Sun Destinations Blog - Page 18 of 117 - Sun Destinations Safari

Christmas Cheer and Festive Merriment in the Bushveld !

Today is Christmas Day ! For those celebrating, we wish all and sundry a day filled with celebration, love and poignant moments. If you’re not celebrating Christmas, we wish you a happy holidays and enjoyable time ahead. The teams based at our camps in the Balule, Klaserie and Maseke Game Reserves pulled out all the stops for this silly season. One thing is for certain, an African bushveld Christmas is a far cry from the fairytale white Christmas depicted in Hallmark movies. Summer in South Africa is hot. And the inland areas are the hottest! The sizzle of the searing African heat here in the bushveld is surpassed by the sizzle of that succulent pork roast you’re about to serve to your loved ones. Whether it’s the weather or the food, it’s crackling hot out there.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp decided to host a festive sundowner session at the mini bush bar with a few of the lodge staff, trackers and guides. To break that furnace style heat, it was decided that the Christmas sundowner set-up would have a wintery Christmas feel. A fantastic contrast to the sweltering weather. Eco-friendly Christmas crackers (we’ll discuss these eco-friendly Xmas crackers in another blog) were distributed among staff while festive cocktails and more-ish snacks were laid out on the table. Adorning the table were a few perky pine cones, tightly-wrapped cinnamon sticks and burnt orange napkins. All the right Autumn winter colours for Christmas. A favourite was the berry jelly mould and the pigs-in-blankets! A definite UK meets SA Christmas vibe.

Chacma Bush Camp put up a delightful natural looking Christmas tree on the patio in front of the waterhole. The team also enjoyed a few drinks and snacks to celebrate. Ezulwini Game Lodges prepared a delightful table of crunchy biscuits which guests have been snacking on since Christmas season began. We recently shared Angele’s images of her homemade biscuits, iced to perfection !

Stay tuned for two of our next blogs which include details about our eco-friendly crackers and a recipe about one of our favourite cocktails.

Em, Angele, Rogan and Gem Show Us Their Creepy Side

You’re only reading this because of the sensationalist title, aren’t you? I’m glad I caught your attention! I’m not literally referring to the creepy side of the human psyche, but rather the exceptional macro photos of our resident creepy crawlies. After the recent rains, a flurry of new life emerged. Plush red velvet mites always come out after the rains, and provide minute bursts of colour to the carpets of green smothering the bushveld. The creepy crawlies of the bushveld are often overlooked in favour of the big things, but they form a vital part of the ecosystem of the wild. Angele from Ezulwini Game Lodges, Rogan Kerr , Gemma Thomas and Em Gatland dropped to the ground to take a few incredible macro shots of the small things, revealing the “creepy” side to photography. We also threw in a few reptile photos just for the fun of it !

Flap-neck Chameleon

This species is a common resident in Kruger, and guides love locating these colour-changing creatures while out on night drive. When photographing the chameleon there’s no need to act quickly or use slow-mo – they’re intensely calculated with their slow movements. They merge so easily into the background, so they’re often overlooked. This species of chameleon is the most widespread in the country, and counts as our cutest creepy crawly sighting.

Dung Beetles

Dung beetles are found across the globe and they’re definitely our most fascinating creepy crawly. It’s believed that the dung beetle has a built-in compass and navigation system that has the ability to detect wind direction, sunlight hours and other weather conditions. Such innate biological navigational knowledge ensures their ball does not veer off course. Interestingly enough, each beetle takes on a particular role when it comes to dung. There are those that shape the dung into balls and move them away from the middens, there are those that dig a channel in dung pile for rolling, and those that simply live the easy life in the huge dung pile. Dung balls are used as an incubator for eggs, providing an immediate source of food for the youngsters.

Rock Monitors

These prehistoric and seemingly armoured lizards creep around the Klaserie in search of crunchy insects and reptiles to fed their large appetite. They detect this prey by sticking out their forked tongue in the air to triangulate the location of prey. Their massive talon-like claws and strong stocky legs ensure that they can dig up nests and scramble up trees with the greatest of ease. Rock monitors are terrestrial, but the Kruger does enjoy sightings of semi-aquatic monitors.

Elegant Grasshopper

This is the most attractive of our creepy crawlies. A bold grasshopper decorated with aposematic colourings, this alluring looking creature is poisonous to birds and other predators. Its bright colours are a warning to predators to steer clear. The elegant grasshopper’s toxicity is derived from the plants its consume.

Red Velvet Mites

These plush, pincushion looking bugs emerge after the rains. Their crimson velvet bodies look like a scatter cushion that wouldn’t look out of place on your lounge suite. These fluffy red creatures are called red velvet mites and they spend their days hiding in soil litter. Because of their vibrant colouring they are often mistaken for spiders. Interestingly enough, the oil secreted from the red velvet mite is used in Indian medicine to treat paralysis.

Trapdoor Spider

Walk carefully when you’re traipsing through the bushveld. The trapdoor spider builds deep burrows in the ground, and covers the tiny entrance with a layer of fine sand. They use their element of surprise when it comes to attacking their prey. They listen to the gentle vibrations outside of their lair, and bolt through their trapdoor to snag their unsuspecting prey.

Armoured Lily Weevil

This is a unique picture of a mating session taking place between the unique looking armoured lily weevils. The robust shell covering its body protects its delicate inside, and is used as a defence mechanism agains ruthless predators.

Travel with Purpose : Hiking Mt Kilimanjaro in Aid of the Wild Bird Trust

Sun Destinations recently supported Campfire Academy’s fundraising initiative in aid of the Wild Bird Trust (WBT). The initiative involved an arduous trek to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, combined with a tour of popular safari destinations in Africa. The logos of the trust and a select few projects were displayed on a banner that travelled with the adventurous team. The #Camp2Kili students from Campfire Academy were part of the crew that tackled the famous route up Kili. The Academy decided that the #Camp2Kili students should climb for a cause (WBT being the cause), which is how the Two Birds One Mountain idea was born.

Who is Campfire Academy?

We are a conservation training centre from Hoedspruit in Limpopo, South Africa. We train nature guides and conservation workers, facilitate academic internships for students of the natural and environmental sciences, and conduct educational volunteer programmes and learning holidays.

We believe that the students, beneficiaries and lovers of nature should be among the first to take responsibility for conserving the places and systems that play such an important role in our education and our livelihood. We realised that the Kilimanjaro trek scheduled during our Camp2Kili Overland training tour held in its scale and visibility a powerful opportunity to meet that responsibility.

What is #Camp2Kili?

Every year we conduct an overland nature guide training programme. This year we went big and toured from Hoedspruit, South Africa to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. The tour culminated in a trek to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro.

What is #TwoBirdsOneMountain?

We decided that we should climb for a cause. We selected the Wild Bird Trust and their research projects in the Okavango Delta after seeing the documentary film Into The Okavango. We want to volunteer our Camp2Kili students and travellers to act as fundraisers for the WBT. On behalf of the Trust, we would like to engage people, businesses or organisations and motivate them to make financial contributions in aid of the project.

Why the Wild Bird Trust?

We recognise the ecological and socio-economic significance of the Trust’s work, as exemplified in initiatives like the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project. We understand the need for scientific investigation that can inform sensible and sustainable conservation policies and actions. We appreciate what needs to be invested to conduct such investigations and we stand in sheer admiration of the commitment and determination that drives the WBT. Campfire Academy strives to instill in its students and visitors the same values of scientific curiosity and environmental custodianship evident in the work of the WBT. We believe that we stand to gain as much as we give through this initiative when we consider the opportunity to participate and learn

Details of the Adventurous #TwoBirdsOneMountainTour

The core group was:

Laetitia Cronjé (RSA)- Campfire Chairperson, Co-founder & Principal Trainer
Ludwig Spies (RSA) – Campfire Marketing & Communications, Campfire Graduate & Campaign Lead
Emmeline Le Brun (FRANCE) – Campfire Graduate & Tour Logistics Support
Karen Bongrain (FRANCE/HONG KONG) – Campfire Graduate & current Campfire volunteer (signed up for further learning)
Marie-Hortense Vincent (FRANCE) – Campfire Graduate (signed up for further learning) & Drone Photographer
Paul Swanepoel (RSA) – Campfire Graduate (signed up for further learning)
Laurence Forget-Lacoursière (CANADA) – current FGASA Student & former Campfire academic intern
Gina Backman (SWEDEN) – current FGASA Student & former Campfire academic intern
David (UK) and Simona Allen (ITALY), former Campfire students, met up with us at Elephant Sands in Botswana, and travelled with us to the Tanzanian border. For the Kilimanjaro trek we were joined by : Eduard Cronjé (RSA): Campfire Camp & Facilities Manager, Christopher Schoeman (RSA): Campfire Trails Guide Mentor, Jake Searle (USA): Campfire graduate, Sarah Molesky (USA): previous Campfire visitor, Carolyne Devens (USA): Campfire friend and Craig Webber (RSA): Campfire friend.

Where Did You Go?

Our journey took us through 7 countries (South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania & Mozambique) along the following route:

NORTHBOUND: Hoedspruit (RSA) – Planet Baobab & Makgadikgadi Salt Pan (BOT) – Okavango Delta (BOT) – Elephant Sands (BOT) – Vic Falls (ZIM) – Mana Pools (ZIM) – Lusaka (ZAM) – South Luangwa (ZAM) – Kande Beach (MAL) – Arusha (TAN) – Kilimanjaro (TAN)

SOUTHBOUND: Arusha (TAN) – Kande Beach (MAL) – Gorongosa (MOZ) – Vilanculos (MOZ) – Tofo (MOZ) – Letaba & Satara, KNP (RSA) – Hoedspruit (RSA)

What did you do along the way?

Planet Baobab & Makgadikgadi: camped at Planet Baobab, home of the ‘Kalahari Surf Club’, famous for its giant baobabs; trailed a meerkat colony in the grassland surrounding the salt pan; explored the salt pan on quad bikes and spent a moonlit night in the pan.

Okavango Delta: met with representatives of The Wild Bird Trust in Maun before we headed into the Delta; 4-night mokoro safari in the Delta; bush walks.

Elephant Sands: camped one night at this desert oasis that attracts elephants from many miles away; elephants march through the camp to reach the water and drink mere metres away from the restaurant, bar and pool area.

Vic Falls: visited the Falls and walked along the gorge trail; sunset cruise on the Zambezi.

Mana Pools: camped on the banks of the Zambezi; birdwatching, bushwalks and game drives.

South Luangwa: camped on the banks of the Luangwa River; game drives and bushwalks in South Luangwa National Park.

Kande Beach: camped on the shores of Lake Malawi; travelled alongside the Lake to Tanzania.

Arusha: camped at the legendary overland spot Meserani Snake Park, our departure point to Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro: trekked to the summit via the Machame Route.

Gorongosa: visited Gorongosa National Park; game drive; toured the ecological research labs (herbarium, zoology collections, genetics and molecular systematics labs).

Vilanculos: visited Bazaruto National Park (Bazaruto & Benguerra Islands); snorkelled and viewed dugongs.

Kruger National Park: camped at Letaba and Satara; game drives.

Our Kruger Mega-ed Through the Creative Eyes of Our Agents

Twice a year our product guru arranges an Agent’s educational to the gnarled thickets of the Kruger.

The idea of an educational is to introduce agents to our unique camps and lodges. This Kruger Mega-ed gives agents the opportunity to experience the atmosphere, game viewing potential and overall guest experience at the lodges within our portfolio.

From exclusive villas, to walking safaris and luxury lodges; our portfolio offers an array of properties. And it’s important that our agents understand the inner workings and offerings of the camps and lodges that they’re going to sell to their guests.

Our Instagram queen, Gemma Thomas, collected a portfolio of images from the various agents that attend the intrepid educational. We’ve decided to share a select few of these pictures – it’s always great to see the bushveld through another’s eyes !

The Mega-ed visited a few of our sister company’s lodges in conjunction with the following lodges within our portfolio :

Walkers Bush Villa
Nsala Safari Camp
Africa on Foot
nThambo Tree Camp
Umkumbe Safari Lodge
Chacma Bush Camp
Ezulwini River Lodge

We only selected a handful of agents for this small educational. Agents came from Travel with Marie, Redfoot Safaris, Wilds of AfriKa, GO Zuid-Afrika, Open Tour Africa, Indigo Safaris, Itseng, Ilanga, ATG, ITT, A 4 Away, USIWA TOURS – Afrika, and KOBO Safaris.

Week in Pictures : Colours Shift from Amarula Browns to Crème de Menthe Greens

Summer sundowners, sizzling heat and festive cheer is permeating the bushveld air. At the moment, our camps are a hive of activity. On-the-ground guides and lodge managers are eagerly planning events and menus for this delightfully chaotic time of year. This tangible yuletide cheer is accompanied by a definitive shift in the colours of the vegetation, which seem to match the stereotypical palette of the festive season. Tones of the bush are rapidly changing from Amarula browns to Crème de Menthe greens, creating a natural cocktail of festive shades. Our wildlife is buzzing at the prevalence of prey, the ready availability of water and nutritious carpets of green.

Let’s gift you with a brief update from camps that have sent through their sled of images for the week.

Klaserie and the Brutish Vuyela Lions

It’s common knowledge that the Vuyela coalition of lions and the associated lioness are the local lions of the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp traverse. They’re an unbelievably ruthless group of cats and don’t think twice about taking down sizeable prey. Known as the giraffe-killers of the area, these lions are certainly a force. For the first time, guides actually saw this coalition withe a different type of prey the other day – a buffalo. Accompanying these lion kill sightings are ample visuals of hyena clans and kettles of vultures. With carcasses come scavengers!

Leopards have been spotted on occasion, but the past few weeks they’ve been scarce. The 3 local cheetah gave the team quite an epic sighting a few weeks ago, but have since retreated into the lush thickets. Speaking of lush, the giant herbivores are – quite frankly – littering the landscape. They’re loving the new replenishment of greens.

We do expect to see more of the Vuyelas, scavengers and hopefully a few leopards. The night vision camera used by Rogan Kerr is giving our team fantastic insight into the mysterious nocturnal behaviour of animals in their natural state.

Ezulwini and the Curious Wild Dogs

Ezulwini is never short of predator sightings in the Balule, and it appears the local pack of wild dogs is quite sedantry, which is unusual given the time of year. Either way, the team at Ezulwini aren’t complaining ! Angele from River Lodge has been hard at work ensuring guests are welcomed into the festive season with a bit of cheer (she’s been slaving away at making Christmas themed biscuits). Now that the landscape is displaying the typically emerald vegetation synonymous with summer, Ezulwini surrounds have really come alive. The plains game and giant herbivores continue to provide consistent sightings while out on game drive – and they’re loving the abundant greens and availability of water.

Umkumbe and the Mating Leopards

A few weeks ago the stellar Sabi Sand guides at Umkumbe Safari Lodge delighted us with their reports of a caracal on a scrub hare kill. This week guide Shaun spotted a rather rare black-bellied bustard just strutting down the gravel road. In true Umkumbe style, leopards were also spotted. Guests were treated to a sighting of the White Dam male and Mashutu female mating. Let’s hope there are cubs on the horizon!

Walkers and the Endless Sightings

Walkers Bush Villa is a hot topic at the moment ! Discerning guests and small groups are suitably impressed with all that has to offer; but it’s not only the villa side of things that’s impressive. Game drives are always successful – it is the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve after all ! Recently Shirell and Charles hosted a delightful 60th birthday party which was a rip-roaring success. Not only did the group see the Black Dam male lion (who seems to be hanging around a lot), but saw leopard a few times and plenty other wildlife.

A highlight over the past week was the sighting of the Giraffe Pride tucking into a hearty meal of giraffe. The scavenging crew descended upon the area in no time at all, ensuring they also got a piece of the action !

Chacma and the Jackal Pups

Em reported that the traverse around Chacma is thriving with new life since the rains. The waterhole in front of the camp is brimming with wading birds and summer migrants. One of the Maseke male lions was recently spotted getting up close and personal to one of the game viewers – clearly the lions in the Maseke don’t see the vehicles as a threat. A lone leopard has recently made an appearance in the dead of night, and it’s not the first the beauty has been spotted. She has a cub on the traverse, which is fantastic news for the future of Chacma’s big cats.

The emphasis this week has been on the active jackal den site in the area. There are 5 pups to have emerged from the den site, all scurrying around and exploring their new found freedom.

Lorna Hired Out Walkers Bush Villa for her 60th. Here’s What Happened.

The ever-efficient Shirell dropped us line about the rip-roaring success of a 60th birthday party held at the exclusive Walkers Bush Villa, a haven for discerning guests. The guests stayed at both River Camp and the bush villa. Wonderful Walkers offers a luxury safari experience with a difference. You hire out the entire villa, and tailor-make the safari experience to suit your needs. It goes without saying that you will enjoy the standard activities synonymous with a safari, but there’s ample opportunity to provide value add-ons for your group. Lorna Davis’s group enjoyed incredible game drives led by Charles Delport and exceptional hosting from Shirell and the team. Charles over delivered in terms of sightings – the big five were seen on more than one occasion. Leopards were in abundance, and the Black Dam male lion hovered around the fence line during their last dinner session.

In true festive style, the group enjoyed sundowners, parties, boma dinners and even massages. Lorna arranged for a local spa facility to come to the villa for spa treatments (yep – Walkers can arrange that).

Here’s a summary of the safari 60th and the entire guest experience. this is what you can expect should you hire out a luxury safari villa for your birthday.

Guests saw all of the big 5, including 3 different leopard sightings. The big 5 were seen a couple times over. The huge herds of elephants have returned to the property, and there are also high concentrations of buffalo roaming across the landscape. Guests were lucky enough to be in the presence of giants during the 60th birthday safari!
On the last evening, the effervescent group decided to have a formal dinner set-up on the verandah. During the mouthwatering mains, the Black Dam male lion was heard bellowing into the night. Charles and Shirell went to go locate him, and asked the group if they’d like to see him. The group team jumped up mid-meal for the perfect visual of the dominant male of the Walkers traverse. When the group returned, Black Dam followed suite and decided to hang out around the fence of the villa ! What a send off for the A-team of guests.
Shirell and Charles really enjoyed the company of this very busy group. Lorna even arranged massages for the group. Shirell ensured that the spa beds were set-up in her office on a semi-permanent basis.
This was a successful 60th birthday bash, but Walkers is perfect for any type of party.
The group booked out River and Walkers, and all enjoyed combined dinners. There was formal dinner and birthday party – what an experience.
Bush walks every morning and game drives every evening were the order of the day – and obligatory sundowners were enjoyed! .

Walkers Bush Villa is perfect for luxury safari Villa for your birthday. Guests said that it was a life changing experience.

Vuyela Coalition of Lions Gorge on a Gutsy Giraffe

A coalition of 5 male lions and 1 lioness happen to be the talk of the town in the southern stretches of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve. The strapping and dominant presence of the lions has certainly fuelled the rumour mill. That rumour mill clunks into action whenever there’s a sighting – debates and conjecture waft into general conversation, with all parties eagerly trying to establish the origins of the lions. This is par for the course when new lions are regularly seen in an area. Their complex social structures and pride dynamics always require healthy discussion. It is now settled, and the 6 lions that we previously referred to as the “6 Unknown Lions” are called the Vuyela Coalition of lions. The Vuyelas seem to be experts at taking down giraffe and have been spotted on 7 different kills since Spring time. Today, we’re sharing images from the Vuyela’s recent gorge fest on a gutsy giraffe.

So why Vuyela? In Shangaan, Vuyela means “to return”. These lions have returned time and time again to Africa on Foot; and we hope they are here to stay. We’d like to see a coalition firmly entrenched in this part of the Klaserie, because in reality there’s a lack of commitment from lions wanting to establish themselves. Since the Trilogy coalition, Ross Pride and Ross Pride Breakaways, we’ve not really seen “local” leos. We need lions to create a kingdom and settle into the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp traverse.

If you take time to scroll and stalk the Sun Destinations, Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp Facebook pages you’ll notice an arsenal of updates about an “unknown pride of 6”. Those posts are about the recently named Vuyeleas. In due course, we’ll get our guides and videographer to delve into the history of the pride and give their take on the Vuyelas.

Let’s take a little squiz into the past. When the Ross Pride breakaways moved onto greener pastures in lion dreamland up in the sky, it left a space for other lions to move into new territories. The breakaways dominated every pocket of landscape, and certainly took on the role of village bicycle with any wandering males. Over the years they birthed many joyous bundles of fluff, that never saw maturity.

The swaggering Trilogy coalition were the Kings of the traverse, but sadly are no longer around. Of course, the River Pride used to wander across – and still do – but never hung around long enough to stake a claim. The Hercules Pride became more prominent when the kingdoms had no leaders. The Mbiris were also around for a while, and so was the Mapoza male. A couple years back there were also sightings of the Dundee Pride, a mega-pride of 20 lions. Throughout the years, the camps have enjoyed sporadic sightings of a number of lions and prides, which means there are never a shortage of lion sightings.

Dynamics and social structures aside, we just want the Vuyela leos to stay put. Come 2020, are we up for another turbulent and non-committal year of prides and coalitions? Let’s just wait and see !

The Week in Pictures : Wilderness, Rainforest and Coastal Perfection

Well…Haven’t we been a tad bit quiet on the Week in Pictures front? That’s a rhetorical question. We’ve been tightly wrapped in a chrysalis of work and travel, but now we’re back with an elephant-memory vengeance. And we’re most certainly going to make up for lost time with these creative images from our guides and photographers. These are our recent (and favourite) images from our camps and lodges scattered around the pockets of wilderness, rainforest and coastal perfection in southern and east Africa. We’ll continue to update you weekly, and feature the camps that deliver exciting news and recent photographs from the “week that was”. In the meantime, we trust you’ll enjoy browsing through a few of our favourite photos from the past couple of weeks. We owe you a bumper edition, so here it is !

Kruger

5 of our Kruger camps stood out this week in terms of sightings and delivery of memorable images.

Over the past few months a new group/coalition of lions have infiltrated the traverse around Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp. The coalition of 6 (comprising 1 female and 5 males) is seen on a regular basis, and have just recently been named. The new name is the Vuyela coalition, which means “The Return” in Shangaan. The team are still establishing the coalition’s origins and in due course we’ll share opinions, sightings and historical data of this burgeoning group of lions. The most recent sighting

Angele from Ezulwini Game Lodges always has the scoop when it comes to sightings. Normally at the helm of the game viewer, armed with her camera, she always manages to delight us with fresh updates from our luxury Balule lodge. The past few weeks guests at River Lodge enjoyed a plethora of carnivore sightings, with the most notable sighting being that of the African wild dogs tottering about.

The Kudyela lionesses and their cubs continue to dominate the feline sightings, and the mad Machaton’s seem to have returned to their turf. A lone River Pride lioness was located a few hundred metres from one of the suites, contact calling to the rest of her pride on the other side of the river. The presence of lions certainly hasn’t deterred the leopards (which is often the case) and local rosette legends Faka Nchovela, Nkanyi and Chavaluthu came out to play.

The elephants have returned to Chacma Bush Camp, and guests are enjoying watching the herds from the comfort of the patio. The rains have hit the Maseke, and soon we’ll see a replenished landscape and bursts of green popping up everywhere. Interestingly enough, the leopards of Chacma have also started to show face !

Umkumbe Safari Lodge really stole the show with their recent sighting of a caracal on a kill. What a unique sighting for the team! Guide Shaun Atkinson was on the scene, and managed to capture a few crisp and perfect images. Lions were littering the dry riverbed in front of the lodge, while elephant herds traversed the riverbank in front of the pride. Yet another noteworthy sighting from the deck. And the Sabi Sand leopards? Yes – there have been plenty of leopard sightings while out on drive. The lions most commonly spotted on drive with the passionate Umkumbe team include the Othawa male and the Mhangeni lionesses.

All in all, another successful week of contrasting sightings in the Greater Kruger.

Mozambique

Our blissful tropical lodge, Sava Dunes, is Mozambique’s best-kept secret. Located in a remote area between Barra and Tofo, along a pristine stretch of beach, this luxury eco-lodge is most certainly the perfect place for a beach break. Pair it with one of our sister company’s lodges (Rukiya Safari Camp) for the perfect beach and bush holiday!

In Sava Dunes news, the family garden facing cottage is up and running; and adds a nice new addition to the ocean facing cottages. It sleeps 4 people and is ideal for families with teenagers. Whale season was successful, and guests enjoyed plenty of sightings of humpback whales in front of the lodge.

Botswana

Camp Savuti and Camp Linyanti are located in predator central within the Chobe National Park, and even though the Savuti channel is dry, it still enjoys plenty of predator action. Recent highlights from a trip to the Savuti and Linyanti region delivered astounding results.

Uganda

Our Uganda properties are ticking over nicely and our recently released Trails of Uganda packages have proven to be quite popular with eager trekkers. Gorilla Safari Lodge and Crater Safari Lodge are both located in a raw paradise in the heart of rainforests and crater lakes.

Charming Chacma

Richard Brown Says, ” In a quiet corner of the lesser-known Maseke Private Game Reserve waits Chacma Bush Camp, a laid-back luxury oasis in the teeming wilds of the Greater Kruger.”

I’ve visited Chacma Bush Camp on more than one occasion, and each time was an absolute delight. Proprietor Luan Oosthuizen and sidekick Em Gatland endeavour to give guests a deluxe bush experience, without the air of ostentatiousness pervasive in many high-end bush lodges nowadays. This is unapologetically Africa, but served up with a side of luxury.

Chacma is situated in the heart of the raw and undulating 8 000ha Maseke Balule Game Reserve, and you get the feeling that its location wasn’t chosen by accident. At its rear, a rocky koppie (home to a troop of chacma baboons and the odd klipspringer) stands sentinel, while a waterhole in front of the camp attracts an array of wildlife daily, including members of the Big Five. In fact, it’s only the barely visible electric fence surrounding the camp that keeps the elephants from making themselves at home. The outdoor area comprises a lovely lapa, a sparkling pool to cool off in and an inviting deck, complete with comfy sun loungers from which to keep an eye on the waterhole. Meanwhile, the boma is perfect for evening bonfires and traditional braais.

Accommodation consists of three comfortable chalets largely of stone and thatch, which blends seamlessly into their rocky environment. The spacious Klipspringer suite accommodates a family of six and comes with one of the ultimate bush novelties – an outdoor shower; the Grysbok suite is ideal for families with two separate rooms: the master perfect for Mom and Dad, while the other smaller room with bunkbeds is great for the munchkins; and the Steenbok, which sleeps a further three adults and is closest to the waterhole with a well positioned deck providing front-row seats to the frequent big-game action that the water source attracts.

Days at Chacma are tranquil and easy. You could also tailor them exactly to your mood on any given day. When you feel like a world-class game drive in one of the most game-rich areas in Africa, guided by the crème de la crème of game rangers, just let the managers know… Expect to see lion, plenty of elephant, rhino, cheetah, a diversity of antelope, buffalo and even leopard. The Maseke and Balule reserves share unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park, which means there’s no end to the list of game one might spot on drive. Also keep your eye out for the wonderful diversity of birds on show here, from herons, kingfishers and plovers to a kaleidoscope of robins, chats, coucals and, of course, various raptors prowling the skies.

Game drives might deliver you to any number of spectacular viewpoints dotting the reserve where either a morning coffee or a sundowner can be enjoyed, including one on the banks of the gushing Olifants River where rows of crocs bask on the banks and bloats of hippos wallow in the shallows.

Of course, if you were so inclined, you could also opt to sleep in and slowly make your way down to the glassy pool for a mid-morning swim and a lazy tanning session on one of the sun loungers before breakfast is served.

Late afternoons hold more of the same, and you can almost be guaranteed that your evening drive will serve up a whole different menu of game than the morning’s, including the possibility of spotting shy critters such as civets, servals, leopard, hyena and even aardwolf if you’re very lucky. Bush sunsets here are simply staggering, especially when viewed from a particular outcrop that overlooks the green undulations of the reserve, and a big waterhole at the foot of it.

Arriving back from your evening drive, dinner is an event in itself, especially on those boma braai days, when a selection of meat is cooked to succulent perfection over sizzling coals.

Chacma’s staff will never let you want for anything during your stay; they’re at your every beck and call and the camp managers also happen to make for excellent, knowledgable company, with a repertoire of funny bush tales that will have you slapping your knee late into the night.

It’s a wonderful bush escape far removed from the busy roads of the Kruger. It’s never over crowded, with no more than two vehicles at any given sighting, and sometimes just one. It’s private, secluded, and ideal for those looking to recharge, destress and rewild.

For those seeking a little more adventure, check out Africa on Foot Wilderness Trails, a thrilling and thoroughly informative three-day walking safari through the same reserve, with mobile camps pitched in a different location each night.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge Spots 2 Cheetah on a Steenbok Kill

Shaun Atkinson, one of the guides from Umkumbe Safari Lodge, is certainly a good luck charm when it comes to spotting big cats. Come to think of it, most of the guides at Umkumbe enjoy prolific cat sightings. A combination of bushveld experience and knowledge of animal behaviour – and good luck – stands them in good stead when it comes to finding the cats of the Sabi Sand. The reserve is rife with leopard activity at the moment, and even the hefty lions are also showing off their tawny bodies and inimitable prowess.

It’s Spring time, which means the reserve is abuzz with activity from vulnerable young ungulates exploring their new environment. The predators gleam with excitement while they wait in the wings for the right time to select an item from the menu. Just recently, 2 cheetah took advantage of the abundant prey sources on offer and selected a sizeable meal from nature’s menu.

The visibility of the cats was 100%, which meant Shaun was able to photograph the sleek speedsters in natural light. Cheetah have a penchant for smaller prey – they simply don’t have the strength to battle it out with feisty prey. They will stalk and approach quarry that is relatively easy to take down. Remember, a cheetah’s modus operandi is speed and not strength. Strength and power are left up to their cat counterparts. This is also part of the reason these cats hunt during daylight hours – to eliminate competition and scuffles with scavengers. Cheetah tend to choose the cooler time of day to hunt – dawn and dusk – because there’s enough light and temperatures haven’t soared through the roof.

These slender cats also tend to hunt as a coalition, which is exactly what we saw happening with these two local felines at Umkumbe Safari Lodge. Game drives with the team from Umkumbe are always successful, and this was no exception. Guides and guests were treated to incredible sightings of a cheetah coalition tucking into a little steenbok kill.