Sun Destinations

Mike and Fiona sent through this breakdown of their second day on safari in the Klaserie. Being regular guests at Africa on Foot and nThambo, it’s always great to hear their feedback about the camps. Here is an account of their second day on safari. Stay tuned for what happens next !

“Well, today the sun came out – and so did the animals!!Firstly we came across a nice relaxed male rhino. We got close to him whilst he merrily ate his afternoon meal of grass. He did not moving too far away from the vehicle. A bit later, Gawie and Faffa found tracks for a female lion, so they tracked her on foot. We then approached in the land-rover and instead of 1 lioness we found 2. We sat with them for a while and they they got up and walked in front of the vehicle before lying down in the shade. One of the females was lactating, and Gawie said she had 3 small cubs hidden away snuggly in a den site where she returns and monitors every few days.

We stayed with them whilst they yawned and posed nicely for photos, then we made our way to a herd of buffalo that were nearby. They were a little uneasy with the vehicle and chose to keep some distance between them and us, probably wise as the female lions were not too far away. Suddenly through the silence we heard the 2 male lions roaring in the distance. The sun was setting so we stopped for sundowners while listening to the lions roaring. It was great to watch the beautiful sunset whilst drinking a glass of Chenin Blanc – bliss. Back at camp Yolandi was waiting with a glass of sherry to warm us from within. The fire was lit in the boma and very welcoming to us all, to warm us from the outside too! We sat chatting about the excellent sightings from the evening drive, whilst the lions again roared not too far away- maybe tomorrow we would see them for ourselves?

After a hearty meal, excellent company and good nights sleep, we set off again on game drive. I think the animals were all oversleeping this morning though. We did come across a nice breeding herd of elephants in the thick bush, crunching their way through some knobthorn trees for breakfast. It’s always nice to see these giant animals up close and interacting. The rest of the drive was peaceful. It gave us a chance to appreciate the smaller animals, birds and vegetation around us – like warthogs running around in small family groups, and tree squirrels huddled together to keep warm in the morning sun.

No sign of the lions this morning, so fingers crossed again for this afternoon.”