Reconnecting with every step – Walking in Lebombo

If it's Tuesday, it must be Zurich; if it's Friday – Boston. As a financial planner and investment manager with over 400 clients across 15 countries, Jonathan Lachowitz finds it almost impossible to switch off. That's why he deliberately schedules time in his calendar to disconnect completely at Singita Kruger National Park by walking in the Lebombo concession.

As much as he loves the comforts of both the Sweni and Lebombo lodges, you won't find him idling by the pool. As soon as dawn breaks, when the sky turns deep shades of gold and pink and light falls on the euphorbia trees and the N’Wanetsi River, he's out on foot in the wilderness.

And it’s not the usual two to three-hour bush walks for him, but rather a full day out, from sunrise to sunset, that is his soul tonic. It's something he comes back to time and time again.

He explains, "When you're in Lebombo, you're really 'out there' in nature. You've got Mozambique on one side and Kruger on the other. Occasionally, at certain higher points, your phone will pick up messages and emails, but most of the time, you're completely disconnected. There are radios for safety, but otherwise, you're not even tempted to check emails or take calls because you simply can't. It's my escape from the world.”

On his visits to Singita Kruger National Park, Jonathan walks with Head Guide Solomon Ndlovu and Tracker Sunday Ndlovu. After many hours spent walking together, the trio has an easy camaraderie built on trust and shared experiences.

“When you're out in the bush for 12 hours a day, you really get to know someone. We end up sharing stories about family or work, ambitions and nature, and we've experienced some truly incredible moments."

Each day starts in the game vehicle, but when fresh tracks are discovered, the real adventure begins on foot. Guided by his Field Guide and Tracker to constantly observe everything around him – from a hair from the mane of a lion stuck on a thorn bush to prints in the sand, or the behaviour of any wildlife, everything is intensified while walking. “You get to see and feel more off the vehicle there's a heightened sense of feeling, hearing and seeing.”

Jonathan is fascinated by all the clues nature provides, and by the small moments that become big moments that arise when you're part of nature’s story unfolding. "There are so many signs out there – the shape of where an animal has lain down to sleep or rest, how they've eaten a branch, how giraffes stop chewing when there's danger… You pick up so many details and it’s all happening at once."

Generally, the walks are placid, although he and Solomon like to move at a pace. The aim however is not to get the adrenaline going. Jonathan recalls a few close encounters with elephants and buffalo and, on one occasion, meeting the Shish Pride of lions near the concession's border with Kruger National Park.

“Several lionesses jumped up when their cubs came in our direction. You've never properly heard a lion's growl until you've heard it from 25 metres on foot,” he says.

He also says that while the adrenaline-filled moments are certainly memorable, being in the bush forces you to be present in every moment. The relationship of trust needs to go two ways, which is something he treasures. “When we're out walking, not only do I have to trust my Guide and Tracker with my life, they have to trust that I will follow their lead and do what they're doing.”

Walking in the Lebombo concession has become something of a soul journey – a chosen rite of passage that has helped him to understand his place in the grand scheme of things.

“What I realise when walking out there is how small and insignificant we are as human beings. When you are staring down a pride of lions or trying to avoid a buffalo or herd of elephants on foot, you realise nature is a lot stronger than you and a lot bigger,” he says.

When Solomon, Sunday and Jonathan get back to the lodge at the end of a long day, there’s always a keen interest from the other guides in what they saw. Jonathan says he’s very proud of his unofficial title as ‘trainee guide’.

“They treat me like part of the family,” says Jonathan. “I'm always sad to leave but the best antidote is to buy another plane ticket back to South Africa.”