---

When we start the nightly game drive , Jaco tells us that conditions are still muddy which means we’ll be staying on the main roads again.

But, we’re lucky that a giraffe has chosen to eat dinner very close to the road. Jaco stops the Land Rover so that we can watch as the gangly animal stretches his long neck to taste the leafy branches of a treetop. He moves gracefully from tree to tree as the Land Rover follows along.

Later, we see wildebeest and cape buffalo with rhino in the distance. Soon, Jaco drives up a steep incline to a hilltop. Surprise! The Madikwe Hills vehicles are meeting other Brown and Keene guests who are staying at Mateya, another lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve. We sip wine while visiting with old and new friends who will all be on the Navigator when we cruise from Cape Town to Rio in just a few days.

Arriving back at the lodge, Alan and I smile when we see the treat in our suite. Candlelight radiates through the bathroom where a hot bubble bath fills the tub. Unfortunately we must rush to dinner. But, the candles are still lit when we return from our meal of kudu. Alan adds more hot water to the bath while I grab glasses and the small bottle of amarula from the in-room bar. Nightcaps with a bubble bath soak…what a way to end our stay at Madikwe Hills.

---