There’s something wonderfully unavoidable about the festive season at Silvan Safari. The sky grows wide, the bush hums with summer energy, and somehow, there’s always a tiny creature reminding you that the world is full of courage. Last year, it was Rodney, the Red-Horned Rhino. The year before, the Hyena Who… well, caused a bit of mischief. And now? A small bird with an impressive amount of self-belief. Meet Bella the Bee-Eater!
Take to the sky with Bella the Bee-Eater’s Bold Adventure
A Festive Tradition Takes Flight
Every December, Rhino Africa and Silvan Safari come together to create and release a limited-edition holiday book that's equal parts whimsy, wildlife wonder, and bushveld charm. What started as a playful passion project has turned into a cherished seasonal ritual.
And now Bella the Bee-Eater joins the family. Her story unfolds across meadows, rivers, long migratory routes, and finally the Sabi Sand, where Silvan Safari becomes both sanctuary and stage for her big arrival.
The tale (beautifully illustrated and written for readers of every age) follows Bella as she learns the quiet courage of carrying on, even when the sky feels a bit wider than expected.
A young European bee-eater sets out on her very first migration
Bee-Eaters and the Sabi Sand: A Seasonal Match
If you’ve ever visited the Sabi Sand in summer, you’ll know that European bee-eaters feel like confetti tossed across the bush. They swoop and skim, flash teal and gold in the light, and have an uncanny ability to pull your gaze skyward – even if you’re mid-sundowner.
In Bella the Bee-Eater’s Bold Adventure, that skyward pull becomes the essence of her adventure. The story hints at big landscapes and bigger hopes, without giving anything away, while capturing the feeling of watching these birds move as if the world itself were cheering them on.
It’s less about events and more about:
- open skies,
- warm evenings,
- faraway journeys,
- and the kind of soft-spoken magic that’s hard to explain but easy to feel
Which, coincidentally, is very Silvan Safari.
European bee-eaters prefer warm climates, so in winter, they migrate to Africa
A Tale for All Ages (and All Travellers)
Without revealing any narrative turns, Bella’s story leans into three universal ideas:
- Resilience: Migration is no small undertaking, even for a fictional bee-eater. Bella’s tale gently mirrors the ways we all navigate big seasons of change.
- Exploration: Her world is expansive, curious, and full of small surprises that remind us why travel matters: it widens the frame of what we believe is possible.
- Community: From family flocks to the animals she encounters along the way, the story celebrates the relationships that guide, challenge, and uplift us.
These are the themes that make Bella’s adventure feel perfectly suited to the festive season – a time defined by gathering, reflecting, and rediscovering wonder in the everyday.
Meet a whole cast of lively characters along the way
Where Luxury Meets Storytelling
Silvan Safari isn’t simply the setting for Bella’s journey; it’s the heartbeat of this tradition. The lodge has long been a spark for creative collaboration. Its artistic identity, immersive environment, and deep connection to the Sabi Sand encourage narratives that feel rooted in place rather than manufactured.
Bella’s story continues that ethos; wildlife as muse, wilderness as co-author, and a little bird who arrives right on cue as the year draws to a close.
Bella discovers that courage grows in small moments
How to Get the Book (and Watch Bella Come to Life)
This year’s limited-edition holiday book, Bella the Bee-Eater’s Bold Adventure, is available exclusively at the Silvan Safari boutique from the 20th of December.
For readers who enjoy revisiting past instalments, you can explore the previous holiday tales here:
Step into the enchanting world of Bella the Bee-Eater's Bold Adventure
Why Bella Matters (and Why She’ll Keep Returning)
European bee-eaters arrive in southern Africa each summer with an instinctive sense of timing. Rhino Africa’s festive stories tend to follow suit. They return each year to reconnect travellers with the reasons Africa has such pull: open horizons, wildlife moments, and the kind of experiences that rearrange your perspective in ways you didn’t expect.
Bella’s journey taps into that feeling. Her courage grows through motion, curiosity, and those tiny moments that build into something unexpectedly powerful. Anyone who has travelled with Rhino Africa will recognise that arc – one quiet discovery at a time.
Full of colour, adventure, and spirit, Bella’s journey inspires
Where Your Story Meets Hers
When your next safari brings you to Silvan Safari, a streak of teal sweeping across the sky may feel wonderfully familiar. There’s something unmistakably Bella the Bee-Eater about it, a reminder that Africa’s stories aren’t confined to pages. Instead, they play out around you.
If you’d like your own story to take flight, you can begin planning your safari whenever inspiration strikes.
