutes and raising an amazing £5,884 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

And we hope this cradle continues to move others as deeply as it moves us.