Let me tell you a story. A personal one.
There are three things that are non-negotiable in my life: sleep, food, and birds. Now, imagine a place where all three collide in the most magical way, welcome to Makuleke. The name alone makes you pause, right? Makes you want to lean in and listen.
For those who’ve followed my journey in conservation photography, you’ll know that my roots are in bird photography. My early dreams were to become an ornithologist that didn’t quite materialize, but the birds? They stayed. And somehow, they always find their way back into my story.
So here’s my bold question:
What if the dreams you let go of still find a way to shape the person you become?
Makuleke, both a tribe and a region, sits at the northern tip of Kruger National Park in South Africa. It belongs to the Tsonga people, who were forcibly displaced when the park was first established. But after apartheid ended, they reclaimed their ancestral land through restitution laws.
Now here comes the unexpected fact:
From one edge of this conservation area, you can literally walk into Zimbabwe and Mozambique. That’s three countries in one afternoon, talk about a bucket-list border hop!
But what truly moved me was more than birds or borders.
When the Tsonga community shared their story with us through dance, song, and a skit. I couldn’t help but join in. This wasn’t just a performance. It was a raw emotional moment. A celebration of reclaiming identity, of turning pain into purpose. They didn’t just get their land back. They built a thriving ecotourism model that honors their past while creating a sustainable future. Conservation and community, side by side.
Now, about the birds, oh, the birds!
Makuleke is a birder’s paradise with over 350 species documented. Lifers? I got so many I stopped counting. Birders will understand once you get a lifer, you’ve made a friend. I met the Pel’s Fishing Owl, Three-banded Courser, Black-throated Wattle-eye, and the ever-charming Lemon-breasted Canary. The region’s lush riverine forests and wetlands make it a magnet for rare and beautiful species.
And me?
I was free. A bird with a camera. Soaring on joy.
Huge thanks to NEWF, Sewela and Pafuri Resort for making this possible. I even got to capture some magical frames and not to forget unwind with a well-deserved massage. Let’s just say, I’m already looking forward to the next one 😉
