Marianne Birrell Safaris

Marianne Birrell was born in Namibia and grew up in South Africa. “My exploration of the Kruger region began some thirty years ago. During university holidays spent in Zimbabwe, I had been bowled over by the raw and infinitely subtle beauty of its wilderness and the warmth of its people; it was there that my love of Africa’s wild places really took hold. After teaching and travelling, an opportunity arose to work in a top Sabi Sand game lodge, and I took it.

This was followed by a decade in corporate life, half of it in Switzerland. My husband and I quit the rat race and returned home to SA to retire. Or so we thought. Willowbrook Lodge in the Cape winelands (left) was the result. But the call of the wild is insistent, and 2000 saw us build a bush home in a nature reserve near the Kruger Park (below: giraffes on our front lawn). Friends and family were soon asking for safari advice!

Life among Africa's wild creatures is an extraordinary gift. To watch nature at work reawakens that sense of awe we had as children, discovering our world. Sometimes scary, like fire season, but also a joyous celebration of life and renewal. Dramatic sunsets always created a masterly backdrop to a perfect day in the African bush, after which nightjars and owls took the centre stage. Come share this bounty with us - it's here, waiting for you.

And now, please meet a handsome golden-maned lion called Little Leo. He has a forever home at Drakenstein lion sanctuary in the Cape winelands near my home. MBS has adopted 2 of its lions: Joy, and Little Leo; all have been rescued from cages, circuses, or atrocious zoos in Europe or the Middle East. We also applaud wildlife non-profits Kevin Richardson and anti-canned hunting warrior, CACH. Their passion and commitment reminds us that our work is never done.