From Jukani we headed to Monkeyland and Birds of Eden. If you’re looking for a fun few hours – these two tours are not to miss!
Monkeyland is the world’s first free-roaming primate sanctuary, and if you love monkeys you’re bound to squeal a bit while wandering the forest. Monkeyland aims to rehabilitate and free previously caged monkeys, by introducing a gorgeous, natural forest as their new home. Just as Jukani was established for the animals, Monkeyland ensures that the various monkey species are never used as a commodity, but that they’re safe and comfortable. Monkeys are one of those unpredictably amusing animals – when you observe them during your tour, you’re bound to see something interesting.
Birds of Eden took the longest of the three sanctuaries because you could move along at your own pace; a guide is not required. There are innumerable bird species, and it’s great for people of all ages. Birds of Eden is an incredibly clean tent full of various free-roaming birds. It’s a beautiful enclosure that you could spend hours walking through, as it’s easily navigable. Expect to see birds that you didn’t know even know existed – we sure did!
Thanks for the tours Vijver!
The South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance (SAASA) consisting of Monkeyland, Birds of Eden and The Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary are the current winners of the Lilizela Service Excellence Awards – Best Visitor Experience ‘Wildlife Encounters’; Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award – Best Major Attraction; winner of the ‘Best Animal Welfare Initiative’ and overall winner of the World Responsible Tourism Awards.
Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary focuses on the conservation education of big cats. A sanctuary is typically known as a place where animals are protected from hunting. According to the staff at Jukani, however, a true sanctuary should also “be a place of refuge to protect them from much more than hunting and/or the petting trade.” The Sanctuary tries its best to provide animals with the most natural habitats possible, with more than adequate space. We found it noteworthy that the staff cleans the animal enclosures everyday. These animals come from a surplus, from all over the world.
The reality is that people visit Africa to see the Big 5 – lion, elephant, cape buffalo, leopard and rhino; theses are said to be the hardest animals in Africa to hunt on foot. If Africa were to lose the Big 5, tourism would go down, economically hurting the continent as well. There’s a chance of species survival due to wildlife sanctuaries. Having said that, Jukani neither supports breeding nor the touching of animals (both very traumatic), and has all of the female predators on birth control. What I found most impressive and laudable was the fact that Jukani does nothing to profit off their animals – Mitch the White Tiger got buried whole, when his bones alone could have made thousands of dollars.
We took a tour of Jukani with our guide, Robert. He was extremely friendly, helpful, and answered my endless questions with precision and passion. Nick and I came to really admire the fact that Jukani is not a zoo; since it is a wildlife sanctuary, the priorities of the animals are put over that of people. Having said that, it’s fascinating to be able to see a wider species of big cats, not always seen in game parks, up close and personal; they will walk up right in front of you.
Some facts we learned during our tour:
The government supports cat hunting, or trophy hunting, because it brings in money
Hyenas can break a giraffes leg with one bite
Lions have no stamina. While they’re quicker than hyenas, hyenas have twice the heart size and can run for 5 kilometers
White Lions are on the verge of becoming extinct, and only found in Africa
Jaguars are the most versatile hunters and can swim with their eyes open to catch fish
Wild dogs are family oriented and will stay with an injured dog until it either gets better or dies.
Bengel Tigers kill more people than any other cat combined, making it the most dangerous. They are known to stalk their prey for 6 hours before making the kill.
A cheetah’s top speed is 120 km per hour, but can reach 100 km per hour in the first ten seconds
The South African Animal Sanctuary Alliance (SAASA) consisting of Monkeyland, Birds of Eden and The Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary are the current winners of the Lilizela Service Excellence Awards – Best Visitor Experience ‘Wildlife Encounters’; Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award – Best Major Attraction; winner of the ‘Best Animal Welfare Initiative’ and overall winner of the World Responsible Tourism Awards.
What’s the best way to begin your day? With pancakes and a gorgeous backdrop of course! With sleepy eyes, we walked faaaaar down the beach and climbed a sand dune to watch the sunrise over the ocean. We sat watching the whales breach in the distance while one of Bulungula’s cooks made us nutella crepes for an early breakfast.
An hour later, we journeyed back to Bulungula and decided to make the most of our thoroughly sunny day (rather than pass out, which is what our bodies would have preferred). It was our first relaxing day since the beginning of our trip, and we so enjoyed spending it on the beach…and burning (Hey Nick, have the tops of your feet recovered yet?).
After spending hours on the beach, we decided to shower off the sand before our next activity. Fun Fact: Bulungula doesn’t have flush toilets or easily obtained hot water. In order to have a hot shower at Bulungula, you have to pour a bottle of paraffin into a small hole at the bottom of a furnace-like shower pole. Then, you grab a wad of toilet paper and shove it in the hole on top of the paraffin. The final step? You take a lighter, light the toilet paper, and hope that you don’t blow up the building. Luckily, my shower stall did not light up in flames, and successfully managed to have warm water for five minutes.
That afternoon, we went on a village tour. Who knew how many hills were in the Nqileni Village?! Forced exercise at its finest…
Some highlights of the tour:
Village Party: We watched part of the last soccer game of the year. The village had a big tent and food for the championship, and much of the village was gathered around to cheer on their friends.
The Local Bar: The local “bar” is far from a bar. It was a room of loud, older women sitting on milk crates and drinking Umqombothi beer. They motioned for us to sit down and pretty much shouted at us in Xhosa for 45 minutes, as we nodded in agreement. We learned that the women speak so loudly so that no one could accuse them of gossip. I can’t say that it was the most comfortable experience, but it was definitely the most cultural. Eventually, the women loosened up and wanted to pose for our cameras. They sang and danced into our lenses, and it was priceless.
Head of the Village: We went into the home of the Head of the Village and learned that he resolves conflict within the community. There is an old head and a young head, which come from different families. We were then shown the spear that they use to kill the sacrifice during weddings and funerals; if the animal doesn’t scream, it is no good and they have to kill another.
The Local School: There are three classrooms that have 14-16 students per class, ages 3-6 (split into classrooms ages 3-4 years old, 4-5 years old, and 5-6 years old). We spoke with the teachers and found out that pre-school is mandatory so that every child in the village attends. The rooms were very well-kept, albeit small. At that level, they only teach Xhosa; it isn’t until primary school that the children start learning basic English. A little boy walked into one of the classrooms that we were in and wanted to play, so we ended up in a full-blown tickle fight. He was absolutely adorable, full of smiles and laughs. The joy in his face warmed my heart – most definitely the highlight of my day. Who knew how exhausting children were?!
Bulungula is an absolute must for anyone traveling to South Africa that’s looking for an authentic, fulfilling cultural experience.
You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.
The Five Foot Traveler 