Greg Fox: We watched a hyena take down a wildebeest right in front of us
Greg Fox Mahlatini wx290325
Co-founder of Mahlatini Luxury Travel, Greg Fox, has spent his life immersed in travel. Originally from South Africa, he has explored the world from the streets of New York to the remote wilderness of Namibia and enjoys helping clients get the most from their tailormade itineraries. A natural storyteller, Greg believes travel is about more than just ticking off destinations — it’s about uncovering hidden gems, meeting locals, and finding those unexpected moments that make a trip truly special.
South Africa is so big that you can travel around here, spend years, and barely scratch the surface. My parents were massive wildlife enthusiasts, and my earliest memories are a mix of going down to the coast where we had a little holiday cottage and then going on safari. We did regional trips as well, like Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, and Namibia.
We went to the Kruger National Park all the time, at least once or twice a year. We also visited the Drakensberg and other parks like Hluhluwe and Imfolozi. Everything was an adventure.
My parents would give me a guidebook, and we’d sit and try to identify birds, trees, and grasses. That love for nature stuck with me, and now, seeing my own children develop that same fascination is pretty special.
I went to Kenya to visit a close friend who lives on a hill overlooking the Maasai Mara, and I took my family with me. We spent time at Watamu Beach, in this beautiful house on the sand. But what made it really special was that we weren’t just ticking off tourist spots — we got to experience the country like a local.
We travelled everywhere by tuk-tuk, went to tiny, hidden-away restaurants, and ate in places you’d never find in a guidebook. One night, we ended up at a rooftop pizza place run by an Italian in the middle of a local neighbourhood. Then, we drove ourselves through the Maasai Mara. At one point, we even watched a hyena take down a wildebeest right in front of us. My kids were horrified, but it was an incredible lesson in the reality of the wild.
Uganda. I had no real expectations before I visited, but it blew me away. The landscapes are so diverse, tropical rainforests, huge open plains that look like the Serengeti, and the incredible Rift Valley lakes. You have places like Murchison Falls and the Mountains of the Moon, where the peaks are over 6,000 metres high.
But what really stood out was the people; they are some of the friendliest I’ve ever met. On my first visit, the atmosphere was electric, with music blasting from old speakers, food stalls lining the streets, and everyone eager to chat.
That trip completely changed how I saw the country.
It’s difficult to choose just one, but Cape Town will always be special because it’s home. You can be on the beach in the morning, hiking in the mountains in the afternoon, and sipping wine at a vineyard by evening. It’s such a unique mix of nature, culture, and food. But I also love cities like London, Paris, and Rome. London is one of my favourite places to walk around — you never know what hidden gem you’ll stumble upon.
Paris is fantastic for people-watching, and Rome is just magic. I remember this tiny restaurant where they served just one pasta dish, and they’d bring out a giant wheel of parmesan and toss the pasta in it before serving. It was unreal.
My favourite city to visit is New York. It has an energy like nowhere else. I love getting up early and running in Central Park, watching the city come alive. There’s something so quintessentially American about it: the noise, the movement, the organised chaos. But I also have a real soft spot for London, just for walking. You turn a corner, and suddenly, there’s an old church or a hidden garden you never knew existed. Paris is another favourite— just sitting at a cafe, watching the world go by.
Namibia is probably the most visually stunning place I’ve been. The landscapes are just unreal: these massive dunes, deep canyons, and this incredible sense of space where you can drive for hours without seeing another soul. One of my favourite experiences was climbing a dune in Sossusvlei at sunrise. The way the light hits the sand, turning it from gold to deep red, is breathtaking. And then there’s the wildlife. Seeing desert-adapted elephants, or cheetahs in the wild, is something you never forget.
For me, it’s about meeting people and experiencing a place beyond the tourist spots. Some of my best memories are from chatting with locals in a market, finding a small family-run restaurant, or getting recommendations from people who actually live there.
I love seeing the cultural side of a place, whether it’s food, music, or just how people go about their daily lives. That’s what makes travel feel real.
There are a lot of places on my list: Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mozambique. I keep getting drawn back to Africa, but I’d love to explore these places because they feel so different from what I know. Madagascar fascinates me because of its unique wildlife, and Bhutan intrigues me because of its approach to life. Sri Lanka’s food and history are a big draw, and Nepal’s mountains have always appealed to me. There’s just so much out there to see.
- Mahlatini specialises in curating unforgettable experiences across Africa, the Indian Ocean, and beyond. mahlatini.com
