The Marula Hill Journal
Where the world goes quiet
Field notes, long reads, and quiet writing on safari, slow travel, and the bush.
From the editor
We started the journal because the safari we sell is not the one most websites describe. The truth is slower, stranger, more personal. So we are writing it down, one piece at a time. Welcome.
Sian and Vikki
The Long Read
Sabi Sand, the reserve that built modern safari
Why one strip of bush on Kruger's western edge changed how the world watches leopards
Field Notes
From the bush
Short pieces, written from the seat of the Land Cruiser.
No. 1
Safari lodges are not hotels
Why the comparison falls away the moment you understand how a safari lodge actually operates
No. 2
A day on safari, hour by hour
From the knock at the door to the second sundowner
No. 3
The smell of the bush at 5am
Why we still get up before dawn after twenty years in the bush. The case for the early game drive, written from the back of a Land Cruiser at five in the morning.
Photo Essay
In the light
What a day on safari actually looks like. A real walk through the hours of a safari day, from the pre-dawn knock on your door to dinner around the fire.
Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge: our review. Our honest take on Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge, the architecturally remarkable, art-filled camp buried in a Sabi Sand hillside.
Honeymoon safaris in South Africa. Where to go, what to expect, and how to pair bush with beach
Choosing Between
Two countries. One question.
When the trip narrows to a coin toss, here is how we think about it.
Before You Go
The practical notes
Working answers to the questions we get asked most.
The Dispatch
Letters from the bush
A quiet email when something is worth telling. No more than once a quarter.
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