Day 1:

JHB to Kruger National Park : Shishangeni Lodge
This month Team Rhino congregated at Cape Town International Airport in the wee hours of the morning in a whirl of excitement, anticipation and with a dire need for a morning cuppa! Our destination – Kruger National Park and the Sabi Sand Reserve!

Co-owner of Rhino Africa, Katherine Terry (AKA Safari Barbie) was leading the expedition of mostly first time Kruger initiates. We were to learn along the way that her knowledge of the infamous Kruger reserves was as vast as the savanna grasslands.

After an easy drive along the N4 we arrived at our first stop, Shishangeni Lodge, just in time for the evening game drive. Our assigned veteran ranger, Kobus, had been in the park for years and gave us the entire scoop on the inner workings of the Park. With an elephant grazing a few metres in front of the lodge – I wondered if it was even necessary to head out on game drive! But of course the Kruger initiates had donned their wooly hats and scarves and were ready for the bushveld.

It has to be said that there is nothing quite like being a city dweller and suddenly finding yourself ambling along gravel roads in an open landrover with giraffes, zebras and lions just a few metres away. Not to mention the magnificent red glow of a truly African sunset devoid of city smog and noise pollution.

Day 2:

Self Drive through Kruger Park to Sabi Sand Reserve
After coffee and rusks (a timeless South African tradition), an early morning game drive and a decadent breakfast we were off again. A self drive through the Kruger Park is an experience for two reasons – one is the obvious allure of seeing wild animals in their natural habitat and the second is the South African tourists slowly driving through the park, eating biltong (dried meat) and knitting while they observe a leopard sleeping in the trees. We then made our way into the Sabi Sand reserve which is a collection of private reserves that share borderless fences with the Kruger National Park and are well-known for their exclusivity and big cats!

Lunch at Tinga Private Game Lodge
Lunch at Tinga was delicious, the jovial chef alleged that he was going to make us food from heaven…and he was not joking! We enjoyed a truly delicious lunch under the big Leadwood Tree at Tinga Legends Lodge, overlooking the Sabi River.

Sundowners at Sir Richard Branson’s Rock Lodge (Ulusaba)
After a further few stops at various lodges along the way, we arrived at Sir Richard Branson’s extravagant but super-stylish Rock Lodge for sundowners. Rock Lodge is built on a rocky outcrop and the views of the savannas below are spectacular. While it is truly awesome to see the Big Five up close, one of the moments that really stuck out for me was stealing a quite moment while sipping champagne “on top the world” with elephants wandering below in the distance at dusk. After sundowners we headed to Ulusaba’s Safari Lodge to enjoy dinner and get some well-earned rest.

Day 3:

Ulusaba to Singita to Lion Sands Private Game Reserve
As is the way on Safari, our day began again with an early morning game drive. And what a game drive it was! Our ranger parked the game vehicle in the midst of a herd of elephants enjoying their breakfast of Acacia trees. They were so close we could almost touch them and the youngest elephants in the herd were only 2 months old. Their quirky young bodies more endearing in the flesh than the Discovery channel could ever portray!

Mating Lions on Morning Game Drive
We then saw mating Lions (a rare sighting – even for our seasoned Safari Barbie!) and a leopard that had just made a kill and was too lazy to be bothered by our presence. We watched this beautiful creature lazing in the sun and looking in to its eyes I was reminded of their wild power. A sumptuous breakfast ended our stay at Richard Branson’s exclusive African retreat and after a decadent lunch at the world famous Singita, we arrived at Lion Sands.

Lion Sands Private Game Reserve
Lion Sands is a family owned reserve in a striking and scenic part of the Sabi Sand. If its quiet privacy you are after then Ivory Lodge is an excellent choice. The minute we were shown to one of their exclusive suites overlooking the Sabi River, the girls were already planning their honeymoons! With the sun setting and the prevalent birdlife as a soundtrack, elephants walking next to the river on cue and indulging in Moet & Chardon and strawberries – we were spellbound. Both the Lion Sands lodges have a seductive and intimate charm that would be difficult to match.

Boma dinner
South Africa is rich in contrast and our grounding and earthy dinner in the Lion Sands Boma (outdoor area with BIG fire) highlighted this fact. Dining under the stars with delicious food and good wine flowing next to a wood fire was a fantastic way to enjoy our last evening in the serenity of the bushveld.

Lion cubs on morning Game Drive
Our morning game drive with our genuinely warm hosts and very knowledgeable ranger, Landon, was calm and informative. We enjoyed sumptuous snacks of chocolate croissants and cappuccinos in the middle of the bush as the sun eased off our coats. The highlight of the drive was watching a Lioness lure her two cubs into a cave where she would leave them for the day while she hunted.

Always tough to leave the African bush
One more extravagant Safari breakfast and we had to bid farewell to the bush and make our way back to Johannesburg via the scenic Panoramic Route. The African bush instills an ancient yearning to return before one has even left. But we left with a great first-hand experience of the holidays of a lifetime that we book for our clients.