A new initiative by Peace Parks Foundation sees Colin Porteous and Francois Barnard, hunting out the best potential experiences to suit the luxury traveller. They travel to Limpopo and Zinave national parks, as well as Maputo Special Reserve on their search for the best of the best.
One of these experiences might be to sleep inside a giant and distinctive African tree which is found all over Zinave National Park: the baobab. Known as the upside-down tree because its branches look like roots, it is also called the ‘Tree of Life’ because, as a succulent, during the rainy season it absorbs and stores water in its vast trunk, enabling it to produce a juicy fruit in the dry season when all around is dry and arid.
The baobab is an African icon and the stuff of myth and legend. Many believe when meetings of kings and elders were held under the vast tree branches that the tree’s spirits would guide the decision-making. Perhaps this is something to do with the longevity of the species, which has been around since prehistoric times. Living for up to 5 000 years, they can reach a height of 30 metres high and a spread of 50 metres in circumference so they can provide shelter, food and water for animals and humans, which is why many savannah communities have made their homes near baobab trees.
Not only this, but the baobab is also drought and fire resistant and can withstand termites and elephant, regrowing their bark if it is stripped. Native to the African savannah where the climate can be extremely dry and arid, it is a symbol of life and positivity in a harsh landscape.
Sleeping inside a baobab tree would be a unique experience, and one that many a luxury and adventure traveller would want on their wish-list. Although the idea of sleeping in a tree is not new, it tends to be in the tree canopy, high above the forest floor. This would be something really rather special and quite unforgettable.
Imagine settling down in a beautiful bed inside a baobab tree, listening to the sounds of the African bush? You’ll have to come to Mozambique one day to try it!
