It took Jeremy and I approximately one week to realize that Hakuna Matata was an actual, commonly used Swahili phrase and that Disney hadn’t influenced an entire culture into the conversation.
It took me a lot of self control, whenever we encountered someone who said “Asante Sana,” to not immediately respond, “Squash banana.”
Which would be like someone saying “Thank you,” and me saying “Squash banana” because that’s the singsongy-rhythm that sticks with you from a Disney movie you last watched over twenty years ago.
By the time these realizations occurred, we’d made our way from our first safari experience at Singita Sabora to a new, undiscovered gem of a camp in the Central Serengeti, One Nature Nyaruswiga. This property had been put on our radar by our partners at Tour d’Afrique, who helped with planning our trip, who’d asked us to trust them on this one – that it would not disappoint.
They were absolutely right.
No expense was spared when bringing this luxury tented camp experience to life. From the attention to detail with the service (they remembered the kind of snacks we love, which I’d only mentioned in passing, and had them readily available throughout the stay) to the luxury safari vehicles (complete with phone chargers), I was infinitely impressed with our time here.
One Nature embodies the Hakuna Matata spirit. It means no worries. Of course, you already knew that from The Lion King.
Further still, beyond the beautiful accommodations and excellent service, One Nature was our home base for our hot air balloon safari. When planning a trip to East Africa, a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti is an absolute must.
Jeremy and I had both had this particular activity on our bucket list: an activity that neither of us had done in a place that neither of us had been. Check.
However, I didn’t realize just how much I would absolutely love this experience. I loved it so much that I cried. Legitimate, tears in my eyes from this full blown spiritual experience, an unexpected peace found as both the sun rose in front of us and the balloon rose beneath our feet.
“In the absence of the illusion of power and majesty,” says Anne Lamott, my source of inspiration throughout our time in Africa, “we see that the soul was right there all along, everywhere, and consequently we can once again feel charmed by the world. Can you even imagine living this way, charmed by the world, in the light of gratitude, for what is real, for the truth of who we always have been and will continue to be, no matter how much ground we lose?”
That was exactly how we felt as we serenely floated over the fields and planes below. Charmed by the world. Dazzled. Enchanted. Floating. Stress free. No worries.
Hakuna Matata.
