My thing is sundowners, and my secret tip is inspired by asking myself: ‘Where is the greatest place in the world to have a G&T?’
When I was growing up, I travelled the world with my parents and was lucky enough to see some incredible places. I really love Africa, and had journeyed to Botswana and Namibia, where you can observe some amazing wildlife at close quarters. Shortly after we started dating, I took my partner Steph on safari and arranged for us to visit the Gorah Elephant Camp in South Africa. Before we arrived, I had warned her that while we’d get a good look at some elephants, which would be spectacular, we may not see anything like the range of animals I’d come across previously on the continent – that just wasn’t realistic.
As it turned out, within the first 10 minutes of arriving we’d seen more of the big five [lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceroses and Cape buffalos] than I’d experienced in Botswana and Namibia. So much for managing expectations!
At Gorah, you stay in these incredible luxury tented lodges, with no electric lights, just candles, and enormous outdoor showers, where you have plenty of inquisitive wildlife for company. There’s a brilliant bar in each tent, and if you turn your back, the monkeys come in and steal your mini cans of tonic water. It’s quite a sight seeing a monkey open a can and drink from it.
The site is centred around a spectacular watering hole which you look out over. First the elephants come in. Then the lions. Then a rhino and its baby. But it’s the elephants that are always present and the staff have to move them on when they set out breakfast.
What’s funny about the place is that when the guides take you out of the camp for a drive they give you a safety briefing and say, ‘Please make sure to keep your hands inside the vehicle.’ But then they’ll pull up, put chairs out and make you a G&T so you can watch the animals wandering past while the sun is setting; it’s a truly magical experience and all too easy to completely relax. When Steph asked if we were safe walking back to our lodge the guide asked if she was a faster runner than me, to which she replied ‘No’, and was a little confused when he said, ‘You might be in trouble then!’.
Even though I’m lucky enough to have been to some of the most incredible places, this was the most special. And the G&T wasn’t bad either.
You can follow David on Instagram at @davidgandy_official; his fashion and lifestyle brand, David Gandy Wellwear, is available at davidgandywellwear.com
