journeywoman
Wildlife, Wilderness & Wetlands
A Journey Woman Expedition by Blue Sky Society Trust
Wildlife, Wilderness & Wetlands
A Journey Woman Expedition by Blue Sky Society Trust
Some journeys take you somewhere new.
This one brings you home.
Cath sat beside a campfire in the African bush. Stars above, hyenas calling in the distance. She’d been talking with Carla for an hour, the flames between them, the night enormous around them, when Carla fixed her with that knowing gaze and said something she’s never forgotten.
“It is time to come home, Cath.”
Cath had been living in New Zealand for fifteen years. She thought she was on a safari. She had no idea that one moment beside a fire would lead to a second expedition, a three-month conservation internship, a job with Peace Parks Foundation, and a friend she’s still in close contact with. She now lives in Zululand — the very landscape you’ll move through on this journey — waking each morning to the calls of Trumpeter Hornbills, doing conservation work she loves.
She didn’t plan any of it. She just said yes.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa · 9 days, 8 nights · September 13–21, 2026
Maximum 9 women
THIS ISN’T A LUXURY SAFARI OR A WELLNESS RETREAT.
It’s something harder to define and more meaningful than either. An expedition with a wild purpose, where the adventure is real, the conservation impact is tangible, and the change you come home with lasts long after you’ve unpacked.
Nine women. Coast, bush, ocean, and wild open sky. No Instagram pressure. No over-scheduling.
Just you, KwaZulu-Natal, and the space to finally breathe.
Travelling with Carla will change your life.
— Cath, New Zealand (now living in Zululand)
The thing is: it just happens.
You don’t have to work at it. You don’t have to journal or do yoga or follow a schedule.Transformation happens when you’re sitting on your tent porch as the sun rises over the bush. When you’re tracking rhino with conservationists who’ve dedicated their lives to this. When you realise you’ve gone three days without checking your phone and you don’t even care.
Jennifer Shah had been a solo mum for a few years when she saw a friend post about this trip. She’d done plenty of adventurous travel in her twenties but somewhere along the way, life had quietly taken over.
By the final days, the group stopped at a winery. A couple at the next table had been watching them — the laughter, the way they finished each other’s sentences — and eventually came over to ask.
“You all seem like such close friends. How long have you known each other?”
Three weeks.
WHERE YOU'LL ACTUALLY GO:
BALLITO, DOLPHIN COAST
Your gentle arrival. Time to breathe and settle, and let the pace of Africa begin to replace the pace of your ordinary life. Sun-warmed shores and the sound of the Indian Ocean to ease you in.
MUNYWANA CONSERVANCY
Move into pristine wilderness where rhinos move through the long grass and conservationists are fighting every day to keep them there. You’ll track with the people doing that work. You’ll hear from Grant Fowlds — author, conservationist, and one of South Africa’s most passionate wildlife voices — what it takes to protect these animals in 2026. Not just hear about conservation — be part of it.
THONGA BEACH LODGE, MABIBI
The ocean. Turquoise, warm, impossibly beautiful. Snorkel in the shallows, watch for dolphins on the horizon, listen for humpback whales, and take sundowners overlooking Lake Sibaya as hippos drift below in the fading golden light.
MANYONI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
The Big Five roam here. And here you’ll visit the rhino orphanage — the animals that poaching left behind, small and vulnerable and fiercely protected, and the extraordinary people who refused to look away. Game drives where you’re not fighting 100 other vehicles for a glimpse. A pace that lets you absorb what you’re experiencing.
NO SCHEDULE, NO PRESSURE
Some days you’ll say “I just want to sit and watch the sunset.” And that’s exactly what you’ll do. That’s the point.
Meet Carla, Your Expedition Leader
In her own words: I’ve been leading women through Africa since 2014. Eighty thousand kilometres across ten countries. Sixty conservation organisations. Over one hundred thousand educational booklets distributed to communities along the way.
But none of that prepared me for what I discovered. Not the landscapes — though they’ll undo you. Not the wildlife — though you’ll never be the same after a rhino looks you in the eye. What I discovered was what happens to women when you put them in wild spaces and get out of their way. They remember themselves. KwaZulu-Natal holds a particular magic for me. Coast, bush, ocean, culture — it asks something different of you than the dry bushveld does. Something more layered. I’ve watched women arrive at Ballito one person and leave Manyoni someone unmistakably different. I drive a Land Rover (her name’s Dora). I know these roads well — and I’m always discovering new ones. And according to my dear friend Cath, who came on one trip and ended up moving to Zululand, I’m an anam cara. A soul friend. I’ll take that.
What I see on every trip is this: women learning to breathe again.
When you’ve been carrying everyone else’s needs for years — when you’ve forgotten what it feels like to just be — coming to Africa changes something. That first real breath. That’s the moment I live for.
Women leave my trips changed. Then they come back. Then they bring their friends.
That’s what I’m here for — to help you find that first breath.
This trip is for you if:
- You’re over 50 and wondering ‘what now?’
- You’ve always dreamed of Africa but thought it was ‘too late’ or ‘too far’
- You’re newly single, widowed, or rediscovering who you are
- You’re an empty nester with space in your life for the first time in decades
- You care deeply about conservation and want to contribute, not just observe
- You’re tired of mainstream tourism and want something real
- You’re an introvert who needs solo time but also craves meaningful connection
- You’re ready to stop waiting for ‘someday’
This trip is not for you if:
- You need luxury 5-star accommodation (this is comfortable but wild)
- You want constant Wi-Fi and Instagram updates
- You need everything scheduled and structured
- You’re not comfortable with moderate fitness (you’ll need to climb in/out of game drive vehicles)
- You want a large group (maximum 9 guests — this is intimate by design)
YOUR JOURNEY HAS A PURPOSE BEYOND ITSELF
Every woman on this expedition contributes directly to conservation work on the ground. Your journey includes a fundraising contribution that goes to Project Rhino and the Zululand Conservation Trust. This is not a token gesture — it’s real money, going to real work, protecting real animals.
The rhino orphanage will show you exactly where your contribution goes. To animals with names, with stories, and with people fighting for them.
And when you leave, you’ll be one of those people too.
THE PRACTICAL BITS
thedate
September 13–21,
2026 (9 days / 8 nights)
theplace
South Africa
thegroup
Maximum 9 women
(minimum 6 to run)
theaccommodation
(sharing available)
yourfitness
game drive vehicles
Urgent Details
There are 9 spots. Places are limited.
Minimum 6 women to run. Currently taking bookings.
September timing matters:
Spring in KwaZulu-Natal. Animals active, landscapes vivid. Whale season on the coast. Perfect conditions for rhino tracking and ocean snorkelling.
To secure your place:
30% deposit due at booking
Balance due 90 days before departure
Payment plans available
Investment:
Main Journey (9 days / 8 nights):
Single: R90,750 (≈ USD 5,649)
Sharing: R87,875 (≈ USD 5,475)
Optional Cape Town Add-On (5 days / 4 nights):
Single: R49,200 (≈ USD 3,065)
Sharing: R38,400 (≈ USD 2,392)
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- All accommodation
- Meals & water
- Road transfers
- Park & conservation fees
- All activities
- Expert talks
- Conservation fundraising contribution
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- International and domestic flights
- Gratuities (tip kitty recommended)
- Alcohol & personal expenses
- Comprehensive travel insurance (compulsory)
- Visas
- Pricing may vary based on exchange rate fluctuations
But what about…
Safety?
I’ve been doing this for 14 years. I know these roads, these reserves, and these people. Women who travel with me — including first-time solo travellers — all say the same thing: “I never felt unsafe.” Your safety is my first responsibility. I take it seriously.
Travelling alone?
You’re not alone — you’re with eight other women who get it. The women who come on my trips are not a type — they’re curious, warm, and they came for the same reason you did. Give it 48 hours.
Being away from family?
Many women on my trips have children, grandchildren, aging parents. They went anyway. They don’t regret it. As Cath’s family told her: “Just go and enjoy your dream.”
The cost?
Women who’ve done these trips don’t regret the money. They regret they waited so long. As Jennifer said: “It was truly something for me.”
Are You Ready for a Journey with Purpose?
You’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you? Maybe it’s been a few months. Maybe longer. Maybe you have a tab open somewhere, a name written in the margin of a notebook, a promise you’ve been meaning to keep.
Africa isn’t going anywhere.
But this trip runs once a year, for nine women, and places are still available.
If something in this page made you lean forward — if something stirred — that’s worth listening to.
Or if you’re not quite ready:
Email Carla with questions:
carla@blueskysociety.co.za
Please note: this itinerary and pricing may be subject to slight changes. Some activities may be weather-dependent. Wi-Fi may be minimal or unavailable.
– Carla, New Zealand (now living in Zululand)
– Jennifer Shah