Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge, Sabi Sands

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

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 and 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

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

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.