Far and Wild Safaris Blog

Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park lion

2012-01-24T02:23:00.000-08:00

On a recent visit to Umfolozi and Hluhluwe Game Reserves we saw one of the famed "Tree climbing lion".
Here is a picture of one relaxing from his lofty vantage point. That was quite a climb. These lion are regularly seen in the Corridor / Seme area of the Park. Photo Lana Williamson.

Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park December 2011 - Jeremy Williamson

2012-01-17T05:56:00.000-08:00

Hluhluwe December 2011

It has been a number of years since Lana and I had visited the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park. My two daughters were keen to rekindle memories of old, Jodi wanted to introduce her two sons to the bush at an early age. Lee was out from the UK on holiday, so despite December not being my ideal time to visit we decided to spend a few nights in the park.

We visited the Umfolozi sector of the Park first, overnighting at Mpila Camp. We enjoyed fairly good sightings of most species including three independent sightings of lion and a rather dynamic herd of elephant. Such action within the herd and the younger members all wanting to make some statement at this Land Rover parked in the road. Young Michael loved them and I am sure will always remember the youngest of the “brave” who rushed up towards us, shook its head and almost fell over.

Braais in the bush, lion calling in the early morning, the whistle of a reedbuck as I opened the Chalet door at dawn to watch the sunrise – memories. I was impressed with the improvement in the equipment supplied to guests, the comfort of the beds and the pillows !! I used to have to bring my own. Did this time too but it found better use in the car when the young lads tired. The house-keeping at Mpila camp was pretty good too, general maintenance as well. It was on the tar road to Hilltop Camp from Mpila that some serious maintenance is required – the potholes were reminiscent of those we experienced on the Great North Road in Zambia many years ago. I noted that sections had recently been repaired – roads are an ongoing maintenance requirement I am sure.

As we headed north so the density of the bush increased, there is serious encroachment. Sections of the Park I remember so well when I was visiting the Park on a very regular basis were now totally overgrown with Sicle bush and other pioneer plant species. This impacted severely on the enjoyment of the northern sector with some of the sections not warranting a visit due to the lack of reasonable visibility.

As Hilltop Camp is the only camp in this Game Reserve that has a restaurant making it easier for International travelers and Tour Operators to cater, it is consequently the favored venue for our overseas guests. I despair when I hear how poor the sightings at this time of year are. For a 1 night stay it is impractical for guests to be able to visit the far more rewarding Umfolozi without some guidance or experience. This was not always the case. I needed to see for myself and the poor reports from our Tour Guiding operation and guests seem valid. A pity as the carrying capacity of this Park should really be quite high compared to some of the private venues and even Kruger Park which has less rain and more impoverished soils. I must compliment the work achieved on the reduction of the invasive plant species. An enormous amount of money has been spent on this – certainly there is visible evidence of success.

Hilltop Camp was much the same. Some pleasant surprises too. Milk, tea and coffee sachets in the units. Improved beds and pillows, sleeper couches and new utensils in the kitchens. Then for those that need, Limited DSTV in the rooms as well . The restaurant was busy and a snack menu with extended hours is a good idea – very popular. I must say the gardens at Hilltop have really grown, it’s a veritable forest there. Beautiful and well maintained.

Our early morning game drive to Seme was disastrous , possibly the worst I have ever experienced and the weather was fine. This was redeemed on our exit drive to Memorial gate where we had some reasonable white rhino sightings and a fairly large herd of buffalo. In all good to see how the Park was faring, note made not to visit during peak summer which made me despair for our clients who travel here to miss their dreadful winters.

My Visit to Phinda – Keith Marallich

2011-12-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate to visit the Phinda Private Game Reserve during early December. This was a belated birthday present, but a number of factors played a role in choosing the date. There had to be availability of course, and then reservations could only be made at very short notice – 24 hours before taking up the occupation! What was good about this short notice thing was I then had a chance to look at the weather forecasts for the next two to three days prior to making the reservation, and unfortunately this is where things fell apart a bit. As from early November the weather seemed to be against me. My primary reason for going was for photography, and to complicate matters more, my main aim was to photograph cheetah and black rhinos – quite a tall order, but I was confident that Phinda could deliver! However, I did not want a cloudy sky or rain - the light I hoped for had to be perfect, with blue skies and low sun. I was maybe a little too demanding, but at short notice, with the benefit of weather forecasts, I felt that this could be done. Little did I know that the best laid plans of mice and men…

Every week I was diligently checking availability and weather, and as the month of November grew longer, so nothing changed - 40%, 50% and more prediction of rain (and you don’t have rain without clouds) for all weekends in November. The first weekend in December looked great, but then I hit a snag – that was the one weekend that I could not go. So, what about the next weekend of the 8^th to 11^th December? The following weekend after this was a long weekend and I had a tour at this time in any event, and Phinda was pretty full from then on. January, February and March was just too hot for me, so it was now or never (Never…? too strong a word!). The weekend of the 8^th to 11^th December would have to do, so I duly made my reservation. I also would have liked to have stayed at just one single lodge for the duration of my stay, but with the COP17 conference in Durban coming to an end at this time, this was not possible, so I stayed the first two nights at the Phinda Vlei Lodge and the last night at the Phinda Forest Lodge.

Phinda is a short three hour drive from Durban and easily accessible to any type of vehicle. Upon arrival I was greeted and shown around Vlei Lodge, before being shown my room. I was also warned that I should keep at least my screen doors closed as there were vervet monkeys about, and they did tend to monkey around a bit, but who listens to these warnings? Whilst setting up my camera to take some photos of the suite (I was in the bathroom at this time), I heard a racket from the adjoining bedroom and rushed through, only to find a monkey helping himself to the wrapped nougat which was on offer. He got away with some nougat and sat in the tree above the room; artfully unwrapping the candy and enjoying it. This of course meant less nougat for me. The suites at Phinda Vlei Lodge are free standing, and fringe the reserve’s unique vlei (wetland) system along the edge of the rare sand forest and are intimately integrated into the surrounding African bush. This lodge comprises six thatched suites which each come complete with a luxurious ensuite bathroom, dressing room, private plunge pool and game viewing deck, all overlooking the grassy vlei.

The public areas consisted of a lounge, an inside dining area for when the weather was bad and an outside dining area for when the weather was good. With the weather conditions as they were, this meant that half my meals were inside whilst the other half were enjoyed outside.

Hereunder some photos of the Vlei Lodge.

The game drives at Phinda Vlei Lodge were usually pretty good, but unfortunately for me they were mostly in bad light. The Friday morning drive was done in some light drizzle and for the afternoon drive I did not even take my camera along, such was the rain. Probably the last drive at Vlei was the “worst” of the four, as we travelled all the way to the furthest reaches of Phinda to find elephant. We did in fact find a herd of about 50 to 60 animals, as well as other general game, but for the four hours that we were out, the light did not play along, so I did not take any photos of these magnificent beasts. We also spent quite a long time during my stay here trying to find leopard, as there was plenty of evidence of their presence by the number of fresh tracks that we found, but apart from one very “small” sighting, we could not find them. I will hereunder detail some of the more exciting sightings that were seen and general animals that were seen on both the Vlei and Forest lodges’ game drives included white rhino, and lots of them, nyala by the ton, reedbuck, impala (and many had lambs that were recently born), zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, baboons, the odd duiker, monkeys, wart hog, buffalo, hippos and more.

Some of the sightings from Vlei Lodge, in no particular order, that stood out for me were the following:

- A lactating lioness laying on top of a mound fully at ease, with an odd yawn every now and then. Her cubs were nowhere to be found, but they should have been fairly close by.

- Two large male lions (and even in reasonably good light) that I was told are the two dominant males of the reserve – a large area for them to cover.

- A black rhino and her sub-adult calf. A few days later we also saw a black rhino and calf and maybe this second sighting was of these same two animals. Phinda has roughly about thirty black rhinos on their property and this highly endangered animal seems to be doing well here – long may it continue. Just on that note, with all the rhino poaching currently being experienced in South Africa at the moment, Phinda have not lost a single rhino to poachers, neither the black or white variety.

- Five cheetahs, made up of two males, one female and two sub-adult cubs. The males were obviously trying to impress the female, but she was having none of them. I must also say that every time one of the males approached the female, the cubs would give voice to their displeasure with strange bird-like mewing sounds (very difficult to put into words, this strange bird-like mewing sound).

- A very young white rhino calf with its mother. This little animal reminded me somewhat of an aardvark, with its large ears and small body. One of those animals that all on the vehicle ooh’d and aah’d about.

- A wildebeest that was trying to give birth, but with little privacy. The baby’s front legs were already protruding from the mother, but every time she settled down to do what had to be done, she was surrounded by more wildebeest from her herd and sometimes even some zebra. We never did see here complete her birth.

- On that same morning we were watching a mother cheetah and her two sub-adult cubs, just lazing about on a termite mound. All of a sudden the mother perked up and looked off into the distance, this intense look soon to be followed by both cubs. What they had seen, and which we saw a few seconds later, was a male lion bearing down upon them from a distance. Needless to say, the cheetah left in a hurry, being chased by the male lion, which never caught them, because we saw these animals again.

- Two male cheetahs devouring an impala lamb. We had found the remains of an impala lamb that had been killed and eaten a short time before we came upon them, just starting on their meal of a second impala lamb in probably as many hours. They had just started and within 20 to 30 minutes it was all over – all that was left of the impala was the bottom bit of four legs, some skin and a few bones. We even watched them crunch their way through the impala’s skull and I suppose a two week old impala still has a soft skull. All this on the afternoon that I did not take my camera!

After my visit to Vlei Lodge, it was off to Phinda Forest Lodge for my last night. Set deep in the heart of a rare and beautiful dry sand forest, the spectacular Forest Lodge fuses architectural design and conservation. The creation of this safari lodge was an exemplary exercise in building eco-sensitive structures with a light footprint (not one tree was felled during construction). Inventively designed in Zulu Zen style, each handcrafted, glass encased suite is a combination of glass, wood and minimalist design incorporating high-gloss wooden floors, richly tactile fabrics and crimson Zulu artefacts. These sixteen private stilted suites each feature luxurious ensuite bathrooms with double vanity hand basins, and viewing decks. There is also a sparkling rim flow swimming pool and lodge sitting areas with expansive viewing decks affording panoramic views of the game-filled plains. What one finds quite a lot of at Forest Lodge is the red duiker, browsing within close proximity to guests.

Hereunder some photos of the suites and general areas of Forest Lodge.

That afternoon I went out with my new guide, Wayne, and we went looking for leopard. We did find a leopard, or more accurately, we found about a ¼ or less of a leopard. No, let me rephrase that, we saw only the tail of a leopard. This animal had crawled into deep undergrowth and only its tail was visible – but it was a leopard sighting. There are obviously quite a few leopards at Phinda, but these are not often seen, being the secretive animals that they are. Had we been prepared to wait there a few hours, we would in all probability have seen the leopard eventually move off, but there were other animals to find.

We also found two male cheetah, and lo and behold, the light was improving, in that the sun was shining, albeit a bit watery, but I did manage to get some half-decent photos of them in various poses. We did learn later from the other guide that was also viewing them that they made a kill (yes, you guessed it – another baby impala) and this was witnessed by the people on the other vehicle - lucky them, unlucky impala. So, as far as I was aware, the score was cheetah 3, baby impala 0! What we later did find was the two dominant male lions, but this was in the dark twilight and they were disinclined to move, so we did not stay with them for too long. The following morning produced quite a lot of general game and again two black rhinos, but again the light let me down, but hey, one does not see black rhino ever day! We also saw the two male lions, but they had followed the leopard’s example of the night before and had ensconced themselves into a deep thicket where they had settled for the day.

Phinda is a superb destination. Set within easy reach of the Indian Ocean coastline and the famous iSimangaliso Wetland Park (St. Lucia) in northern KwaZulu-Natal and is known for its abundant wildlife, diversity of habitats and wide range of activities. Thanks to its coastal rainfall pattern, Phinda enjoys a lush green environment that contains seven distinct ecosystems - a magnificent tapestry of woodland, grassland, wetland and forest, interspersed with mountain ranges, river courses, marshes and pans. With six lodges sharing an area of 23 000 hectares (56 800 acres) guests are assured an exclusive game viewing experience.

If one has the time, and if one has the money, and if one has the passion for wildlife, you can quite easily tailor-make an itinerary to suit your viewing preferences. For example, if cheetah and black rhino are high on your list of animals to see, Phinda is the place to go. If it is leopard that you have to see, Phinda has four sister lodges in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve which will undoubtedly produce an abundance of leopard, but very, very few cheetah and surely no black rhino. If it is lion, elephant, buffalo and more, either of these areas, i.e Phinda or the Sabi Sands, can take care of this. In fact, depending on what type of animals you want to see, South Africa with its vast expanses can offer you much in terms of wildlife, from the abundant elephant herds of Addo, the marine wildlife off our southern Cape coast, the one hundred and forty seven mammal species of the greater Kruger Park, the dry Karoo and desert regions, the rhino populations in KwaZulu Natal, the cross-over between Kalahari and bushveld in the Pilanesberg and Madikwe areas, the options are almost limitless, and as for the birding…..we’ll leave this for another time.

Umzolozolo Lodge - Nambiti Private Game Reserve

2011-12-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

Umzolozolo Lodge was our next and final stop and all we had to do was drive from the one entry gate to the other - a drive that was no more than a 15 minute drive. When we entered the gate we were again directed to the Guest Parking area where our ranger Bradley was there waiting to pick us up, it was onto the game vehicle and off to Umzolozolo Lodge.

On arrival at Umzolozolo Lodge we were welcomed by Debbie and shown around the main area of the lodge and to our suite which had the same amazing view into the valley as the main lodge, the suite itself is well equipped with a King size bed, a large bath, indoor & outdoor showers, dressing room, TV with limited DSTV channels, Aircon and fan – all the mod cons you would need/want in a room.

Once we were settled in it was off to lunch which was an amazing spread of food and a sunning chocolate pecan nut pie for pudding, after our stomachs were full it was back to the room for a little rest and to pick up our things for the afternoon game drive which departed at 15h45.

The Afternoon Drive was eventful will lots of plains game which included Eland, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala, Blue Wildebeest, Warthog, Reedbuck and Duiker, we also spotted Ostrich, Black Backed Jackal, plenty of White Rhino and Hippo in the Dam. after our exciting day we were back to Umzolozolo Lodge for a wonderful four course dinner, with the best lamb shank i have had in ages and a yummy dessert of poached pear which we only just managed to squeeze in we were so full.

The next morning we were up early, on the Game vehicle by 05h30 and off in search of the Elephants, well we pretty much found everything except the elephants as they just didn't seem to want us to find them, so our list of game spotted included plenty of plains game - Eland, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala etc. White Rhino and Buffalo, when we got back to the lodge after our morning game drive we were advised that the Elephant were moving through the valley in front of the lodge, so we did find the elephants after all, just not on the vehicle but from the comfort of the lodge's deck.

After Breakfast the rest of my morning was spent relaxing in the room, whilst Justin was off fishing in the Dams for bass with the husbands/boyfriend's from the other couples that were staying at Umzolozolo Lodge, they managed to catch a few (fishing is on a catch and release basis) and also had to avoid a few curious hippos that were in the dam. It was then time for Lunch which was once again a wonderful spread, we were then back on the game vehicle and off on our afternoon game drive.

This time we managed to find the elephants as they were passing by a small dam, some stopped to drink whilst the others carried on by joining up with the rest of the herd on the hill, there were quite a few little ones in the herd, the babies are definitely my favourite as they are just so cute. Once we moved on from the Elephants we saw Black Baked Jackal, Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest and all the rest of the plains game, as the sun was setting we stopped for the normal Sun-downers and to watch a beautiful sunset, i don't know what it is about being in the bush but the sunsets are even more amazing that when your in the city! After sun-downers the spotlight came out and we continued on our way back to the lodge looking for nocturnal animals along the way and we managed to spot a Chameleon hiding in the bush! Bradley brought him to us for a closer look and I managed to snap a picture before Bradley returned him to his home. we then returned back to the lodge for Dinner under the stars in the Lodges Boma area, dinner was once again a four course meal although this time i opted out of one of the starters.

The next morning we were up even earlier and off on our morning game drive, this morning was a little chilly, although not enough for a thick jacket, and it was quite misty as the sun was not yet up fully - with the thin mist we could tell that this day was going to be another hot day once the sun burnt off the mist. We were driving past the open plains Nambiti Private Game Reserve should be known for, here i managed to snap this picture of a Zebra, as you can see the sky in the background is still a little misty.

Once the mist had lifted completely we saw all the normal plains game that i have now become accustom to seeing on a daily basis in Nambiti Private Game Reserve - this includes Eland, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala etc. on our way back to the lodge we came across a few of the Elephants again although they were up on the hill we could just see the top of their heads and backs over the trees, one stood out amongst them all - BFE - which stands for Big Friendly Elephant, he is a very large bull elephant who towers over the other elephants and sometimes visit Umzolozolo Lodge - passing right through the lodge. I would have loved to have seen him that close while we were at the lodge, but i guess that now just gives me an excuse to go back sometime!

Lions Valley Lodge - Nambiti Private Game Reserve

2011-12-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

The drive to Lions Valley Lodge from Durban took us an easy 3 ½ hours even with a short lunch stop along the way, once at the gate we were directed to the Guest parking area where we were to leave our vehicle, here we met our ranger Dean who was equipped with ice cold water which was just what we needed as it was such a scorching hot day, after a refreshing drink and luggage loaded we were off and on our way to Lions Valley Lodge.

Along the way we saw plenty of plains game which included Eland, Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala and Blue Wildebeest, we also saw a family of warthog running around with their tails up in the air. On arrival at Lions Valley Lodge we were welcomed and shown around the facilities of the Main lodge most of which have a view into the bush and over the waterhole, we were then taken to our room, we were in the Zebra Suite so the décor was all based around the Zebra – one of my favourite animals – each of the suits are identical in their footprint and they all boast a large bedroom/ lounge area, walk in closet, double baths, basins and double indoor and out door showers as well as a large deck over looking the bush, only the décor differs - from our Zebra room through to the Spaza room which is decorated with Corrugated iron walls, Coca Cola pillows and chappie light shades, to be honest just the sound of the Spaza room did not appeal to me but once actually inside the room the touches are so lightly done that its not the overpowering rainbow of colours I expected to see and I would have been happy to have stayed in the Spaza room or any of the other rooms for that matter.

Lunch was served at 15h00 and we had a buffet selection of freshly made bread, macaroni and cheese, etc.

The afternoon Game Drive then departed at 16h00 and again we saw plenty of plains game as well as a little Black Backed Jackal, and 3 big Dagga boys (Buffalo's) our best sighting would have to be the Big Male Lion we saw in the Afternoon along with the one Lioness who was calling and calling, I really do love the sound of the lion roaring but from the safety of my vehicle, I think it may be a different story if we were on foot! The sighting was a good one as they were out in the open about 100m off from the road but unfortunately as the area was recently burnt we were unable to go off road and get closer to the lions as the grass needs time to rehabilitate after it has been burnt, even tho we couldn't get close it was still a wonderful sighting just as the sun was setting.

It was then back to the lodge for Dinner and sleep.

The next morning we were up at 05h30 and back on the Game Drive vehicle by 06h00. The morning game drive brought us Impala, Kudu, Eland, Warthog, Waterbuck, Red Hartebeest, Gemsbok, Steenbok and a Mother Rhino with her baby who were both resting under the shade of a tree as today was again a scorching hot day.

It was then back to the lodge for a fulling Breakfast – both a cold buffet and a hot English breakfast of bacon, eggs etc. during breakfast we even had some excitement as one of the rangers had sighted a Cheetah Lying in the shade of a tree directly across from the lodge, with a good pair of binoculars you could see that he/she had eaten and was a rather fat cheetah for it! After breakfast it was back to the room to pack then onto the Vehicle to be taken back to our car and for us to proceed onto our next stop Umzolozolo Lodge.

Leopard Mountain Game Lodge - Zululand Rhino Reserve

2011-11-16T03:52:00.000-08:00

The optimal arrival time at Leopard Mountain Game lodge is 14:00, so Lana and I had packed up the Land Rover and left home in Durban at 10h30. We took the coastal scenic route via Ballito and then up the N2 and into Zululand. The further north we travelled the drier the bush appeared, with the first flush of green just beginning after some recent light rains. A three hour drive and we were at the entrance to the Zululand Rhino Reserve, some 30 kilometres north of the Hluhluwe Village. Enter, security and in, en route to the lodge we spotted some impala, nyala, zebra and giraffe - looking good!

At the lodge we were met by Melissa with refreshing iced tea and were taken to our chalet overlooking the Umsunduze River valley - what a view! Lana relaxed in the hammock on the deck whilst I watched a pair of white bellied sunbirds in the nearby bushes and the distant passing parade of antelope – then Nelson the resident Nyala Bull decided to tend to the shrubbery around our abode. Whilst here we also had the pleasure of seeing a large elephant bull that was strolling along the river-bed below.

Afternoon tea, consisting of tasty sandwiches and scrumptious cakes, was served before onto the vehicles for the afternoon game drive. Our vehicle was a new ‘open’ Land Rover Game Viewer, super comfortable and my favorite game drive vehicle. I’m too old to have my bones shaken about in a Land Cruiser! The bush was very dry and some sections had been burnt with the new growth only just starting to show, so this section really only attracted those animals that enjoy the burnt vegetation. Today it was White Rhino (two in the bush and another two at the waterhole),

Buffalo, Giraffe aplenty, Zebra and then antelope - Blue wildebeest, Impala, Nyala, Common Reedbuck and Grey Duiker. This was a super game drive with our ranger Amy and tracker, Travis, who provided interesting insight on the animals and the environment.

During our drive we stopped for Sundowners (and wine served in real wine glasses!), tasty snacks and drooe wors – a South Africa favourite. On the return to camp we passed through a section of riparian forest, their trees alive with a number of Thick-tailed Galago (Bushbabies) which made Lana’s day. Being nocturnal, these small animals are not regularly seen.

Leopard Mountain Lodge has a rather clever choice option for ones evening meal, in that one is asked to choose from the dinner menu in advance. Because of a light drizzle, dinner could not be in their normal Boma venue, seated around a fire. A delightful four cours meal with South African options. I chose Babootie and there was Malva pudding foor dessert !

Thereafter we returned to our comfortable beds and the next morning was an early rise - we were scheduled to go on an early morning walk. Our guide Ivor van Rooyen accompanied by Ryan Vivier led the way - such an interesting walk. Ivor is well versed in the ways of the wild and kept us well informed of all the signs, sounds and smells of the bush. We followed Black Rhino and Buffalo tracks, animals which are apparently regularly encountered on these walks and we saw where a hyena had crossed our path. We came close to a number of antelope and then the lesser-seen animals as well, a leopard tortoise that had evaded the fire, and some snails too!

Then aardvark diggings, wherein warthog had now taken up residence in these dug-out burrows as well as some bird nests with eggs - Spring!. October is a good time of the year for birding, with the summer migrants having already recently arrived in Southern Africa. Raptors were really prolific and with walking through different biomes, so new opportunities presented themselves. The dense forest along the Umsundusi River was especially good. The walk was a good three hours of pleasure and certainly well worth doing.

Breakfasts at Leopard Mountain were delightful - juices, cereals and fruit and then the traditional "Full House" South African (English?) cooked option. Repleat, guests may opt to be taken to a waterhole where there is a comfortable hide. In the hour that we were there we had a number of visitors, with no less than 27 warthog in the area at one time.

Thereafter it was back to the Lodge for time to ourselves to relax and enjoy the bush environment. Ours was spent lying on the deck with the sounds of prolific bird calls from all quarters and the odd visit from a warthog or nyala. Lunch was rather unique. Leopard Mountain Lodge arranges a picnic basket to be enjoyed at one of the many places in and around the Lodge. Some guests chose the lovely rock pool, we preferred the deck at our Chalet. Breads, cheeses, salads, pate, dessert were all on offer - such a good idea. After another period of relaxation, it was time for tea, which consisted of delightful sandwiches and cakes before departing on the afternoon game drive.

On this drive we saw a lot of plains game, giraffe, baboon and then a trio of white rhino, mum and her two calves, the one a lot older than her sibling. Then a rather relaxed bull elephant sporting some fair ivory and using them to best secure his meal. Then Amy spotted a Black Rhino, a super sighting before this shy and endangered animal turned and disappeared, zig-zagging through the bush at high speed. More pachyderms were seen, and then it was onto a dam where the abrasive snorts of hippo greeted us. Here we enjoyed sundowners, thereafter our drive continued with spotlights and a genet out on the hunt.

Spring time, overcast and light rain, wonderful! No one seemed to mind that the boma dinner was not to be. Our last early morning game drive produced some more buffalo, white rhino, giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope.

I am most impressed with the vast improvement in the quality and quantity of game sightings in comparison to our visit to this Game Reserve some five years ago. With the recent introduction of lion, this is now truly a Big Five destination with such potential. Lana and I really enjoyed the Lodge,(good attention to detail here) the staff were so friendly, helpful and informative and I was pretty impressed with the game viewing. Zululand Rhino reserve really is a worthwhile, affordable venue getting better all the time.

Leopard Mountain Game Lodge

2011-10-20T01:33:00.000-07:00

The Zululand Rhino Reserve is transforming rapidly into a super Big Five wildlife destination. It is almost five years since I last visited Leopard Mountain Game Lodge and since then black rhino, elephant and lion have been reintroduced with regular sightings of most of these sought after species being enjoyed by guests.

Leopard Mountain Game Lodge has a commanding position with magnificent views overlooking the reserve and the Umsunduzi River below. Lana and I arrived, to be ushered to our very comfortable, large stone under thatch Chalet. Relaxing on the deck, Lana lazing in the hammock, we gazed out into the bushveld. The immediate vegetation was alive with birdlife and even Nelson a resident Nyala came past, briefly acknowledging our presence as he foraged close to our chalet whilst a large elephant bull wandered along the dry river-bed below – this is the life!

We had some really excellent sightings on the guided game drives. Close encounter with a herd of some 80+ buffalo, then a magnificent bull elephant, a black and a number of white rhino, hippo, giraffe, zebra and a variety of antelope. The guided game drives are offered early mornings and again late afternoons into the evening and such is the density of wildlife here that a large variety of game is seen on each drive. We had such a lovely view of a gathering of some seven or eight Thick-tailed Galago (Greater Bush Babies) in the riparian forest on one of the evening drives. After breakfast one may opt to be taken to the hide for an hour or so. Highly recommended!

We had a ‘stream’ of animals coming to the waters to drink. At one time I counted 27 warthog of various sizes in the proximity.

Lana and I chose to take the optional early morning walk that Leopard Mountain Lodge offers guests. Rifle in hand, our Ranger showed us so much in the three hours - we followed tracks, calls and his intuition. Good to really be back in the bush and to enjoy some of the different aspects one can only engage when on foot..

Leopard Mountain has a really lovely luncheon offering. From a basic menu one chooses what is to be in the basket and where you would like to enjoy your pic-nic. This pic-nic basket is brought to you – we chose our deck, others opted for the pool, what a novel idea!

The lion have only recently been released into the reserve, the leopard are becoming more relaxed near vehicles, as too the elephant herds and the black rhino, although still pretty skittish have also settled into their new haven. What a transformation in my opinion since my last visit, to what is now a really good wildlife viewing experience and it can only get better. As the fences come down, and as the farmers see the viability of ecotourism vs cattle ranching / hunting, and neighboring independent game parks unite into one, so this area will transform into one of the finest game-viewing areas in our country. Already two Lodges in the vicinity, Phinda and Thanda Private Game Reserves are World renowned. Exciting! Only 3 hours from Durban to one of the best big game experiences out and well priced too.

Fairlawns Boutique Hotel

2011-09-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Celebrating a 40th Wedding anniversary in Johannesburg afforded Lana and I to visit and stay at the delightful Fairlawns Boutique Hotel in the Sandton suburb of Morningside Manor.

The function was to be a luncheon and with timing fairly tight – we flew SAA to Johannesburg from where we took the Gautrain to Sandton. What a slick operation that was. From the depths of the underground we emerged to be met by our chauffer and luxury sedan transfer to the Hotel. What a splendid hotel tucked away amongst beautiful gardens. Formalities by the warm welcoming staff and we were checked into the luxurious Manhattan suite. All the 40 suites here are themed. A quick freshen-up and our vehicle was ready to take us to the party.

On our return the duty manager gave us the opportunity of seeing the various suites and facilities offered by the Hotel. Royalty and Presidents have been hosted here and all ones needs appear to be well catered for in this beautifully decorated retreat .

From a superb Conference Centre, fully equipped gym, really excellent a la Carte Restaurant and wine cellar, to the most delightful Spa. I really liked the out-door facilities of the Balinese Spa all set in a forest with bamboo trees and tinkling water. Magnificent. What an ideal wedding venue.

We learnt that the wing we were in was actually only recently built and finished in time for the Soccer World Cup June 2010 - although one would think is was part of the 40 year old infrastructure. So well does it blend in. Powered by solar panels on the roof, all the mod-cons are there but not connected to the National Grid ! Good for them. Modern building filled with beautiful artifacts and antiques decorated in a rather opulent style – home away from home?

We went through to the rather comfortable homely bar for drinks before dinner and then through for our meal. A table with expansive views of the flood-lit gardens, glass doors open to the fresh Highveld air. What a lovely evening - dinner, soft music, excellent wine and cuisine we retired to our very comfortable suite.

To the gym or should I go for a swim in the pool? Up early and to the tea station on our floor. Machines all set for 24/7 refreshments. Tea and then we ambled down into the gardens. So lovely having a breakfast out on the deck, the sun warming and the gardens glowing. Too quickly we were back in the car, down the escalators to the depths below Sandton City and the rapid transfer back to the Airport. With facilities like these and a hotel of this stature one could confidently host the World’s finest.

Oliver's Restaurant and Lodge, White River

2011-07-18T03:39:00.001-07:00

Our last stop on this journey back to Durban, after two weeks on the road, was Oliver’s Restaurant and Lodge, situated just outside White River. Surrounded by the lush forests of the Mpumalanga Province, Oliver's is situated on the secure White River Country Estate and overlooks the first green of the 18-hole championship White River Golf Course. Oliver's Restaurant and Lodge is within close proximity of the Kruger National Park as well as the Blyde River Canyon and lies in a Malaria-free area. The nearby Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) gives easy access from and to any major city in South Africa and Internationally.

We were shown to our suite –well! It had an entrance hall, with a toilet off of this, a large lounge with TV, DVD, Hi-Fi, bar fridge and gas fireplace. Off the lounge was the bedroom, which had a large canopied bed, cupboard space, a gas fireplace and then adjacent to this the bathroom, with the “usual” basins, large bath, inside and outside shower, heated towel rail and heated floor. Outside was a balcony with a large, double sun bed, overlooking the pool below. The communal areas had lounges scattered both inside and out, a pub, and dining room, which has consistently been awarded the “Top 100 Restaurants of South Africa” and lovely gardens, filled with a variety of bird-life. They also have a spa on-site for those who may wish to make use of this.

Of dinner and breakfast I only have one word – excellent. This is what one would expect from a top 100 restaurant, and they did not disappoint. For dinner I did not have a starter but instead settled for an Oliver’s Gourmet Table Salad, which was a selection of freshly picked garden lettuce with rocket, garnished with mozzarella, bacon, asparagus, artichokes, cocktail tomato, onions and avocado – this is what a salad should be, and anyway, after indulging in fine food for the past two weeks, I had to assuage my guilt!

Anyway, I had by this time also decided that I would have the Rack of Lamb as my main course and this was grilled to perfection and served with a potato-bacon rosti and vegetables – and I then also had to leave space for dessert! One does not go to a restaurant run by a chef with an Austrian background, and not have the warm Applestrudel on a homemade Vanilla Custard! Great! Janice had always said that she wanted to have the perfect Risotto, so she settled for the Creamy Italian White Wine Risotto with grilled prawns, calamari, mussels and shrimps, finished with shavings of parmesan, which she declared fantastic. It must have been – she would not leave me a taste!

The next morning I would have loved to linger over breakfast, but alas, Durban is far from White River and I had to get going, but having said that, I hope to return, rather sooner than later! Olivers is well positioned for those persons who may be travelling to the game reserves of the Lowveld, and may be arriving too late to do an afternoon game drive, to then stay here the first night. It is also in any event a destination where one may base oneself if you first want to see the sights of the Lowveld and Panorama Route before your visit to, say, the Sabi Sands.

Garonga Safari Camp, Makalali Reserve

2011-07-15T06:18:00.001-07:00

From Vuyatela it was a drive north past Hoedspruit and Mica and into the Limpopo Province to our last game lodge that we were to visit, the Garonga Safari Camp, which is set in the Makalali Reserve. The Garonga Safari Camp is fairly easy to get to, one has a good paved road, and when you leave this road, a drive on a very good dirt road to the lodge. We parked our vehicle at a “reasonably” safe car park at the lodge. Why I say "reasonably safe, is that on the day of our departure, there were fresh lion tracks in the camp, and specificall about five metres from my car - which was perfectly okay, just as I had left it!

The lodge itself was somewhat unusual – completely different to any of the lodges that I had been to before, something along the lines of The Flintstones' homes, but in a nice way! Our accommodation was not quite a tent, not quite a suite and not really a room. For this large unit, there were brick walls under a canvas roof, a wooden deck overlooking a dry river bed, a hammock for lazing away some spare time, a large double bed, electricity, overhead fan, inside and outside shower, his and hers basins and lots of space.

The communal areas consisted of a large, thatched lounge and dining room, a large deck, also overlooking the river, a self-service bar (all drinks here are included in the tariff) and a pool. From our deck on our arrival we watched quite a large male elephant make his way down the dry riverbed to eventually disappear into the bush.

The staff here was great and the food was good. However, the game drives did not produce as many exciting sightings as had been seen before, but remember, this was not the Sabi Sands, so I was not expecting to see the vast numbers of predators that I had seen the previous few days. It would also not be fair to compare the Sabi Sands to Makalali – the Sabi Sands has been in existence in its present form for many, many years, and most of the animals in the Sabi Sands had become habituated to motor vehicles, this was still to happen in the Makalali Reserve.

Our guide was Jaffeth and our tracker Rebel, both very nice chaps, and obviously keen to do their best. That afternoon the usual impala, kudu, zebra, steenbuck, black-backed jackal and giraffe were seen. Whilst we were stopped for our sundowner drinks, I noticed some movement off in the distance. As it was dusk, I could not quite make out what these animals were, so Jaffeth had a look through his binoculars – lions! We finished our sun-downers and then made our way to the lions. It turned out to be three adult lionesses with three cubs. We followed them, but it was by this time dark, and they took us into some very thick bush (most of this reserve seems to consist of thick bush), so after a while we left them alone. We also heard hyaena calling, but failed to find them.

That evening dinner was out under the stars, and was a good South African braai, with three types of meat, soups, starters and desserts. This braai was hosted by Jaffeth, who told us some funny stories and quite a bit about his experiences as a wildlife guide. He really is an entertaining character.

The following morning we set out to follow fresh lion tracks, and ended up in the course of the morning to follow two different sets of tracks, but came up short – no lions were found, they were making themselves very scarce in the thick bush, so we settled for the usual suspects, plains game, giraffe, warthog and baboons. We also saw a group of Dwarf Mongoose, very entertaining little carnivores these. A nice surprise was during the morning we came upon a dry river bed, and here a full breakfast was set up. Tables, chairs, food, fruit juices, hot coffee, breads, cereals, cheese, biscuits, yoghurts and more were set out for our comfort.

The afternoon drive produced the usual animals, plus the three adult lionesses from the previous day, as well as two white rhino. Dinner that night was a surprise. What the staff had done, as there were only six guests at the lodge, was to have a private dinner for each couple. They had set out tables at different areas of the main lodge and served each table individually. Each table was out of sight and earshot of the other – a nice touch.

Garonga Safari Camp is a very nice lodge, but I would be hesitant to send first time guests here purely for the reason that game is not too plentiful However, if you want a superb lodge with all the trimmings, the Garonga Safari Lodge fits this bill perfectly. Activities here include game drives, wilderness walks, sleep-outs, outdoor bush-baths and aromatherapy and reflexology sessions. Janice and I did not do the “bush bath”, but two of the other guests who had done this were thoroughly happy that they had done so, and the other two guests were going to do a “sleep-out” on the following night. The sleep out is on your own on a deck with stunning views overlooking the veldt. A mouth-watering picnic hamper, a drinks box, and hot drinks are left for you at the deck and you are left with a radio. A wash basin and toilet close by are provided. This surely rates as an exceptional lodge if one wants to spend some time here to relax and be pampered, and who knows, maybe I was just visiting at one of those times when the animals were not too keen on being seen – it happens.

Report from the camp sightings log show that for this week, cheetah, lion, elephant and white rhino were all see - herewith a note from Bernie at Garonga
Out of 10 I give the Game Viewing 7. I think the experience to be much more of a Wilderness/natural experience with “very Good” Game Viewing.

90% of our Guests are first timers and it is VERY rare that we have any “Complaint” about poor Game Viewing. Our average stay is 4 nights.

Djuma Vuyatela Lodge, Sabi Sands

2011-07-15T05:35:00.001-07:00

From Cheetah Plains it was just a short trip to their neighbour, Djuma Vuyatela, where we stayed for just the one night. Now I know that I regret staying only one night at any lodge, but Vuyatela really was a place that I would have loved to have stayed at for many more nights. The game drives here, and we did only two, an afternoon and a morning drive, were superb and were probably the best that we had had this entire trip – and that says a lot. The Vuyatela Lodge itself was also very good, with good staff, good food and friendly service.

Our suite consisted of a bedroom, with large bed (king, queen, family? I don’t know, but it could have slept quite a few people comfortably!), separate dressing area, a big bathroom with bath, his and hers basins, shower, an outside shower and separate toilet, all with the good smelly stuff – in this case Molton Brown. Lest I forget, there was also a separate lounge, where we had lounge chairs, a desk, a bar fridge and where coffee was left for us on our morning wake-up call. Our deck, with its own plunge pool, also overlooked the waterhole that was in front of the lodge.

The public areas consisted of inside and outside lounges, a dining room, complete with a fish tank with local fresh water fish, an outside boma, large deck overlooking the waterhole, which had a whole community of residents, hippo, waterbuck, impala, wildebeest and more. There was also a lookout tower overlooking the waterhole, so one could spend some time here if one had time and a very long lens! They also had a library where there was a TV as well as two computers for use by guests wanting to use the internet, as well as a gym and a spa.

After checking in, we were treated to a sumptuous lunch and then on our afternoon game drive we were introduced to our ranger, Ephraim and Amos, our tracker. We were in the company of another photographer, a local from Johannesburg, whom I suspect was in some way connected to Djuma and who had been asked to take some photographs for them, and he was calling the shots. This worked beautifully in my favour, as I too like my photography, so was quite happy when he instructed Ephraim on occasion to park our Land Cruiser to best suit the subject and the light. All of us being keen on photography on this vehicle, we also didn’t mind spending longer than normal at a sighting, especially the leopard sightings, which I think this chap was tasked to photograph. On our afternoon drive we came upon the two leopard cubs from earlier that morning (when I was on the drive at Cheetah Plains) and we were able to spend some time with them. After a while Ephraim heard about three cheetahs that had been seen on the Kruger Park boundary, so we headed off there. Unfortunately the light was poor, but I did manage to get off a photo or two of these rarely seen animals. We also made a turn at the lion kill where the lionesses had killed the buffalo, and the feeding was still continuing here. Among others we also saw elephant, rhino and buffalo – what do you know? The big 5 in one drive!

That evening at dinner we had an interesting guest at our table – Marc Weiner, the person who does the on-line line game drives for “Wild Earth TV” in this area, and he had some interesting stories to tell. I had seen him and his cameraman in this area on quite a few occasions, in this funny vehicle with a long antenna, but was unaware of what he was doing. Now I know – he was doing a live broadcast of his game drives on the internet.

The following morning produced all the usual suspects, including the two leopard cubs again. Back at the buffalo kill, the lionesses had left the scene, and had left behind a male, who was resting up in the shade, that is until his face was touched by the sun – and with a little help from our spotlight, some photos were taken of him. We had to use the spotlight, the light was still very low. Of the leopard cubs, their mother had left them and disappeared and these two were now on their own for a few hours or for a few days, who knew? The young male was a bit shy, and did not show much of himself, but his sister was quite happy in our presence and I was able to take quite a few photos of her. After leaving them we then found another male leopard that we followed for a while, but eventually we left him in the thick vegetation. After driving around unsuccessfully for a short time, we went back to the female leopard cub. Just as we were about ready to leave the young female, I saw some movement in the distance, which turned out to be an older, mature leopard, which we then followed and stayed with for awhile until he had drunk from a waterhole. After this morning full of leopard and lion (four different leopards seen on one drive!) it was back to the lodge for breakfast and to pack.

I really enjoyed this lodge; I enjoyed the contemporary décor and art adorning the walls, the game drives, and everything about the lodge. At no stage did Ephraim or Amos indicate that time was running out – the only time that Ephraim was concerned about the time was when he asked me what time I wanted to depart. If I am at a leopard sighting, as good as these, I may never want to depart! Will I recommend this lodge to my clients – you bet I will!

Cheetah Plains Lodge, Sabi Sands

2011-07-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

Cheetah Plains, a lodge in the north of the Sabi Sands was our next stop, and we were here for two nights. It was not that far to get from Mantobeni to Cheetah Plains, and we arrived here at about midday. We were welcomed with the customary drinks and shown to our rooms. These were quite a bit smaller than what I had seen at other lodges in the Sabi Sands, but perfectly comfortable nonetheless. The room consisted of a double bed, air-conditioning, and overhead fan, tea/coffee station, outside deck, one bath, one basin, an outside shower and hair dryer. The space to hang clothing was fairly limited, but sufficient nonetheless (just!). The public areas have a gift shop, a pub and inside and outside lounges, as well as the ubiquitous TV room, as well as a pool. We did not make use of this – the cold front was still present.

The Cheetah Plains winter programme is a wake-up call at 06:00, followed by drinks and then departing for a drive at 06:30, returning at 09:30 for brunch and then an optional walk. High tea is served at 15:30 and the drive departs at 16:00, returning at 19:00, followed by dinner. They do away with breakfast and lunch, and instead offer brunch and high tea, which is a good alternative and maybe more lodges should look at this.

We were introduced to our ranger Jacques and our tracker, Patrick, and set off for the afternoon game drive which produced another huge herd of buffalo, elephants on two occasions, nyala, steenbuck, duiker, hippo, wildebeest, zebra, white-tailed mongoose, genet, civet, lesser bushbaby and then some rhino.

Dinner was enjoyed under the stars, and consisted of a good old South African braai, with a choice of meats, salads, starch, desserts, etc. Both times dinner was served under the stars in their boma, just off the lounge and pub area, as were brunch on both occasions. Brunch had a choice of hot and cold dishes, fruit, juice, cereals, yoghurts, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, eggs, toast, coffee, tea, etc.

The morning drive produced the usual animal sightings, but this time also two honey badgers – a rare sight – and two old male lions that we followed for a while. Our ranger, Jacques and our tracker Patrick, knew of a hyaena den which we also visited. However, all that was seen here on this occasion were two adult hyaena – the cubs did not want to show themselves. After this drive we returned to the lodge for brunch and to catch up on some relaxing.

That afternoon’s drive was more exciting. We saw all the usual animals again, including all of the big-5 in one drive. We also went back to the hyaena den, where we found the five young hyaena with not an adult in sight. In fact, upon stopping there, no animals were visible, but being the inquisitive animals that they are, one by one the hyaena’s came out to see what was going on and some quality time was spent with them. We followed a group of five lionesses wandering down the road and got pretty close to them and then when it was dark, we stopped at a tree where there was a leopard kill - a female leopard had killed an impala and taken it up a tree. She also had two cubs with her, but we did not see them. This was a fairly fresh kill, with blood still fresh and running down the dead impala’s neck and the leopard was beginning to feed. A hyaena was present at this site, and this may have been the reason that the two cubs did not show themselves.

That next morning we came upon the group of lionesses that we had seen the previous evening. They had killed a buffalo and were busy consuming this in some long grass. They had obviously been feeding for most of the night, as their bellies were quite full and they were pretty lethargic. We also went to the leopard kill, where we saw the female and one of her cubs in a tree, with the other one down on the ground. The mother was not letting the cub feed with her, and after a few snarls from the mother, this cub left the tree to join the other one on the ground. It was shortly after this that Jacques also left the sighting, a little prematurely I thought, as we had not spent too long here at all. On this drive all the usual suspects were also seen and we returned to the lodge for brunch.

This lodge has some good things going for it. Their tariffs are reasonable and their traversing area is quite large with animal sightings being plentiful in this area.

Honeyguide Mantobeni Camp, Mayeleti Game Reserve

2011-07-14T03:25:00.000-07:00

On the 24^th June we arrived at Honeyguide’s Mantobeni Camp for a one night stay. This lodge, which is situated within the Manyeleti Game Reserve, is easily accessed and the entrance gate is very close to the Orpen Gate into the Kruger National Park. We drove to Honeyguide’s sister lodge, Khoka Moya, where we left our vehicle and were taken to Mantobeni by our tracker, Vestment.

The Manyeleti is a 23,000ha reserve owned and managed by the Mnisi Tribe, in conjunction with the Mpumalanga Parks Board, who claim that they are committed to retaining the integrity of the game reserve and unlocking the tourism potential to the benefit of the Mnisi people and surrounding communities. This reserve is bordered in the north by the Timbavati Private Reserve, to the east by the Kruger National Park and to the south by the Sabi Sands Private Reserve. There are no fences separating any of these reserves from one another, so animals are free to roam over this vast area.

We were shown into our tent at Mantobeni, which had a mosquito net, double bed, wooden deck, his and hers basins, two showers and a rustic sunken bath, with the usual nice smelling stuff – Charlotte Rhys in this case. The hot water was supplied by a gas geyser, which was pretty effective. This tent was also electrified and wi-fi capabilities were available throughout the camp. After checking in we were treated to a 3-course lunch at the lodge. The communal areas of Mantobeni consisted of a deck with a lounge, pub, dining area, small library and a pool, as well as an outside boma. The programme at Mantobeni followed the usual programme that most of the lodges follow: an early wake-up call, followed by hot drinks, out on the morning drive, with another stop for hot drinks, back for breakfast, then the opportunity to explore on a bush walk, lunch and then the afternoon/evening drive, with a sundowner stop during this.

Our afternoon drive with our tracker and guide, Dries, produced elephant, buffalo, kudu, impala, hippo, and a civet, among others. What we also found was a magnificent male lion laying down in a dry river bed, with great light on him – perfect for a photo, but he was far off. Dries maneuvered our Land Rover down into the river bed and across to this animal, only for the lion to get up and disappear into the long reed beds flanking the river. Did this lion not realize that he was a great specimen for a photograph, and that the position that he had been in was perfect? We did try and follow him, but this was not easy in the thick bush and we eventually gave up. On this drive we did not see too many animals, but I was quite excited, as from the signs of wildlife, such as dung, broken trees and branches, droppings and spoor, I had the feeling that this place was actually full of animals, they were just eluding us, which does happen – if you go into the bush often enough, as I am fortunate to do, there are always occasions when game will be scarce. As usual, we stopped for sundowners at a pretty scenic spot, before moving on with our drive, this time by spotlight, searching for nocturnal animals. What was nice during the sundowner stop was the lovely sunset, heralding the onslaught of cold weather. Dinner that night was superb, and I had probably one of the best pieces of duck that I had ever had – well done to Nicholas, the chef.

That night was cold, very cold. Maybe this was the reason why I was woken at about 03:00 by the sound of a lion roaring, which seemed to be just outside our tent! Maybe the lion was seeking the warmth of my tent? I had not bothered to close the tent flaps, so all we had separating us from a marauding wild animal to protect us, was a mosquito net – hardly adequate. Anyway, we weren’t attacked, and the lion (or maybe lions?) moved off, the roaring getting fainter and fainter.

On the morning drive a cold front had moved into the Lowveld and the temperature had dropped down to 1º C! The result of this was that very little was seen. We did see the usual animals, such as impala, zebra, wildebeest, klipspringer, duiker, bushbuck and a herd of about three hundred buffalo which were close to the Kruger Park boundary. We also saw plenty of predator tracks, including many tracks of hyeana, but saw no predators on this morning. As a result of this, I was down to trying to photograph birds in flight, including one grab-shot of a Martial Eagle and one of a Lilac-breasted Roller. One can imagine how well a hot mug of hot chocolate, with a tot of Amarula, went down on this cold morning during our drinks stop – very welcome.

We returned to the lodge and a hearty breakfast, before departing to our next venue. Unfortunately I only spent the one night here, which I believe does not do this reserve justice. The fact that it was so cold also meant that we did not see too much. What is maybe not too appealing about this reserve is the state of the roads, easily traversed by the game viewing Land Rover, but nonetheless poorly maintained. This may be down to the fact that the parks board does not have any money to maintain the infrastructure. The lodge itself is not high-end luxury, but is probably attractive to some-one who does not want super luxury, but wants good food, good accommodation and a very enthusiastic guide in Dries – he clearly loves his job and was very apologetic in not finding too many exciting animals for us. I would have loved to have Dries as our ranger at our next lodge!

Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge, Sabi Sands

2011-07-14T02:42:00.001-07:00

Our next stop on this very enjoyable trip was to the Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge which is situated in the southern part of the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. I had never stayed at a lodge in the south, and had always believed that the game viewing here may not have been as productive as in other areas of the Sabi Sands – how wrong I was. Sabi Sabi produced more than enough for our two night stay here on the 22^nd and 23^rd June. Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge is one of the biggest of the lodges in the Sabi Sands, with a total of twenty five suites – and they accept children of any age here (but children under the age of six are not permitted on game drives). I have often been asked why this is so, and it is for a number of reasons – a crying child can sound very much like an animal in distress, and this may attract predators which may react differently to the vehicles, if there is this distress sound emanating from it. Another reason of course is that other guests may not be too happy with having a crying child on their vehicle for the three hours plus, that the game drives take. It was a bit of a different experience for me to visit a lodge this size in the Sabi Sands – most other lodges do not even have half as many rooms. The public areas have huge viewing decks which overlook a fairly large spotlit waterhole. There was also an enclosed lounge and two pools, also overlooking the waterhole, as well as a room where one could access the internet – a new introduction to many of the lodges in the Sabi Sands – probably due to demand, but not my cup of tea, this is exactly what you want to get away from.

Meals, including the dinners in the open air boma, were heralded by blasts on a kudu horn, and were all great, as was expected, with many different choices of meals produced. Breakfasts and lunches were enjoyed at the private tables on the dining deck, and during dinner all the guests gathered in the open-air boma where the food was served. We shared our dinner table with our ranger and the other guests from our vehicle, which is a nice touch, with those from the same vehicle inter-acting with one another in a social setting. Breakfasts were buffet style, and had all that one would expect, fruit, juices, hot drinks, cereals, yoghurts, breads, cold meats, cheese, and then a choice of hot breakfast, eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms and more – you know, exactly as you have at home! Lunches were a 3-course affair, with a choice of main and then the boma dinner was quite superb, with all types of food on offer, various starters, mains and desserts.

Our suite was huge with twin beds, a separate lounge, a dressing area, mosquito net, overhead fan, air-conditioning, an inside and outside shower, bath, toilet and twin basins, enough cupboard space, a bar fridge and secluded deck – I could easily move in here for a month or two!

During our afternoon tea we were introduced to our guide, Darred and our tracker, Henry Zulu (nice to meet a Zulu in this area!) all in all, we were five guests on this game viewing vehicle, also a Land Rover. We set off and had hardly left the lodge when we came upon a herd of about thirty to forty elephant, which were slowly making their way to the waterhole in front of the lodge. We stayed with them whilst they drank their fill, with the lodge in the background complementing this setting. Once again, many animals, such as giraffe, impala, nyala, hyena, reedbuck (which are fairly scarce in this reserve), a herd of about 120 buffalo, kudu, and more were seen during our stay here.

We followed a leopard, which was searching for something to eat, when we saw that she in turn was being followed by a hyena, which obviously was looking for an easy meal which the leopard would provide. Maybe the fact that she was aware of the hyena made her nervous, as she missed out on both an impala and a scrub-hare, both of whom got away safely. The quality of the drives here were good, and Darred was a very good guide – his interpretations of what we were seeing were excellent.

The next morning we tracked some fresh lion spoor, and eventually found six adult females and ten cubs on a buffalo kill. They seemed to have killed this animal during the night, the cubs were hidden in long grass and hardly showed themselves, and those females that were feeding were doing so with little enthusiasm. There were one or two of the cubs that ventured out from their hiding places to go into the body cavity of this dead animal, but did not stay too long – most of the buffalo had been consumed during the night. One young lion was playing with the tail of the buffalo, but in such a place that I could not get a decent photo of him.

After breakfast Henry Zulu took me and Janice off to Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge for a look around. My, what a fantastic lodge – surely the most opulent lodge that I have been into, in this reserve. The magnificent Amber Suite is truly something to behold – something that those discerning guests who want impeccable service and luxury will be satisfied with. The standard suites here have a lounge, bedroom, plunge pool, the usual indoor and outside shower, bath, twin basins, two toilets and one set of binoculars in each suite for your use, whilst The Amber Suite is by far much larger than my humble abode, and has all the amenities of the standard suites, plus an entertainment area, wine cellar, two lounges, steam shower/room, a large plunge pool and comes equipped with its own butler and private safari vehicle, guide and tracker! The open spaces here have many seating areas, lounges, bar, wine cellar (which also serves as a private dining area) and of course a magnificent spa with four treatment rooms.

On that afternoon’s drive we again followed a young male leopard, which was not playing ball – he was hidden in long grass, and only when the light was nearly gone did he show himself and climb up a little hill, where I managed to get a photo of him. What really stood out for me on this drive was that as it got dark enough, Darred stopped in an open clearing, switched off the motor and all vehicle and spot lights, so that our eyes could adjust to the dark and we could savour the night sounds of the bush. Once our eyes had adjusted to the dark, Darred gave us a talk on the night sky and the various constellations that we were seeing. There is something magical about sitting in the dark on a clear African night having the stars and constellations pointed out to you by someone who clearly has a lot of knowledge on this subject. Darred, if you are reading this, it was fantastic, and thanks for this.

The last morning, apart from the general game, we again tracked a male leopard and eventually found him. He seemed to be fairly old, maybe just past his prime, but a magnificent animal nonetheless. His only draw-back that he seemed to be blind in the one eye – his left eye was blue and opaque, but this did not seem to bother him at all. He obliged me by being very relaxed and I took quite a few photos of him. We also saw a family group of three white rhino in a clearing and spent some time with them – they were very relaxed, and the longer we stayed with them, the closer they moved to our vehicle, to almost within touching distance.

All in all, this visit opened my eyes to the great game viewing enjoyed in the southern part of the Sabi Sands, and the fact that Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge is one of the few lodges in this area that accepts children of all ages, makes it a very attractive option.

Kirkmans Kamp, Sabi Sands

2011-07-14T01:05:00.001-07:00

My next stop after Savannah was unfortunately only going to be for one night at Kirkmans Kamp in the south/central region of the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. Far & Wild Safaris had sent many a client to this lodge and my two colleagues had both visited Kirkmans Kamp previously, but for me it was a first. I had always suspected that this was a good lodge, as I had on occasion received good feed-back from clients who had visited here.
The check-in was first class, with Colleen giving a very good briefing of the layout and programme for Kirkmans Kamp, which is a traditional 1920's homestead comprising of 18 guest cottages. The lodge is modeled and furnished in the traditional colonial style of the old Transvaal. The camp invokes a rich, historic atmosphere, and has a bar, various lounges, both inside and out, wrap-around veranda, gift shop, a pool and spa as well as a television room where one can also access the latest news if you are that way inclined. When one walks into the main building at Kirkman’s Kamp you get the feeling that you’ve been transported back in time. Impeccable and gracious service completes the old world atmosphere, set in one of the most renowned wildlife regions in the world. Located on a ridge, the camp overlooks the Sand River. Their daily programme for winter is a wake-up at 05:45, followed by hot drinks and then the morning game drive (during which more hot drinks, and my personal choice, hot chocolate and Amarula, are served), return for breakfast, relax, lunch, relax, afternoon tea, afternoon/evening drive (with another stop for sundowners and snacks) and then back to the lodge for dinner. One cannot go hungry here!

Our cottage was one of eighteen at Kirkmans and was in the style of a semi-detached unit. We had a double bed with an old fashioned bedstead, ball and claw bath, stand alone shower, toilet, air-conditioning and all the trimmings one would expect to find at such a lodge. There was also an outside veranda overlooking the Sand River – all in all very comfortable.

Our guide here was Elliott and our tracker Victor and I was looking forward to our first (and last) afternoon/evening game drive at Kirkmans. Elliott was a very pleasant person with a very good, dry sense of humour – I really enjoyed his company. Their game drive vehicle was also a Land Rover, equipped to carry ten persons, but ours only had six guests on board, so it was very comfortable. Elliot was a very good driver, and when he did go off-road it was not the physical workout that we had at our first lodge, it was a smooth ride all the way. Again, like all the lodges in the Sabi Sands, general sighting of the more common animals were seen regularly, including a group of four white rhino. Some not so common animals that we did see were a group of banded mongoose and a black-backed jackal. Elliot knew about a leopard that he said he had seen that morning, so one of the first animals that we came across on this afternoon was this young female leopard, but she did not have too much energy and spent her time in the long grass with an odd yawn or two – it was too early for her to be out on the hunt.

As the sun set and it grew dark – which happens very quickly in winter in South Africa, I saw some twinkling lights up ahead in the bush. At first I thought that it was another game drive vehicle up ahead that had stopped for some reason or other, but as we got nearer, I saw that it was in fact two oil lamps that had been suspended in a tree, together with a tray of six champagne flutes and a bottle of sparkling wine chilling in a bucket of ice. Now what can be more civilized than this? This was our sun-downer stop, and it was good to stretch our legs for a while. For the entire afternoon/evening drive we only came upon one other vehicle out on their drive.

Kirkmans Kamp had only recently entered into a five-year co-traversing agreement with Lion Sands Private Game Reserve, so are now able to explore more than 6 500 hectares of land bordering 12 kilometres of Sabie River frontage and 11 kilometres of the Sand River, so the next morning we set off for this area. We went into the thick reed-beds of the Sand River in pursuit of a leopard that Elliot knew frequented this area, but unfortunately we did not find her. We did stop right next to a hippo that was wallowing in the shallows of this river, and this was quite an atmospheric setting. The area was quiet, with only bird sounds echoing through the reeds and the mist hanging thick and low over the water – very relaxing. I have included a photo of a hippo, but alas, it is not this particular one, but one that I had taken earlier on my trip – this for those who are not sure what a hippo is! On our way back to the camp after the drive, we came upon a large clearing next to the river, and here breakfast had been set up. Breakfast was prepared by our guides and trackers – there were two vehicles here- and a great time was had by all. @Beyond always seems to get it right with their little surprises like the drink stop in the evening and now breakfast in the bush. I have also posted a photo here of what their vehicles look like – this was taken of a vehicle at one of their other lodges in the Sabi Sands – ours was similar, except it was a Land Rover.

I would have liked to stay two nights here (at least), just to experience the full value of their game drives, but that which I had seen I was very happy with, particularly on the afternoon/evening drive. Although game viewing was not as prolific as had been seen at other lodges that I visited, I put this down to only having experienced two game drives as opposed to four at some other lodges. Although this is a fairly large lodge – eighteen rooms – it was very comfortable and intimate, and the staff here was superb so I will have no qualms in the future to send clients here.

Savanna Private Game Lodge, Sabi Sands

2011-07-13T05:25:00.001-07:00

On the 19^th and 20^th June I had the privilege of staying two nights at the Savanna Private Game Reserve in the western sector of the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, as part of my educational trip to that part of South Africa. The object was to do a site inspection of this property, and more importantly for me, to experience the game drives such as those that would be experienced by our clients. Savanna claims that they are in an area where 'Big 5' sightings are so frequent, it would not be unusual to see lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino in a single game drive – this I needed to check out. We have all read the various web-sites of lodges, and most of them make this claim. There is hardly a game lodge in South Africa that will not claim to have leopard on their property, and that their game drives are exceptional - so this had to be verified. Savanna lived up to their claims!

Now the Savanna Private Game Reserve is a quality lodge, from the accommodations to the staff to the game drives. Just as an example, they phoned me at about mid-morning just to see at what time I would arrive, our check-in was handled without any fuss, and the lodge requirements and activities were well explained. During winter their programme is a wake-up call at 05:30, followed by tea/coffee/juice and something to eat, before departing on the game drive at 06:00. Upon your return, brunch is served roughly at about 10:00 (or whenever you return) and then followed by high tea at 15:00 with the afternoon/evening game drive thereafter. One then returns to the lodge to freshen up and enjoy dinner, before following the same programme the next day. Oh, did I also mention that they stop for snacks and drinks during the morning drive and sundowners during the afternoon drive? Well, they do, so if one goes hungry here, there is no-one to blame except yourself.

Now, what to call our accommodation at Savanna? Is it a tent? No. Is it a suite? No. Is it a room? No. Is it a chalet? No. It can best be described as a combination of all of these. We had the Standard Luxury Suite – they also have a Savannah Suite and three executive suites. These luxury suites have brick walls under canvas nestled amid indigenous trees that attract a variety of birds. These suites have an outsized bathroom with free-standing bath, double vanities, shower and toilet as well as outdoor shower atrium. The bedroom has a plush sitting area and a door that opens onto covered patios facing two waterholes in the bush. The bedrooms have draped ceilings creating an atmosphere of romance and intimacy and the tented roof blends into the African bush while solid walls provide quiet and security. What else? Oh yes, an air-conditioner, overhead fan, a bar fridge, plenty of clothing cupboard space, hair dryer and fancy toiletries.

The communal spaces at Savanna Private Game Reserve offer the comfort of the public lounge with its spacious patio, the main pool looking out over the gardens and floodlit waterhole, a barman who is constantly in attendance to ensure the humans' thirst is looked after, a viewing loft above the lounge makes a pleasant nook for a quiet game of chess (if you can find the time that is), as well as a bird's eye view of the waterhole, while an adjoining library provides wireless broadband internet access and offers guests the means to transfer digital photographs, freshly captured on their safari, onto CD or DVD.

Meals at Savanna Private Game Reserve offered gourmet dining as an essential component of the experience. Breakfasts provided full English fare plus fresh fruits, yogurts, pastries, home-made mueslis and 'smoothies'. An innovative lunch buffet offered a large variety of salads, hot meat and vegetable dishes and cheeses. Candle-lit dinners, with traditional local dishes adding spice to the best international fare, were served on the deck of the main lodge. On the second night a sumptuous barbecue was enjoyed under the stars round a blazing fire in an open-air 'boma'. We were treated to the stirring voices of a local choir who entertain during dinner –one of the upliftment projects undertaken by Savanna to favour the local community. Cuisine was of the highest standard, with much emphasis on quality and presentation, complemented by good South African wines.

Now, this is all good and well, but what about the main reason for being here? The safari! Our guide was Neil and our tracker Julius – both well suited to what they do. Land Rovers have been specially modified for guests' comfort and safety with bucket seats separated by large storage boxes. In order to maximise photographic opportunities, there are never more than two people in a row unless guests request otherwise. The vehicles are set up to seat seven but can easily be adapted to seat 10 guests if required. In addition, there are never more than two vehicles at a sighting, except with very relaxed animals in open terrain, in which case three vehicles are allowed.

Now dear reader, I am not going to bore you with what animals we saw on which drives, but as usual with my blogs, I will concentrate only on the exciting sightings on any particular drive. Suffice to say that all the “big 5” were seen, as well as hippo, wild dogs, lesser bushbaby, white-tailed mongoose and then the usual suspects of wildebeest, warthog, impala, waterbuck, serval, genet, and much more. I will not even get into the birds that we saw, time and space preclude this!

Neil knew of a pack of wild dogs that were denning on Savanna’s property, and en route to visit the den we first watched a hippo performing for us. On arrival at the den we found it empty, but it was not long after that that we located the six adults and eight pups. These very active animals were playing around in some long grass, but I did manage to photograph them in various stages of poses, but gee, they don’t stay still! For those people who don’t know, wild dogs are a very special sighting and we were very lucky to see them, especially as they abandoned their den the very next day and disappeared. We must have covered some fair distance to keep these animals in sight as they were moving continually.

The next morning we had about four different elephant sightings; some so close that I could, if I were severely mentally challenged, (not slightly as now), reach out and slap it on the forehead! Of course I did not do this, and I would never attempt something like this – these guys are big! We followed both lion and leopard tracks that morning, but sadly did not find any of them. I must say that we did go off-road into some dense bush after them, so kudos to Neil for his effort. Again the usual suspects were seen and of the big-5, rhino, elephant and buffalo were on the list.

That afternoon proved to include some more excitement. Neil was determined to find the leopard that we had tracked that morning, so off into the thick bush we went, and it was not long after this that we found her. We followed here for some distance in this thick stuff, and let me tell you, a Land Rover can go where a leopard goes. This was also good exercise, ducking out of the way of thorns and branches, swaying from side to side to avoid shrubbery and being bounced around, and this total workout is included in the price! As we were following her she stood still for a split second and then leaped into the air. What she had seen, and we hadn’t, was a Grey-headed Bush Shrike perched in the tree above her. The bird took off, and the leopard snagged it about two metres off the ground, in mid-air – incredible. She then proceeded, right next to our vehicle, to make a short meal of this little snack. She dispatched of the feathers, and one could hear her crunching those little hollow bird bones. If you don’t know this bird, I have included a photo of one of them, and happily for this particular bird, not the one that was caught. This leopard attack happened so fast that no-one on the vehicle had time to react, never mind take a photo.

When she had finished here snack, we left her in peace and drove further. Once it was almost dark we came upon three male lions in an open clearing. Neil said that we should wait as they were sure to begin calling soon, which of course they did. Now if you have never heard this, it is very difficult to describe – it is not only that ancient, bone chilling call, but the sound also reverberates through one’s whole body, even the vehicle seemed to vibrate!

Our last game drive the next morning was just as exciting. Apart from the general game (you know, elephant, buffalo, all manner of antelope, zebra etc.) we came across the three male lions from the previous night. Now in the light of day it was clear that these were not zoo animals, these were rugged, scarred and tough wild animals. They eventually led us down to a dry river bed where we found a lioness with two cubs, so the camera had some more work to do.

What really impressed me about Savanna was that there was no rush to get back to the lodge. If you are out there and the viewing is good, the rangers here will stay out, unlike at some other lodges where they adhere fairly strictly to the 3-hour game drive. Neil was quite happy to stay out as long as we liked – the emphasis here is on game drives after all. On one of our evening drives I had my “star-pointer” (a green laser) with me, so whipped this out so that Neil could point out some of our night sky, which he did admirably. But, he then took it one step further, as one of the guests could not see a scorpion in the constellation of Scorpio – he whipped out his iPad, aimed it at the stars and this then brought out the constellation in prefect clarity. Now I’ll be the first to admit that technology is not my forte, but I was mightily impressed with this. I even tested it on some unknown constellation and it brought up all the details of this. Apparently it is an “app” (whatever an “app” is) that can be purchased for this little machine. Oh, and not only did he clarify the night sky for us on this, he also had the full field guide of Southern Africa’s birds on this, so if someone missed a bird that he pointed out, he would call it up on his iPad and not only show us the bird, but also play its call – another “app”?

Komati River Chalets

2011-07-13T04:13:00.000-07:00

On the 18^th June I arrived at the Komati River Chalets near Komatipoort to stay the night, the purpose of which was to check this venue out as Far & Wild Safaris had sold this venue in the past and no-one in the office had yet been there on a site inspection. We all in the office had a pretty good idea of what the Komati River Chalets were about, but it is always best to visit a property that you are selling.

I was pleasantly surprised – this venue is situated at the confluence of the Komati and Crocodile Rivers in Mpumalanga and is perfectly placed for those wanting to explore Eastern South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland. The lodge is situated on the southern border of the world renowned Kruger National Park, a mere fifteen minutes drive from the Crocodile Bridge Gate. All the chalets here are self-catering and there is also a restaurant on-site which offers breakfasts and dinners if required. In fact, I had dinner there on my night of arrival and it was well presented and reasonably priced. Close to the restaurant is also a pool for use on those hot days – this was not one of those days! The gardens are well maintained and the bird life here is plentiful – no doubt the fact that they are so close to the river plays no small part in this.

All chalets are set close to the floodplain of the Komati River, no more than fifty meters from the waters edge. The riverfront was beautifully maintained and Janice and I enjoyed a relaxing walk along the river and through the riverbank forests. One must just be careful when walking next to the Komati River – both crocodiles and hippo live in these waters and where we walked there was plenty of evidence of fresh hippo dung about.

The Komati River Chalets have a selection of accommodation options - fourteen double or twin chalets and three family cottages.

The double or twin chalets have a bedroom with a double or twin beds, a private patio and all have bathrooms en suite.

Also provided in the chalets are the following amenities:

* Kitchenette with full self catering equipment including table top stove, fridge and microwave oven

* Television with selected channels

* Air-conditioning

* Braai area in front of each chalet.

* Complimentary tea/coffees station.

The double or twin chalets have a bedroom with a double or twin beds, a private patio and all have bathrooms en suite.

Also provided in the chalets are the following amenities:

* Kitchenette with full self catering equipment including table top stove, fridge and microwave oven

* Television with selected channels

* Air-conditioning

* Braai area in front of each chalet.

* Complimentary tea/coffees station.

The family cottages have two separate bedrooms, each with en suite bathroom that lead into a shared living room.

Also provided in the chalets are the following amenities for your comfort and convenience,

* Kitchenette with full self catering equipment including table top stove, fridge and microwave oven

* Television with selected channels

* Air-conditioning

* Braai area in front of each chalet.

* Complimentary tea/coffees station.

I must say that this is a perfect venue for someone wanting to visit the Kruger Park but not necessarily stay inside the park and only visit occasionally. The Komati River Chalets are well maintained, cater for children and are quiet. I stayed there on the 2^nd night of a long weekend and the venue was fully booked, but there were no disturbances (or if there was, I did not hear it). Their rates are favourable and self-catering is always an attraction for locals with children – certainly a good option.

Etali Safari Lodge - Madikwe Game Reserve

2011-06-10T00:14:00.000-07:00

Our drive to Etali Safari Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve, took us 45 mins driving inside the park and saw us arrive at Etali in time for lunch, whilst sitting on the deck enjoying our lunch, there was some excitement as a herd of elephant came down to drink from the waterhole in front of the lodge, after Lunch we went back to our room to settle in. For the 2 nights we were at Etali Safari Lodge we stayed in 2 different unit types, the first unit was the family unit, these rooms are slightly smaller than the normal suites and are 2 rooms back to back, each with 2 single beds/1 double bed, a fireplace, bath, shower and separate toilet, they also share a large deck & pool. a few Pictures of the Family units are below.

High Tea at Etali is served at 15h00, we departed for our afternoon game drive in Madikwe Game Reserve at 15h30 and arrived back at the lodge at approximately 19h00. Our afternoon drive was quite eventful as we found a large herd of Elephant with so many babies (possibly even the same herd that was drinking in front of the lodge during Lunch & High Tea), Rhino, Giraffe, on the large open plains we saw herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala, Springbok and even a Kori Bustard flying off – the largest flying bird, then as we were driving through some rather dense bush we even spotted an extremely Elusive Leopard! We followed her into the bush as she seemed to be stalking some guinea fowl we could see off in the distance, but unfortunately we soon lost her as the bush became too thick to navigate, we were then back to the lodge for a wonderful boma dinner under the stars.

The next day wake up call was at 06h15 and we departed for our morning game drive with hot water bottles and blankets at 06h45 and were back at the lodge by 09h30/10h00, the morning saw us find a huge herd of Buffalo, the sound of them moving through the bush was amazing, as all you could hear were the branches snapping and the occasional call, also on our sightings list that morning were Rhino, Zebra, Springbok, Warthog etc. it was then back to Etali for a Continental followed by a full English breakfast, after we had eaten our fill we were shown to our new room where our bags were already waiting for us.

Our 2nd Night in Madikwe Game Reservewas spent in the normal Etali Suites which are larger and consist of 2 single beds/1 double bed, a little lounge area with a fireplace, tea & coffee facilities with a minibar, bath, indoor and outdoor showers, separate toilet, a private deck and plunge pool. below are a few Pictures of the Suites:

After our siesta & Lunch it was time for high tea and then back on the vehicle for our Afternoon Game Drive where we saw Zebra, Impala, Waterbuck, Kudu, Buffalo, Rhino, another Kori Bustard, Lion and then when it was dark we even came across a Brown Hyena who we watched for a while till he/she moved off into the thicker bush but the most memorable moment was when we came across the Elephant herd, they were quite relaxed, just munching their way through the bush and there were quite a few babies with the 2 large females we could see, as we drove past the one youngster stuck his ears out to try make himself look bigger, not knowing what to make of us or what to do, we then realised that he was actually trying to protect his younger sibling, the little elephant was so tiny that we hadn't seen her at first and it was so sweet to watch the little one testing out her surroundings as she still didn't have full dexterity of her trunk, eventually her older - although not much bigger - sibling moved her off back towards the safety of mom. It was then back to the lodge for a huge dinner and some sleep.

The Next morning we decided to have breakfast and get on the road early and I'm glad we did as our drive back from Madikwe to Johannesburg Airport took us approximately 5 hours from Camp to Airport as it takes a good 45 mins to reach the Gate from Etali Safari Lodge.

Jaci’s Tree Lodge - Madikwe Game Reserve

2011-06-09T00:36:00.000-07:00

Our drive from Black Rhino Lodge in the Pilanesberg, to Jaci’s Tree Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve, took us approximately 2 hours, on arrival we were met by the staff and shown around the main area of the lodge, we were then shown to our room, all the rooms at Jaci’s Tree Lodge are raised on stilts with board walks connecting all of them together, our room was literally built around one of the huge trees at Jaci’s Tree Lodge as our roof was thatched around one of the branches of the tree, the room itself was very comfortable with a big bed, large bath, toilet and outdoor shower. As it was extremely cold they had all the heaters going and walking into our room was lovely and warm, there were also electric blankets on the bed which made the world of difference as we were kept lovely and toasty all night long.

Once settled into our room at Jaci's we went through to high tea and then we were off on our afternoon game drive in Madikwe, the afternoon was a little slow as we headed to the south of the park in search of the Wild Dogs, which we unfortunately didn't find, but we did see Elephant, Zebra and Wildebeest, it was then back to Jaci's lodge for a scrumptious dinner under the stars with blankets and fires to keep us warm.

The next morning our wake up call was at 06h00 with the game drive departing at 06h30 and we were back just before 10h00. Jaci’s Tree Lodge had moved onto their winter schedule, so we would have Brunch, High Tea and dinner, the early morning start meant that we were served muffins and porridge with tea & coffee and juice before heading out on our morning drive in Madikwe Game Reserve. Waiting for us on the vehicles were blankets and hot water bottles to keep us warm on the morning drive. This morning we were in luck as we had a lovely sighting of 2 lionesses just as the sun was rising, and then as we were leaving this sighting the call came in – the Wild Dogs had been spotted! We drove off to where they were last seen, we didn't need to go too far, where we came across them in the main road, they were of course hunting and so were moving very fast, unfortunately I wasn't quick enough with my camera, but still we had seen them and were soon following after them, traveling as fast as we could to keep up, they actually ran straight past the 2 lionesses who were still sleeping. After we had lost them in the thick bush we ended up driving back past the lionesses who were now looking very alert at all the commotion. Besides those 2 spectacular sightings we saw the usual line up including White Rhino and even a Fish Eagle.

Brunch was a huge affair with a buffet of fresh fruit, a stunning lamb curry with couscous, cold meats, cheeses etc. all followed by a hot English breakfast and the best toast I have ever tasted – made from their home made bread. With our tummies full we dropped our things off in our room as we had decided to take a walk across to Jaci’s Safari Lodge to have a look at the rooms and that lodge, the walk is a lovely amble through the trees along the river. Jaci’s Safari Lodge chalets are quite different to Tree Lodge as the units are thatched Tents with solid walls, canvas Door and a thatched roof. Jaci’s Safari Lodge also has a different layout & feel and caters best for children with their very own indoor play room, Jaci’s Tree Lodge guests are also able to utilize the play room as well as the gym which are both situated at Jaci's Safari Lodge.

After our lovely walk and a shortcut back through the staff village we had our afternoon siesta, then it was time for high tea and the afternoon game drive which saw us heading north in Madikwe where we found Lion. This time 1 adult female with a sub-adult male and 2 cubs, they were all looking very fat and lazy as they had made a kill that morning. We also saw 6 Rhino, Elephant, Giraffe, Kudu, Impala, Black backed jackal, Zebra etc.

The next morning saw us up again at 06h00 and off on our game drive after some hot oats and drinks. This morning was a little quieter but we still saw Elephant, Giraffe, Impala, Mongoose and we even managed to see the back end of a brown hyena! We were then back to the lodge for another huge brunch and to pack as we were off to Etali Safari Lodge also in the Madikwe Game Reserve.

Black Rhino Lodge - Pilanesberg

2011-06-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

Our drive from Clifftop Lodge in Welgevonden, in the Waterberg to Black Rhino Lodge in Pilanesberg, took us approximately 4 hours from lodge to lodge, on our arrival we were shown to our room which comprised of twin beds which could be made into a king sized bed, a lounge area, huge bath and both indoor and outdoor showers. Our unit shared a pool and lounge area with another room, so it was not quite private but for 2 couples traveling together it would be great. As Black Rhino Lodge wasn’t full there was no one else in the other unit so we had the whole area for ourselves.

After a quick lunch we were ready for our afternoon game drive in Pilanesberg where we saw the usual such as impala, Blue Wildebeest, warthog, banded mongoose as well as a very brief sighting of a meerkat, we then found a herd of elephant, well at least the stragglers of the heard, it was a mother with a baby but then on closer inspection we saw she actually had 2 babies, the second baby was so small you could only just see the top of its head and ears over the long grass, such a cutie, unfortunately they moved off into the bush. We tried to circle around on another road to see if they would come out again but alas the stayed where they were, we then stopped for sun-downers and enjoyed a beautiful sun set. On the night drive back to Black Rhino Lodge we come across a herd of Elephant but couldn't find the lion we were searching for, so it was back to the lodge for dinner to warm us up.

The next morning we were off for a full days drive in the Pilanesberg National Park so breakfast was at 08h00 and we set off for the day at 09h00, we only got back to the lodge at 15h00 our full day game viewing in the Pilanesberg Park was quite good. We saw plenty of giraffe, zebra, springbok, Blue Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, impala, warthog, waterbuck, Elephant, plenty of hippo, all out of the water sunning themselves – it really was a cold day – banded mongoose, a Kori bustard which is the largest flying bird and to top it all off we spotted our very first black rhino! Unfortunately the rhino was a fair distance off in the bush but through the binoculars you could definitely see it was a black rhino! We stopped at a view site for a drink and to soak in the beautiful view. This also the main center for something warm to drink and to stretch our legs, we made it back to the lodge a little later than expected so had lunch at 15h00 instead of the normal 14h00, also as there were new guests in camp we were back on the vehicle at 16h00 for the afternoon game drive! It literally was a full day of game driving.

The afternoon drive was just as eventful as we managed to find the herd of Buffalo along with Elephant, Kudu, impala and a mother white Rhino with a small calf nicknamed ‘peanut’ who was so very cute running around his mum and in the road in front of us, unfortunately it was just too dark to take a picture but it was so sweet to see him bounding around, eventually his mum decided that was enough excitement and moved him off into the bushes.

On our final morning at Black Rhino Lodge we were up super early and on the vehicle by 06h00 as we decided to go to the view point to watch the sun rise over a cup of hot chocolate, all I can say is I was pretty much frozen the entire drive to the view point! I have never been so cold on all my game drives and this was through my thick ski jacket, boots, gloves, a scarf and a beanie! But it was most definitely worth it as the sun rise was spectacular and although pictures never do it justice I have included one below. Once we had all warmed up a little we were off again spotting Elephant, Wildebeest, Zebra, Impala and Black Backed Jackal, we were back at the lodge by 08h30 and breakfast was waiting for us, after breakfast and packing we left Pilanesberg National Park and were off to our next lodge – Jaci’s Tree Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve.

Clifftop Lodge – Welgevonden

2011-06-07T00:18:00.000-07:00

Our drive from Marataba to Clifftop Lodge in the Welgavonden Game Reserve, Waterberg, was a short drive and only took us 1 ½ hours as we were only driving to the other side of Marakele National Park, I did find out from some other guests staying at Clifftop Lodge that their drive from Johannesburg took them 3 ½ hours as there were some road works along the way. On our arrival at the Eastern Gate to Welgevonden we were directed to the car park where we were required to park and leave our vehicle - and for good reasons too - we were then welcomed by our ranger with a glass of bubbly and some snacks, after the luggage was loaded and the snacks were consumed, we hopped on the Game Vehicle and set off for Clifftop lodge, the first part of the roads were normal dirt roads and quite flat but as soon as we took the Right turn to the lodge the road pretty much went up at a 90 degree angle and became pretty bad from then until we reached the lodge – although a small feat for the Game Vehicles I would shudder to try and take a normal vehicle up and over that road! Well all the steep roads and hairpin turns are most definitely worth it as the view from Clifftop Lodge is spectacular, built on the side of the cliff looking down at the river it really is a stunning view.

We were met by the lodge manager Wiets and shown around Clifftop and to our suite which has all the amenities one could ask for – air-conditioned room with a large king sized bed, en suite bathroom consisting of a large bath, his & hers basins, indoor and outdoor showers, a hairdryer, telephone, mini bar and tea & coffee facilities all this together with a private deck with thatched sala and our own private plunge pool.

After settling into our suite we had Lunch and then we were off on the afternoon Game Drive, we saw all the usual suspects (Rhino included) but the stand out was actually on our way back to the lodge whilst using the spot light, we come across 2 male lion who were walking in the road, so we carried on following them as they were pretty much leading us back to the lodge, they suddenly started stalking and you could see the tactical maneuvers they were making, we knew from earlier in the day that there were some Blue Wildebeest on the open plain ahead of us so we started to get excited to see if they would follow through with the hunt! The younger of the 2 lion moved off to the side whilst the older lion continued to walk forward in the road, the next thing you could hear stampeding hooves and the herd was running directly at the younger lion who sprang up and managed to snag a young wildebeest, one cry and then it was over – the herd however was still in chaos and another little wildebeest had gotten separated from them, the older lion went after the little one but it managed to escape and rejoin its mother, it was truly an amazing and very rare thing to see. I have seen quite a few lions stalking but they either never follow through with it or they give a half attempt and end up missing. What an exciting Game drive!

The next morning wake up call was at 06h00 and we had a quick cup of tea/coffee and then were off on the morning game drive at 06h30, the Game Drive was not quite as eventful as the night before but we had the very rare sighting of a Roan Antelope. Apparently there is only 1 in the Welgevonden and we saw him walking along, unfortunately the sun was not in the best position for a picture, we also spotted zebra, Duiker, black backed Jackal, Rhino etc. then on our return to Clifftop Lodge we enjoyed a hearty breakfast of fruit, cold meat, cheese, muffin & croissant followed by a hot English breakfast, the afternoon was spent relaxing in our room reading and having a little afternoon siesta. Unfortunately it was a little too cold to make use of our pool, then it was time for Lunch and then onto the Safari Vehicle for our afternoon drive where we had a lovely close sighting of Giraffe as well as a young cheeky Elephant bull who charged our vehicle. I guess he was not to happy with us interrupting his afternoon snack. It was then back to the lodge for dinner and some sleep, the next morning we were off early as we had a long drive to Black Rhino Lodge in the Pilanesberg.

Marataba - Waterberg

2011-06-06T00:32:00.000-07:00

After a short flight from Durban to Johannesburg we picked up our hire car and set off for Marataba. Located next to Marakele National Park in the Waterberg the drive took us approximately 4 hours to reach the camp itself, on arrival at Marataba we were welcomed with a cool drink and were shown around the main area of the lodge then once all the forms were signed we were escorted to our room which comprised of a deck looking out over the bush, Twin beds, twin basins, a big bath, indoor and outdoor showers and a separate toilet the units even have under floor heating for the cold winter mornings. Whilst Justin settled into the room – but only after I had finished taking all my pictures – I decided to walk outside to take a few pictures of the outside our room in its surroundings, I had barely walked onto the main path when I heard a crunching in the bushes a few meters from where I was standing, turning around I spotted a large male elephant in the bushes! I slowly went back into the room to call Justin to have a look and I decided my photos could wait until he had moved on, we left him in peace so that we could finish unpacking.

After a lovely high tea we were off on our Afternoon Game drive, the bush was quite thick for May but this was due to the late rains we had in April so there was still plenty of water and grass for the animals, this made spotting them a little difficult but we still managed to find Rhino, Waterbuck, Giraffe and the usual Impala, Kudu, Warthog, Blue Wildebeest etc. so overall a good game drive, when the sun had gone down and the temperature with it we did a short night drive on our way back to camp but unfortunately no cats were spotted. Dinner that night I must say was amazing the food was simply delicious! With a hot starter of cauliflower & almond soup with Truffle oil, a palate cleanser of Kiwi sorbet, Mains was a Gemsbok loin with Risotto and vegetables and to round it all off was a berry panna cotta. After that amount of food combined with a very long day we were off to bed which welcomed us with a hot water bottle.

At Marataba their winter schedule is a little different so the next morning our wake up call was at 06h30, followed by Breakfast at 07h30 which was a combination of cold meats, cheeses, fruits, yoghurts etc. then followed by a hot breakfast of bacon & eggs or my favorite – the French toast with bacon and banana covered with a home made maple syrup - what a way to start the day! and then of course departing for our morning game drive at 08h30. The morning drive was much more eventful and we saw all the usual suspects such as a large herd of Rhino, Impala, Kudu, Warthog, Blue Wildebeest etc. but a very special sighting was the 2 honey badgers unfortunately they did move off quickly and I didn’t manage to get a picture of them, but they are an animal that is rarely seen and one that we had never seen before. We also made our way to the large open plains where we spotted Foxes, Black Backed Jackal, Eland, Steenbok, Vultures and even the last 4 Ostrich left on the reserve.

It was then back to the lodge for a little rest, Lunch with the most beautiful views of the mountains, an afternoon siesta, high tea with more treats and then back on the Game Vehicle for our afternoon drive, this drive was special as besides all the usual game, I am now including Rhino in the usual game category as we did see them on every drive! We also saw Lion and once the sun had gone down we saw Elephants, Genet and Serval by spot light. Dinner was again a scrumptious and hearty meal.

Breakfast the next morning was the same and of course I had to have the French toast, we then sadly packed our bags and said goodbye as we were off to Clifftop Lodge in the Welgevonden.

My Recent Tour to the Kruger Park and Mala Mala

2011-05-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

I had been in contact with my clients for many months, setting up this tour, and the day had finally arrived to begin what I had hoped was a successful safari. We left Johannesburg en route to the Drakensberg Escarpment in Mpumalanga and from there onto the Kruger National Park. The Panorama Route provided some good scenery as usual – at the Lisbon Falls the waterfalls were flowing strongly, and despite some cloud cover, God’s Window was clear, as were the Three Rondawels. These areas can sometimes be covered in a mist blanket if there is cloud about, but on this afternoon it was clear and we could see for miles.

Kruger Park was Kruger Park – some good days and some bad days, but all in all, very enjoyable. I regard the Kruger Park as my spiritual home, and have spent many hours driving in this great reserve. For me there is no such thing as a “bad” game drive, and even if I travel for hours without seeing many animals, there is always a promise of something exciting around the next corner. The only blemish on the Kruger Park part of this tour was the quality of their food – they just cannot seem to get it right. However, one does not go to the Kruger Park for their culinary delights, one goes there to view nature in this large, game rich chunk of South Africa, truly the flag-ship of the national parks in this country. Food issues aside, game viewing, although not spectacular, was quite good at certain times. I am not going to list all that we saw, but some of the more exceptional finds were a good sighting of a serval, a puff adder on the sunset drive (in the chill of the night nogal!), and the good few hours spent at Lake Panic near Skukuza. Other animals that we saw, in no particular order, were plenty of elephant (which are now almost as common as impala), a very large herd of buffalo (about 1000 plus, maybe more), lion on the road near Skukuza, lots of zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and a myriad of other antelope and bird species, some fairly close and some quite far off the roads.
I had never been to Mala Mala to stay, but had been there quite a few times when picking up or dropping off other clients, and even these little 10 minute stops had whetted my appetite, so I was excited to be here. The Sabi Sands differs vastly from the Kruger Park in that you don’t have any other public vehicles about – and let’s face it, sometimes the public in the Kruger Park can be somewhat inconsiderate. There are also rules and regulations in the Kruger Park which have to be adhered to, (and this is perfectly understandable), but these rules don’t pertain to the private reserves, such as the Sabi Sands, so off-road driving is a normal occurrence here to see the prime animals. We were met by Lucky, who was to be our guide for our two nights stay, and what a nice chap he turned out to be, friendly, knowledgeable, informative, a good driver and a good eye for spotting game. We received a good briefing on what was to happen, an orientation tour of the lodge, its facilities and our rooms, before being invited to lunch. How this differed from our previous three lunches! Breakfasts and lunches at Mala Mala were enjoyed on the deck, and dinners were in the boma. The quality and variety of food was excellent, the levels of service outstanding – what more can one say? And the lodge? All I can say is that it was comfortable, luxurious and with excellent food and service. The rooms? Don’t ask me about the colour of the tiles in the bathrooms, the colour of the curtains, whether the linen was cotton or some other product, whether the furniture was modern and contemporary or Victorian, whether the duvets had Eider down, duck down or plain old Nando’s chicken feathers – I don’t know, it was all good. There was a double bed, with the option of twins, two bathrooms, one with a bath, one with a shower, a writing desk, clothes cupboard, wall safe, telephone and more. I was there for the wildlife, not to do an article for “House and Home”! All I can say was that the game viewing, coupled with the excellent accommodation and lodge set-up, were second to none. They even have wi-fi, a 24-hour free internet service, and for those who have to get the latest up to date rugby scores, a satellite (DSTV) television, library, pub, etc.

I will hereunder go through the more exciting sightings on our game drives, but please bear in mind that many of the animals that we saw are not going to be mentioned – there simply is not space for all of them and it is boring to read the animal names on a list.

On our first afternoon/evening drive we started off by stopping in the middle of a large herd of buffalo, one of whom was to lose his life later that night, but more of this later. Isn’t it strange how one can sit in a Land Rover amongst hundreds of buffalo without any thought of danger and photograph these animals to your heart’s content, which of course is what we did? We then later came across two adult lionesses with four cubs of about eleven months old. This was in the dusk, so I didn’t take too many photos, and those that I did take were not that good. When it was dark, we came upon another two lionesses that were stalking a herd of impala, but their initial attack was unsuccessful. It was by now pitch dark, so we did not stick around to see if they would make any other attempts. Leaving this scene, we chanced upon three male lions, swaggering down one of the roads. We followed these animals all the way to the direction of the herd of buffalo. At one point they had to cross the Sand River, which, due to the unseasonal good rains, was flowing pretty well. It was funny to watch the trepidation with which they crossed the river. The three were in a line, and of course the task fell upon the first lion in line to make the initial crossing. He first tested the waters, as it were, with his paw, dipping it in and then shaking it about. This he did a few times, before taking the plunge, followed immediately by the second male. The third male waited awhile to see if they would make it, and when they were almost out on the other side, he made his move as well. What followed then was much shaking and rolling about on the sand to get rid of the water in their coats. Who says you have to go to Botswana to see lions swim – they do that in South Africa as well? We followed them all the way to the area where we could hear the buffalo, but we were not fortunate (or is that unfortunate?) to see them kill anything. They did however kill an adult bull sometime during the night, as we returned to this spot of the kill the next morning.

En route to the buffalo kill we came upon two lionesses on the airstrip, but as the light was still poor, and we wanted to get to the kill, we did not spend too much time with them. Before we got to the kill, Lucky heard about a leopard that had been found, so we first detoured to this. This was a young male and we had hardly found him when he decided that it was time to rest, so he curled up into a little ball and closed his eyes. We sat there for some time, but there was very little activity from him, so we moved on.

At the buffalo kill were the three male lions, as well as the two lionesses and the four cubs from the previous evening. At this stage only one of the males was feeding, and he was hogging this dead buffalo to himself, telling any cub that ventured too close in no uncertain terms that he was not happy, by snapping and growling at the unfortunate, hungry cub. This male was feeding at the rear of the animal, and two cubs did manage to sneak to the neck area, but their teeth were not developed enough to break the skin and tear into the flesh here, so they satisfied themselves by licking around this neck area and ended up chewing on some of the intestines of the dead animal.

Whilst we were sitting here watching all of this, Lucky heard a leopard call from somewhere near the river, so after a while we went looking for this animal. After some serious off-road driving we had to abandon this task as the leopard had disappeared without being found (leopards have a way of doing this, at will, when they want to). In any event, it was now time for breakfast, and we headed back to camp, but not before making a short detour to have a look at a herd of elephant. One young bull gave us quite a show, with him sloshing water and mud all over himself, before joining the rest of the herd. Then it was back to the lodge for a sumptuous breakfast, some rest, a sumptuous lunch, afternoon tea and again onto the afternoon/evening game drive (and my wife wonders why I am slightly portly around the middle!).

This afternoon’s drive turned out to be a quiet affair. We stopped at the buffalo kill just to see how far the lions had progressed with this mound of meat, saw some rhinos in the gathering dark, also some elephant and searched, unsuccessfully, for this morning’s leopard. Not all game drives can be exciting – there are some, even in the Sabi Sands, where you don’t always see what you want, but hang it, if sightings of lion, elephant and rhino, not to mention the general game, are quiet, then what is an exciting drive?

The following mornings drive, our last, turned out pretty good. As we left the camp Lucky told us that two leopards had been seen not too far away, so off we went. We found one young male up a tree, close to Rattrays on Mala Mala, whilst the second, older male, was hidden in some long grass. What had happened was that the guests at Rattrays were enjoying their morning hot drinks before embarking on their drives, when they heard and then saw the commotion of the older leopard chasing the younger one into the tree, so the word spread, and we were now with both leopards. This was so early that the sun had not yet come up over the horizon, and the leopard in the tree, pretty high up in the tree I may add, was still in shadow. However, he and the older male were having an argument with one another, and every now and then a growl would emit from the one or the other – what a way to wait for the rising sun. Once the sun touched the top of the tree and then eventually the leopard, it was time for some photos. The young male even obliged, when the light was at its best, to turn around in the tree and face our vehicle, so quite a lot of photos were taken.

The older male eventually tired of this and moved off in the shadows and we then followed him for a short while, before leaving him to go and search for cheetah. Unfortunately we did not find any cheetah, but travelled pretty far on Mala Mala’s large exclusive property, right up against the boundary with the Kruger Park – these two parks are separated simply by a dirt track – there are no fences, so animals move freely between these vast areas. What we did find in the open areas were plenty of plains game and one accommodating black-backed jackal, who did not mind posing for a few photos. Alas, this was now getting late and we had to return to camp for our breakfast. At breakfast I took some time, between the cold buffet and the hot breakfast servings, to take my last photos of elephant and bushbuck in the river. What a way to enjoy breakfast! We then, with heavy hearts, checked-out and made our way to Johannesburg where the clients were to be dropped off at the OR Tambo International.

Judy, Joanne, Dan and Mark – if you are reading this, thanks for being such wonderful company and you were a pleasure to be with – I hope to see you one day in the future.

My thoughts on Mala Mala? I have been fortunate in the past to have visited other lodges in this prestigious private reserve and they all are of a high standard and quality. Mala Mala’s lodge where we stayed was not the most luxurious of these lodges (although I suspect that Rattrays on Mala Mala may well compare with the most luxurious) but the level of service, the standard of food and accommodation as well as the quality of game drives stands back for no other lodge – in fact, Mala Mala may well set the bench-mark. There was no rush when at a sighting to make way for any other vehicles who may want to come for a look, and we spent as long as we wanted at any sighting. Our guide was attuned mainly to showing us the “big-5” and I suspect that this is what 99% of all clients want, so this was what he delivered. However, Lucky at all times was quite happy to stop when asked by any of his guests and to look at and discuss any plant, bird or animals that the stop was for. Having said this, there was enough luxury to satisfy even the most discerning of guests, but it was not out of place in the bush.

Sabi Sands 2011

2011-05-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

There are a number of stunning lodges in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve which is renowned for having the best Big Five game viewing in South Africa, if not the world.
Nowhere in South Africa will one find a wildlife experience quite like the one experienced within the Sabi Sand Reserve. Sharing a 50km unfenced border with the Kruger National Park, this immense (65 000 hectare/ 153 000 acre) and diverse tract of land is home to The Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant), and much, much more. Two perennial rivers supply the game reserve with a valuable water source. The Sand River flows through the reserve for 50km (31 miles) from north-west to south-east whilst the Sabie River flows on the southern boundary. The sustenance of these rivers ensures that this area enjoys one of the highest and most bio-diverse wildlife populations of any area in Africa. Over two hundred different species live in abundance, whilst the ever-changing bird life provides even the most experienced ornithologist with rare finds. Such is the environment that the wildlife, save for the migratory birds, remain in their territories all year round.

Wildlife viewing here is second to none. The Sabi Sand Reserve enjoys good quality viewing of leopard (the most elusive of predators), as well as elephant, lion, rhino, leopard, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, zebra and a vast variety of antelope and other species. In fact, a checklist of the reserve would yield no fewer than 330+ tree species, 110+ reptile species, 500+ bird species and 145+ mammal species, all occurring in their own natural environment.

Open safari vehicles, seating between 4 and 10 visitors each, head out into the wild under the expert guidance of experienced rangers and insightful trackers. Guests are able to get in close contact with Africa's most exciting wildlife species, and are presented with unparalleled photographic opportunities. Early morning safaris head out as the sun rises and as the bush stirs to life. The ranger and tracker teams search for animals by tracking their spoor, and by listening for the tell-tale signs of activity. The bush has its own language, and it is fascinating to watch those who possess the tools to encode it. Late afternoon safaris commence as the sun burns its way towards the horizon. The animals are now getting more active, many preparing for the great hunt after dark. After sundowners, the drive continues with the aid of powerful spotlights that reveal nocturnal species in another world. On average, approximately 6 hours a day or more are spent out in the bush on safari.

Most of these lodges follow the Wildlife Safari format: arrive for lunch on the first day. Check in and orientation and introduction to the bush. Out on game drive from about 15h30 or 16h00. Sundowners are enjoyed in the bush. Return after a period of night driving where the nocturnal species are searched for by spotlight. These drives are in open Land Rover safari-type vehicles. The driver is an experienced guide who will make the drive more interesting. A tracker sits in front and follows the animals, often off road to secure sightings that are often really close and clear. Early next morning you are awakened at dawn, tea/coffee and rusks are served and out on a game drive again, returning to breakfast. After breakfast there is an opportunity to go on a guided walk in the bush with an armed ranger. This usually focuses on the tracks, insects, birds and the smaller animals. Alternatively relax at the lodge. Many have a lovely outlook into the bush and possibly a water hole at which a variety of animals visit during the day. Lunch and then the cycle repeats itself with the afternoon safari game drive. On your last day there would be the early game drive, followed by breakfast after which you would depart. This is dependent on the time that your flight leaves - if you are traveling with your own transport, its approx 11h00.

The most convenient way to do this safari is to fly directly from the Johannesburg International Airport (now called OR Tambo International) to the lodge of your choice, with the flying time being about 1 - 1½ hours.

The Sabi Sand Reserve boasts a selection of superb lodges that are masters in the field of hospitality - perfecting what has become known as the luxury photographic safari experience. Beautiful accommodations, breathtaking landscapes, fine cuisine, skilled and personable guides and rangers are but a few of the aspects that a visitor may expect to enjoy. Each lodge has something unique to offer and I recommend any of the following lodges:

(Click on links below to make your Booking or Phone / e-mail Far & Wild Safaris on 031 2083684 / farwild@iafrica.com)

Arathusa Safari Lodge: Between R2300 and R4700 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between standard and luxury rooms and seasonal periods.

Cheetah Plains: Between R3300 and R3600 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between standard and luxury rooms and seasonal periods.

Chitwa Chitwa: R4600 to R6000 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Chitwa House: R26400 to R35000 per night for this lodge which sleeps four persons. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Djuma Galago: R9500 per night for this self-catering lodge which sleeps a maximum of ten persons.

Djuma Vuyatella: R4500 per person sharing per night.

Dulini Lodge: Between R4630 and R6650 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Elephant Plains: Between R1580 and R2680 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between rondawel and luxury rooms and seasonal periods.

Exeter River Lodge: Between R4630 and R6650 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Idube: Between R3000 and R3900 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Inyati: R3300 to R4400 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between standard and executive double rooms and seasonal periods.

Kirkmans Kamp: Between R3780 and R5395 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Leadwood Lodge: Between R5545 and R8290 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Leopard Hills: R7900 per person sharing per night.

Lion Sands Ivory Lodge: R9500 per person sharing per night.

Lion Sands River Lodge: Between R5780 and R8920 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between standard and luxury suites and seasonal periods.

Lion Sands 1933 Lodge: Tariffs are between R84850 and R94790. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods for this sole-use lodge.

Londolozi Founders Camp: Between R5841 and R6950 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between standard and luxury rooms and number of nights reserved.

Londolozi Pioneer Camp: Between R8550 and R9500 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between numbers of nights reserved

Londolozi Private Granite Suites: Between R9450 and R10500 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between numbers of nights reserved.

Londolozi Tree Camp: Between R8550 and R9500 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between numbers of nights reserved.

Londolozi Varty Camp: Between R5900 and R6225 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between standard and luxury rooms and number of nights reserved.

Mala Mala Main Camp: Between USD625 and USD700 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between luxury rooms and suites. This USD tariff is converted into ZAR at time of confirmation.

Mala Mala Sable Camp: USD775 per person sharing per night. This USD tariff is converted into ZAR at time of confirmation.

Nkorho: Between R2050 and R2485 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Nottens: Between R2750 and R3350 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Rattrays on Mala Mala: USD925 per person sharing per night. This USD tariff is converted into ZAR at time of confirmation.

Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge: Between R5300 and R6500 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge: R8500 per person sharing per night. Amber Presidential Suite, which includes a private Land Rover, at R16200 per person sharing per night.

Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp: Between R4900 and R5500 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

Sabi Sabi Selati Lodge: Between R5550 and R6700 per person sharing per night. Tariffs vary between seasonal periods.

These are the current 2011 rates and are subject to change. The variation in rates at some of the lodges varies from lodges within the one group, or is dependent upon seasonal "high" or "low" tariffs. October / March is generally high season.

At all of the lodges, this rate includes the following:

- Luxurious accommodation
- Three delicious meals daily including all teas and coffees

- Two scheduled game-drives daily in an open 4 x 4 safari vehicle, accompanied by an experienced Ranger and Tracker

- Interactive bush walks (one hour) accompanied byexperienced armed Trackers

- VAT / Taxes

At many of the lodges, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, soft drinks and bottled water are also included in this rate.

Credit: Far & Wild Safaris

Elephant Rock Lodge, Nambiti Private Game Reserve

2011-05-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a tour to the Nambiti Private Game Reserve, situated close to Ladysmith in KwaZulu Natal, and I must say, I was pretty impressed (and rather chuffed with myself – this will become clearer in the next paragraph).

I had reserved a tour for a couple from Canada to one of our public game reserves in KwaZulu Natal, and this was all done and dusted – paid for, bookings confirmed, etc. About the time that all this was being confirmed, I had occasion to visit this park on another tour and was slightly disappointed on a number of issues, which I will not go into here. So, during one of those long game drives, when game is scarce and the bush is very thick, I got to thinking, “what about an alternative for my Canadian guests?” My colleague had just returned from Nambiti, and he was very enthusiastic about the place. I had never been there, but I know that his opinion can be relied on, so when I returned to the office, I approached my clients and offered them an alternative, this being the Elephant Rock Lodge in Nambiti. When I set out the pro’s and con’s, they were quite happy to switch to Nambiti, so with due haste this new reservation was made and the old one cancelled. We were off to Nambiti!

I was still a bit concerned about whether I had done the right thing, but three days before I was to collect them I again had occasion to visit this public park for a few days, and this visit told me that I had done the right thing. So on Monday it was a three-odd hour drive from Zimbali through Ladysmith to Nambiti. With its waterfalls and diverse landscapes, Nambiti offers endless opportunities and options. Unlike most other game reserves, Nambiti has the carrying capacity of twice that of regions like Botswana, thus being able to carry more game per acre than other reserves. The Nambiti Private Game Reserve was begun in 1999 from what was originally a cattle farming area. These farms were acquired and then the mammoth task of removing internal fencing and old buildings started. After all the unwanted manmade structures were removed, the job of removing all alien vegetation commenced. After some time the reserve was ready for the delicate task of re-introducing wildlife. After many years of management, the reserve has now come full circle. The fauna is flourishing and the fauna has settled down into the slow moving time of Africa. What I experienced on our game drives was that the reserve certainly has plenty of water – all those old cattle farms had farm dams which have now been incorporated into the reserve, so unless there is serious drought in this area, water will be in abundance here.

We arrived at the reserve and parked our “soft” vehicle in the secure car park, where we were collected by our ranger. Steve, our ranger for the duration of our stay, took us to the lodge, where we were shown to our rooms. Superbly sited overlooking a waterhole, Elephant Rock Lodge is a charming boutique safari lodge offering luxury accommodation for up to 10 people. The lodge boasts five well appointed luxurious suites that are well spaced for total privacy and include an en-suite bathroom, private deck and outdoor shower, and all have great views of the waterhole or the indigenous bushveld. Another good thing about this lodge is that it is fenced, so one does not require an armed escort to get around inside the camp after dark! The rooms have ceiling fans, double or twin beds, his and hers basins, outside shower and all other trimmings one can hope for, all in all, very comfortable. The most appreciated by me was the presence of electric blankets, which were sorely needed in these cold nights!

We enjoyed lunch, which was very good. In fact, all our meals were very good. Breakfast has a cold buffet section, and your order is taken for your hot breakfast, which included eggs (done in any which way) mushrooms, bacon, sausages, tomato, toast, etc. Lunches are usually quite light (they have to be after a full breakfast) and consisted of quiche, salads, chicken-bake and similar dishes. It is during lunch that your orders are taken for your dinner preferences, which gives you a choice of starters, mains and dessert – two or three choices each. Coffee, tea, Milo, hot chocolate etc. is available at all times at the lodge.

At Nambiti we enjoyed four game drives - two in the afternoon and into the evening and two in the early morning, into the mid morning. These were done in open safari vehicles with our guide Steve. Just a short word on Steve – an excellent guide, enthusiastic, very knowledgeable and keen, simply a pleasure to be with. On that topic, Inge and her staff at the lodge also did a fine job and well-done to them. What I particularly enjoyed about the early morning drives was the early mist hanging over the dams and into the valleys, before slowly being burned off by the ever rising sun. What I particularly enjoyed was time spent in the open plains, which were dotted with a variety of plains game and great light. Having said this, all areas of this reserve were good, and a variety of wildlife was seen. I will not bore you with which animals were seen on which drives, but I will list hereunder the animals that we did see – I made notes, so as not to forget!

I could not believe the diversity of animals that we had seen – this I have never experienced before in any reserve in South Africa, whether private or public, and as for the “special” sightings, we saw cheetah (twice), serval (twice) and aardwolf once. For any experienced nature guides who may be reading this, you will know that sightings of these animals during the course of four game drives, is very, very rare. We also saw the following animals, not classified by me as “specials” but nonetheless great to see, and in no particular order and in large numbers for the most part; kudu, zebra, mountain reedbuck, common reedbuck, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest (they are to remove all of them in due course – you cannot have the two types on one property), eland, hippo, elephant, white rhino, waterbuck, impala, giraffe, black-backed jackal, warthog, nyala, spotted hyena and gemsbok (oryx). All that we missed out on was lion and buffalo, but I must say that Steve tried very hard to find these, and as everyone knows, wild animals come and go as they please, there are no guarantees.

Now with all the good things to say about the lodge, surely there must be some negatives? Yes, there is one negative – the lodge does not have filter coffee! In this day and age, surely this is not too difficult to serve. It need not be available at all times, but there should be filter coffee available before the morning game drive, at breakfast and lunch – instant coffee is not real coffee! All one need is some real coffee beans, a coffee grinder, a percolator or cafetière or any other similar product. Come on, Elephant Rock, it can be done!

Montusi Mountain Lodge

2011-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Montusi Mountain Lodge is a venue in my favourite more scenic northern part of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park that is a really delightful holiday destination. Ten years ago this farm was overgrown with wattle trees – with foresight and a great deal of hard work Anthony Carte and his family have transformed this into a beautiful retreat with lovely indigenous gardens and really comfortable cosy thatched chalets. Each of the 14 individual garden suites has their own patio and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and more distant Drakensberg Amphitheater. Each unit comfortably appointed with kingsized beds, a comfortable lounge with fireplace, TV, drinks fridge and a tea / coffee station. The bathrooms have both a bath and shower. Consideration for the oft frequent hail storms during summer are covered car-ports at each chalet.

Family run, with willing and most friendly staff we were soon ensconced in our rooms and ready for - a walk on the property - a hike from the Thendele Car Park in the Royal Natal Park to the base of the Tugela Falls - or for the really adventurous and fit , a drive around to Witsieshoek and a climb to the summit of the Amphitheater up the 2 chain ladders to the top. What a view!

There are a lot of activities – hiking on the many trails, (some San Rock Art sites here too) horse riding, fishing, swimming in the rock pools, tennis, mountain biking and adventure activities at the nearby centre where one can go on a canopy tour, bungee jumping or shooting paint balls. We took it easy and relaxed, gentle stroll enjoying the fresh mountain air.

The main lodge has a large comfortable lounge – fireplaces, a library and superb afternoon tea and cake. An intrigueing “painting” – sand glued to the base in varied colours of heavy metals – the ‘sand’ sourced from Richards Bay Minerals – all shimmery when lit is amazing, credit to the artist.

Dinner a splendid affair with a choice of starters, mains and desert , accompanied by a delightful bottle of wine. We returned to our chalets just before the rain came pouring down. What a lovely sound as I drifted off to sleep. With so much to do our time in the mountains was too short – Montusi Mountain Lodge is a place where one could spend a number of days, revitalizing and relaxing in peaceful, comfortable surroundings.

Mpila Camp - Umfolozi Game Reserve

2011-04-29T04:35:00.000-07:00

For the Easter Holidays we decided to take a little break and get out of Durban for the weekend and so our trip to Mpila Camp was planed and booked - well in advance due to the popularity of the camp.

For our trip we chose to stay in the 2 bed Chalets - each of the 2 bed chalets have their own little kitchenette, bathroom with a Toilet & Shower, table and chairs inside, a little deck with outside table & chairs and their own braai area in front of the chalet with the most amazing views.

Once we were settled in and unpacked we headed out on our first drive, which was an eventful drive due to the fact that it seemed like every corner we turned there were White Rhino, in total we saw 17 white rhino during our first few hours in the park! our subsequent game drives were similar but besides all the rhino we also saw: Cheetah, Lion, Hyena, Buffalo, Elephant, Zebra, Giraffe, Impala, Wildebeest, Kudu, Nyala, Warthog and the list goes on.

Our first night went hand in hand with the day and was also eventful, Mpila Camp is not fenced besides an elephant wire, so all other game shorter than an elephant is able to wander into camp should they wish to. I had been pre-warned and thankfully so as whilst we were braaing that night a hyena walked right past us! when we shone our torch on the hyena it slinked off into the bush and didn't bother us again - there were 6 of us all huddled around the fire, but as soon as we were seated in the safety of our veranda (and after the meat was cooked) not one but two cheeky hyenas came to inspect our braai for any leftovers, unfortunately for them there were none.

The friends who went with us had a chance sighting of the elusive Black Rhino but unfortunately by the time we reached the spot the animal had moved off, so yet again they continue to elude us, but this just means that we will have to continue going back to the bush to try and find them! looking at the sightings board which is up in the Reception area of Mpila Camp it seemed like everyone was having a good weekend as there were even 2 sightings of Wild Dog, that afternoon we did go in search of the wild dog but could not find them - as we all know they can move very quickly and cover vast areas.

all in all it was a nice and relaxing weekend and I will definitely go back to Mpila Camp - hopefully sometime soon!

Lions Valley Lodge - Nambiti Game Reserve

2011-04-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

Lions Valley Lodge is situated in the northern sector of the Nambiti Game Reserve. A luxury 5 star venue with beautifully appointed rooms and main lodge area. It’s an approximate half hour drive from the secure parking enclosure to the Lodge through some very scenic country. As we drive to the Lodge one has a view of this beautiful venue nestled on the slopes below, overlooking a waterhole. Anticipation running high.

The reception area and Porte Cochere is vast with access directly through to the expansive swimming pool terrace and rimflow infinity pool – inviting!. The view is really lovely with the bush close enough for one to be able to see some of the animals there quite clearly.

Refreshments and towels to greet, our luggage is transferred to golf carts and taken to our rooms whilst we are ushered on a main lodge familiarization. There is really loads of space here for the 20 guests. A lounge and library area, another lounge at the bar, then a selection of options as to where one may dine. The boma fireplace is open to the sky whilst the dining section is covered, such a clever idea,. It would only be in really inclement weather that one would needs retreat to the dining room. The décor is really beautifully accomplished. African chic mixed with a more sedate style, much sourced locally. I loved their Kudu Bling, The head of a kudu in wire and mirrored glass mounted in the dining room.

I had the opportunity to visit a number of the suites – all decorated independently, one quite daring /interesting as in the Spaza suite. All rooms have an identical footprint and similar general layout. The Jacuzzis on the decks will all become plunge pools only , in an endeavour to conserve electricity. The more distant rooms have pathways linked to the main lodge and guests are ferried to and fro on golf carts.

Sitting on the deck there is a lovely outlook into the bush and we had a variety of animals to watch with a herd of buffalo rushing down to the water-hole one morning. High tea was beautifully presented with superb selection - and a quiche to die for!

We had a very interesting afternoon game drive. Some of these rangers are just so knowledgeable. The road infrastructure in the northern sector of the Park seemed to be in far better shape than further south and with the animals so widely spread there is just so much to see. The size of the reserve is such that Lodges are normally able to structure their game drives to include areas throughout the Park where high profile animals have been seen, thus improving guests chances of seeing most of the sought after species. The large cats are collared – in case they escape the reserve into the community areas surrounding – however this telemetry is not used to secure daily sightings, this is left to the skills of the Rangers. My game viewing experience at Nambiti has been particularly good with excellent game drives daily.

We returned to the Lodge after a most successful afternoon / evening game drive, pre-dinner drinks at the bar, superb dinner and then twin baths and bed. I would have preferred air-conditioning, or even ceiling fans in the rooms to the retro styled standard floor fans. These were noisy. With no easily opening windows the ventilation aspect should be addressed. The early morning wake-up call was the fairly close roar of lion. These lion however eluded us on the morning drive which our Ranger made into the area where the calls seemed to emanate. Much of Nambiti is rehabilitated farmland with dams, homesteads in various states of disrepair, even windmills. The fences have however been removed, the maise fields rehabilitated to grassland – none of which now looks like previously farmed areas – what I really appreciate is that this marginal farmland has had its land ownership issues resolved with ancestoral land claimants and Lodge owners having reached a mutually beneficial working partnership to the benefit of the people, the wildlife and ecosystem.

Visiting the Nambiti Game Reserve from Durban or Johannesburg is such that after the morning game drive, breakfast and check-out, there is time to drive home to be there mid-afternoon. Ideal to unpack and ready for the days ahead.

Springbok Lodge - Nambiti Game Reserve

2011-04-28T04:28:00.000-07:00

Springbok Lodge is situated in the Nambiti Game Reserve near Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal. A malaria free area, this reserve has excellent game viewing and in particular of high profile animals such as lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, cheetah and giraffe. Leopard do occur here but are rarely seen.

We arrived at Nambiti’s southern entrance gate where the gate guard let the Lodge know that we were here. We then drove through to the nearby secure shaded parking area where a vehicle from the Lodge collected us and transferred the four of us the short distance back to the Lodge. The game viewing commenced immediately on this drive , with a magnificent kudu bull and warthog with youngsters seen on the way. We were warmly welcomed at the Lodge with a drink whilst we checked in, our bags were dispatched to our rooms. Lunch was eminent so we opted to relax on the expansive deck which has a lovely outlook into the bush. Breakfasts and lunches are generally on the deck and in the evenings dinner is served in the boma around a fire, all dependent on the weather.

We settled into our spacious luxury tents after lunch and prepared for the afternoon game drive.

15 elevated Luxury Tents sleep a maximum of 30 guests, offering opulence in the African bush. The tents are air conditioned in the warm summer months and heated in the chilly winter ones, with electric blankets keeping guests extra snug. Each of the tents have their own viewing deck with comfortable chairs, inside a kingsize bed (also available as twin beds), bathroom en suite - bath indoors with outside private shower, a hospitality tray, complimentary sherry, safety deposit box and a hairdryer.

We walked back to the main Lodge buildings, cameras and a jacket ready ready for he afternoons drive. Tea and biscuits and off we go in the “open” game drive vehicles.. These purpose built vehicles normally seat 10 passengers. We headed north to the open plains area and bingo, on the road a coalition of three cheetah on the hunt. They were quite relaxed in our presence and were very close when they walked past the vehicle before disappearing in the long grass. There had been excellent rains during summer and also heavy storms just before our arrival. Wonderful for the bush but the road infrastructure had suffered somewhat, especially in the valleys and at stream crossings where the access had been eroded.

The open grassland areas at Nambiti Game Reserve are particularly enjoyable as one is normally able to see a variety of animals in almost any direction , we had a marvelous drive seeing so many different antelope.

As the sun was setting we came upon a lioness and her three sub-adult cubs. She was particularly interested in a nearby herd of impala. With the darkness we departed to leave her to best source food for her cubs. An eagle owl, night jar and scrub hare and the eyes of many a plains game on the way back to camp. So it was we returned to Springbok Lodge with rain drops beginning to fall. That was a pretty good game drive ! Due to the possibility of more rain the boma dinner was not to be and we dined instead in the cosy main lodge dining room. After a super dinner, excellent conversation and a night cap we were driven back to our tents.

We had a Fiery-necked nightjar seemingly sitting on our tent, so close its call sounded – one of the joys of tented accommodation is that one is normally able to hear all the sounds of the bush more clearly. I slept so soundly that even lion roaring did not wake me.

Early wake-up call and a 06h00 departure, as we sought out Nambiti Game Reserve’s wildlife. A pair of black-backed jackal scavenging were the first animals seen, then a hippo returning to the safety of its preffered water sanctuary. A bit later on we had a really good sighting of a large breeding herd of elephant. We sat quietly and they came past in all sizes, each a character, some cheekily coming closer, others challenging a sibling and testing strength. So entertaining! This game reserve has a wide variety of wildlife and I wish to believe that when on the open grassland areas – this is what Africa must have been like before man arrived – for as we looked in each direction so there was a herd of zebra here, some wildebeest and blesbuck there, some giraffe, hippo and waterbuck in the wetlands and eland making off in the distance.

Our guide took us to a lovely view-site on the Sundays River where we could see the “Cascades” – with the river reasonably high this was quite a sight. A very varied topography throughout this reserve makes for a wide species diversity. We even saw Gemsbok. These antelope really belong to the west of the country in the Kalahari. Somehow the local Park authority had issued permits for this species to be released here and so they remain – thriving too.

That is quite some game viewing for just two guided game drives. This is really an excellent value destination with game viewing as good if not better than we have in our local provincial parks. Here the game drives are included in the tariff and made so much more interesting by the knowledgeable Rangers.

Lalibella Game Reserve - Eastern Cape

2011-04-18T04:40:00.000-07:00

The Eastern Cape is slowly adding an array of really worthwhile wildlife destinations to its attractions. The Greater Addo area and beyond is becoming a maze of protected biomes. We are slowly being able to visit each in turn to assess just how good the area is becoming. One is able to have a very good wildlife experience at places we know such as Kwandwe and Shamwari and Addo too if you are into elephant. So eagerly we drove through to the Lalibella Game Reserve, on the N2 to Grahamstown and approximately 45 minutes from Port Elizabeth to see what this venue offered. Reception is at the gate and here ones vehicle is parked for the duration and one is transferred to the Lodges. On checking in and signing the necessary indemnity lunch was then offered. This a convenient way of getting the new arrivals together and then all transferred as one to the Lodges. There are three Lodges on the property Lentaba Lodge, Mark's Camp and Tree Tops. We were destined for Tree Tops for our two night visit. A delightful tented camp set in the forested slopes of a rather rugged part of the reserve. Luncheon replete, we boarded our minibus and rumbled through the countryside. Initially mostly open grassland with a reasonably wide diversity of animals to be seen, all very relaxed as we passed by. Impala, blesbok, gemsbok and giraffe aplenty. A small resident herd of Nyala welcomed us as we entered the Lodge car-park. Lalibela comprises 7,500 hectares (18,500 acres) of valley bushveld, savannah grassland, fynbos, riverine forest and acacia woodland.

Clever design has the Lodge easily transformed from an open deck , to a cosy enclosed lounge / dining / bar. Such was the weather when we were there that the canvas sides were in the main left rolled up and open.

Our tent bedroom was large, had a shower and toilet en suite and then a deck with an outlook over the forest. The weather had been rather warm and airconditioning the tent was a welcome luxury.

Cameras made ready, a jacket in case the weather turns chilly and we clamber aboard the Toyota open game drive vehicle. There is a lot of diversity in the terrain here and we initially clung to the side of a cliff as we negotiated the road to the valleys below. Our first big game sighting was a crash of some 6 white rhino who were quite happy placidly grazing and not bothering to give us the time of day.

This was followed by two youngish bull elephant and then we found a variety of antelope, saw where cheetah had left the remains of a kill from the day before and we tried to “listen’ for the usually very vocal lion. Stopped for sundowners as the sun cast its vermillion net in the west. In the light of the spotlight the barely discernable outline of a cat – what was it? It then stepped out from the shrubbery – a serval. The first our guide had seen at Lalibella, so a big tick that night. There is an unfortunate large amount of invasive wattle trees on the property and the serval chose to evade us by dissapearing into one of these forests. Welcomed back to the Lodge where a fire on the deck was ablaze and a collection of Djembe drums awaited us, as too our host for the evening’s entertainment. With drums between the knees and a lesson in rhythm, we were off making music. The lion were silent that night.

The weather the following morning was misty but this still afforded some excellent game viewing. Cheetah and her two cubs on an Impala kill, more elephant, jackal and a variety of antelope. Gemsbok, red hartebeest, black wildebeest and common reedbuck. The evening game drive produced yellow mongoose, springhare, aardwolf and more jackal as well as some night birds. All in all excellent game viewing. Other interesting species are found here too such as suricate meerkat and bat-eared fox. Although designated a Big Five Reserve with elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard, one rarely gets a sight of the elusive leopard, as in so many of the Big 5 reserves in South Africa. In my experience it is really only in the greater Sabie Sand area that one would almost be assured of seeing the Big 5 when staying at a lodge for 2 nights. Cheetah certainly make up for this here though.

Franschhoek Country House

2011-03-04T03:49:00.000-08:00

My cousin and his wife had recently arrived in South Africa and had spent a few days exploring the Cape Town area. Lana and I decided to rather join them from when they were due to visit our favourite Valley and town in the area – Franschhoek.
We met them at the airport and drove directly to Franschhoek. As we were going to spoil ourselves with a tastings dinner at Le Quartier Francaise’s Tastings room this evening we opted for a light snack at a sidewalk venue in town. Delightful. Franschhoek certainly is a foodies destination.
The Franschhoek Country House is a magnificent Five Star Boutique Hotel just on the outskirts of town and has a vineyard extending into the property. You really feel you are you are in the winelands!

A range of Standard Rooms, Luxury Rooms and Garden Cottages are available. In addition to the standard and luxury rooms, the recently added villa suites are available for guests looking for a more luxurious and pampered experience complimented by extra special touches. All the luxury suites are a haven of space and opulence consisting of three separate rooms which includes an entrance area with lounge, a separate bedroom and then a full en-suite bathroom - arguably the best hotel suites available in the winelands. Certainly the finest we have stayed in.

Luxuries such as underfloor heating, piped music even in the bathrooms if wanted, a luxurious Spa for a range of services including massages, reflexology, facials, manicures, pedicures and signature treatments.. There is even a choice of an ambient temperature swimming pool or one that is heated. A novel touch on the terrace during the heat of the day, fine misters spray a refreshing coolness – it works amazingly well in that dry heat.

Known as the food and wine capital of South Africa, Franschhoek boasts a number of top award winning restaurants including the Monneaux Restaurant at the Franschhoek Country House. Here you can sample the fine delicacies that have made Franschhoek one of the world's leading capitals of fine wines and cuisine. Whether you enjoy lunch at the fountain terrace under a spreading pepper tree or dinner in the elegant dining room, the Monneaux restaurant is highly recommended.

Phinda - Rock Lodge

2011-02-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

It was a 4 hour drive to Phinda - Rock Lodge and with so much rain along the way I thought we were in for some bad weather, on our arrival at the Reserve I was pleasantly surprised as it was cloudy but with lovely sunny patches, humid and warm and thankfully no rain. On our way from the Main gate to the lodge we spotted a few Zebra and some Giraffe but no impala which I thought was quite funny as they are normally the first ambassadors to welcome you to the bush.

We checked into our lovely room which consisted of a large double bed, huge bath, both indoor and outdoor showers and a deck overlooking the bush with our very own private plunge pool, dropping our bags off in the room we made our way to lunch which was a huge affair with a platter of salads, roast chicken, home made bread and an array of condiments, on the hot side was a stunning Vegetable Curry with Rice and a potato and leek Quiche, to round it all off was the most amazing banana ice cream.

After lunch it was back to our room for a little bit of relaxing and a quick dip in our plunge pool before heading off to high tea, although there was cake, biscuits and more snacks we stuck to the iced coffee as I didn't think we could fit any more in. There was also a cheeky visitor at high tea - a monkey stealing the sugar out of the pot, luckily the cake and snacks had not yet made it to the table as im sure he would have made off with a handful of those too. Once everyone was satisfied we were off on our game drive in search of the animals, we had not been on the game drive for more then 10 mins when we had the pleasure of a cheetah sighting, a male cheetah just relaxing in the shade, we watched him for a while and he just watched us back no doubt a normal afternoon for him.

After spending some time with the cheetah we move off and onto trying to find some lion, we tracked them for a while, spotting Zebra, Impala, Giraffe and Nyala along the way, but could not find the 3 youngsters we were looking for, no doubt they could see us driving around and around from their hiding place in a thicket. we carried on searching and were eventually rewarded with a sighting of one of the new large male lions that had recently been released onto the reserve, but by this time it was getting dark so not very good for photography but I snapped away regardless just because he was such a large lion - he had been sleeping all day but while we were watching decided to get up and move, he passed only a few feet away from the vehicle and everyone held their breath frozen as he moved passed. we followed him for a while hoping he would call out to his brother but I guess he was just lazy that night and didn't feel like vocalizing, we left him in peace mostly for the fact he had decided to lie down again and didn't look like he would be moving anytime soon and also because our stomachs were grumbling and dinner was calling.

On our return to the lodge we were greeted with dom pedros and a nice cool face cloth to freshen up with, we were then told we would be having dinner on our private deck that evening, so off to the the room we went, on entering our suite we were greeted by many little tea light candles and a table set up on the deck. dinner again was huge with a starter of curried bean soup with home made bread, main was a Lamb Curry with vegetables and potatoes and for dessert a chocolate pancake with fried banana.

The next morning we were up bright and early, ready for our game drive, after some morning tea we set off in search of Elephant, which we finally found after a while of ambling through the bush, spotting a few warthog, zebra and impala along the way. the herd of about 10-15 was moving fast through the bush not pausing to eat like they usually do, so we have to maneuver ourselves so we could keep on cutting them off at the next road as the bush was a little too think to follow behind them, after our exciting chase for the Elephant we carried on our way, this time coming across a female Cheetah, she was a little skittish and would not let us get too close, the complete opposite of the male we had seen the day before who was not phased by the vehicles at all, she seemed to be wanting to get away from something looking back into the bush every few steps, perhaps there were lion in the area - although we never did see them, we ended up losing her in a thicket of trees which im sure she entered to shake us off her tail as we were following closely. then on the way back to camp the clouds that had been threatening since yesterday opened up and it started to drizzle so on went our ponchos, away went my camera and then we carried on, rounding a corner we found a herd of Buffalo's slowly moving through the bush.

Back at Phinda - Rock Lodge the rain seemed to let up and had stopped by the time we made our way to breakfast, after eating our full of fresh fruit, yoghurt, bacon eggs etc. we were packed on our way back to sunny Durban, 1 night is defiantly too short when it comes to the bush.

& Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge

2010-12-21T07:11:00.000-08:00

Lana and I were looking forward to returning to what has to be the finest private game reserve in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal for viewing wildlife – the & Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve!

A comfortable 3 hours drive and we arrived at the gates of the Reserve. This reserve is a consolidation of a number of private game reserves and property belonging to the local community. Phinda Private Game Reserve is known for its abundant wildlife, diversity of habitats and wide range of activities. Thanks to its coastal rainfall pattern, Phinda enjoys a lush green environment that contains seven distinct ecosystems - a magnificent tapestry of woodland, grassland, wetland and forest, interspersed with mountain ranges, river courses, marshes and pans. This fascinating variety of landscape and vegetation shelters an abundance of wildlife, including not only the Big Five but many rarer and less easily spotted species, such as the elusive cheetah or the scarce black rhino, all of this contained in an area of 23 000 hectares (56 800 acres). The seven habitats occurring in Phinda are primarily responsible for the rich diversity of species that occur. Always popular are the big cats and Phinda has become renowned for its close viewing of lion, cheetah and less frequently, leopard. It is not only cats that are special here - recently reintroduced black rhino are now regularly seen along with white rhino, elephant, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and a number of antelope species. We were privileged to see three black rhino during our short stay.

“Phinda” meaning “Return” in Zulu, is an outstanding example of successful, responsible tourism. Initially restoring the misused farmland to its present more pristine state - this started over 16 years ago when initial restocking with the Big Five and other wildlife was undertaken - and developing this game park into an award-winning ecotourism destination. By returning land to its ancestral owners, Phinda’s pioneering land-claim settlement, proves that if the communities surrounding conservation areas enjoy the benefit of ecotourism, they too will support ongoing conservation and biodiversity of game reserves for the benefit of future generations. It’s happening here.

Phinda Mountain Lodge has recently enjoyed a major transformation. A total revamp of the main public areas as well as each of the twenty five chalets having been rebuilt. Each has a private plunge pool and is very comfortable. The open breakfast / lunch terrace has been replaced with a large enclosed dining room. Large glass doors that slide open allow for expansive panoramic views over the bush. One gets the best of choices here – enjoy the views without one of a Lodge’s worst problems, keeping the resident monkey and baboon populations from becoming a dangerous threat to diners.

A bottle of iced water, my camera and we clambered aboard the Land Rover and off into the bush. This is the time of year when so many of the animals have their young. Impala and warthog babies in profusion and all so seemingly vulnerable, lined the road. Giles (our guide) took us to a waterhole where we found a young white rhino calf and mum enjoying the black goo, thankfully the calf staying out of the deeper stickier areas. Another three white rhino were relaxing in the sun hoping the drying mud would assist with the removal of annoying exoparasites. Excitement, a black rhino bull had been found a short distance away! We arrived to find a rather relaxed large bull more interested in settling down for a rest than having to pander to a vehicle load of enthusiastic tourists. A quick photo shoot then enough, and he lay down right close to the vehicle and closed his eyes - so much for its bad tempered reputation.

What next, a pride of lion? Indeed, and as the light began to fade so the two large males and two lioness started to show signs of life. They were more interested in their own relationships and we were ostracized from their attention. A brief attempt at coupling by the dominant male with reciprocal flirting showed that more cubs could soon be on the way. There are two other lioness in the area, each with cubs, one litter very young and only recently being allowed to be visited by the rangers with guests. Our attempts at securing a sighting of them at their den proved fruitless.

One of the highlights of being in Africa is that one may so often, comfortably, dine in the open under the stars and tonight was dinner in the boma. A fire and flaming lamps welcomed us to a lively crowd merrily recounting their experiences of the day over a glass or two. The meals at Phinda Mountain Lodge were particularly good.

Cheetahs were on the menu for the next day and we drove immediately to the area presently preferred by some. Our experienced ranger / tracker team soon has a coalition of two males in sight. They were recovering from having unsuccessfully chased a young waterbuck. Further into this open area and Giles found two younger female cheetahs for us. These too were hungry and on the prowl. We followed them for a while before returning to the first two who had seemingly recovered and were soon up and after a young warthog. Missing the young one warthog in the long grass they retired when mum turned on them with her rather formidable tusks and reputation for fending for her young.

Slowly we drove and saw a wide variety of game, some wonderful birds, Martial Eagle, Blackbreasted Snake Eagle, European Roller, etc. The migrant birds were here adding to the already numerous resident population. More animals, birds and flora, interesting information, amazing tales and company on the vehicles then retire to the Lodge for gourmet meals and time to relax and reflect.

One of our best experiences we had was when we were called to a black rhino and calf sighting. On approaching we found a rather shy cow and calf some 80 meters in the bush and only barely visible. We could not approach as she was inclined to retreat, so Giles turned off the vehicle engine and we sat and waited. Curiosity got the better of her and we had what has to rate as a world class black rhino sighting. She slowly walked right up to the front of the vehicle, had a myopic good look and smell, her calf in tow. She then slowly turned, seemingly reassuring her calf and then walked calmly off and disappeared into the thickets. I must admire the vast knowledge and experience these rangers have - Giles was particularly good at being able to read an animal’s intended action. Here he was relying on a Black Rhino’s inquisitiveness without allowing us to alarm the animals – “keep still and dead quiet” even “no photos” - the cameras were too noisy in this situation! On another occasion two lionesses approached one another. “Watch this, she is going to leap on her sister” and she sure did!

Zululand, December 2010

2010-12-21T03:05:00.000-08:00

I recently accompanied two clients on a 5-day tour, visiting the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park, Mkuze and St. Lucia. Now there is only one reason that I am posting this blog, and that is that I have some photographs to go with it. (I do not normally take my camera on tour during the summer months – it is too hot to be carting equipment around, and when I am hot I am uncomfortable and I lose my enthusiasm for photography), but on this trip I made an exception. Why? Well, some of the time was to be spent in Mkuze, and I know how productive the hides here can be, plus the fact that they have recently released wild dogs into this park, so who knows, maybe I would get some decent photos of these most endangered of predators… but this was not to be, but more of this later.

We arrive at the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park at about lunch-time and head up to Hilltop Camp to enjoy lunch and then check in. We seat ourselves outside and I hear a faint sound of leather slapping against leather. Upon cautious inspection I see a bull elephant just outside the restaurant perimeter, enjoying a drink from the kitchens’ water run-off. (The slapping of leather was his ears flapping against his body). It was not a good idea to take the clients for a closer look, as there is no barrier between the elephant and us, so I take them inside the restaurant and look down on this animal from above. He is so close that were one so inclined, you could almost leap out the window and onto his very broad back, but we don’t do this! This was certainly a good introduction to the park and the clients were hoping for more.

That evening they went on a night drive, and reported that they had seen one elephant in the distance and quite a few rhino, but nothing more exciting than this. Unfortunately this seems to be par for the course in this park, as many people come back from a night drive without having seen any sign of the big cats, which is what the night drive is mostly about. (As an aside, why is it that the night drives in the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park are so much more expensive than the drives in the Kruger Park? The drives in the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park are 40% more expensive than Kruger, and the quality of drives in the Kruger Park are way better. Kruger has more roads, more comfortable vehicles, generally better sightings, etc. On this presumption, Hluhluwe should be less, not more expensive).

The next morning I took the clients out at 05:00, and the first animal we encountered was an elephant. This was a big bull, in full musth, and walking in the middle of the road towards us. He was not overtly aggressive, but he made it quite plain that he had right of way, and would not get off the road. Every now and then he would feed on the trees and bushes lining the side of the road, and just when I deemed it safe to sneak past him, he asserted his right to the middle of the road. This little game went on for about half an hour, until he eventually found a tree about ten metres from the road and I was able to continue my journey.

We went along to the Seme area of the park and it was at the Seme turn around point where we saw two lionesses, very well hidden in the long grass and bush. I asked the clients to be patient, as they would move, sooner or later. The sun was up, and the temperature was warming minute by minute. About ten minutes later the one lioness did get up, stretched and sauntered toward the road and the direction of our vehicle, soon to be followed by the other. Luckily for the clients, the lions were on their side of the vehicle so they could get some good photos of them. I on the other hand had to be content with a “grab-shot”, which is not ideal, but then, I was the guide, not the client, it’s not about me! Both lionesses disappeared into the bush near the waterhole and we continued our journey. We duly returned to Hilltop Camp for breakfast and proudly marked our elephant and lion sightings on the sightings map board.

After breakfast we continued on another drive and saw only general game. It was by this time quite warm, with the outside temperature showing 36º C. This drive produced zebra, nyala, impala, and many giraffe. At about 14:00 the weather changed dramatically and became very overcast and windy. When we left on our afternoon drive a light drizzle had started to fall, and a few flashes of lightning were visible. I decided to head south on the main road, as far as time would allow, and then return on that road again. On the way back it was already starting to get quite dark when we saw another lion, again in long grass. This was a youngish male, and he was calling. No great roars, just an almost apologetic call to contact the rest of his pride maybe? We watched for a while, but it was dark and I decided to move on. About 300 metres further down the road we came upon another young male lion, heading in the direction of the first one, and on the road - obviously the call had worked. I took a photo or two of the second lion, with a very high ISO of 3200 and the on-camera pop-up flash – the results speak for themselves, but I had to have evidence of a lion!

The following morning on an early drive on the Gontshi Loop we stopped to look at some buffalo on the side of the road. In the distance on the road up ahead I saw movement and realized that this may be lions, so off I went. It was lions, in fact eight of them, but alas; they were shy and soon disappeared into the long grass without a photo being taken - these were four females with four sub-adult cubs. For the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park, it is quite unusual to have three different lion sightings in two days, all in the Hluhluwe area but in different parts thereof. Had this been the Kruger Park, it would not have excited me as much, as one may sometimes have as many as four different lion sightings in a day, but for the Hluhluwe/Umfolzi Park, very unusual. My client indicated that he would dine out on these lion sightings for quite some time. That same drive we were entertained by a troop of baboons, so quite a busy morning and well worth the early start. The remainder of the day provided nothing more exciting than general game, and that afternoon we headed for the Ghost Mountain Inn in Mkuze. What a lovely hotel, thoroughly good food, offered as a choice of starters, mains and desserts and well received by our clients.

Now the next morning was what I had hoped would be the highlight of the trip, the Mkuze Game Reserve. En route to the Kumasinga Hide we saw plenty of impala with their young and some zebras, but we did not want to waste too much time, hoping to have an abundance of wildlife sightings at the hide. Upon arrival I noted that the water here was plentiful, both at the hide and generally in pools and pans throughout the park. We settled in, cameras at the ready, to commence photographing to our hearts content. One and a half hours later we had photographed a solitary wart hog that had come down for a wallow. Other than this wart hog, there were also common birds, laughing doves, black capped bul-buls, blue waxbills and some striped swallows. That was it – one and a half hours for this! We decided to go on a drive and look for the animals. All other hides, other than Kumasinga, were closed to the public, and this included the two on Nsumo Pan. Was this because of high water levels or plain disrepair, I’ll never know? On the drive we again saw many impala with their young, some zebra and some nyala, and that was that, so we left for St. Lucia, hoping for more on the Eastern Shores.

However, we were again disappointed. The Eastern Shores produced many kudu, some zebra, waterbuck, bush buck, a white rhino and samango monkeys. Wait a minute: “again disappointed”? No, this was actually a good 3-hour drive. My client was certain that he had seen a cat-like animal dart across the road. Unfortunately I was looking behind me at some open spaces, hoping to spot elusive game, whilst driving (…please don’t try this at home) so had not seen it. His description was for me that it was one of two things, either a young or female leopard, or a serval. However, the grass was so long that the animal had disappeared, so I could not confirm anything. Don’t worry, we spent some time here trying to find this animal, which, had it been a serval or leopard, are both supremely successful in hiding themselves.

One the boat cruise on the lake the following morning, many hippo were seen, some crocodiles, varied and many forms of bird life, so in short, another normal day on the lake.

Umzolozolo Lodge - Nambiti Game Reserve

2010-11-27T04:50:00.000-08:00

With great interest Lana and I left Durban for the 3 hour drive to the Ladysmith area and the relatively new Nambiti Game Reserve and Umzolozol Private Safari Lodge - Malaria free and technically a Big 5 game reserve – the leopard are extremely elusive here, in their stead cheetah are seen regularly. A pleasant drive to the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, with some roadwork delays, we were in the parking lot, shaded bays and security, awaiting our Game Ranger and lift to the Lodge. A short 10 minute drive and we arrived to a welcome drink, lavender scented hand cloths and smiles all round. Our bags were dispatchour suite whilst we took a quick look at the beautiful vista from the Lodge. Set on top of a hill nestling ed to in discreetly amongst the beautiful old Acacia trees, the view out over the Nambiti Game Reserve is really delightful. Rolling hills disappearing in the haze, I could sit here all day with my binoculars looking for the host of animals and birds visible from the deck.

We were then escorted to our beautifully appointed airconditioned suite – huge double bed, dressing room, expansive bathroom and then a double outside shower as well. From our veranda, a secluded path took us to our own private viewing deck with Jacuzzi – set at just the right temperature - ideal for Honeymooners and old fogies like us.

The décor, in lovely bold reds with black and the orange of the African Hoopoe (Umzolozolo) part of the theme, all put together rather tastefully. It's not about the bathroom only, what a lovely view!

Some lovely African artwork and fittings add so much to the feeling of being in Africa in the bush. A lot of thought and care has been put into guest comfort. A 2 way radio connected 24/7 is something I have not seen at any facility that does not have telephones in the rooms. An excellent safety feature.

Back to the Lodge for lunch. A beautiful steak dish done perfectly to order followed by a banana turnover dessert. Whilst enjoying our freshly ground coffee our hosts presented us with the dinner menu with the choices for starters, mains and dessert. As one could return fairly late from the afternoon game drive, such forward planning in the kitchen is such a good idea. I know I was anticipating my snail starter, lamb shank and chocolate mousse with glee. Time for a quick swim whilst viewing the bushveld below – numerous Kudu and Impala visible - a cup of tea with fresh baked biscuits and we were into the game viewing vehicle with our guide Bradley giving us a quick rundown of what was to be expected. I must add that the safety procedures sounded more like a Kulula.com briefing – quite hilarious besides its importance. We were to enjoy and learn a lot from Bradley.

The topography of the Nambiti Game Reserve is quite diverse with some very hilly and scenic areas contrasting with the northern plains, a wonderful open flat area for the grazers. Hippo in the dams, kudu around almost every corner – these antelope are really numerous in this game reserve, I have never seen so many. Then impala aplenty, giraffe, zebra, eland, common reedbuck, black-backed jackal, buffalo , steenbuck, hartebeest and grey duiker all seen during the afternoon drive. We stopped for a sundowner drink, stunning sunset, and then, before it got too dark, Bradley was determined to find lion for us. He had heard lion calling and we rushed off – ‘eagle eyes’ one of the guests on the vehicle soon spotted a lioness not too far from the road.

As we stopped, she started calling, what an impressive sound the call of a lion right next to your vehicle is ! From somewhere, just across the nearby river, came an answering call. Close but we could not spot him. Then way off on the far hill we saw this magnificent blackmaned lion approaching. His call had seemed so close. Well he did come close and he did call again. One had the feeling that the walls of a nearby abandoned kraal would come tumbling down like Troy of old, such were the reverberations – awesome. Bradley let us know that these two lion had been seen mating – they decided to await our departure, so we missed the often rather aggressive copulation.

Darkness and a nightjar, an owl, some of the diurnal animals which Bradley was careful not to temporally blind with the powerful spotlight and we were eventually back at Umzolozolo. Scented cloths to wipe away the dust and grime and we hastened to freshen-up returning to the comfortable veranda for drinks, recounting the afternoon sightings and dinner. My anticipation was rewarded with a most delicious meal and good company. What a super day.

I awoke to the roar of lion emanating from the valley below our chalet. A fairly early start produced some really excellent game viewing. I was very impressed with the diversity and quantity of species seen. Along with those seen the afternoon before we added blue wildebeest, mountain reedbuck, waterbuck, a lone black wildebeest, white rhino, Blesbuck, water monitor lizard and then an antelope from the western side of our country, gemsbok.

We found 2 female lion on this sojourn as well. Bradley pointed out various birds and some super sightings were had, even a pair of the rather scarce Black Harrier and some eleven Blue Cranes with chicks, our National Bird, these also becoming “threatened” in RSA. He would also stop for us to smell and taste some of the bushveld herbs, interesting and adding to our enjoyment. Nambiti Game Reserve is yet another area rehabilitated from not really viable cattle and sheep ranches. It is also part of the local African community land, now being utilized to maximize the benefit to these folk, with them getting a return from the Lodges / visitors. Many are also employed at the various Lodges in the Game Reserve. I found it quite evocative driving through the bush and coming upon a stone covered grave with an old Ziziphus mucronata - Buffalo Thorn tree growing from the head of the grave, was this part of Zulu custom, to take a branch of this tree to where the person died, this thorn tree brings back the spirit to the grave?

We returned to the Lodge for breakfast, extensive, leisure, lunch , individually baked chicken “pies” each in own deep ramekin dish with a crusty topping followed by an apple dessert, leisure and then once again out into the bushveld. Management of the Nambiti Game Reserve have decided to dehorn the rhino, hoping to save them from the present spate of poaching. The reserve has already lost two. I was getting my bush eyes back and was really enjoying the environment, the company and Bradley kept adding value to the drive as he carefully negotiated some very rough and bumpy sections. We had a rather grumpy old Buffalo ask us to depart the area immediately. New one for me to have a Buff go for a vehicle. Bradley never let him exert his will too strongly and left as soon as this cantankerous bull started advancing on us. The Park strategy to hopefully cure the old boy of his wayward intentions. That evening after dark another lioness in the long grass – what a days game viewing.

The weather was a bit changeable so dinner in the Boma was not an option although this is a popular venue for the evening meal, all seated around a fire under the stars. In compensation we were treated to a breakfast out in the bush. A lovely setting next to a dam with the odd antelope wandering past. The catering staff had preceded us to the site, set up the venue and prepared a full breakfast, a lovely end to our visit capped only by venturing off-road on the way back to the Lodge to find the two lioness in repose for the day in the shade.

Umzolozolo Private Safari Lodge is a particularly wonderful wildlife destination.

Our hosts made guests feel welcome, relaxed and really comfortable, or was it the décor, furniture and fittings. The standard here is high.

The staff were particularly unobtrusive but so attentive. One felt like you had your own private butler.

The game viewing was better than expected or were we exceptionally fortunate? It might have been out of the norm to have lion sightings on all four game drives, but for the rest I believe this would be what one could expect. I really would like to revisit Nambiti Game Reserve at a different time of year – late summer and winter, to really asses this wildlife venue that so far is a wonderful, affordable alternative to our KwaZulu-Natal provincial parks and what’s more it’s Malaria free.

This beautiful reserve is also so well situated, between Johannesburg and Durban, close to the Drakensberg Mountains and there is history here too – battles between Boer and Brit within the Park boundaries and remnants of early Zulu habitation. There is more to explore here, we will be back!

Tour: Hluhluwe/Umfolozi and Kruger Park – October 2010

2010-11-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

So, there I was, on tour again at the end of October, this time to the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park and then onto the Kruger National Park with two clients. We began with a boat ride at St.Lucia where the clients had wonderful sightings of hippos (as usual), crocodiles and an African Fish Eagle, very close to the boat. This was quite a windy day, and the eagle was not too concerned with flight, preferring rather to pose for all and sundry. As is the norm, there were also lots of other water birds to be seen.
We then entered the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park and en route to Hilltop Camp saw lots of general game – and I am now including elephant and buffalo as general game in this park, because they were seen so often. Oh, what the heck…I am also including white rhino in this category, as many of them were also seen. On our second day here, we had to wait for two elephants to move away from the camp exit gate before we could proceed with our early morning drive. One of our memorable sightings was of a herd of about forty elephant down at the Hluhluwe River, just below the Sitezi view site - and they were there for quite some time. On the Lower Magangeni Road there was also a yellow-billed kite, which, because of it being early morning, emulated the fish eagle of the day before and preferred to pose rather than fly away. (Raptors are a bit lazy to fly if they have to flap their wings too much – they prefer to soar on the warm thermals, which are not present in the early mornings). Alas, the light was poor, so I didn’t take any photos.

We returned to Hilltop for lunch, and from my chalet, not too far away from my window, about 40 metres away in fact, I see this large elephant bull trying to get at some of the surface water, which is from the run-off of the kitchen. He was quite content, and stayed there a while before moving off alongside the camp fence. (Just as an aside, I also spoke to my neighbours, a Dutch couple, at this time, and who were in the chalet next to mine. I also noted that their rental car had a large piece of paper taped to the steering wheel, with one word on it: “LINKS”. This word translates into English as “left”, which tells me that this person now has a constant visual reminder to keep on the left side of the road when driving in South Africa!).

The next morning after breakfast we set off from Hilltop and traveled through Swaziland’s eastern section, stopping for lunch at Komatipoort, before entering the Kruger National Park. We checked into Lower Sabie at about 15:00 and went for a short drive, having only one and a half hours before we had to be back in camp before the gates closed. In this short time we saw two herds of elephant, a male lion just off the road and a leopard in a tree, a fair distance from the road. All of this just on the main road next to the Sabie River! We also did a game drive in the Lower Sabie area the next morning before breakfast and saw lots of general game, a hippo asleep next to the road and four lions on the Nhlanganzwani Dam wall, again a fair distance away.

After breakfast we headed north towards Satara, and just after Tshokwane, we came upon another group of lions. These were quite far away, but I reckon that there were about six or seven of them. About two kilometers after seeing this pride of lion, we chanced upon another leopard, this one also in a tree. This chap was asleep, with his rear end facing us (and I think I may one day publish a coffee table book, “The Rear Views of Africa’s Animals”). Anyway, we stayed watching him, as he did appear to be a little uncomfortable. I then saw three kudu on the other side of his tree, heading in our direction, with the leopard between them and us. The leopard then sensed their presence and turned around, which is what we wanted. He then showed great interest in the kudu, which at this stage were still blissfully unaware of his presence, until they were almost directly under his tree. They then realized he was there and burst into a chorus of alarm calls, leaving the scene in a bit of a hurry. The leopard lost interest, (these were adult kudu – what could he do?) and settled down again, in almost the exact spot and exact pose, i.e. with his rear end facing us. It was at this point that we too left the scene.

Lunch at Satara produced a herd of buffalo at the waterhole just outside the fence, soon to be followed by four elephant bulls – ho hum, more general game. They did not disturb my lunch, and stayed there for quite some time. I then wandered over with my camera, just as they were leaving the waterhole. Maybe they sensed that I was someone who has yet to take a decent photo of an elephant, so they then proceeded to cover themselves with sand and dust in a show of activity. I don’t understand how an elephant can take so much sand and dust up its trunk, blow this all over them, and not sneeze! Am I missing something? Anyway, I took some photos, but I still have a long way to go before I get a decent photo of these magnificent animals.

That evening there was a civet at this same waterhole, but this animals decided to leave the site, probably due to the arrival of a spotted hyena! One does not see civet often, so this was quite a bonus. On getting back to my chalet after dinner, there was a honey badger on the prowl, and this chap was busy systematically turning over dirt bins in the hope of finding some food. When he came to my bin, I encouraged him to leave, and this I did by clapping my hands loudly, from behind the safety of my stoep wall. He took my threat seriously and by-passed my bin, happily foraging further on.

The next day the clients did a guided walk, so I took the opportunity to do a game drive by myself, but just as well the clients were not with me, as I hardly saw anything. What I did see were some yellow-billed hornbills, and one of them had caught some big blue insect, so I took a couple of photos of this. After they had returned from their walk we took a drive on the S100, which produced a pride of lions. Unfortunately there were quite a few vehicles about, so I could not get a clear shot of them and they eventually disappeared into the thick bush. That afternoon we went for a drive as far as the bridge over the Olifants River where one is allowed out of one’s vehicle. A yellow-billed kite flew quite low over me and I banged off a photo or two of him. He then landed on the bridge railing, so I thought I would try and get as close to him as I could before he flew off. I walked closer and closer to him, stopping every step of the way to take his photo, in case this should be my last. The next thing I knew I was so close to him that I was shooting just head and shoulders of this bird! He was turning his head in that quizzical way that birds and dogs have, wondering what all the fuss was about. I was happy with what I got, as were the clients.

En route from Satara to Skukuza the next day we saw a pride of eleven lions, and lo and behold, another leopard in a tree, close to the road. This animal was in a deep sleep on a thick branch, so not much of him was visible, but it is always exciting to find a leopard. Before we had reached Skukuza, we came upon another pride of five lions and then for the remainder of the day, lots of general game (and remember I am including elephant and buffalo in this term “general game”)

The last day we left the park fairly early as the clients had to get to Johannesburg in the early afternoon. On the way out I stopped at my favourite spot in the Kruger, Lake Panic. I did not expect too much here as it was early, just after 06:00 and not much was expected to happen. There were some green-backed herons flying about, a grey heron, some kingfishers, hippos and some crocodiles that were floating lazily in the still water. One of the crocodiles then came to the edge of the water, and caused some disturbance - and this disturbance was caused by this crocodile catching a barbell! The next second birds came from all over, screeching in bird language at this poor crocodile, which totally ignored their verbal assault. The grey heron actually ran to the crocodile, as it was that close to it, two green backed-herons flew in from who knows where and a squacco heron appeared from out of the blue. The other two crocodiles also made their way to this lucky one. I had never seen this behavior before and was quite surprised that the birds would go this close to a crocodile to vent their disapproval. Anyway, the crocodile proceeded to arrange the fish in its jaws so that it eventually went down its throat, head first, never to be seen again.

Just before we exited the park we came upon some ground hornbills and I managed to get a pretty poor photo of one of them throwing a small frog up into the air and catching it – again, the frog was never to be seen again – all over in a few short seconds.

At this stage I have to confess that I have not included all the wildlife sightings in this article – this will just take up too much space, but be sure that we saw many, many animals and birds on this trip. In fact, the clients commented that they had not expected to see so much. It was a pity that the lions were just too far for any decent photos, or then so close that some cars in the photo would have spoiled it. People generally still want to see lions and they are viewed as a special sighting. They are, aren’t they?

What can one say about these two parks? I am often asked which my favourite park in South Africa is, or then which is my favourite park between the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi or Kruger Parks, and I now have to say that it is Kruger. Although the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park can be good, your chances of finding lion and leopard are not as good as in Kruger. You would also be traveling over the same roads if you stay here longer than two nights, whereas Kruger is so big, that you don’t have to do the same road twice. However, the food in Kruger cannot be compared to Hilltop – Hilltop has a much better selection, is better prepared and the staff are more efficient. Why can’t Kruger get it right when it comes to catering? Imagine if they outsourced their restaurants to a company with a proven track record in South Africa of actually running family type restaurants at a reasonable price – how good will that be. “So folks, where shall we eat tonight? Spur or Nandos? At the moment it is dry, overcooked chicken or pork and very overcooked vegetables, with some tired salads as a distraction. Maybe one does not go to the Kruger Park for their culinary offerings but for their wildlife experience? Why can’t it be both?

Madikwe Safari Lodge

2010-11-03T02:52:00.000-07:00

Madikwe Game Reserve. October 2010

I have been wanting to visit the Madikwe Game Reserve for a number of years. Situated in North West province and on the Botswana border this recently protected area hosts a rich diversity of species. Something any keen wildlife enthusiast should really appreciate, and it’s Malaria free.

Semi-arid Kalahari bushveld with a broad mix of habitats and diverse geology sustains species not found or easily seen in the eastern game reserves of South Africa. Springbok, gemsbok (oryx), brown hyena, bat-eared fox, African wild cat, tsessebe, red hartebeest and eland were the special species I was keen to see along with the Park’s reputation for excellent sightings of Cape wild dog and black rhino.

Enthusiastically, Lana and I packed our camera equipment and a mix of clothing to cater for the changing season. We were not sure what the weather was going to be like? So possibly something warm enough for the early mornings / evenings and cool clothing and hats for the heat of the day.

An early flight out of Durban to Lanseria Airport, Johannesburg, had our hosts waiting to collect us at 07h30 for the 3,5 hour drive through to Madikwe Safari Lodge, our home for the next three days.

Madikwe Safari Lodge consists of 20 suites - divided into three camps. The larger 12 suite east camp, the 4 suite north camp and then the intimate 4 suite west camp ‘Villa” that should be booked by one party at a time. Brick under thatch with high ceilinged public areas made for delightfully cool rooms open to the lovely shimmering vistas over the bushveld and to the Dwarsberg Hills in the distance.

Delightful lunch, relax – a massage? and then back for refreshments, teas and cake before heading out on the afternoon game drive. Marc, the head ranger and guide for the duration of our stay, gave a security briefing and short description on how in early 1991 “Operation Phoenix” swung into gear and the largest translocation of wildlife ever, commenced. Since then some 12,000 head of game , 28 different species, have been reintroduced to an area where farmers struggled to raise their crops and cattle.

An environmental impact study had been undertaken that showed that wildlife based tourism was the most beneficial option for this remote and economically depressed region. It certainly appears to be the case and expansion to the 67,000 ha reserve is already being implemented and further numbers of specific species are to be added. What exciting news. This is a special place.

The Rangers here have such a wide rounded knowledge of the bush and its inhabitants. Not only the wildlife but occasionally we would stop at some interesting herb to smell and feel. Sage never smelt as good. Care too is taken that the guests are as best aligned for photographs. Marc, an accomplished photographer added value and assisted for aspirant photographers with comments like “make sure you don’t cut off his tail in the picture” and such !

Madikwe Safari Lodge has chosen ‘open’ Toyota Landcruiser game drive vehicles, which were really comfortable with individual bucket seats for guests. So with bottles of water hastily grabbed from a large ice-filled ‘cooler’ we climbed aboard, cameras and binoculars at the ready and we were off. Along with management controlled burning there had been a fire caused by a lightning strike which had burnt ‘hot’ and affected quite a large area. The rains had barely begun and consequently only small sprouts of green were visible – dramatic countryside! Despite the burn, many of the animals seemed to favor feeding on the blackened branches. It seemed the fire had created toffee-apple like flavoured foodies which the elephant and black rhino in particular, seemed to relish.

Storm clouds in the distance, an eerie silence and something was up. The animals seemed to sense something was awry and were not as visible as we had hoped for our first drive. Having said that, a number of antelope, zebra, buffalo, baboon, jackal and warthog were all seen before Marc decided it was time for “sundowners”. A stretch of legs, a drink and the bright orb settles in the west. Something about the sunsets here - I remember from my numerous visits to the Botswana game parks just over the border -how the sunsets there were just so amazingly red. Madikwe too has this good fortune, is it the richness of the Platinum in the area, the Kalahari red soil dust?

Darkness, stars and a spotlight to find the nocturnal species. Our ranger, would use a red filter over the light when viewing the animals, particularly the diurnal species and was careful not to shine in their eyes. It could temporarily blind them somewhat, long after we had left them, and this could compromise their safety. A spotted hyena on the prowl, then an African wild cat. I hadn’t seen one for ages, super! So close and unconcerned, on the hunt. A barn and then a spotted eagle owl too. Slowly back to the Lodge and dinner. We arrived back to fresh face cloths for a quick wipe down and a delectable cocktail? Gin Fizz ? Why not?

We were ushered through to an enclosure just beyond the lounging areas and there roaring fires, a huge barbecue and much lively chatter greeted us in the boma. Drinks all round and we settled down to our feast under the stars. Starters and mains, what with braaied fillet and chicken done to perfection with veggies and all necessary accoutrements . This followed by the staff singing for the guests. Such harmony and enjoyment. Imagine ending with a divinely decadent chocolate tort – it did not take much to lull us to sleep that night.

In anticipation of the early morning game drive offerings, had us bathed and dressed before the security proffered his wake-up call knock on the door. Packed our gear and off to the main Lodge. The bush lining our path was alive with birdlife, all seemingly trying to outdo the next, what an awesome chorus. So many calls reminiscent of past visits to Botswana and some new ones too. Freshly squeezed orange juice, teas, coffee biscuits and rusks readied us for our morning sojourn into the bush. Marc was there bright and early, rifle and vehicle clean and ready.

We departed slightly after the other vehicles only to hear that they had found a pack of wild dog on a kill. As the number of vehicles at a sighting is limited Marc chose a slight detour in order to get there once the first vehicles had had their fair share of viewing. How advantageous, right there next to this winding track through the burnt bush was a black rhino and her calf. Her head stuck deep in a delectable Sicklebush chomping at the fronds did not produce the best of photographic images but the calf was active and made up for this. Eventually our presence was felt and off they trotted. We trotted off to the wild dog and what a super sighting. A pack of 5 adults and some 5 healthy pups who regularly squealed and called for the spoils of the kill to be regurgitated for them.

While we were watching this lot, a brown hyena snuck up and then settled down watching the energetic interaction – hoping to secure some discarded tit-bit? Then a small breeding herd of elephant hastened past whilst the pups put on a brave show of hunting a flock of helmeted guineafowl who voiciferously challenged their approach.

An so the day went by with some rather excellent sightings, smells and tastes. Marc was regaling us with the history of the region, early and middle stoneage artifacts have been discovered in the Park. Then let us know that he and some rangers had discovered some ancient food caches, still in the clay pots, secreted away in the inselbergs to the north west. Well that made for an excellent afternoon game drive destination. Out across the open plains with sightings of springbok, gemsbok , a pride of 5 reposing lion, along with other antelope and giraffe, warthog and zebra. Geomorphogically the inselbergs are not as expected and are actually a mass of jagged boulders. Amongst this lot is where the caves and hidy-holes are to be found, an anthropologists dream. We were taken to some caves and there were the pots, mostly still intact. One can only conjecture as to what relics and secrets from the past are to be found here.

The sun was on its way to the horizon as we made for the nearby ‘amphitheater’ for sundowners. We marveled at how the rocks retained the heat absorbed during the day and now radiating out at an ideal temp for our sundowners, as overhead the clouds billowed and gathered threatening rain.

We had quite an interesting stop at a dam on the way back, where we found two black rhino sparring, 2 white rhino were in close attendance seemingly cheering them on with the flash of lightening doing its own sparring to Earth in the background. Further on and just before reaching the Lodge, the first of the rain fell, quenching some of the persistent fires still smoldering on the Leadwood stumps and a rather parched earth .

Dinner that evening was on the expansive deck at the Lodge. Candle lit and what a menu – even prawns in the bush. The Lodge certainly caters well and there is always an alternative choice . The Lodge house wines are really excellent too. This became a rather festive evening - thanks to security who escort one to the rooms after dark – a safety procedure at most Big 5 bushveld venues.

The following morning was clear and fresh with an exciting range of sightings, possibly jackal trying to secure their share of a lion kill, the highlight. A brave little fellow managed to sneak in and make safely off with a section of the lower colon from the zebra, which he proudly brought over to us, so that we could witness his enjoyment, much to the chagrin of the two large blackmaned felids.

Sadly we left this very friendly, professionally run venue. Our stay was over, but in that short space of time we had learnt so much, realized the game viewing potential of this special place Madikwe, and created a yearning to return and explore this rather divers venue further. I can see now why Madikwe Safari lodge enjoys such good game viewing as it is so well situated in the reserve and is so easily able to access the Park in all directions.

Thank you for a most rewarding few days in your care Madikwe Safari Lodge.

The region is also imbued in history and has seen the passage of Mzilikazi and a range of explorers, traders, hunters and missionaries, including Dr David Livingstone, Sir Cornwallis Harris and the famous South African author, Herman Charles Bosman. A copy of his Mafeking Road is to be found in each suite at Madikwe Safari Lodge. In line with &Beyond Africa’s vision, Madikwe Game Reserve is run as a joint venture between the North West Parks Board, the private sector and the local communities. &Beyond supports the local community and a village close to the Park. Their wildchild program allows students from these communities to experience an &Beyond Conservation Lesson on the reserve. Hopefully to become tomorrow’s guardian of Africa’s wilderness.

Kruger Park Tour, September 2010

2010-10-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to be the guide for clients who had decided to visit South Africa for the fifth time – and I had been their guide on the previous four occasions. These were very keen photographers, and I was in my element. Also, these clients were not focused only on the “big-5”, but were interested in every aspect of our wildlife on offer – so refreshing not to have to focus solely on only some animals! They had visited South Africa on the previous four occasions to take photographs – visit number five was no different. The only difference now between this visit and the previous ones was that they were even more discerning, so I had to keep in mind the light situation, the angle and direction of light, the time of day, and the placing of the subjects relative to this. The weather played along most of the time, but we did have overcast conditions on two of the mornings and very strong winds on one of the days. Photographers will know that lighting is the most important aspect for wildlife photography and for all forms of photography in general. The only negative (if one can call it that) aspect to all of this, is that this tour took place over the school holidays and the Heritage Day (or is it National Braai Day?) long weekend. Kruger Park was chock-a-block, with all camps full and day visitors at a maximum. These numbers of visitors notwithstanding, we had some good sightings.

We started off with three nights at Skukuza and three nights at Satara – both good areas for game viewing in this very popular park. All the general game were seen, and including lion, many, many elephants, rhinos, buffalo, leopard, zebra, wildebeest, a whole range of antelope species, a variety of birds, etc. etc. In fact we saw lions every day, with more than one sighting per day, and on one day, as many as four sightings! Elephant sightings may have been a many as ten per day, they were so common. Compare this to some of our other parks in South Africa and one can see why the Kruger Park has such a reputation – one does not get many of these sightings in some of the other parks as you will regularly get in the Kruger. I tried to avoid the more busy tarred roads, as with this number of visitors, these were sure to be busy, so I stuck mainly to the lesser dirt roads, which were much less busy. In fact, on some of these roads we hardly saw any other vehicle at all, or else only very seldom.

- A visit to Lake Panic. Those of you who know me will know that this is one of my favorite spots in the Kruger for photo opportunities. This visit did not disappoint, and we had some amazing birding here. There was a grey heron in the nest opposite the hide with two chicks, and she kept us entertained for a long time, flying to and fro, feeding the chicks, etc. I was focusing on a goliath heron, when I heard both the female and her two chicks kicking up an awful racket. I looked up to see what all the fuss was about, and lo and behold, here was a female leopard below the tree where the herons nest was, and they were telling her in no uncertain terms that they had seem her and best she move off! The leopard took their advice and moved along the waters edge until she was out of sight. Unfortunately she was in the foliage and did not make for any good photographs, but how often does one see a leopard from a hide? The answer is of course twice – I had seen a leopard here about two years ago on another visit!

- One morning we had travelled on a quiet dirt road and had now joined the busy tarred road between Skukuza and Pretoriuskop, en route to Pretoriuskop for breakfast, when I was stopped by a guide in an open game drive vehicle. “Daar is ‘n luiperd drie kilometers af met hierdie pad” he says to me, which translates as “there is a leopard three kilometres down this road”. “Yeah, right” I think to myself. How likely will it be that this leopard, if there ever was one, will still be on the road, taking into account this guide’s three kilometers and my three kilometers of travel? Three kilometers down this road we come to a massive traffic jam, and the cause of this traffic jam is a magnificent male leopard! He is acting just as if he was in the Sabi Sands, he in unconcerned and disdainful of the many cars around. He is strutting his stuff in the middle of the road, with the odd walk to the edge of the road to mark his territory, before taking up position in the middle of the road again. The light is good, but unfortunately the setting on the tar road is not too good, but some close-up shots of his head are taken by my clients, before he wanders off the road and into the bush after a while.

- That afternoon we had some magnificent elephant, close up in very good, low light, and the clients were happy with this. Many shots were taken here. (I don’t bother with elephant shots too much – I have taken plenty in my time, but they are all just so-so, nothing that stands out, so I tend to leave them be as far a photos are concerned, let better photographers have them).

- The clients also wanted a good giraffe photo, with blue sky behind the animal’s head, as well as baboons. One game drive delivered on both, and this too was ticked-off the “to do” list.

- On our arrival at Satara, we saw a Scops Owl in a tree, perched low on a branch, very close to the reception area. This poor bird was being photographed from all angles, some photos being taken by people with their cell-phone cameras, so close was the bird! One could in fact reach out and touch him, but I suppose that he had had enough of people, as he was not there the following day. Good for him.

- One afternoon we went to the Sweni Hide, where there were some lovely yellow-billed storks and a number of waterbuck present. Again, nice light, so many photos were taken.

- The hide at Muzandzeni produced some lovely hornbill photos. There guys were posing in good light and seemed to enjoy showing off. Oh, and by the way, we were the only people there, so had the place to ourselves and spent the better part of an hour here.

- At the Matambeni Hide just north of Letaba, I saw movement on the far side of the Letaba River. This turned out to be a crocodile that had either a bushbuck or impala in its jaws, and was now carrying this unfortunate animal with great difficulty to the water, where it would no doubt be having a feast. Unfortunately this was too far away for any photos, but what a sighting.

- That afternoon I was driving on the H7 to the west of Satara, where the bush had been burnt. This was a very windy day and we weren’t seeing much. Out in the burnt area I then spotted something tan, and upon closer inspection with binoculars, found that it was a caracal. This beautiful animal was totally relaxed, but just too far for any decent photos. The clients were happy; this was their first sighting of a caracal anywhere.

- On the way back to camp, just before the camp gates were to close, there was another massive traffic jam. Three male lions had decided to rest up next to the road. We did not spend any time here.

– the camp gates were about to close, and there were just too may cars. I joked that we would probably find them the next morning. And so we did! Upon leaving Satara, we came upon them at the intersection of the H1-3 and H6, boldly sauntering along the road, with a couple of other vehicles in attendance. Again, some nice photos were taken.

One has to temper a visit to the Kruger Park with the standard of the camps, the quality of the restaurants and the level of service of some of the staff, but all in all, this was a good tour, and I will certainly be back at the first opportunity.

With all these sightings and photographic opportunities that we had, there were some really good sightings that stood out:

- One really good male lion on the S21 towards Lower Sabie. He was coming from the left of our vehicle, and when he got close to the vehicle, stood still and posed for a while before moving off directly in front of us, with us being the only vehicle there. This was one of the mornings when there was no sun, so the soft light was not as dramatic as it could have been, but good nonetheless.

Asara Hotel - Stellenbosch

2010-09-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Wasn’t I the lucky one recently?

I was invited to a Relais & Chateaux workshop that was held in Durban a while back. There were a number of member properties exhibiting at this workshop, all superb properties in South and Southern Africa. I always try and attend these events, as one is almost always bound to learn something here, and this event was no different – a property in the Kalahari, Tswalu, which I had always been interested in, had set out their programme for 2011, which I realized may suit some current clients. Two things immediately caught my eye – if you stay for four nights there is a complimentary air transfer to/from either/or Cape Town and Johannesburg to the property, and if you confirm three months in advance, you are guaranteed your own private ranger and vehicle. I have since discussed this with these clients and it seems as if they will be spending some time there next year.

But more than this – as is customary at the end of these events, there is a lucky draw, with some wonderful prizes up for grabs. One always sits down with hope, and there I was, hoping for a prize of some sort. Well, business cards were drawn, prizes were handed out, and the final draw was to take place, with my name still in the bottom of the hat, as it were. So, as you are now no doubt expecting, my name comes up last, and I have won a two night stay at the Asara Wine Estate and Hotel in Stellenbosch in a de luxe room, with a complimentary dinner at Raphaels for two, as well as wine tasting for two.

This was great, and I made plans to get to Stellenbosch a few weeks later. What a wonderful hotel. Set on an enchanting, three-century old wine estate, Asara has risen over the past seven years to become one of the Cape's most exclusive Wineland destinations.
Guests can indulge in five-star luxury accommodation, fine wine tastings, superb service, and gourmet and casual dining. All facilities boast spectacular views, with their tranquil waterside setting, backed by the grandeur of the Stellenbosch- and Helderberg mountains and vineyards, providing an idyllic backdrop.

Our stylishly decorated de luxe room had its own private terrace which offered spectacular views over the vineyards and surrounding mountains as well as en-suite bathroom facilities. The bedroom was equipped with a fully stocked mini bar, hairdryer, satellite television, telephone, tea and coffee making facilities as well as an electronic safe, with a king sized bed. We spent the one night here and did a bit of sight-seeing in the Stellenbosch area the following day. Upon our return to the hotel the duty manager had bad news for us – there was a problem with the geyser, and we would have to move to another room. And which other room? The Avalon Suite of course.

Named after Asara's most prestigious wine, the Avalon Suite offers its guest a slice of opulence. The stylishly decorated suite consists of a spacious king sized bedroom with a large walk-in cupboard, a luxurious en-suite bathroom fitted with a jet bath, as well as a private lounge with an open fireplace. Its private balcony offers spectacular views of the Estate's well-maintained vineyards as well as panoramic views of the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountains. It is equipped with air conditioning, a fully stocked mini bar, hair dryer, electronic safe, two satellite televisions and a DVD player as well as tea and coffee making facilities for your use. Bad news indeed! This was heaven.

That afternoon we did some wine tasting there. We had a choice of tasting five wines each, and these were not the puny little wine glasses so prevalent at other estates, but proper wine glasses. I chose four reds, and a noble late harvest to call it an afternoon – all good stuff.

That evening it was dinner at Raphaels. Asara's main restaurant offers classic European style cuisine ranging from very easy and light snacks to the finest of dishes, using only the finest and freshest locally sourced ingredients, including seafood. The environment is relaxed and informal with a touch of elegance, perfect for enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner on the estate. This was a superb meal, complimented by delicious desserts and what other than a bottle of Asara Shiraz.

Certainly a place to go to if one has the means.

Kwandwe Game Reserve: May/June 2010

2010-06-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

It was with anticipation that I left Durban to travel to the 22,000ha Kwandwe Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape in late May. This is an area that I am not too familiar with, and was keen to visit here, for a number of reasons. The main one was to see the different wildlife species, as opposed to the lowveld of Mpumalanga and the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Park species that I am pretty familiar with and to familiarize myself with those lodges that we may send clients to.

We arrived at Kwandwe, which is situated in the Grahamstown region, in time for lunch on a wet morning. In fact, we had traveled from East London to Kwandwe in pouring rain. We were transferred from the reception to Ecca Lodge, whilst there was still a fine rain prevalent, but this fortunately cleared up in time for our afternoon drive.

What can one say about Ecca Lodge? This was, as expected, subject to the same high standards as all other &Beyond Lodges that I had visited. Set in thick vegetation overlooking a dense valley, Ecca Lodge offers a breathtaking view onto an escarpment of steep shale cliffs. Expansive wooden viewing decks provide the ideal setting to soak up the bushveld atmosphere with a leisurely lunch or a sundowner drink. The Lodge’s pagoda-style corrugated iron roofs and walls of wood panelling blend seamlessly into the magnificent landscape.

Rooms are airy and open, with barely a barrier between the indoors and the African bush. Minimalist chic is the order of the day in modern, spacious bedrooms that share wraparound wooden decks with the suite’s private sitting rooms. Retro light fittings and polished concrete floors combine with shades of olive and burnt orange for a warm yet modern look. The ultra-modern bathroom, with its mosaic mirrors and glassed shower, refreshes and delights. An outdoor shower with a shiny tin tub tips a broad wink at safari tradition.

On the first afternoon game drive we watched two black (yes folks, black!) rhinos sparring over a female in some thick bush for about half an hour and then moved on. About twenty minutes later we chanced upon a female black rhino and her sub-adult calf, again in thick bush. We must have spooked her, as she took off and was running parallel to the road (and our vehicle) for about 30 -40 seconds, when she suddenly came out of the bush, straight at us! Now this was a scary moment – we are mostly all aware of the cantankerous nature of black rhinos, especially with a calf at her side. She reminded me of a steam locomotive, with all this 1500 kilograms of grey/black, puffing, angry rhino face to face with some very wide-eyed people on the back of a game drive vehicle, less than 10 metres away. She snorted and puffed, our ranger revved the motor, and a stand-off took place. We won – the rhino took her calf and disappeared, not to be seen again. Oh, and we saw three young male lions, but tame stuff compared to the rhino.

The next morning we had a very interesting interaction with cheetah. We had chanced upon a male cheetah that had obviously been feeding on a kill the whole night. This animal was ambling across the open plains with his stomach hanging almost to the ground, full of some unfortunate animal that was dinner. He arrived at a tree and started sniffing around and then scent-marked this area. I thought that he would then move on but he didn’t – he started calling. This went on for quite a long time until he moved off. Two minutes later he was back, with more calling and sniffing, which then gave us the idea that he was onto something. All of a sudden he took off, with us in hot pursuit in the vehicle over the grassland. I then spotted two other cheetahs not too far off, but our male gets there first! By the time we arrive, he has already cornered a female and mounted her, with her sub-adult cub looking on in surprise. You can almost hear the cub thinking, “Mom, what are you doing?” Anyway, our male has his way with her and she and her cub disappear whilst he then takes a breather and we leave the scene.

That afternoon I opted not to do a game drive. It had turned quite cold and the ranger and other guests had stated that they intended looking for elephants on that drive. Now don’t get me wrong – I think elephants are the most magnificent animals and I have the utmost respect for them, but sadly, I am a keen amateur photographer and up to this point have never taken a decent photo of an elephant. So this was my choice – elephants or the Super 14 final. The rugby won (as did the Bulls). Oh yes, when the ranger and the other guests returned, they had seen elephants but not much else on this drive – maybe the cold had something to do with this.

The following morning we were fortunate to see two bush pigs, but they were un-cooperative and didn’t hang around for a photo. What we did see was a lactating lioness, with another female and a magnificent male lion in close attendance. They had killed something in the riverbed but the thick bush made it impossible for us to see what it was. They had come out of the thick bush for a breather or possibly to fetch her cubs to join in the feast when we saw them. She had a slight wound on the foreleg, whether as a result of a kill or during the feeding frenzy, I’ll never know, but they did offer some nice photo opportunities.

My views on Kwandwe? I would certainly visit here again given the opportunity, and can safely recommend this lodge to clients. I did however find the lack of general game a bit of a disappointment, but the sightings that we did have made up for this. We saw gemsbok, eland and hartebeest at a great distance, and had some good sightings of zebra and black wildebeest on the gallop – too alas, they were too quick for a decent photo.