“We spotted him resting high in the branches, his body blending seamlessly with the shifting shadows. Calm but powerful, every muscle seemed ready to move. His eyes were sharp, watchful, and for a second, he saw me.” - Janis, Bonamy guest

There’s a moment on safari that stays with you long after the dust has settled and the bags are unpacked.

It’s not the big five checklist, or even the sweeping views.

It’s something far quieter, and far more powerful.

It’s the first time you lock eyes with a predator in the wild.

It’s more than a sighting. It’s an encounter.

And it changes everything.

“It Left a Mark on My Soul” - Janis’ First Leopard

Janis, one of our multi-repeat guests, has been on many safaris before. But nothing compared to that first afternoon in South Africa, when she saw a leopard for the very first time.

It wasn’t loud. There was no sudden movement.

Just a flicker of light through the trees, a suggestion of shadow - and then suddenly, him.

“Each time I’ve been on safari has been unforgettable,” she told us, “but my first encounter with a leopard left a mark on my soul.”

High in the branches, his body stretched effortlessly across the limbs, golden fur kissed by the setting light. He wasn’t moving. He didn’t need to. The power was in the stillness.

And then, he looked at her.

That One Second That Changes Everything

“I know he saw me,” Janis said. “I felt exposed beneath that steady gaze, like I’d stepped into his world, just for a moment.”

It wasn’t rational. He was too far away to be a threat.

But the feeling? That pulse of awe, vulnerability, thrill?

Completely real.

That’s the kind of connection that can’t be scripted. But it can be anticipated.

At Bonamy, we design your journey to maximise your chances of moments like this, where the wild doesn’t just reveal itself. It acknowledges you.

Why First-Time Encounters Stay With You

There’s something about that first predator encounter that never fades.

Even our most seasoned guests say they remember it like it was yesterday.
It’s emotional. It’s primal.

And it sparks something inside you, something deep and lasting.

You remember the stillness. You remember the pulse in your chest.

You remember how seen you felt, by something utterly wild.

“That moment has stayed with me, thrilling, humbling and completely addictive.”

We're here to create these moments that lead to stories like Janis’ and memories that rewrite how you feel about the natural world.

When you travel with us, you don’t just return with photos, you come back with goosebumps and a rekindled sense of wonder. 

There are so many ways we can talk about these moments.

But until you experience it for yourself, there really are no words that do it justice.

We don’t just bring you to the wild. 

We bring you to the moment that will change your life forever.