Where are you from?

We are from South Africa. When not on the road we are based near Hoedspruit, close to the Kruger National Park.

When did you start your interest in exploration?

Having been born and bred in Africa, we have both spent as much time as possible on adventures outdoors since childhood. Our love for exploring, the natural world, and things like hiking, birding, fly-fishing, photography and connecting with African wilderness all merge when overlanding and exploration. It makes perfect sense as a lifestyle to us. 

Because we are always out seeking the wonder in this beautiful world and sharing it with like-minded people to encourage them to do the same, we call our blog Seeking Wonder.

In fact, we love it so much that we also put our passion for exploration into forming Seeking Wonder Adventures. This platform allows us to personally craft ready-made, custom and hosted tag-along 4×4 self-drive adventures and holidays for others who also wish to seek the wonders of Africa but might have limited time or resources to do it full-time or long-term. Our motto is simple: by adventurers, for adventurers. 

What is a brief understanding of your background story up until you started seeking adventure?

Before we met in 2017, we had both grown up in families that loved nature and spending time outdoors, so we had always had that love and curiosity. People sometimes say that what is called serious overlanding by the rest of the world is just a typical family holiday to South Africans, and it’s very true! Adventure came as a very natural and central extension of our life together, and after we got married, we decided to pursue exploration full-time and live our dream life to the fullest. Deo is an engineer and Simoné an architect, so we had to adapt our jobs to suit our lifestyle on the road and working remotely, but it all worked out pretty well and we couldn’t be happier.

What special skills do you have to help with your explorations?

We can play Scrabble in any weather and location, and if curiosity and wanderlust are skills, then that helps too! But other than that, Deo’s admin and planning skills certainly help at a practical level, while Simoné’s graphic and photographic talents help to document our travels in a way we would like to remember them.

Where have you explored so far?

While we also love backpacking and exploring further afield when we can, our long-term overlanding adventures are based in Africa. We have explored Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, and of course South Africa. In the process we have driven about 110 000 km and hiked about 1200 km, so you could say we are Africa-addicts!

What is a brief understanding of your adventures so far?

We started out being weekend warriors based in Pretoria, exploring as much possible when time allowed. However, it very soon became clear to us that we are not meant to be city-dwellers forever – we just love exploring and the outdoors too much. In fact, we made a pact on a mountain hike soon after meeting that one day we will travel through the whole of Africa together, we just need to find the right time! 

As with many such stories, the Covid pandemic was a catalyst in the process. It not only sparked that sense in us of how fleeting, fragile and beautiful life really is, but also helped to put remote working more on the map. We adopted the just do it attitude, closed our eyes and jumped! We started out with shorter trips to closer destinations, growing to 3–6-month trips, and eventually to much longer expeditions up to Central and East Africa. After experiencing the wonders of Africa out there on the road, going back to office jobs was never going to be an option. So, we moved our homebase to a location at the foot of a mountain next to a river in the South African bush where we can explore and adventure continually even when not on the road. Generally, we plan our overland trips to be home in the wet seasons, taking the road up North in dry times when solo African travel is easier.

What are the top three destinations you hope to explore next, and why?

There are so many on this list! But let’s try these:

1. Zimbabwe: We somehow have always missed out on it due its somewhat bad reputation for overland travels in the recent past. But this has improved a lot, and there are such amazing places there to discover, so we will be exploring it properly soon! 
2. Gabon: Vast rainforests, mangroves, forest elephants on the beach, and amazing fish and bird species throughout. Need we say more?
3. Patagonia: Exploring one of the last remaining true wildernesses on earth is something we have always wanted to do!

Where would you recommend others visit?

No two people are the same, so what we prioritise and enjoy most on adventures, others might not. 

The sheer diversity of South Africa’s landscapes and biomes is amazing, as are the vast deserts and desolate coastlines of Namibia, the game-rich wildernesses and wetlands of Botswana, and the waterfalls and wilds of Zambia. Then there are Malawi’s beautiful lake and its friendly people, the bucket-list game reserves and tropical coastline of Tanzania, the volcanic mountains of Rwanda, the deep forests and lakes of Uganda and the diversity of mountains, dry plains and forests of Kenya. 

We could go on and on, but in short – visit Africa!

How do you primarily travel on your adventures today?

Meet Baloo, our trusty Toyota Land Cruiser (2020 4.5L V8 Diesel). He is our adventure partner, home, office and he is also the only bear you are likely to meet in Africa! Baloo’s Jungle Book-inspired name came about naturally, since we travel with only the bare necessities that serve our adventures most efficiently. He had been our wedding-day car (complete with a just-married sign), turned into a submarine when we went through deep Botswana water-crossings, and provided safety when two elephant bulls inspected the contents of our kitchen in Namibia. We watched from the rooftop tent as a leopard patrolled our campsite, worked long hours in his shade and made countless campfire meals by his side. 

We keep things very simple. We removed the backseat and replaced it with a DIY decked cupboard system of our own design that effectively uses the space volume and includes sizable and lockable sub compartments as well as various 12V power points. Other modifications include heavy duty suspension, a rooftop tent, two spare wheels for the type of places we love to visit (we learnt this the hard way), a 45L refrigerator and all the recovery gear, parts and all-important fishing gear in various ammo boxes. Our power setup is a dual battery system with a 25A DC-DC charger and 150W portable solar panel. We carry four jerry cans of fuel with a roof-crate for wood, and a slim 50 litre water tank and plastic jerry can with gravity drains to keep the water supply simple. This way we can live comfortably and unsupported in the bush for about two weeks before re-stocking.

What are five pieces of equipment that you always travel with?

Living and working from Baloo means that space is a priority, so pretty much everything we carry is essential. But if we have to choose five:

1. Medicine box: There are a lot of what-ifs out in the wilds of Africa!
2. Garmin Inreach: So that our family can know we are okay.
3. Camera gear: And equally important – battery chargers and backups.  
4. Fly-fishing gear: Because there are about 3000 fish species in Africa. Make space!
5. Scrabble: Where we go there is no Netflix.

What inspires you to explore more?

The endless diversity of wonders in the world, the beauty of African wilderness, the wonder of meeting new people and experiencing other cultures and the sheer thrill of adventure around the next corner. 

How do you engage with others?

The people we encounter along the way are always warm and friendly despite language barriers. We always try to learn as much of the local language as possible. It is amazing to see how people’s faces light up when they understand you. Although it often ends in laughter when we get our Habaris and Jambos all mixed up, it is the effort of trying that goes a long way. We try to make use of local guides and community campsites wherever possible, as this supports the local economy in a more sustainable way. We also shop in the somewhat chaotic local markets - not only is the produce cheaper and usually fresher than supermarkets, it gives you a more immersive appreciation for the local way of life and engaging with others.

Why is it important to embrace global cultures?

Immersing yourself in other cultures, you experience first-hand other people’s everyday reality. This is most apparent when travelling slowly and meaningfully. It widens your horizons and perspectives on life and teaches you to respect others. It helps you to understand at a deeper level that your own reality back home can be less self-centred and more about embracing others and the environment around you.   

What are your goals when you explore?

Our main goal is simple: to travel meaningfully by seeking and sharing the wonders of this beautiful world. 

The smaller adventure goals in between might be timing the trip to witness the Serengeti migration, finding a gorilla without getting bogged down in equatorial rains, seeing an elusive bird species found in only a specific area, or catching a Zambezi tiger fish before the floodplains dirty the river. That way, we have some structure, but we also have the flexibility and freedom to explore on the go.

What are some challenges you have experienced?

Managing remote working in Africa is a continuous challenge. Not only are there connectivity issues, but it is sometimes hard balancing hours and having the discipline to work in a spectacular location with a hiking trail or game drive waiting! 

Of course, keeping Baloo in good shape and being ready for recoveries when getting stuck are continuous challenges in rural Africa. After a bad incident involving metal shavings, clogged fuel filters and an unhappy Deo, we also search the extra mile for decent quality diesel, avoiding the many dodgy fuel traders. 

Bribery is unfortunately still a reality in Africa (especially West and East Africa), which always creates challenges for overlanding travellers. Fuelled by some travellers who simply pay the bribe to continue with their journey as soon as possible, it is important for us to not support this behaviour as paying bribes only makes the cycle continue. We have learned a few tips and tricks on the road to manage this (which includes a LOT of patience, staying calm and friendly yet firm) and we are really happy to report that we have never paid a bribe over all our travels in Africa.

But all things considered, these are very minor challenges compared to the privilege of being out there!

What has been your most meaningful moment so far?

Over our last couple of years of overlanding, we are constantly in awe of how exploration reminds you what is really important in life. It has a way of connecting you on a deeper level with others, with nature and with yourself. 

We are privileged to have had many magical moments that stand out, and most of them are related to the wonders of Africa’s wilds and her creatures, and connecting with them. We found the enigmatic Shoebill in the Bangweulu wetlands after searching for a whole day, and a rare Pel’s Fishing Owl visited our campsite in the Okavango. We sat at our campfire under a giant baobab with the milky way shimmering above us, cooked breakfast next to the Luangwa river with elephants wading through the shallows, and played Scrabble next to Baloo with Kilimanjaro rising up behind us. We had lions visit our camp in the Kalahari, followed cheetahs into the sunset in the Masai Mara, and sat quietly with mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in the forests of Uganda. We caught and admired the beauty of ferocious tigerfish in the Zambezi, and the Nile perch below the Murchison Falls. We could go on and on!

How has exploration changed you?

People (including ourselves) are so often ignorant of the unknown, and usually just as afraid. But when you venture beyond your comfort zone and explore Africa (or wherever) for yourself you realise what you have been missing out on between 8 and 5 in the office or city traffic. It broadens your horizons and gives you new perspectives on life. You have but one life, so live it to the fullest, fill it with what makes you happy while serving the people and environment around you.

What is the number one lesson that you have learnt through your exploration?

It is going to be okay! As long as you keep your senses open and wits about you, remain self-reliant, resourceful, patient and friendly, the wide world out there is often less intimidating than you might have thought. 

How do you explore locally?

When at home, you will find us exploring and camping in the wilds of Kruger National Park a few times a month. The African bush is so beautifully diverse and unpredictable – no two game drives are ever the same. We also enjoy hiking, birding and fishing in the surrounding areas. We are blessed in South Africa with a rich diversity of landscapes and adventure options, so within a few hours we can be high in the cold mountains of the Drakensberg, forests of Magoebaskloof or on the warm Indian Ocean coastline.

What does the explmore mantra mean to you?

It’s a powerful pledge we also try to live by! The world is full of diverse and beautiful wonders. Seek it out through adventure, by being humble and grateful, and by respecting others and the environment so that future generations can also experience the wonder of exploration.

What advice would you give to others who are seeking life changing adventure?

Just get out there – it is never going to be the perfect time and you don’t have to have it all figured out or the best gear. Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show. We have met so many adventurers, each doing it in their own way and on their terms. But the number one common theme and advice from all of them is to get started no matter what!