I’ve always had vivid ideas of what Africa must be like, so I couldn’t contain my excitement during the countdown to my virgin South African vacation. I wanted to know the sound of a lion’s roar, how fast the cheetah runs, and the smell of arid, bushveld air. After my arrival to the domestic airport in Hoedspruit via South African Airways from O.R. Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg), my expedition began!

The Big 5 & more! 

Right outside the Hoedspruit airport, we sighted a pair of giraffes nibbling at the tree tops. We took a bumpy private road transfer (1.45hr) to the Sabi Sands Game Reserve (a famous private game reserve), located adjacent to South Africa’s flagship Kruger National Park.There are no fences between Kruger and Sabi Sands Game Reserve, so the diverse wildlife roams freely between both natural landscapes.

The Sabi Sands is well known for its amazing sightings of leopards (the most elusive animal of the Big 5). This game reserves house many luxurious small guest capacity lodges and day visitors are not allowed in the reserve, hence the exclusivity. We picked this private reserve as the field guides are allowed to drive off-road, something that is strictly prohibited in Kruger. This allows us up-close encounters to track & observe the wildlife.

The Game Drives / Bush Walks 

Game drives are interpretive drives in the bush. You will be seated in specially adapted four wheel drive vehicles, with the purpose of finding wildlife their natural habitat. On a gamedrive you will be accompanied by an armed Field Guide (aka ranger) who has studied the diverse flora and fauna of the area. A “tracker” usually accompanies the Field Guide and he seats in the front seat of the rover with the responsibility of inspecting the the front for (big) game. We were fortunate to be guided by the passionate & knowledgeable Pierre Mouton & his tracker, Vosni during our stay with Simbambili. On foot you get a completely different experience: it is quite nerve-wrecking to approach wildlife without the protection of a car.

A Typical Safari Day

There are 2 game drives daily, with a maximum of 8 guests in the open-top rover. The first drive commences just after sunrise (at 6am until 9.30am) and the 2nd from 3.30pm till 7.30pm (post-sunset). until sunset.

• 05.00 hours: wake up call
• 05.30 hours: coffee / tea / morn snack
• 06.00 Set off on the 1st Game Drive (there will be time midway thru the drive for another coffee session right in the thick of the bushveld & you can also take a natural toilet break).
• 09.30 / 10.00 Customised breakfast back in the lobby
• 14.00 Buffet lunch
• 15.30 2nd Game Drive (midway thru the drive, there will be sundowner drinks at a scenic spot specially chosen by your Field Guide)
• 19.30 Buffet Dinner around the traditional boma (i.e. camp fire), main lobby, destination dinner in the bush!
• 21.00 More wine & drinks
• 22.00 Turn in!

Safari Packing List

• Fast speed camera (and i highly recommend a video camera too!)
• Binoculars
• Sunglasses & sunscreen
• Mosquito repellent (btw Sabi Sands is located within the Malaria zone so do visit your doctor prior the trip for the required malaria pills)
• Warm jacket (the drives are pretty chilly during dawn & dusk especially in the winter months)
• Wear several layers (with long sleeves & long pants)

NB: wear tranquil colours like green, khaki, brown and black so that you do not scare the wildlife away. The lodge would usually equip the rover with warm blankets, warm water bottles and supply of mineral water/snacks.

Safari Donts 

• Dont make sudden movements
• Dont make loud sounds
• Dont stand up in the open-top rovers
• Dont swing your arms/legs out the side of the rovers
• Dont “call” out to the wildlife
• Dont use your cell phones (some poachers are able to hack into your phones GPS to locate the area that you are viewing the wildlife)

Remember, the animals are WILD. Never provoke, antagonize, tempt or scare them.

The Accommodation

Our stay at the Moroccan inspired Simbambili Game Lodge was the perfect plunge into the adventure. Being a full board lodge, all our meals, drinks, 2 game drives/day, 2 bush walks/day and amenities were included in the room-rate, ready and available. There are 8 villas, accommodating 16 guests in total. Each villa is designed with en-suite bathroom, plunge pool and Sala overlooking a watering hole. You can view wildlife visiting the watering hole right from your bed! We were greatly amused by the constant attention from the little vervet monkeys, who scrambled around our patio decks and tapped on our windows! We were spoilt to bits by the staffs’ intimate attention to details and even enjoyed a beautifully set-up private dinner inside our villa. This is a place with unsurpassed luxury.