Lions and leopards and elephants and ... oh my!

New friends: baboons passing in front of our lodge, and a shy but curious baby hippo

This blog will probably be far too long and may have too many pictures, but there’s just so much to tell. For both of us, it was such a different experience that we really want to document everything so you, our beloved family & friends, can feel free to fall asleep whenever you must. We’ll wake you again when it’s time for the 3 hour slide show!!

Our safari at the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve just outside the Kruger National Park has to be the most different and exciting experience of our adventure to date. Our flight from Cape Town to Kruger National Park via Johannesburg was your everyday 1 ½ hour domestic flight. At Kruger, however, we were met by a representative who then took us to our smaller plane – a 10 seater, but we were the only two passengers on it. Mike (pilot) and Jim (co-pilot) greeted us, had our luggage put on board and off we went for a 30 minute flight to Sabi Sands. It was a fun flight, but admittedly in such a small plane each little air pocket that bumped us around chipped away a bit at my comfort zone. No worry! Arrived at the Sabi Sands airstrip and were met by Lucky, our tracker for the next 2 days. MUST attach a photo of a giraffe which was the first animal we saw just on the way from the airstrip to the Leadwood Lodge. This guy was at least 12 feet tall and when he walked so close to our Land Rover I had to take a photo of the top half and then the bottom half. This was the introduction to an incredible safari!!

When we reached the lodge which, by the way, only handles 8 guests a night in 4 bungalows, we were met by the manager and another staff member who greeted us by name and offered cool face towels and cold lemonade. After sitting together and chatting about our schedule for the next couple of days, and explaining that we could have any meal either on the patio of our bungalow which was by our private pool; at a table in the main outside area, or in the “tree house”, she also said that we would have tea at 4:00 p.m. and our first drive from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. And then she took us to our bungalow which is probably half the size of our home in Phoenix. All rooms – living area, bedroom, and bath (bigger than either of ours in Phoenix) looked out directly to the reserve, as did the private swimming pool (what else would one expect??) We decided that we could be happy there !

At 4:00 we met with our ranger, Keri-Ann, Lucky, the tracker, and the one other couple that was ready for the drive that afternoon. Keri-Ann not only knows her animals, but knows where to find them. Everyone is supposed to see the “Big Five” – elephant, lion, leopard, hippo and water buffalo, and yes, we checked those blocks. But there was so much else to see besides them that we had trouble keeping track of them all. She would say, “OK, lions were spotted here, so let’s go look at them.” Then in coordination with 2 vehicles from other nearby lodges we would go find them – Lucky would read the signs and tracks; Keri would use a combination of intuition and area knowledge; and by gosh we would come upon them. Lions were easy – apparently they were used to non-threatening people in land rovers and would just yawn or ignore us as they ambled by almost in arms reach.

The leopards in the area were young males and were more skittish. They were still getting used to observers and didn’t enjoy being around us, so headed off for a less beaten track, only after again coming very closely by us. We can tell you that we saw them all, and learned to appreciate their beauty in the wild, natural environment in which they belong.

We returned to our digs that night to learn the dinner location decision had been made for us – it would be in our bungalow. Turns out that this staff, too, had been told of our anniversary and were going to continue the celebration. Champagne and dinner by candlelight was set up on our deck overlooking the preserve and our “private butler”, Aarone, came at the appropriate time bearing appetizer, then entrée (Rance had a filet and I had duck breast), and finally sumptuous desert. Truly unforgettable and NOT what we had expected from “the bush”. Must mention that the staff had also filled the big tub with warm water and oils and had surrounded it with tea lights on the floor. Unfortunately, I didn’t even notice that the tub had been filled until I had removed all make-up, brushed teeth, and was in nightie for bed. During that process I also stepped into one on the tea lights and covered my foot with wax.

Next day we were awakened at 0515 for coffee and rolls and then off on our morning drive as described above, followed by a full breakfast.

Afterwards we returned to our room to shower (using one of 2 - inside and out – as well, of course, as the big tub), followed by a quiet read on our deck …. Ah, but what was that noise off to the right? Within a few minutes we saw the cause – an elephant moving and munching its way within stone’s throw of where we stood. We decided to follow it as it moved toward the main lodge, and we sat in the tree house to watch it go by, as well as the troop of baboons that came across just beneath us, some ampala (antelope family) and any number of colorful birds. Not much reading went on as we just sat there in quiet bliss and watched the show. Without any prompting from us Aarone set us up there for lunch. And this may shock you, but their wine list was so good that I was forced to forsake the complimentary house wine for a gorgeous shiraz from the same cellar that had swept the awards I had mentioned in the last blog. In case you are concerned for my liver, I saved the rest for dinner, a barbecue with the other two couples in residence under the stars following our afternoon drive.

Before that, however, we had also taken a break during our drive and Lucky and Keri-Ann set up a table in the middle of somewhere – complete with wine, cocktails, snacks, etc. Perish forbid we should be deprived! When we arrived back from our drive, the entire staff greeted uswith traditional song and dance - and a delicious mulligatawny soup to begin the evening meal. We have never been so pampered and cosseted in our lives, with our every wish anticipated and met before we could utter it. Still, as wonderful as the environment and staff were, the stars of the show were the animals, who were kind enough to show themselves to us.