I hope you had a lovely weekend and that your week is off to a good start! Here in the Luangwa, it feels like the days are getting hotter by the hour. Today, we’re excited to hear from the newest members of the Malawi team, Gavin and Ronell, management couple at Pumulani Lodge. It’s been about two months since they arrived, so over to them:
‘’For years, our lives revolved around the wild rhythms of Africa, days filled with game drives and bushwalks, and nights alive with the calls of lions, grunting hippos, and hyena calls. The bush was our home, our heartbeat, and our greatest teacher. But today, things look and feel a little different. From the raw wilderness of Kruger and the Okavango to the serene shores of Lake Malawi, our story has taken a gentler turn, one that’s just as rewarding.
My guiding career began nearly three decades ago, taking me across some of the continent’s most iconic wilderness areas in South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia. Each landscape shaped who we are. My wife, Ronell, a chef with years of experience (including cooking for Nelson Mandela), brought warmth, laughter, and her incredible food to every camp we called home. Together, we’ve lived the kind of moments that only Africa can offer, those that make you pause, smile, and feel truly alive.
After years of elephants wandering through camp and the nightly roar of lions echoing in the distance, we felt it was time for a new rhythm one defined by calm mornings, open water, and simple beauty. That journey led us here, to Pumulani Lodge, perched above the sparkling waters of Lake Malawi.
Now that we’re based at Pumulani Lodge on Lake Malawi, walking around the lodge feels strangely quiet, but in the best possible way. Still, old habits die hard; I often catch myself scanning the sand for lion tracks or stepping carefully, half expecting an elephant to appear around the corner. It takes a moment to remember that we’re not in the bush anymore. Every now and then, though, we hear the distant cry of a spotted hyena, and it always brings a smile, a gentle reminder of life before Lake Malawi.
Ronell and I have traded the roar of lions for the cry of the fish eagle; we are loving it and can’t imagine a more beautiful soundtrack to life in Africa.’’
Thanks, Gavin and Ronell, welcome to the team! We can’t wait to hear more of your stories you’re your new home and updates from Pumulani Lodge!
So, that is it for this week. For now, I shall bid you a very fond farewell and hope that you have a lovely week with plenty of smiles and laughter and don’t forget to look after one another.
