My quest to experience a great ‘Braai” ( similar to our barbecue) and travel to South Africa on “Chefari” started with a few comments and experiences of my daughters. Karen had an internship in South Africa and brought back some “biltong” ( a South African meat Jerky) made of Kudu and some from Springbok. I was intrigued. My eldest daughter Kristin is a fan of Chef Gordon Ramsey who is known to raise or hunt his own food, which I can personally identify. Karla thinks I should just find something edible and go to it!
Well, some folks can just grab their equipment , passport and head off on adventure; however, taking the time to plan out one’s trek is worth the effort. Needless to say, I had a few things to do before I leave. I needed a professional hunter and found one via Friends of the NRA… Likhulu Safari! Also, I needed a particular rifle for this trip and purchased an Interarms Mark X 375 caliber. Recently, I upgraded the scope to one from Swarovski Optik that I had a chance to inspect at a recent SFI Convention. Oh yes, I bought some boots from an excellent South African store called M Gordon Footwear!
Going to South Africa is getting very easy for Americans because all you need is a passport for most visits. Hunters need import permits from South African and a permit to bring your rifle back into the states from Homeland Security. No particular inoculations are needed to enter South Africa, unless you are entering from a country where various diseases are problematic.
My daughter Karen provided a number of wonderful suggestions on her blog on things to think about before you take your trip:
South Africa — 10 things to know!
Karen’s collection of blogs on South Africa
I am certainly looking forward to my CHEFARI later this summer… and I will blog about it as it occurs!