Johannesburg - Cape Town - Kruger Park - Sabi Sands - Timbavati
This year's Africa Trip promised to cover a lot of familiar ground as well as several new lodges and hotels. As usual, I am taking a small group to the Sabi Sands and Kruger Park area. Normally we mix Kruger Park and staying at some of the Government Lodges within the park with some of the Private Lodges and Camps in the surrounding Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve. However, this trip is a bit more upscale than usual and we will be staying only at Private Lodges in the Sabi Sands and Timbavati Private Game Reserves that border the Kruger Park.
Johannesburg
As always, the trip starts in Johannesburg, visiting friends and clients. This time we stayed at the very centrally located Inter-continental Sandton Sun. Certainly no one arriving in Africa for the first time and expecting to see anything like downtown Nairobi will fail to be amazed. As downtown Johannesburg is famously unsafe, almost all life has moved to the very upscale suburbs to the north: a bit like Los Angeles until downtown LA became trendy again.
Sandton is probably the most important of the suburbs with many companies located here as well as Sandton City, which is a huge multilevel shopping center with several large hotels, hundreds of stores and restaurants and a multiplex cinema. Sandton Sun, part of the Inter-continental chain is owned by Southern Sun and is somewhat the showplace of the center. The huge atrium lobby extends up 20 floors and is serviced by glass elevators. Not your normal imagine of Africa. Between the hotel and the shopping center you have every imaginable store and restaurant as well as the hotel's health club and full service spa with a wide array of treatments. As you travel around South Africa you realize how this is a first world country that collides with the third world in so many ways.
Normally there is no reason to stay in Johannesburg, as there really is nothing to see or do there. But my girlfriend, Linda and I have developed relationships with friends and clients, so we have enough reason to stop for a few days.
Cape Town
Then we set off to Cape Town, which should be included in any itinerary. In July-August (winter in South Africa) it can be cold and rainy. However, this time we arrived to beautiful sunshine, which lasted 3 of the 4 days we were there. Our first stop was the brand new Arabella Sheraton right downtown adjacent the new convention center. This is certainly one of the finest city hotels I have ever stayed at, and should not be missed. While service is almost always superb in southern Africa, here they have raised the bar. Almost every detail has been thought through is a very high-tech and high-touch way. Sometimes it may seem a bit too high-tech. Meaning that when the computer system is down you cannot open your mini bar or use the phone. But, these are no doubt glitches that will be overcome by the time you read this.
Our room had a beautiful view overlooking the port and area around to Table Mountain. If you can arrange to stay on the Tower Floors there is a private lounge / restaurant on the top floor overlooking the waterfront area where you can take breakfast and even order lunch or dinner. Complementary hor d'orvres are offered during the day as well as hot appetizers in the evening along with a selection of wonderful South African wines.
Adjacent the lounge is probably one of the most beautiful health spas I have even visited. In addition to an extensive array of body treatments, massages, etc. there is a gym with the latest equipment; an indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, sauna and clothing optional co-ed steam room. All but the steam room has the most incredible views overlooking Cape Town and the water front area. The steam room views are more intimate!!!
The hotel offers an hourly shuttle bus to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. No trip to Cape Town would be complete without a visit to the Waterfront and it's collection of fine restaurants, seafood bars, cafes, tea salons, shops and cinemas, including an IMAX cinema. At the Waterfront you will find various boat cruises, including a cruise to Robbins Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years. There is a vaporeto boat (reminiscent of Venice) that runs hourly. The hotel is connected to the Waterfront by a winding canal. You will no doubt see giant seals bathing on the rocks, and off some of the docks you can even go cage diving for Great White Sharks!
Cape Town proper does not hold great tourist interest. But, the surrounding areas are wonderful. This is the heart of the South African wine region. Going south you have the Cape Peninsula which ends at Cape Point as well as several famous vineyards in the Constantia region such as Steenberg offering not only a fabulous wine but a beautiful hotel and restaurant situated on a golf course in the middle of the vineyards.
Driving along the coast in their winter (July-September), you are also likely to see whales that come close to shore each year to give birth. The most famous place for whale watching is Hermanus. However, anywhere along the coast from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay usually provides excellent whale watching opportunities during the season. Even more fun is to go to Boulders Beach near Simon Town on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, just outside of Cape Town, and see the Jackass Penguins that live there. There are literally hundreds of penguins spread out over the beach, rocks and vegetation where they build their nests. They really are a delight to watch and if you are hardy enough you can even swim with them. Though I am not sure I would recommend that!
Going a bit north from Cape Town, you have the real heart of the Wine Region with such towns as Paarl, Franchoek, Sommerset West and Stellenbosh. All of which can be visited in day trips from Cape Town, but my suggestion is to stay at some of the local hotels, which can be quite luxurious County Houses.
This trip was "not" about the wine region, unfortunately. It is just a quick visit to Cape Town to see some clients and friends. So an article on Cape Town will have to wait for another time.
After a couple of nights at the Sheraton and with much regret we left to go visit another new client and spend the weekend. The 12 Apostles, which only recently opened, is a member of Leading Small Hotels of the World and Charming Hotels. It is located outside Camps Bay (the Malibu of Cape Town), about 15 minutes down the coast from the city. It has a stunning isolated setting just above the beach, and at the foot of the mountain formation called the 12 Apostles.
The 12 Apostles is the ultimate boutique hotel and an ideal place to spend a weekend or more. In addition to a superb location on the water, it has a beautiful restaurant, coffee shop and top floor bar. But the real specialty here is the spa. All kinds of treatments are offered in the most wonderful grotto like setting. There is even a small salt pool (perfect for two people), which has the density of the Dead Sea so you just float as if suspended in time. There is also a small gym as well as outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, terrace, etc. It is no wonder that even our friends who live in the area come here for the day. It is truly a special place. You can even arrange to go Scuba Diving off the coast.
It really would be a hard choice to decide between the Arabella Sheraton and the 12 Apostles and luckily we were able to experience both before flying back to JoBerg to pick up our friends and begin our safari adventure to Sabi Sands and the Kruger Park area.
Back in Johannesburg
Once back in Joberg we decided to stay at the Hotel Palazzo Monticasino, also a member of Intercontinental hotels owned by Southern Sun. This is one of my favorite hotels in JoBerg though it might be a bit out of the way for business (about 10-15 minutes farther out than Sandton City). It is located in the suburb of Fairways and consists of a beautiful hotel built around a garden with a large swimming pool. The Hotel is connected to an enormous indoor casino complex, Monticasino Village. It is built to look like a Tuscan village with shops, restaurants, cinemas, and theatre and of course the casino. The complex is extremely well done and a great place to stay if you have to be in JoBerg and do not really need to be in the Sandton City area. They even have a bird aviary with the world's largest collection of unusual bird species. The aviary is designed to allow you to interact with the birds in open enclosures. The Palazzo like the Sandton Sun will arrange a round of golf at some of the nearby country clubs, if you have the time.
Because the main theme at Monticasino Village is Italian, we invited friends to join us for dinner at Verdicchio for seafood and pasta. The next night we tried the Meat Company. As I do not eat meat, this may seem like an unusual choice but it was the one restaurant that looked packed on a Monday night (always a good sign), and the menu offered many seafood selections. And, Linda was in the mood for a steak - NY style. It turned out to be a great idea as the food was terrific.
Kruger Park
The next morning, we were off early to pick up our friends at the airport and head up to the Kruger Park. It is about a 4-hour drive (without stops) to the southern base of the park. The first two-thirds of the drive is somewhat boring, but eventually you get into mountainous terrain that is quite beautiful. After Nielspruit (the capital of the region), you start to see the mountains of Swaziland on your right and the beginning of the Kruger Park on the left. Situated very close to the Malelane gate, is Buhula Lodge, which has an ideal location right on the Crocodile River. Buhula is a beautiful, large house that was converted to a hotel and the owners, Sugar and her husband, live at the lodge and mange it. We arrived there about 3:00 pm and were greeted by two large Rhinos just across the river in the park. This region has now been incorporated into the Greater Kruger Park boundary and is fenced off from the highway. Meaning, the game actually come across the river, as we were to find out the next morning.
After a few minutes watching the Rhinos everyone went off to their rooms to nap and relax. Cocktails on the porch and dinner were arranged to commence and conclude at a respectable hour, as I wanted to get an early start the next morning.
Because our friends indicated they preferred a rather upscale safari, the lodges we booked were all ROL clients in the private game reserves of Sabi Sands and Timbavati, which border the Kruger Park. However I felt that to come so far and never actually get into the Kruger Park itself was unforgivable. So, we woke up early the next morning and headed into the park through the Malalene Gate.
Prior to leaving Buhula Lodge, Sugar said we had to be careful getting to the car as a lion had been spotted on the property! They had called the rangers from the Kruger Park to come and get it (apparently when this happens they dart the lion and take it back) but in the meantime we had a hungry lion running around the yard! For some reason we loaded the van quicker than the day before and headed out to the Malalene Gate to start our drive through the Park along the Crocodile River in the direction of Hippo Pools (near Crocodile Gate).
Along the way we saw Impala, Kudu, Elephant, Wildebeest, Warthog and Giraffe. Once we arrived at Hippo Pools, we were able to safely step out of the vehicle while being escorted by a ranger with a rifle. He walked us across some rocks to meet the hippos and crocks that live there. Seeing hippos is always a treat, and this time we found them sun bathing on the riverbank. Upon seeing us they quickly ran back into the water. It is amazing how fast these huge animals can move. It is also impossible to appreciate them unless you can see them out of the water. As it turned out during the course of the morning drive we had at least four good hippo sightings, and all of them included large numbers in and out of the water. Generally you will be told hippos only come out at night to graze, but this nonsense: I guess the guidebooks forgot to tell the hippos that they were not supposed to be out during the day.
As we headed north toward the Park Kruger Gate, again saw quite a few animals but the highlight was running into a huge breading heard of elephants. We ended up surrounded on all sides by elephants, some of whom gave that "what are you doing here" look. No matter how many times you see elephants, when a big bull gives you that look you ask yourself the same question! I think our guests thought I was crazy driving them into the middle of 30 elephants. But, once the terror subsided and the elephants relaxed we had a great time with them.
Of all the animals, elephants are to me the most interesting. Not only are they intimidating, which keeps the adrenalin going, but they are always doing something different. At time you begin to think they are actually showing off for your benefit, especially when you have the babies and young ones around.
Eventually we had to leave the elephants, as we had to be at our first game lodge in time for the afternoon drive. We had several great sightings as we drove to our first game lodge, especially some large herds of giraffe and many more hippos. But we just did not have the time to linger.
We did make a quick lunch stop at the Lower Sabie Government Camp. We were very impressed with the way this Camp has been recently renovated and upgraded. The new lunch deck is beautiful. It offers a fantastic view of the Sabie River, over flowing with even more hippos. This is a great setting to just sit and let the animals come to you.
Djuma - Vuyatela Private Game Lodge
We eventually left the park about 2:00 PM, and raced to our first game lodge, Vuyatela in the Djuma Private Game Reserve. I managed to get a speeding ticket but was able to negotiate that without any jail time! We arrived at the lodge just as the drive was about to depart. We "dropped" everything and jumped into one of the vehicles. Although Djuma boarders the Kruger Park, but you are not allowed to drive from the park into the Private Game Reserves. What should be a 30-minute drive becomes 3 hours, as you have to drive out and make a wide circle on some miserable roads to get back in.
I had been twice before to Djuma and really like it there. The first time we stayed at Bush Lodge and then at their newer more upscale camp called Vayutela. Vayutela is a wonderful camp with the main building set in front of a water hole that is a constant source of animal activity ranging from the various antelope such as Nyala, Kudu, Impala, to Wildebeest, Giraffe and Elephant. They even have visiting hippos. All of the rooms are set out on individual decks overlooking a dry riverbed where you can also sit and watch game. One afternoon as I was reading on our deck, I was surrounded by a rather large heard of Nyala as well as a whole troop of vervet monkeys. The monkeys are great fun but you have to be careful they don't get into your room. This happened to one of our guests and they made a real mess of their room it as well as eating their chocolates and stealing their toothpaste!
As in all the private game lodges you take two drives a day in open safari vehicles that have three elevated rows of seats plus the driver. There are no doors or roofs, giving you great visibility for game viewing and photos. These vehicles also allow the game perfect access to "you", but for some reason they do not jump in and eat humans as often as you might think.
During our two days at Vuyatela we had some great game sightings and saw all the big five as well as cheetah. We had some very up close and personal elephant experiences as well as the opportunity to follow a leopard for about 15-20 minutes in a dry riverbed while she was hunting. Unfortunately she did not catch anything while we were with her. These cats are so beautiful to watch. It is a rare opportunity when you are able to follow one for so long a time as we were afforded.
The lions we saw spent the whole time sleeping or getting up, walking a few meters and then going back to sleep. I love watching lions when they are hunting but otherwise it is like watching grass grow! They just sleep all day. The cheetah is probably my favorite cat but our one sighting was brief, only a few minutes. We also saw some buffalo, not the most exciting animal but a lone bull can get the juices flowing when he stares you down. Strangely enough going through a heard of hundreds is not as threatening as one lone bull. Rangers considerer them the most dangerous of the big five as they are the most unpredictable. Having said this, the real dispute in South Africa is over which animal actually kills more people. Statistics give credit to the hippo. But the smart money is on the crocks.
At about six we stopped for our evening sundowner which is a great opportunity to get out of the vehicle and relax and "mark your territory". The ladies are usually less comfortable with this at first, but quickly get used to the bush toilet. There is nothing quite as civilized as having a glass of wine or a gin & tonic in the bush watching the sunset and wondering what might be out there looking to eat you. During the morning drives, the same break is called a sunriser. You can have a gin & tonic, but most prefer to start the day with coffee or tea.
Over the next few days we had some of the most incredible gave drives I have known. We sat in the middle of some large breading herds of elephants that were so close you could almost touch them. We experienced large herds of elephants on almost every drive. We even came across a heard participating in a group mud bath. Large bull elephants were acting like silly kids, rolling around in the mud. One after the other and sometimes two or three together. That was quite a site.
One morning we found a leopard, and stayed with her for 30 minutes. Leopards are not that easy to find, especially in mid morning. You usually find them at dusk when the light is bad. Then they typically run into the bush where you cannot follow them.
That same we found two more leopards. It was dark, and as if on cue, they went off into the bush after a few minutes. But, just as we decided to head back for dinner we came across a "third" leopard. She darted into the bush in within seconds, we heard the kill take place. Quickly we darted into the same bush, turned on the lights and saw the leopard with a still struggling steenbok in her mouth. I think that is as close as you can get to see a leopard kill. And, certainly the only one I had seen after dozens of game drives.
The leopard, totally unaffected by our presence or lights shining on her face proceeded effectively kill her prey and eat it. Fifteen minutes later we heard a noise that spooked the leopard and activated her to drag her kill up the nearest tree, onto a branch just over our heads. We actually had to back up, as we were afraid of something dropping on us! Soon we saw the reason for the leopard's flight.
Two hungry hyenas came into view. It wasn't clear if they actually had any idea there was a leopard above but they smelled something and hung around. When leg the leopard had been chewing fell to the ground, the two hyenas rushed for it. The larger hyena grabbed the leg and a small confrontation took place. The leopard continued to eat in the safety of her branch. Eventually we had to leave the drama to get back to the lodge for our own dinner. This was certainly one of the more memorable game drives I have taken.
The next morning we were out again and after the usual herds of elephant, a few giraffes, kudu, impala, etc. we came across a single male rhino. We had actually seen a mother and baby the evening before but did not stay with them as they were a bit nervous and ran off. But this bull seemed totally relaxed with us and we spent half an hour with him, sometimes no further than 3 meters from the vehicle. We then found a leopard cub that the mother had left while she went hunting and a few more male buffalo. We were now averaging 3-4 of the big five per drive, not per stay! Having by now visited many game parks in southern Africa, there is no question that Sabi Sands has the greatest concentration of game that I have seen other than perhaps the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
Tanda Tula Private Tented Camp
The next day we left Sabi Sands and traveled north to another Private Game Reserve bordering the Kruger Park, called Timbavati. We would spend two nights in a tented camp called Tanda Tula.
I had visited Tanda Tula on my first trip to South Africa 9 years ago and remembered it as a very special place. But, now it has become something "really" special. While keeping all the intimacy of the camp, the old tents have been replaced by the most luxurious tents I have seen, with luxurious bathrooms attached. This is a true luxury tented camp! The staff and service are impeccable and everyone went out of their way to make our stay wonderful.
Tanda Tula is under the same ownership as the vineyard where we had my birthday dinner one night in Cape Town, Constantia Uiteg so the wines were superb. Dinner was either down in the dry riverbed, which we overlooked, or in the camps boma. During our first night in the riverbed we had dinner while listening to elephants demolished a few trees and shrubs. It was truly an "Out of Africa" experience.
Timbavati does not have the same game concentration as Sabi Sands but we had terrific lion sightings, and were able to record the most extraordinary roaring lions you can imagine. At one point a huge female, lying about thirty feet from the vehicle and roaring to the distant males, suddenly stood up. And, while roaring ferociously, she came straight at the vehicle and came within two feet of Linda before turning off. The look on Linda's face was priceless. However, I should have known not to tease. Because ten minutes later we found the males who were roaring back. And, the biggest male lion, now on my side of the vehicle, did exactly the same thing. He came so close to me I think I could have reached out and touched his mane. Needless to say I did not tease Linda anymore about the look on "her" face!
Each morning we ended the game drive with a wonderful bush breakfast somewhere along the dry riverbed near camp. This was followed by a 90-minute bush walk back to camp. Our ranger explained all the bushes, dung, birds, etc. we passed along the way. This type of walk is commonly referred to as the "Birds and Turds" walk. Unfortunately, for me at least, we did not come across anything that could eat us. We were told that if we did come upon lions we should stand still and let them charge us. At the last minute they are supposed to turn away. This will magically happen, as long as we do not run. I would pay a lot of money to video that one!!
During our last morning drive at Tanda Tula I almost did get my video wish. Linda wanted to get a picture of the very tiny but beautiful Impala Lily, with her new macro lens and we did not see it on our walk. That morning, every time the ranger stopped the car to point out the lily, Linda announced she was too afraid to get out of the vehicle to take the photo. In the meantime, we were looking everywhere for the lions from the evening before.
Toward the end of the drive the ranger pointed out a lone lily and told Linda it would probably be her last chance to get the photo. So we stopped the vehicle, and Linda very slowly walks across the bush, gets down on her hands and knees and proceeds to take several close up photos of the "must have" Impala Lily. As Linda takes her photography rather seriously, the ranger seizes the opportunity to go into a nearby bush to "mark his territory". After ten minutes they both jump back into the vehicle and we proceed along. Not more that 100 yards from where away, we found the lions from the night before just sitting under a bush, curious about the actions that had just taken place in front of them!! Somehow I do not think Linda will never again leave the vehicle (even under the protection of a ranger) to take a photo of a lily!
Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge & Nottens Bush Camp
We were sad to leave Tanda Tula. We traveled south to the other side of Sabi Sands where our group split up for a few nights. Linda and I went to the world famous Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge, and our friends went to Nottens Bush Camp, just a few kilometers away. Both camps share the same game concession.
Sabi Sabi has three lodges, Bush Lodge which is the largest, Earth Lodge which is the most exclusive and Selati which is the most authentic (no electricity). They recently purchased some adjacent property and should now have a forth lodge. However, it does not have a name yet. Nottens is a more rustic camp and also offers a more authentic experience by using gaslights versus electricity. It is a very cozy camp with the same game and at one-third the price. It is family run and our friends really loved it. They raved about the food and game drives. I look forward to visiting Nottens the next time I come back.
Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge offers 25 very luxurious and very spacious chalets. Each chalet over looks a watering hole or the dry riverbed that runs in front of the camp. The rooms are so special that Linda opted out of a couple of game drives to relax, work and get a massage at the new spa. I also skipped one drive to try and catch up on this journal. I spent a wonderful evening just looking out at the water hole, writing and checking my e-mail in their business center. Yes, they actually have a business center in the bush!
Earth Lodge is more exclusive, with only 9 chalets which are built into the earth to look like termite mounds. Very luxurious termite mounds though! It is a bit like the Flintstones meets the Bush!! But, an absolutely superb camp and very special experience. Earth Lodge offers the only heated swimming pool I have found at a Private Game Lodge in Africa and a full health spa. It also has a superb wine cellar where you can even arrange to have them serve you a private dinner.
Selati is even smaller than Earth Lodge, and even more intimate. They use only kerosene lamps to provide light. Selati is just as comfortable and luxurious as the other lodges at Sabi Sabi. It really depends on what kind of African experience you are looking to have.
Sabi Sabi is legendary in the safari business for excellent game drives, knowledgeable rangers and great food. While all of the drives were rewarding after awhile you begin to appreciate the special little things and can take more time focusing on things you miss when racing around to see the "big five". Just watching a herd of Kudu or Impala becomes a real pleasure. But there was no shortage of the usual sightings of elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and cheetah. Actually the elephant sightings were a bit more exciting than usual as the Kruger Park had begun a darting program to relocate some herds and the animals were quite skittish.
After two days at Sabi Sabi we picked up our friends at Nottens. Linda and I traveled to Singita. Our friends stayed at wished to stay at Idube, which is quite near.
Singita Private Game Lodge & Idube Private Game Lodge
I always like to save the best for last, and Singita always lives up to that reputation. There are two main lodges are Ebony and Boulders. And, there is a Private Camp, called Castleton, you can book out in its entirety for up to 12 guests. Ebony and Boulders are the camps of choice for celebrities going on safari. The luxury is unparalleled in the bush (or anywhere else for that matter) as are the prices. However, Singita is truly value for money. It is like nothing else you will ever experience in your lifetime.
Having stayed twice at Idube and loving it, we booked our friends there. It is one-third the price of Singita and their game viewing was as good as ours.
It is hard to describe how beautiful Singita is. The setting along the river gives ample opportunity to see game from the deck and there were two elephants playing with each other as we checked into to Ebony Lodge. Both lodges are "over the top" with luxury. However, we seem to prefer the traditional setting and style of Ebony. Boulders is much more modern. Both lodges have exquisite health spas. Boulders offers is the most extensive wine cellar in South Africa. The evening we arrived a wine tasting had be set up so we gladly joined in and were giving a wonderful tasting tour of some of South Africa's top wines, followed by dinner at Boulders. As everything is included at Singita, you can sample some really superb wines just by asking. It helps to have some idea of what you should ask for.
In the end, it really comes down to the level of skill and knowledge of the rangers and trackers. At Singita, both are first rate. While each drive was exciting, there are always some things that stand out. On our first evening drive we crossed a rather wide river, (the one that runs in front of the lodge), through about six inches of water. About half way across we saw an enormous crocodile start coming toward us headed for a bird in a low branch of a nearby tree. We were all quite excited, as none of us had seen a crocodile kill. This did not exactly promise the excitement of the famous crocodile kills that take place as the herds migrate across the Serengeti. But, a crock kill is a crock kill!
Unfortunately it was not to be, as the croc just could not position himself before the bird flew away. So, off we went to run into some rhino, a family of very nervous elephants and lots of giraffe, kudu, waterbucks, etc. We stopped for a sundowner at a clearing the ranger assured us was safe and started drinking gin and tonics as we listened to the sounds of the bush. We heard lion roaring off in the distance calling to each other. The ranger estimated they were about fine kilometers away, and obviously nothing to worry about. It turns out he was quite accurate. After everyone finished marking their territory, we loaded back into our vehicle and as we started the engine, the lion came right in front of us about 20 yards away! He had covered the five kilometers in exactly in the time he was supposed to! We forgot to consider he could be coming towards us! That was now the second time we jumped into the vehicle only to have a lions around the corner!
On the way back to the lodge we drove again along a path of rocks in the middle of the low river. We were now face to face with three crocs coming towards us with their eyes firing red because of the lights we were shining on them. We stopped, much to Linda's chagrin. I guess stopping in the middle of a running river did not give her much of a level of comfort. But then we heard some noise just to our left, the crocs were coming on the right, and as we flashed the light we realized we were on the edge of a rather large herd of elephants! Needless to say, Linda's fear of being eaten by a croc was now replaced by being killed by the elephants as the crock's seemed less threatening!
Slowly and carefully we drove out of the river and back to the lodge. We were told two leopards were loose in our camp while we were on the night drive.
The next morning, we tracked the two leopards who were in the camp the night before. They amused us while they did their ritual matting dances and made some very strange noises. On that same drive we also tracked a cheetah hunting a herd of impala. I can not even remember the rhino we saw right in front of Castleton, it got to the point we did not even stop to photograph rhino anymore. They had become so common!
Our last evening at Singita turned out to be really special. Upon arriving back at the room from the second evening game drive, we walked into what looked like some kind of occult ritual out of the movie "Eyes Wide Shut". There were dozens of candles set up on the bathroom floor in some kind of pattern pointing to a wine bucket holding a chilled bottle of champagne. We then noticed that a hot bubble bath had been prepared.
Under normal circumstances even total strangers would have felt romantic. But we had exactly 15 minutes to "freshen" up make our way to dinner. Of course the other problem when you are on safari is you are always tired. Getting up at 5:30 every morning has that effect. So we blew out the candles, went off to dinner and had the champagne and bath when we got back! No wonder Singita is voted the best hotel in the world year after year. I cannot wait to visit their new lodge, Singita Limbombo in the Kruger Park.
As I mentioned, both lodges at Singita have full health spas with work out gyms complete with the latest equipment. Given this is the only exercise you are going to get on safari, it is a welcome addition. The rooms all have heated plunge pools but this is more for romance than exercise. Although I guess there is more than one way to exercise!
After two days of "roughing' it in the bush, we left Singita and picked up our friends at Idube and headed back to JoBerg. They loved Idube just as much as we do. We are already adding Idube into our itinerary for next year. They especially loved the bush walks offered at Idube and the rock climbing experience offered to those who are physically inclined and able. Idube has a reputation for its out of the ordinary bush activities. And, the game viewing at Idube is always spectacular. It is all about location, location, location.
The drive back to JoBerg took about 5 hours. Most visitors to the Private Game Camps prefer to fly. Our friends (actually only Judith!) were not comfortable on small planes so we ended up driving. On the way back we drove through the Blue Mountains and stopping at the town of Sabi for lunch and some shopping. The region surrounding the Kruger Park is so lush and beautiful. It deserves a few days of exploration. We usually base ourselves at the beautiful Blue Mountain Lodge but that will have to wait until the next trip.
When we arrived at JoBerg International Airport for the evening BA flight back to London, our always-jovial group was very quiet. After being in the bush for so long, the sudden jolt back to civilization is always a strange unsettling feeling. Instantly, your senses tell you that you have left someplace very special. You no longer smell the fertile morning air and wood scented night fires. You no longer taste the dust on your lips, see a tapestry of earth toned colors and flat-top tree silhouettes or sit under a night sky beaded with thousands of diamonds and pearls. And, you no longer hear sounds that stir your soul yet quite your mind. But, you "do" promise yourself that once again, in this lifetime, you will return to the African bush, and allow yourself to once again be seduced by nature as it was meant to be.
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