It's also about seeing Africa through the eyes of experts - the abundant wildlife and flora, its deep green forests and mighty flowing rivers, the silence of its deserts, the vibrant cultures of its people - and knowing her challenges for future survival.

SafariBwana is a family-run safari outfitter creating unique journeys into southern Africa for small groups of discerning adventure seekers. As 4th generation Africans we are serious about the true African safari experience. We strive to infuse "Our Africa" into the very souls of our clients, to satisfy that ancient yearning - the call of Africa. 

Our safaris offer personal, unhurried adventure, placing safety and client satisfaction as priority. All journeys are custom-designed to your desired travel needs and wants, offering you an African experience which is unique and hard-to-find in today's mass tourism era.

Pete lives in Denver with his beautiful wife Molly and returns to Africa each year for the hunting season

I was born into a family of hunters so make no excuses about my passion for the sport, aiming to keep the values handed down and taught to me close to my everyday interaction with nature. In those early days people hunted to feed themselves, and this was my induction into hunting from a very early age.

Today, hunting has changed and in many senses has had to adapt to our materialistic way of life, becoming a product which benefits and excites many parties. I feel that hunting is an interaction between two forces, that of the individual hopefully restrained by a set of values, and that of nature, a force so powerful yet fragile and easily abused. And when abused, in pursuit of profit, nature takes a very long time to recover.

The greatest aspect of any hunting activity is to wander into those parts of Africa where you can still sense and hear the voices of a savage continent. It is about finding yourself alone with nature, with the wild bush or savanna and realising that you are a very small part of the universe. This is still what Africa offers and I am committed to make sure that generations of hunters can experience this.

In Africa hunting plays a vital role in conservation beyond the boundaries of National Parks and reserves, expanding protected areas where there normally would be human encroachment and settlement. Most people do NOT realise this and it is vital to make this fact known. Protecting the rights of hunters as well as promoting conservation through managed hunting are are my two main passions in life. I will fight to ensure my children experience the same closeness with nature that I had privilege to and this will come through hunting.

Bwana is a widely used term throughout Africa referring to one's chief or respected elder.

It's use immediately bestows both respect and loyalty and does not mean subjugation by colonials as many would think!

Safari is a Swahili word derived from the Arabic safara which means "to undertake a journey" and has its roots in the early 1700s as Arabs traded in ivory and black gold (slaves).

The safaris of the first hunters and naturalists, Cornwallis, Selous and Burchell as well as Theodore Roosevelt, sparked a fervor amongst hunters and a rush for Africa's riches. More than anything, safaris symbolised danger and possible death to the adventurer, bestowing upon those who did return, a status of awe and superiority. Today things have changed. You can get to Africa in 2 days, not 2 months as it took back then and you can experience the best of a awesome continent in 10 days.

The site strives to be of service to every hunter who has an interest in the conservation of game and protection of hunting rights. We rely on you to make use of all the services offered, participate freely - everyone has a voice and the right to speak up.

Facts are collected from official organisations, regulatory bodies, outfitters, professional hunters and operators within the industry. 

We shy away from the tremendous amount of "hearsay" which characterises the industry as it's very likely that many people have different opinions. We endeavor to always remain transparent and fair and will afford all parties involved in the hunting industry a fair representation on the site.

That said, one of the greatest attractions of hunting is the personal experience for the individual and no-one can claim to confine it as an exact science. Everybody's opinion counts, there are no exact boundaries and many, many stories.

We do offer our opinion in some instances but make you aware of this. Our primary objective is to provide useful information which is current and accurate which will enrich and simplify your safari experience of Africa.

The site is designed to provide easy navigation and fast download times so you don't have to wait forever to get to the information you need. Where there are large graphics such as maps and trophy photos we give you advance warning. Remember, it's best viewed with Internet Explorer version 5 which you can download from here.

Speak to outfitters and PHs who have been in the game, they all carry on about how Africa's game is disappearing. They will point to a host of problems facing the countries and the game, usually citing poaching and human encroachment as the main factors.

Africa has changed since those glorious and famous days of hunting. Now largely a struggling continent, heavily in debt, she is faced with "western" problems that require modern-day solutions. Africa is no longer the land of vast abundance - things truly have changed, regardless of what we would like to believe.

The FACT is that in most African countries wild game populations and habitats are decreasing at an alarming rate. There are numerous causes of this problem, mostly rooted in population advancement and the demands of Africa's people and economies. Faced with rife poverty and widespread corruption, Africa's game faces an very uncertain future.

In practice however, only a couple of Africa's game rich countries have positively embraced and effectively achieved this vision. Their success has seen a massive rejuvenation of this natural resource. 

At the southern tip of Africa we have one of the success stories in "Conservation-Through-Hunting" - South Africa. Today, the country has more game than a 100 years ago, all thanks to innovative and ground-breaking game management policies. Yet many hunters shun the country as not being the "real Africa", showing a disdain for hunting on enclosed ranches. While hunting on ranches does not compare to the vast open plains of the Serengeti, this type of hunting may be the only kind available in 50 years time!

In most other countries, hunting is genuinely contributing to the steady erosion of game, whether it be by poor government policy and management, poaching or by unconcerned "quick-buck" operators. Regardless of the causes and whatever arguments one may have, we have to face the fact that game is decreasing and we as hunters, outfitters and clients alike, are cause to this. Sadly, thousands of foreign hunters happily embark upon their African dream safari, believing they are hunting game that is not in danger of depletion.

The importance of promoting managed hunting - as a viable and integral source of conservation for Africa's game and wild places - must be a central belief to all dedicated hunters.

Government regulators, operators, outfitters and professional hunters should be liable, accountable and open to scrutiny from all concerned parties, especially clients. Clients themselves should exercise discretion when choosing an outfitter and use genuine records of commitment and support to conservation rather than just price and clever marketing tactics.

The only way hunting is going to come clean in the eyes of the "rest of the world" is by being a transparent, driving force behind conservation and land reclamation. Otherwise, we will always remain the "killers" the rest of the world perceives us to be.

"Heavy stuff" isn't it.! Why don't you have your say...? Comment now

• Professional Hunters' Association of Zambia
• Cape Town Tourism
• Marketing Federation of Southern Africa

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