Southern Africa
This was the trip of a lifetime! Three nights each in four different locations in Southern Africa. From Cape Town to a private game reserve on the edge of Kruger National Park, South Africa, to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and finally to the banks of the Chobe River in Botswana. We started with temperatures in the 60's in Cape Town, enjoyed the view from the top of Table Mountain, saw penguins and tasted wines...
...and finished with temps in the high 90's and large herds of elephants. In between we saw the Big Five as well as baboons, monkeys, zebras, giraffes, birds, antelope and a cheetah. We were treated to welcoming hospitality, met incredibly knowledgeable people and learned a little about life in each of the places we stayed. But what really tells the story of this epic trip are the photos...
I'll start with the Big Five. The term was coined by big game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals to hunt on foot, and is now on most safari-goers check list. It includes the lion,the leopard…
…the rhinoceros, the buffalo, and the mighty elephant!
The Big Five misses some of my favourite animals, namely the giraffe, zebras,and the cheetah.
A typical day on safari starts very early, around 6AM when you head out on your jeep with a ranger and possibly a tracker. The idea is to find the animals while they are drinking or hunting before it gets too hot. You return to the lodge around 9AM for breakfast. The next game drive is around 4PM and you are out until dusk, watching the animals. In between the game drives you eat, take a nap and stay cool. We got off the jeep at one point for a short walk and our ranger Chane was in front, with her rifle! We had to walk single file, no farther apart than arms length so we would look like a large animal to any predators! That was my least favourite part of the whole trip and I willingly sat for a total of 7 hours a day in a bumpy jeep to give me a little distance from a surprise predator!
The other time you are allowed off the jeep is for sundowners...basically cocktails in the bush at sunset! Chane and our tracker, Patrick set up a bar on the front of the jeep, after making sure the area was safe!
The animals are obviously the highlight of an African safari but the accommodations were something special too. It’s pretty standard at safari lodges that everything is included, since you can’t really go anywhere else. You can’t even walk to your room after dark, you need an escort to check for animals!!! Our first taste of a safari lodge was Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge in the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve bordering Kruger National Park, South Africa, where the rooms are sculpted into a slope of the earth and hardly noticeable.
Each couple had a spacious suite with an outdoor seating area and private pool!
Earth Lodge was an incredible base to return to in-between game drives, the lodge was gorgeous and tasteful, and the staff were attentive, friendly and unpretentious. I wish we had another day there but we had flights booked to Zimbabwe. Our next three nights were spent at the beautiful Victoria Falls River Lodge in luxury tents on the Zambezi River.
A bathtub in our tent overlooking the river fits with my definition of glamping!
The outdoor shower and private plunge pool helped to keep us cool in the 95-100F heat!
This location was chosen so we could see Victoria Falls and experience wildlife from a boat. Our guide, Chips took us to the Falls, pointed out dozens of birds on our boat ride on the Mighty Zambezi and took us somewhere down a very long, bumpy road in the Zambezi National Park where we saw hundreds of buffalo and elephants!
Hana kept us well fed and shared his smile and stories about his life in Zimbabwe.
And then it was time for Botswana and the Chobe Game Lodge, situated on the Chobe River. The temperature at Chobe was similar to Victoria Falls, high 90’s and very dry. The rains usually come in early November but there had been very little sign of rain so the animals were drawn to the river making for some incredible viewing of elephants!
Lebo was our guide at Chobe taking us on the solar-powered river boat and on a jeep through the Chobe National Park with ease.
We also saw hippos, baboons, giraffes and crocodiles in the Chobe River and in Chobe National Park and more elephants!
The opportunity to observe exotic animals that had, for most of us, only existed in children's books and trips to a zoo was incredible. On the one hand, this is wild, raw, unspoiled nature and yet, each evening, we would return to exceptional accommodations and first rate service. It's a long way to travel but such an amazing experience. Kenya and Tanzania are on my short list and I'd happily return to Southern Africa for more!