Safaris have a way of stripping things back. Time stretches and expands as you sink into a slower rhythm.
Waking up to birdsong as it rings through the bush, calling out across the savannah as the dawn light begins to tint the wilderness with its soft and gentle hues. The smell of freshly ground coffee and the exuberant sensation of life in the wild humming all around you as you climb into an open-topped vehicle. What surprises most guests on safari is not just the sightings they see, it is the presence they feel. The recalibration that happens within them.
A total reset as they connect to the wilderness within and around them.
Across the Greater Kruger, our guides spend each day immersed in the quiet magic of the African wilderness. It’s a landscape they know intimately, yet one that still manages to surprise them.
As the year drew to a close, we asked them to reflect on the moments from 2025 that stood out to them.
The ones that made them pause, laugh, and reminded them of exactly why they do what they do.
The mystery of life
Michaela from Umkumbe Safari Lodge said a highlight for her was watching an impala give birth.
“It was an absolute privilege to watch new life enter the world”
Watch the full video here
Guide, Shannon has spent years working in the wilderness and this scene was a first for her.
Rhinos mating at Umkumbe – watch full video here
While Tyron’s most memorable moment highlighted a different aspect of life in the wild. It shows the balance of survival, where life and death move together in close rhythm, shaping one another with inevitability.
These cycles are sometimes hard to witness yet remind us of something deep and true.
Don’t play with your food. Watch the full video here but be warned of graphic content
Julian from nThambo Tree Camp shared a moment that he had been hoping to witness for a long time.
A rare sighting. Watch the full video here
“My favourite moment of the year would have to be leopards mating. I had been waiting to see that for such a long time and it’s quite difficult because so many factors have to come together just right. Many of my friends had all seen it before me and I myself had seen mating pairs several times but they never mated while I was with them. One night I had even heard leopards mating from camp somewhere in the bush. But this year we finally found a mating pair that did the deed while I was present. In fact in the time we were with the leopards they ended up doing it every 3 minutes and 4 times total. So going from never having seen it to that was incredible and a truly special moment. One thing that makes it so difficult is the factors that have to come together. Leopards mate quite rarely and only for two or so days. And both have to be extremely relaxed for them to do it around the vehicle. If just one is skittish then they wouldn’t. And then even if they are relaxed. All it takes is for them to do it behind a bush and we’d have missed it. But luckily it worked out and the guests and I were able to enjoy this moment. Such a privilege and the wait made it so much more special”
Ruan Spies from Chacma Bush Camp shared an endearing moment as his highlight from the year.
Young elephant playfully approaching the game vehicle. Watch the video here
A curious and playful young elephant wants to join in on the safari fun. He inquisitively approached the game drive vehicle and entertained us all with his sweet and gentle nature.
Guide, Edward from Chacma Bush Camp and Africa on Foot Wilderness Trails shared his highlight from 2025.
“A highlight for me was watching a buffalo cow being taken down by a pride of lions, this you don’t often witness and mainly happened because of the bush being so thick and lions had the upper hand chasing the buffalo onto a dense mopane bush where she struggled to defend herself as she got entangled in it, also made it hard for her to escape and even harder for us to get a good look.”
Those amber eyes. Captured by Matt Smith at Chacma Bush Camp
Haw-eyed tracker and guide at Chacma, Trent shared his an exhilarating moment while walking on foot through the wilderness.
“My highlight for the year was an encounter of a black rhino and her calf on foot on our Wilderness Trails walking safari. The bush will always provide you with incredible sightings you must just know where to look for them.”
These are more than just sightings, they are stories. Not just encounters, they are lessons shaped by patience, humour, and respect for the rhythms and life in the wild.
Through the eyes of our guides, we’re reminded that safari is never just about what is seen. It is about what is felt long after the dust has settled and our bags have been unpacked.
Adventure and stories of the wild away you. Come and experience these moments guided by those who know nature’s rhythms best.
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