Sabi Sands is renowned for its leopard sightings, despite this shy member of the big five being one of the most elusive animals to catch a glimpse of. Dulini was a phenomenal lodge to visit, with great accommodation and even better bush to enjoy. Whilst you can never guarantee what kind of game you’ll see on a drive (it’s not like placing a take away order and everything you want arrives all neat and easy), this was truly the place to be if you enjoy slightly slower drives, and game rangers and trackers who deliver above and beyond. With leopard sightings on almost every safari, and an afternoon drive of tracking that led us to a wild dog hunt, complete with hyenas tagging along, Dulini was a fantastic place to appreciate the African wildlife.
When you imagine going on safari, what typically comes to mind are plains filled with long grass, thickets and thin trees with rockeries, and maybe an open patch or two with large fig trees. Phinda takes most of those assumptions and throws them out the window by allowing you to experience the bush in a very different way. With thick, dense shrubbery everywhere, more jungle-type terrain and a sand forest so quiet you can barely hear insects, Phinda is a great place to add to your list if you’re looking for something different to the normal bush, with all the same animals included.
One of the great parts of the Kruger concessions (land that is considered to be within Kruger so you see all the same animals as they can move freely between Kruger National Park and Greater Kruger, but owned privately), is that you can dive into the bush experience a little more literally, by going off the main road to track animals and get a more up-close experience (all done safely and so as not to disturb or stress the animal). Jaci’s house is a memorable place to visit, especially for smaller groups that would prefer the privacy of a holiday with just family, as opposed to a lodge. A fantastic location for birding, and with all the same animals the Kruger National Park offers, it’s a great spot for seeing all sorts of African wildlife.
Located in the heart of the Timbavati concession, you are promised animal sightings the moment you drive through the reserve gates. This was certainly one of the most memorable trips, with Timbavati offering so many brilliant spots across their terrain. You may not be able to write a list of everything you want and submit an email request to the bush to comply, but having a good tracker and ranger make crossing things off that list so much easier. Multiple big five sightings, wild dogs, hyenas on the prowl and nursing new-borns in their den and lots of predatory birds, Timbavati is a place to see almost anything and everything.
The Waterberg is a favourite location of mine, due to its closer proximity to Johannesburg and the great wildlife. Having lots of wide open plains throughout the park, the likelihood of seeing different sorts of animals increase substantially, such as cheetahs, and snakes. The experience at Camp Ndlovu starts before you even reach the lodge, as the car park is situated about an hour and a half drive away, through the game park itself, and who doesn’t love some extra time in the park? Although if you’d prefer not getting up so early every day, the lodge is also located right next to a small river that attracts multiple animals (even elephants) throughout the day so if you don’t always want to go to the game, the game may come to you.
A train in the sky. Literally. The lodge itself is a restored train on a set of tracks crossing the Sabie river, which means you can watch the sun come up over the horizon from your bed, and get to take in the river view every time you’re back at the lodge putting your feet up. On the game drives, the experience is just as rewarding. Being located in the Kruger National park itself, drives have to stick to the main road but that doesn’t mean you won’t get to find all the animals you came to see. The Kruger Park has the greatest number free African wildlife the country has to offer, so as long as you’re patient, you’ll certainly have the chance to see something breath-taking. An eagle perched on a hidden tree, or maybe a honey badger strolling down the road.
It’s hard to pick a favourite bush location because all have their own positives to offer. Tintswalo certainly had some unique sighting opportunities, such as a pride of sixteen lions with nine cubs enjoying an extremely successful hunt. Due to its location, these Kruger concessions still offer the chance for fantastic nocturnal sightings so just because the sun has gone down, doesn’t mean your drive is over. There are beautiful owls to spot, and snakes to look out for at night, and the bird life is just as impressive during the day, depending on the season of course.