Q&A with Indi Bilkhu

• How did you start out in guiding?

  I’ve been on safari since I was 10 days old that was my first camping trip, even though my family is not in the Safari business, my parents love to travel and my fondest memories growing up have been out in the Masai Mara on the Sand River, waking up to lions sitting by what was our camp fire that night, obviously looking for some warmth as well for the night, and playing in the rapids.

• What’s your favorite place in Africa and why?

  Undoubtedly the Mara / Serengeti ecosystem, and for good reason – the big wide open spaces, the masses of animals, the freedom of the grasslands. The energy – Its special.

• Have you ever been really scared on safari?

  When you’re out on safari for the first time, you maybe get intimidated by the wild beings out there, but their intention is never to harm us, they are generally more afraid of us then we are of them and we get comfortable and yes one has to be aware, nature has a peaceful and kind energy. You feel more alive and happier than you ever have been in a city. This is true of every guest I have ever taken on safari. A few days in and they feel like they belong and this is the only way to live.

• What three books do you recommend your guests read before going on safari?

  Only 3, this is a hard choice to make, but these are my top 3 favorites, and are descriptive in ways about the how the continent formed, we evolved, people moved, countries formed, wars, its history, and the romance that surrounds Safari.

  West with the night – Beryl Markham

  Africa, a biography of the continent – John Reader

  Out of Africa – Karen Blixen

• What are the three most important pieces of kit for guests to bring along?

  A decent pair of binoculars

  Torch

  Kikoy

  And a good sense of humor-  This should be top of the list !! 

• What is your motto in life and what concepts are sacred?

  There is a Zen Phrase: 一期一会 (ichigo ichie) ~ Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur, that is a most important motto for me and one I try my level best to live by.

  Honesty, Campassion, Joy and above all Gratitude are sacred concepts, which I think we should all live by.

   

• Which rules have you made, which ones do you follow and which rules do you break?

  To take each day as it comes, make sure my guests and I enjoy it to the fullest – not take it for granted, each day is a gift, and we are so blessed to be doing what we do in some of the most beautiful work settings. For most people who come on safari to Africa, its been a life long dream to come and experience the wilderness, the people, nature. We make their dreams come true, and for this to happen, one has to give a 110%, and to do that, you have to love what you do.

• What's your most embarrassing or comical moments ever on safari?

  There have been many, most I think as a child than in my adult life.  Stories for round the campfire….