Walking in the Selous has more to do with state of mind than the state of your body.  It's about an approach to game viewing - a receptiveness that's just hard to get in a vehicle - rather than a question of fitness.

Since Richard Bonham first came this way on his walking safaris in the 80's, to us the Selous has always been synonymous with being on foot.  But it's never about distance, or "hiking." Time on foot is an opportunity to engage your senses and this is something you'll quickly pick up on as we leave camp - accompanied by an armed ranger - in the cool of the early morning or late afternoon.

The best walks are those where you travel at a gentle pace and probably don't cover much distance - a few kilometres in an hour - stopping often to listen and look.

Learning even a few of the myriad bird calls can be deeply satisfying, finding and identifying fresh tracks brings with it a sense of expectation and suspense.  Nowhere is it truer that to travel is as rewarding as to arrive.

This is a peculiarly East African passion and the way things were done in the old days; with the minimum of fuss, but not scrimping on any of the comforts. As is so often the way, when you limit the frills, it allows you to really see what's special and what's going on around you.

Watching elephant as they pass by your camp in the moonlight, silent feet in the warm sand, or simply gazing through the mosquito net roof of your tent from the comfort of your bedroll.

We've been doing this now for close to 20 years.  People's reactions vary, some find it quite emotional, others feel a child-like sense of freedom and release (one man ran round in small circles crying like a 5 year old) and of course quite a few admit to feeling a little scared. 

But it's simply no exaggeration to say that in all those years, virtually nobody regrets trying this most special of experiences.