Summing up a week on safari is no easy feat when we’re looking at a fine selection of safari experiences from a number of bush camps and lodges that we deem the best. From Savuti to Sabi Sand, there is wildlife magnificence everywhere you look, and today on Endangered Species Day, it seems it is our duty to share some of the best visions of Africa with you.
In the Greater Kruger, we rounded up the week’s top sightings from nDzuti Safari Camp, Africa on Foot, nThambo Tree Camp, Umkumbe Safari Lodge, and Ezulwini Game Lodges. Further north, we touched base with Haina Kalahari Lodge and Camp Savuti in Botswana.
On the Savuti Channel, wild dogs and buffalo shared their chosen drinking spot much to the delight of guests at Camp Savuti. Looking at the reflection of the trees in the still water, it is hard to imagine that both species would have been wary of the crocodiles that lurk in its depths. Just around the bend, one lone impala took a drink, unknowingly, just a few metres from a crocodile that was basking in the sun. Anything can happen here in the wild! Out on the marsh, a big male lion adopted a death stare, while a black-backed jackal investigated an elephant jaw bone in a shallow pan.
In the Sabi Sand, where predators roam in the famous wildlife paradise, Umkumbe Safari Lodge guests have been enjoying big cat sightings galore. When you’re not watching the endangered cheetah surveying her surroundings from the vantage point of a termite mound, or admiring the beauty of local leopard, Maxabeni, take in the exceptionally colourful presence of the lilac-breasted roller and a blood-orange sunset.
Among lion, rhino, elephant, leopard, and buffalo are the miniature dung beetles, chameleons, snakes, and spiders, plus, the smallest carnivore in the Lowveld – the dwarf mongoose. The Trilogy lion coalition has been present during both the night and day, while elephants have come for a drink in the swimming pool, as well as gathering at their own local watering hole – Twala Dam. Welcome to nThambo Tree Camp!
At Ezulwini Billy’s Lodge and River Lodge, there has been an overwhelming presence of lions that we have posted about this week on numerous occasions that we thought we’d show you what else has been happening out there in the Balule. Hundreds of buffalo, a beautiful black rhino, a leopard crawling along the ground, a collection of antelope species, jumbos, and an irresistibly illuminating full moon.
On the border of the Central Kalahari lies Haina Kalahari Lodge. This is where you will see the desert-adapted species like nowhere else. Black-maned lions, elands, bat-eared foxes, gemsbok, and a variety of birds you can only imagine. The Haina waterhole is constantly active and the sounds of the night are what memories of Africa are made of. These are moments captured with a lion pride feeding on a kudu bull, and a quiet experience with a bat-eared fox at night.
Africa on Foot sees it all in the Klaserie, especially because of the walking safaris that are conducted each morning. Afternoon game drives bring guests closer to the big things, while the on-foot adventures pay attention to the smaller members of the bush,and guides offer guests the opportunity to view game from a safe distance on the ground. Special sightings this week included one nicely relaxed leopard and a striking giant eagle owl.
Also occupying a pristine concession in the Klaserie, nDzuti Safari Camp has enjoyed its own collection of safari memories to share. The local lion pride known as the River Pride has been seen frequently, while leopards have been spotted mating and marking territory, and some members of the ‘general game’ variety have been ever-present.
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