Report by Mandi Gunsberger from Nourish Travel
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Africa had been on my bucket list for decades.
Growing up in Sydney with parents who had emigrated from South Africa, I spent much of my childhood hearing stories about Zimbabwe and South Africa. There was always something fascinating about the continent in my imagination, but like many people, I assumed I would get there “one day”. One day turned into many years.
Between raising three daughters, building businesses and navigating the usual demands of life, Africa remained firmly on the wish list. Then last year, at 49, I finally boarded a plane and headed for Botswana.
What I expected was extraordinary wildlife, spectacular scenery and a memorable holiday. What I didn’t expect was how much I needed it.
The previous few years had been some of the most challenging of my life. Alongside running businesses and managing family life, our family had been dealing with significant health challenges involving one of our daughters. As any parent who has cared for a child through illness will understand, life can quickly become consumed by appointments, treatments, uncertainty and worry.
Like many women, I had become very good at simply getting on with things. Over the years I had founded four businesses, including one that was eventually acquired. I have always loved creating things, solving problems and building communities, but the problem with being capable is that people often assume you’re coping, including yourself.
It wasn’t until I arrived in Africa and spent several days disconnected from my usual routine that I realised how exhausted I had become. For years I had been operating in problem-solving mode, focusing on what needed to be done next rather than whether I was looking after myself. Looking back now, I can see that I was carrying far more than I realised.
My journey began at Victoria Falls, where the sheer scale of the landscape immediately puts life into perspective. Standing beside one of the largest waterfalls in the world, surrounded by mist and the constant roar of water, it is impossible not to feel a sense of awe. Millions of litres of water thunder over the edge every minute, creating a spectacle so powerful that it has drawn travellers from around the world for generations.
From there I travelled into Botswana, a country renowned for its wildlife, conservation efforts and some of the most pristine wilderness areas left on Earth.
What struck me almost immediately was the sense of space. Botswana is a country of vast horizons and enormous skies, and after years spent living between school schedules, meetings and endless to-do lists, the contrast was impossible to ignore. The pace slows almost immediately. Without constant phone coverage, packed schedules or the usual distractions, the days begin to revolve around sunrise, wildlife sightings and the rhythms of the natural world.
Within a few days I found myself paying attention to things I would normally rush past. A bird perched in a nearby tree, elephants moving steadily across the floodplains, or the way the sky changed colour as the sun set over the river suddenly felt far more important than whatever was happening in my inbox back home.
Of course, the wildlife was extraordinary. Like many first-time visitors to Africa, I arrived hoping to see elephants, lions and giraffes, but I quickly discovered that it wasn’t just the animals themselves that were memorable. It was watching them go about their daily lives in an environment that felt largely untouched by the modern world.
Elephants quickly became my favourite. Seeing them in the wild is completely different to seeing them in a zoo or documentary. They move with an unexpected grace despite their enormous size, and there is something deeply moving about watching family groups interact. One afternoon, our vehicle stopped as a herd crossed directly in front of us. Young calves stayed close to their mothers while older animals seemed to keep a watchful eye on the group. It was impossible not to be reminded of our own families and the instinct we all share to protect the people we love.
Botswana is also famous for its extraordinary birdlife, and even as someone who had never considered herself particularly interested in birds, I found myself captivated by the countless species that seemed to appear around every corner. Every game drive offered something different, and there was always a sense of anticipation about what might appear next.
Life in the bush quickly settled into a rhythm that felt very different from everyday life. Early morning yoga or meditation pre-sunrise, followed by long breakfasts, conversations with incredible people from all over the world, and afternoons of game drives or simply soaking up the landscape. Evenings often ended around a campfire beneath a sky crowded with stars.
One of the experiences that remains most vivid in my memory was an afternoon on the Chobe River. As the light softened towards sunset, elephants gathered at the water’s edge, hippos emerged from the shallows and birds returned to their nests for the evening. It was one of those moments where everyone instinctively falls quiet because words don’t really add anything. The scene unfolding in front of us was far more powerful than anything a photograph could capture.
As the week unfolded, I began to understand why so many travellers speak about Africa with such affection and why so many return repeatedly. The wildlife is certainly part of the attraction, but there is also a feeling of perspective that comes from spending time in a place where nature still dominates the landscape.
One of the things I appreciated most about Botswana was the simplicity of life in the wilderness. Days were structured around sunrise and sunset rather than meetings and deadlines, and there was something deeply restorative about allowing nature to set the pace. The river continued to flow, the animals continued to move through the landscape and the sun rose and set each day without any regard for schedules or productivity.
Back home, life is often measured by how much we achieve in a day. We move quickly from one commitment to the next and rarely allow ourselves the opportunity to slow down. Spending time in the wilderness highlighted just how unusual that pace of life has become and how much we can benefit from occasionally stepping away from it.
When I returned home, I was surprised to find that the memories that stayed with me weren’t necessarily the most dramatic wildlife encounters. Instead, I kept thinking about how calm I had felt, how much I had enjoyed the slower pace and how rarely I give myself permission to completely switch off.
I suspect many women will relate to that feeling. Midlife often becomes a balancing act between raising children, supporting ageing parents, managing careers or businesses and navigating our own health and wellbeing. It’s a stage of life that can be enormously rewarding, but it can also be exhausting. We become so accustomed to carrying multiple responsibilities that we rarely stop to consider the impact it has on us.
My first trip to Africa reminded me that looking after ourselves isn’t something we should feel guilty about. In fact, it is often what allows us to keep showing up for the people, businesses and communities that depend on us.
That experience ultimately became one of the reasons I decided to create a Botswana retreat through Nourish Travel.
Of course, guests come for the wildlife, the safari experience and the opportunity to visit one of the world’s most remarkable destinations. Botswana offers all of that in abundance. They come for the elephants crossing floodplains at sunset, the excitement of spotting lions in the wild, the extraordinary birdlife and the chance to experience one of Africa’s last great wilderness regions.
But what I hope they take home is the same thing I did: a renewed appreciation for nature, a reminder of the value of slowing down and the realisation that sometimes the most important thing we can do is step away from our everyday lives long enough to gain a little perspective.
Looking back now, Botswana was far more than a long-awaited bucket-list destination. It arrived at a point in my life when I needed perspective, rest and a reminder that there is more to life than constantly being productive. The wildlife was extraordinary and the landscapes unforgettable, but the greatest gift was returning home feeling more like myself than I had in years.
Like so many people who visit Africa for the first time, I already know I’ll be back.
About Mandi Gunsberger
Mandi Gunsberger is the founder of Nourish Travel, a travel venture born from her own transformative experience in the African wilderness. A seasoned entrepreneur who has successfully built and sold businesses, Mandi understands the intense demands of modern life. Her first journey to Botswana provided the rest, perspective, and reconnection she desperately needed. Through Nourish Travel, she now curates retreats that offer others the opportunity to step away from the pressures of everyday life and experience the restorative power of nature.