It was the beginning of a harsh summer when we left Delhi in May. By the time we landed in Durban, we were at the end of the season and at the start of winter. I had not yet found occasion to be in the southern hemisphere, so I spent an entire, rather circuitous flight glued to the window, waiting for a glimpse of the imaginary but magnificent equator, which runs along for 4,000-odd km, passing through six countries on the African continent. Things are weird on the other side of the equator; alien constellations dot the sky — the North Pole star is invisible, the seasons are all wrong, and the flush of the toilet moves right, not left. (At the equator it goes straight down. This is the Coriolis effect, try it!)

We were a group of seven Indians in Durban for Africa’s biggest tourism event INDABA 2015 at the invitation of South Africa Tourism. As dreary as that sounds, the week in Durban was anything but that. There was a pleasant chill in the air, salty spray in our eyes and a spring in our step. There were safaris into the African wild, languorous strolls along the Golden Mile and haute cuisine on our plates. We took a peek into the country’s history at Ohlange High School, where Nelson Mandela cast his vote in the first democratic elections in 1994, and the Phoenix settlement, where Mahatma Gandhi planted the seeds of the passive resistance movement. Meanwhile, history was repeating itself in the city as it recovered from the latest bout of xenophobia. There was work — pressers and meetings to attend, and pleasure — entertainment shows and stand-up comedy nights. We had arrived as a group of strangers, we left as friends.

The mystery of the warthog

Three hours from Durban, at one end of the KwaZulu-Natal province, is the Phinda Private Game Reserve. One of the best known private reserves in the country, it is spread over 170 sq km and seven biomes, including sand forests, savannas and wetlands. It is also home to the Big Five — the African lion, African elephant, the cape buffalo, African leopard and the white and black rhinos, and thousands of mammal species and 434 species of birds.

Over three days, we climbed onto ranger Divan Kamffer’s trusty open-top safari jeep, hot on the trail of the Big Five. Mlusi the spotter sat still on the hood of the vehicle, his hawk eyes scanning farther than ours. We couldn’t tell where one biome ended and the next began, but Kamffer expertly made his way toward giraffes, nyalas, impalas and wildebeest. On one safari, the radio cranked up and a murmur of voices informed us that a lion had been spotted. Maybe even two.

At a speed that is characteristic of Indian safaris that have been alerted to the presence of the tiger, we set off towards the spot. Two other vans were already in position. High-definition lenses found aim, binoculars came out, so did the smartphones. I’ve spent days and nights in the forests of Ranthambore, Gir and the Terai, but this was a sight I’d never beheld: Two young lion cubs trailing their mother and grandmother. Twenty feet away.

The cubs were not more than a year old. The mother raised her tail and they followed her and grandma into a thicket. We moved our vans to the other side, waiting for them to emerge. Out of our sight for less than a minute, they came out of the bush holding a warthog in their mouths. How did the warthog get there? Was it already dead? We pondered the mystery of the warthog as the cubs tried to tear it open. The lioness looked on trifle irritated and handed out a few pointers. Unmoved by our presence, the cubs attacked the animal from both ends. One of them, positioned at the rear, momentarily lost balance. Slowly, they ripped into the carcass, pulling out its entrails. In large mouthfuls, the hungry cubs swallowed their not-so-hard-earned meal. Previously stuff of TV awe, seen only on NatGeo, we were watching live the first lessons of hunting and eating prey.

The next day of safari proved as eventful, when we met a majestic cheetah-duo. We’re informed that it has been four days since their last meal; it will soon be time to hunt. Instead of giving us a suspenseful chase, the cheetah brothers flopped down and gave us the frosty-nosed stare as we turned our vehicle left and right to take selfies with the felines.

Into the wild

By the end of three safaris, we had seen a few big and small cats, met temperamental African elephants — teenaged male bulls that were dismissed from their herds — and seen white rhinos and a lone black rhino. We spotted bushbabies and servals in the night, watched the Nile crocodiles and hippos relax in waterholes. We witnessed a hilarious spectacle of a harem of zebras (that’s what a zebra collection is called) scratching together on an acacia tree. We saw the red-billed oxpecker picking out ticks from wildebeests (a parasitic relationship) and heard the cisticolas cry ‘weep-weep-weep’. We swapped man-eater tales and listened closely to accounts of Rhino without Borders, the Cheetah reintroduction and the Leopard projects.

The African safari experience is different from what we see at our national parks. Only one-third the size of Jim Corbett National Park, Phinda had packed in more wildlife sightings than any Indian sanctuary. Private players operate reserves alongside the government, take up conservation projects and are involved with local communities. The rangers are well-trained and informed. Much like young Israelis who head to the hills after military service, young men and women of South Africa seem to take to the bush. Kamffer, a law graduate, is in his third year at Phinda. Training is arduous. For weeks, trainee-rangers, armed with field guides, walkie-talkies and rifles, wander the biomes on foot, getting to know the terrain and the animals.

Luxury safari reserves like Phinda also organise parties and weddings in the wild. As our trip came to an end, preparations were on for a couple whose wedding was to take place on a hill, the black rhino in sight and the forest behind. In 2011, it also played host to a cricket match, where a tiny airstrip served as the pitch. On our safaris, we broke for high tea in the midst of the jungle, to have the Mlusi special (coffee, chocolate, amarula and hot water) and munch on cookies. Attractive to the luxury traveller, but this is the wild, isn’t it?

Comedy nights with Carvin

Back in Durban, we head to Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street, in search of the most authentic bunny chow. A heavy meal disguised as a snack, it’s as Durban as it is Indian. An accidental invention, it came about in the mid-20th century in the crowded lanes of Victoria market when a ladle of curry fell into a bun. At Victory Lounge, Bollywood numbers from the ’90s play softly as owner Tibby Moodley, whose grandfather came to Durban from Tamil Nadu in the ’40s, takes orders. Tired after a shopping spree at Victoria market, trying on Zulu headgear and stocking up on ‘mother-in-law hell fire’ spices, we sink our teeth and fingers into the bunny.

On the last night, our newest friend and fellow journalist Carvin promises to take us to an evening of stand-up comedy. Like in India, stand-up is all the rage in Durban and we go to Fat Baz cafe to watch artists of The Uprising Comedy perform. A popular stand-up comic himself, Carvin is easily the best act of the night. Stalkers lurk for his autograph, fans ask for photographs. Part-Zulu, part-Indian, part-African-American, with even traces of Jewish blood, he spares no one. Overweight youth, feminists, ‘coloured’ people, Zimbabweans and Indians are all butts of his sharp jokes. We the Indians in Durban end the night at a desolate Bangladeshi diner, eavesdropping on Pakistanis discussing business deals, laughing hysterically.

Travel log

Getting there

No direct flights to South Africa. Fly Emirates via Dubai.

Stay

For safari holiday, Phinda Mountain Lodge or Rock Lodge, Elangeni for the best beach view, City Lodge Hotel for a stay in the city.

What to do

There are several history walks to choose from in Durban — Madiba trail, Gandhi trail or the food trail. You could also take a guided tour of the city.

Tips

If you’re keen on wildlife, you could volunteer as a ranger in a private reserve.

Take the Segway for a breezy ride along the golden mile. You will be trained and only then unleashed on the streets.

Catch a show at their best comedy club ‘Amsterdam’.

(The writer was in Durban at the invitation of South Africa Tourism.)

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