THE EXPERIENCE 

September in South Africa is spring – the bush is awakening, baby animals are being born, and the weather is perfect (warm days, cool nights, and it’s malaria-free). 

You’ll stay at the luxury Elephant Safari Lodge or Tented Camp, where nyala antelope wander freely around the grounds and you fall asleep to the sounds of the African bush. The food is incredible – a fusion of local Zulu cuisine and gourmet international dishes. You’ll dine under the stars in the boma, sharing stories of the day’s encounters around the fire. 

Each day includes two game drives in open Land Rovers with professional rangers who know where to find elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard, giraffe, zebra, and over 350 species of birds. But between the drives, you’re working with Joan on deepening your animal communication skills, clearing your own energetic blocks, and learning how to hold space for animals without projecting your own stuff onto them (yes, we all do this). 

You’ll have time at Mkhulu Dam – Lawrence Anthony’s favorite spot where he would meet with his elephants. It’s a place of profound peace and, honestly, a little bit of magic. 

And if the elephants choose to come close? If Nana or one of the other matriarchs looks you directly in the eye? That’s a moment that will change you. That’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. 

This trip is for you if: 

• You’ve been feeling called to deepen your relationship with animals but don’t know how 
• You’re ready to learn animal communication from someone who actually knows what they’re doing 
• You want to be in the presence of elephants who have their own incredible story 
• You’re done with surface-level experiences and ready for something that actually matters 
• You understand that animals are sovereign beings and you want to honor them as such 
• You’re willing to look at your own patterns and projections so you can show up more clearly 
• You’re ready to go from being a traveler to being a steward 

This trip is NOT for you if: 

• You just want a vacation (book a regular safari) 
• You think animal communication is “woo woo” (it’s not for everyone) 
• You’re not willing to do your own inner work 
• You need luxury above all else (it’s beautiful, but this is bush camp living) 

Here’s what we’re really doing here: we’re creating allies for wildlife. When you come back from Thula Thula, you won’t just have photos and memories. You’ll have a relationship with this land, these elephants, this story. You’ll become an advocate, a voice, a reminder to others that these beings are worth protecting. 

The planet is losing species faster than ever before. Elephants are under threat from poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict. But when you’ve stood in the presence of these ancient beings, when you’ve felt their wisdom and their grief and their hope – you can’t un-know that. You become someone who cares enough to speak up, to donate, to share, to protect. 

That’s the real transformation. Not just what happens TO you on this trip, but what you become willing to do BECAUSE of this trip. 

This itinerary is a guide for the anticipated daily schedule and activities. Please be aware some activities may happen on different days, and some may be adjusted depending on availability.

You’ll be spending four nights in a Luxury Tent, and four nights in a Safari Lodge room. Depending on which accommodation option you choose, these are the available room types: