Campfire Conversations with Brett Horley

BHS Safari Company
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Campfire Conversations with Brett Horley

Campfire Conversations is hosted by safari guide, Brett Horley, and welcomes listeners to a virtual fireside chat in Africa. Over a drink of choice and alongside a campfire, Brett sits down with a variety of special guests and friends who lead adventurous lives and careers in the bush. These stories are real memories, experiences, and opinions intended to entertain and allow listeners an escape to Africa. Pour yourself a cold one and join us!

  1. S5 E3: Dr Ian Whyte - Kruger Park animal scientist (pt. 2)

    DEC 4

    S5 E3: Dr Ian Whyte - Kruger Park animal scientist (pt. 2)

    Dr Ian Whyte joins us on the podcast for the second time - back by popular demand after his tales from a 30+ year-long career in the Kruger National Park left our audience wanting more. This episode follows on with even more stories from Ian's life in wildlife conservation, where close calls, hair-raising encounters, and what Ian calls "dodgy moments" in his career, leave us with no doubt that he has a very hard working Fairy Godmother! The bond he created with wild lions during the many years tracking and monitoring pride dynamics, movements, and prey patterns led him to one of the most incredible moments with a lioness and her brand new cubs. To this day, Ian (as well as his wife, children, and many friends and admirers) thanks his lucky stars that he has lived to tell the tale.  A scenario involving an angry black rhino, and one or two other close shaves detail Ian’s colourful life in the Kruger. A true legend in his field, Ian's book "Living the Wild Life" captures a lifetime of adventures navigating the decades of animal research and conservation in South Africa’s most iconic national park. The book is a must-read for any Kruger Park enthusiast, and is available by direct order from Ian at merle.m.whyte@gmail.com or you can find it at Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport and on shelves at High Tea With Elephants. We’ve gifted a few copies to special guests and friends of BHS, and we are delighted to have had this second in-depth chat with the author.  There’s no promising we won’t do this again! Happy listening.

    28 min
  2. S5 E2: Grant Beverley & Andrew Briscoe - Kruger National Park

    NOV 14

    S5 E2: Grant Beverley & Andrew Briscoe - Kruger National Park

    Do you know “the Kruger Park shop smell”? How many little round soaps with their white waxy packaging and green SANParks sticker do you have in your toiletry bag? Grant Beverley reckons one could bottle the smell, sell it overseas and make a small fortune from nostalgic expats. Andrew Briscoe describes his Kruger memories as “formative” and remembers a cheetah kill from 1994 like it was yesterday. Brett Horley’s favourite Kruger moments are the skottle breakfasts, and putting together the camping gear with his daughters in days before. This fantastic podcast episode is coming at you from Orpen Camp in the Kruger National Park - there is no better place if you ask some people. Certainly if you ask our people! The good old KNP has never been knocked off our top 3 list. No matter how far we go or how long we are gone, South Africa’s historic, sprawling national park stretching from the Crocodile River in the south to the Limpopo River in the north, holds a very special place in the hearts of most South Africans.  In this episode, Brett talks to two great friends who share this sentiment. Grant and Andrew join him around a fire at Orpen rest camp, with two honey badgers trying their luck at the surrounding campsites. These three discuss the best roads in Kruger, their favourite spots in the park, the most iconic sightings, and their nostalgic lifetime memories that we know so many in our audience will relate to.  Brett has a goal to stay at every camp and drive every road in the park, but will there be enough time? Grant tells us that we only see about 500m on either side of the road when we drive the expansive road network, and there are huge blocks that are nowhere near accessible. There are 20,000km2 of wilderness within the park boundaries - we see only a fraction. Imagine everything we don’t see, and the possibilities there are at any time to see free-roaming animals in this space. Tune in - whether you’re a Kruger die-hard (shout out to our wonderful guests the Holtshausens who celebrated 42 years of marriage with a 42-day road trip in Kruger earlier this year!), or have never been before - this campfire conversation is bound to get you dreaming about a self-drive getaway to Satara!  We would love to hear your best Kruger stories, favourite roads, rest camps, and picnic sites. We all have our next Kruger trip already on the calendar… Do you?  Follow the legendary Kruger wild dog expert Grant Beverley and his incredible work with ⁠Contemplate Wild⁠, and keep an eye out for some of our collaborations.  Find us online https://www.bhs-safari.co/ @bhs_safarico hello@bhs-safari.co

    40 min
  3. S5 E1: Ben Coley - African Astronomy & Celestial Events

    OCT 22

    S5 E1: Ben Coley - African Astronomy & Celestial Events

    Ben Coley is a Professional Field Guide and Astronomy Educator who believes "Astronomy is the root of everything and to understand it is to achieve the ultimate connection with nature." For nearly two decades, he has entertained his guests with tales of the heavens as a part of their safari experience, and he has authored FGASA’s Specialist Astronomy Qualification, weaving an astronomical passion and knowledge to the country's advanced guiding qualifications. Having worked with Ben in the past to deliver a stargazing evening to our guests, we had to reconnect to take a deep dive into our southern skies. So we invited Ben to one of our favourite escapes in Klaserie where we got talking, and truly had our minds blown. Frames of reference entirely reframed! Ben says: "We believe in highlighting the cultural and environmental aspects of astronomy.  From how astronomy allowed early man to navigate and establish a society, to the traditional stories associated with the constellations, our Night Sky Safaris take people on a journey of discovery against the most stunning backdrop of them all." Under a darkening sky on safari, we watched as Ben brought the night to life, pointing out constellations, clusters, planets, distant galaxies, and nebulae. Using advanced telescopic equipment, a simple pair of binoculars, and a laser pointer, we watched as images and stories came to life. What a truly mind-altering experience on our tiny blue dot floating through space. Enjoy this immensely interesting chat with Ben on Campfire Conversations, and find him online to arrange a private night sky safari for a group of friends at home, or for a school event, or find out how Ben can deliver a virtual tour of the southern night skies. Ben's services are 100% available on our safaris in the Greater Kruger, and we know what an incredible impact they have. Find Ben online and get yourself acquainted with the night sky. You'll be asking yourself: "is it more daunting to imagine there are other beings out there, or is it more daunting to imagine we are entirely alone?" 🪐 celestialeventssa.com 🌌 celestialeventssa@gmail.com 👽 @celestial_events_sa

    54 min
  4. S4 E9: Destinations Unknown (ft. Pedro Quirino & Jo Cooper)

    MAY 15

    S4 E9: Destinations Unknown (ft. Pedro Quirino & Jo Cooper)

    Have you ever heard of Socotra? Neither had we, until we met Pedro Quirino - a Portuguese tour guide, eternal adventurer, and outdoors enthusiast who has travelled to this mysterious "treasure island" off the Horn of Africa and has introduced us to scenes we could only compare to something out of Avatar. Once we heard about this island of biodiversity that used to belong to the ancient continent of Gondwana, we got to researching and are now of the understanding that this is one destination that will blow the mind. It’s got us dreaming of something totally different! Join Brett, Jo, and Pedro in this fascinating chat about 3 destinations as yet unknown to us... Off the coast of Somalia and 380 km south of Yemen, this island is off the beaten track. It has a sacred spirit about it with Dragon's blood trees, hostile-looking cliffs and crags, a coast that looks like the Seychelles, and huge caves that are full of scientifically significant stalagmites and stalactites.  Birding, scuba diving, hiking, camping - wild, wild, wild. And a third of the fauna and flora is found nowhere else in the world. It's a relatively new tourism destination, given the restrictions that have historically been in place due to conflict in Yemen, and certainly it is brand new to us and on our radar. Flights from the UAE have been in action since 2021, and Pedro’s business, Africando, is our direct source to discovering Socotra.  But before you are sold on one crazy new destination alone - listen to what Pedro has to say about the west coast of Africa... the “scary side” of the continent. You’ll hear Pedro quickly debunk our assumption that there is anything to fear, and immediately confirm that our curiosity about São Tomé and Príncipe can 100% be backed up by magical facts. Having recently spent some time on these volcanic islands, Pedro described the extremely high count of endemic species, new scientific discoveries all the time, and the natural significance of these equatorial islands off the coast of Gabon. Totally different to Socotra, equally as alluring, this is a Garden of Eden, an African Galapagos, lush, tropical, and forested. Somewhere in between is Madagascar - the third destination Pedro spoke to us about, having visited the “Eighth Continent” in 2023. Another must-do, must-go, must-prioritise spot on the map for us, and somewhere that carries so much allure and interest in our community of keen travellers.  Enjoy this super interesting and informative 30-min chat with a friend and major adventure traveller, and let us know what you think! These places are unreal. Never before explored by BHS, but we’re ready when you are.  Find more info on Pedro at Africando, or on Instagram. Find us on our website or Instagram, or reach out directly at hello@bhs-safari.co. Thanks to Karabo Ramuhashi for editing this season of the podcast for us, and to Trent Ashton for giving us his original hand-drum beat for our intro.

    26 min
  5. S4 E8: Destination Zambia (ft. Alaska) with Brett Horley, Jo Cooper & Charlotte Arthun

    APR 24

    S4 E8: Destination Zambia (ft. Alaska) with Brett Horley, Jo Cooper & Charlotte Arthun

    Our destination of 2024 and 2025 - Zambia - is a "rising giant", an enigmatic safari destination that delivers just as much punch whether it's a first-time or many-time repeat destination. Its alluring national parks are sprawled between major river systems, floodplains, swamps, and ancient trees, and you can explore by boat, on foot, in a canoe, and on game drive. Leopard sightings that match and surpass the Sabi Sand, crazy bat migrations, wild dogs, swamp lions, shoebills, hippos, and elephants that blend into the oversized landscape. Here to talk with Brett about this wild, wonderful, and vastly underrated safari spot is our BHS safari expert, Jo Cooper, and a repeat podcast guest, professional photographic guide, and eternal adventurer, Charlotte Arthun, who rates this spot higher than the Sabi Sand for predator encounters. We start off on the banks of the Klaserie River where this conversation over morning coffee is almost drowned out by the dawn chorus, and we discuss the issue of the moment - a 2.8m black mamba in the roof! Jo, Brett, Charlotte and a few of our fellow team members gathered after game drive to talk about what we all truly love - the magic and madness of African nature explorations - and we soon delved into the unique appeal of Mana Pools' northern neighbour, Lower Zambezi, and the Sabi Sand's rival location for leopard photography, South Luangwa. Liuwa Plains, Kafue, and the Busanga Swamps are fascinating and less explored than the typical two mentioned above, so listen up for some fascinating insights into these hidden gems, and brace yourself for some "horror stories" that come with the territory as Jo looks back on his guiding career and Zambezi canoe excursions. Brett's regaling tale of an attempted 02h00 escape from Kafue is one for the books (don't mess with off-duty Zambian Game Scouts!) Before we wrapped up this episode, we changed gears dramatically to talk about another destination that appeals to every nature seeker: Alaska. Charlotte spent 7 months in Alaska and has bear stories that are unbelievable to the inexperienced. Rule #1: Camp among brown bears and make that morning coffee at your own risk! Rule #2: Fishermen, beware - hundreds of bears want the fish you're catching. Rule #3: Pack a bear fence. We are in awe of places like this where crazy wildlife migrations and seasonal movements invite congregations of different species and create interactions beyond our wildest dreams. Our roots may be in Africa, but our hearts wander far and wide to all corners of this awe-inspiring globe. What a treat to get some insider info into Alaska, and to share some stories about our beautiful Zambia. Enjoy this episode, reach out with your questions, recommendations, and podcast wish list so that we can keep generating the content and conversations that light you up. Find us at hello@bhs-safari.co or on Instagram where we share all. A big thank-you to Karabo Ramuhashi for editing this season of the podcast, and to Trent Ashton for supplying us with his original hand-drum beat for our intro.

    31 min
  6. S4 E7: Christina "Mufasa" van der Merwe

    APR 3

    S4 E7: Christina "Mufasa" van der Merwe

    This episode comes with a PG warning, and it couldn't be more entertaining. These are truly the UNTOLD stories from behind the scenes on safari involving guides, guests, friends, and colleagues in the industry that some might never have considered would make it onto a podcast. But thanks to our treasured friend and superior safari chef, Christina “Mufasa” van der Merwe, we have a no holds barred Campfire Conversation that takes us through reels of bush bloopers that’ll have you belly laughing throughout.  Christina and Brett have a 12 year history together in the Lowveld, working together at some of the camps we’ve visited and loved for the longest time. Over the years, early careers and safari inductions have led to daring escapades and mortifying mishaps that are still remembered today. We’ve tried to remember to leave out names and places for the sake of dignity, but if you’ve crossed paths with these two over the last decade, you’re likely to pick up on a detail here and there as you listen. Shout outs to the mates who have given us the material for these tales - you’ll know who you are!  Accidental rounds fired off, cars stuck on remote bush roads, red-wine walking safaris, rugby tackles around the fire, escape artists and intoxication… These stories just skim the surface of what’s buried in our brain. There’s no one else on Earth who could have nailed this assignment. It’s colourful and candid and at times we were breathless with laughter, which is all thanks to the entertaining delivery of these stories by our friend, Mufasa. She’s wild and wonderful, and she’s got the charisma and charm that make her irresistible. Above all, she’s a safari chef extraordinaire and the host with the most, and if you’re lucky enough to know her or to have been hosted by her on a BHS safari, you’ve been treated to the best.  This was one or two stories too short, and we’d love to have Christina around our campfire again. So we’ll rope her in for round II one of these days. But in the meantime, if you’re in the Hoedspruit Lowveld and planning a bash, make sure you get Mufasa’s Private Catering involved. If she’s not already booked up by us, she’s our first recommendation to you.  Contact her on mufasasprivatecatering@gmail.com (you can be thankful she’s not on Instagram!) And let us know if you’re ready for the next instalment…  As always, reach out to us on hello@bhs-safari.co, take a look at our website, or follow us on Instagram to stay in the loop of our never-ending adventures.  Thanks to Karabo Ramuhashi @karaborej who edited this season of the podcast for us, and to Trent Ashton @trent_ashton_nightingale who gave us his hand-drum beat to use in our intro.

    29 min
  7. S4 E6: Destination Botswana with Brett Horley & Jo Cooper

    MAR 13

    S4 E6: Destination Botswana with Brett Horley & Jo Cooper

    Welcome to another destination-focused episode of the podcast, hosted by Brett. In this Campfire Conversation, Brett is joined by Jo, who is, by now, a regularly featured safari expert on the pod and who's got bush stories crazy enough to match Brett's. When it comes to Botswana, there are stories upon stories of rogue wildlife in campsites, breakdowns, black-outs, and utterly mesmerising moments in some the world's most pristine natural ecosystems. Brett travels to Botswana on average 6 times per year, and this is the country Jo has spent the most time in (outside of South Africa) over his 10+ year long career as an overland safari guide. These are two people who know Botswana extremely well. It it South Africa's northern neighbour, it's wild and unfenced, and emergency radios are a staple in each camp (because WiFi and air-conditioning are not a given!) Botswana offers that curious allure of high-end luxury that is not necessarily dictated by amenities, and rather by total remoteness and wilderness. Roads are flooded, camps are inaccessible other than by air, there are paths shared by humans and animals alike. Then there's the sheer magic of being on the water at sunset. As one of safari's most celebrated destinations, we talk about Botswana a lot with our guests and our colleagues, and we frequently find ourselves debunking some assumptions about what a Botswana safari looks like. For the rates associated with travel in this country, there's an expectation for what 5-star should be, but what we want our guests to know is that the luxury you're getting is defined by something much greater and deeper than satisfaction at the touch of a button. It's in the exposure to true nature, to age-old tradition, to immersion, to close encounters with the big, wild animals in Africa whose territory you find yourself in. No fences, no signal, and sometimes no ice! Nothing gets these two more excited than diving into a chat about a place we know well and love even more. This conversation had to be cut purposefully short, but not before we covered some of Brett's and Jo's combined memories of best moments, hair-raising encounters, and plans for exploring more of Bots in the future! Tune in and enjoy (and if you're a previous Botswana guest of ours, enjoy this reminiscent chat about some epic adventures). Thanks to Karabo Ramuhashi @karaborej who edited this season of the podcast for us, and to Trent Ashton @trent_ashton_nightingale who gave us his hand-drum beat to use in our intro. Find us on Instagram our website or at hello@bhs-safari.co.

    27 min
  8. S4 E5: Ambrose Letoluai ft. Charlotte Arthun - Black leopards of Kenya

    FEB 21

    S4 E5: Ambrose Letoluai ft. Charlotte Arthun - Black leopards of Kenya

    Seeking out the rare and enigmatic creatures of this wild continent has always been a primary motivator for BHS and speaks right to our Explorer archetype. So, when there was barely a chance (but a chance nonetheless) to see a black leopard in Africa back in 2017, Brett and a couple of die-hard friends set off to meet the researchers and guides who had been tracking these elusive cats in a dramatically vast landscape, and that's when we first crossed paths with the legendary Ambrose Letoluai. A leopard researcher, National Geographic Explorer, NEWF Fellow, award-winning conservationist, and co-founder of community support initiatives, Chui Mamas and Wildlife Kids Resource Centre, Ambrose is a busy man, but he is a friend of BHS and we love that this guy gave us 30 minutes to chat. Tuning in from his home in Kenya, Ambrose joined Brett and fellow black leopard enthusiast, Charlotte Arthun, who is also a professional photographic guide and at the time of recording was a few days away from her next trip to Laikipia to photograph the famous cats! Ambrose was part of the team of researchers who named Giza - the now well known black female leopard. His ancestors talked about seeing these black cats living among them, and he was one of the first researchers to report the initial sightings on their camera traps. Now, his career is a dedication to mitigating conflict between rural communities and wildlife, working to keep leopard populations healthily independent so that they don't venture into human farmlands. His Wildlife Kids initiative is something to be proud of and it speaks right to our belief that environmental education for young members the communities living among wildlife is the key to creating a future of wildlife protectors. Ambrose is the guy who does it all with whatever he's got to give and aside from his "dream job" as a leopard researcher, he is truly making a difference through his community work. Find out more about his initiatives via the links about and follow Ambrose on Instagram to keep up with his crazy life with black leopards and as a conservationist in Kenya. And check out our privately guided BHS Expedition: The Original Search for the Black Leopard to see what it takes to join us in Laikipia. Thanks to Karabo Ramahuhashi @karaborej who edited this season of the podcast for us, and to Trent Ashton @trent_ashton_nightingale who gave us his hand-drum beat to use in our intro. Find us on Instagram, our website, or at hello@bhs-safari.co.

    23 min
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About

Campfire Conversations is hosted by safari guide, Brett Horley, and welcomes listeners to a virtual fireside chat in Africa. Over a drink of choice and alongside a campfire, Brett sits down with a variety of special guests and friends who lead adventurous lives and careers in the bush. These stories are real memories, experiences, and opinions intended to entertain and allow listeners an escape to Africa. Pour yourself a cold one and join us!

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