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Published: June 25th 2017
Geo: -24.6919, 31.7107
Before going to Kruger, we had heard that game viewing could be a bit hit and miss because you are required to stay on the roads and the park can be overgrown. Our Kruger experience turned out to be fabulous and we saw much more than we had hoped for but we had already hedged our bets by booking a few days in one of the more famous private game reserves adjacent to Kruger - Sabi Sands. These reserves are home to some of the most luxurious and expensive lodges in Africa. We picked a mid-range option as I didn't want the Princess exposed to the pampering that goes on in some of these African Shangri-La's (how do I get DH back in a campervan if she's gets used to pedicures before breakfast?).
That said, I'd have a hard time seeing how you'd get much better accommodation than the lodge we were at and, I have to admit, we very quickly got used to having a 'High Tea' break in the middle of our game drives. Don & Jill T (who view First Class as a minimum standard and, coincidently, are in South Africa at the same time we are but doing a very different tour) might point out that Don doesn't stay anywhere where there is no butler available in the evening to carry him to bed, tuck him in, and massage his temples with lavender oil while reading him the stock market results for the day. Even minus the lavender oil, we had another wonderful series of encounters with African critters which, once again, has resulted in another set of overloaded photo SD cards. But as much as I wore out my camera trigger finger, DH is the safari junkie in this relationship and what follows is her description of our time in Sabi Sands.
The Sabi Sands Reserve had extremely high security and we required clearance just to get in. There was razor wire throughout the entrance and from what we could see of the fence line. Guards, and even a canine unit, patrol the vastness of the park all due to poachers who are largely from neighbouring Mozambique. We had learned that all the parks, both national and private, would not disclose the number of "rhino sightings" during a tour or make mention of the numbers on their web sites because of out-of-control poaching. Sabi Sands is home to the Big Five – the Lion, African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Leopard and Black Rhino. For years, there has been a misconception that these five animals were chosen as the Big Five owing to their size. However, the Big Five were selected, sadly, because of the difficulty in hunting them.
Inyati Lodge would be our home for the next four days and three nights - a beautiful lodge - where we have our own little house stocked with everything we needed. The well groomed property was also home to dozens of Kudos, Waterbucks, Nylas, and Impalas who all graze freely as mischievous Verber monkeys. There was a great viewing platform next to the river and a sandy beach where we spent our free time "keeping watch". We no sooner start walking around getting our bearings when we spot a male lion walking along the beach just on the other side of the river. We are cautioned about the "no go" area of the lodge property and are required to have an escort to and from our room after dark. It was very civilized here with an early morning wake-up knock on the door by a ranger to ensure
you are not late for the first game drive of the day. We would return for a late breakfast on the deck then race to take up our seated positions on the observation platform down by the river. It often seemed that we had no sooner finished lunch and we would be called back to the lodge for "high tea" with just enough time to get ready for our afternoon game drive at 3:30, which would go well past dark. Dinner was yet another culinary delight and we would stand patiently at our front door for our security escort and always wondered what exactly would happen if something in the night charged us.
Our vehicle was the typical open air variety that we shared with six other enthusiastic travelers. However this "bad boy" of off roading had no fear as it took us over impossible terrain! Our guide/driver was Matt and the tracker was Nelson who sat out front of the vehicle. - Matt was armed with a 405 - they made an incredible team for some fantastic sightings and demonstrated a passion and knowledge of the park and its inhabitants that really personalized our experience.
Our first game drive we
came across an event we had not observed before, an extremely fresh kill, which looked to have been orchestrated by that male lion we saw two hours earlier upon our arrival. We got so close to his kill however were totally ignored by "his majesty". Matt explained that they had seen the male Kudo walking along the sandy river bed earlier in the day and that's what probably made the attack so much easier for the lion as the Kudo would never get up to speed in the sand.
You can go off the roads in the private parks and this was some cause for concern for both Vic and I as we didn't want to get into a chase with the animals or interfere with their habits. I have to say the respect and professionalism shown was remarkable. The guides communicated via a radio and were very respectful of each other at some of the sightings and there were never more than two vehicles jostling for the best views.
Elephants bathing in a river is another sight we will never forget - all is right with the world when you spend time observing these behemoths carrying on including water fights,
splashing and very loud trumpeting!
During one of our drives here Matt maneuvered our vehicle off the path and positioned us in an area where we soon found ourselves completely surrounded by dozens and dozens of elephants of all ages and sizes who were very slowly on the move - foraging and walking straight at us with a last minute detour - you could reach out and touch these gentle giants but, of course, you didn't. To be among them, close enough to hear them chew as we sat motionless just watching their interactions with each other was such a privilege.
Back at the lodge we heard the lions roaring which continued through most of the night.
We got up close with the cheetah - a bigger hitter to be sure as there are only 130 of them in this park. Inbreeding can be a problem with this animal and their movements have to be monitored closely- they are highly endangered. Unlike the other cats, they are built for speed and not strength, and can be bullied by from a kill by lions or leopards and forced to flee from a much needed meal.
We also saw the one big
ticket animal we didn't see in Kruger- the Leopard, which is highly elusive, but we managed incredible sightings of both males and females, with the added thrill of several cubs. Our family encounter was turning into a moving National Geographic photo shoot! They did not disappoint!
The list of animals we saw was phenomenal, and could very well take up the "lions share" of the blog but I will let Vic's photos be the documented evidence of what we saw.
Looking back over his photos, I remember the moment of each and every shot. So yes I do proudly call myself a safari junkie, I feel so much at home here and I am already trying to engage Vic in making plans for a return trip to our beloved Africa. I may be biased but I strongly believe that some of my Vic's best work is his wildlife photography- enjoy.
Our next adventure is on mystical island of Madagascar!
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Marlene S.
non-member comment
That's adorable!