Safari Part 2 - Sabi Sands and Elephants

On the third day of our South African safari we were driven to a private reserve that borders Kruger called Sabi Sands. Within Sabi are 12-15 private lodges. We stayed at one called Inyati (which is a twist on Nyati, the local word for buffalo). We joined the afternoon game drive and quickly learned that this "private" thing does make quite a difference.

Our driver, George, was featured on the cover of National Geographic in 1999 and clearly knows a thing or two. He not only knew where to find particular animals, but he would drive off the road and get very close to the animals. At first, this was a little unnerving as I was worried they would get scared and charge the vehicle but they could not have cared less about us being there. He would drive around to get a different angle for better photo opportunities... this clearly was not his first rodeo. We saw many of the same animals we had seen in Kruger but much closer. Some walked so close to the car that I probably could have pet them if I wasn't concerned with losing a hand.

A rhino who walked over to wish my dad a Happy Birthday

The elephant also sent birthday wishes 

(that's my dad's hand/iPad on the right for perspective)

A leopard on our last morning drive

Momma and baby cheetah. Apparently the mom had lost a cub

a few days earlier in this area and came back to see if it was still alive.

After we left Sabi Sands, we spent one night at a place called Oliver's in White River, not far from the airport where we would depart the following day. Oliver's reminded Dan and I of a cottage in Napa. We had one last activity on the agenda, a sunset meeting with some elephants. We learned a lot: how much they eat, how they cool off, and the saddest fact, most elephants starve to death. They get 6 sets of teeth throughout life and when the last set breaks down and falls out they cannot eat enough to survive, and they die. This particular sanctuary had 6 elephants that we met, and rode for a quick stroll through the park.

Left: My parents on Zizi, Right: Dan and I with Tembo (the biggest one)

That night, the four of us had a really nice dinner in the wine cellar at Oliver's. It was the perfect cherry on top to our well-assembled itinerary (huge thanks to Siyabona Tour company for arranging our entire safari experience). 

We woke up the following morning and started our journeys back home. It was a wonderful trip that we highly recommend. We appreciated have two days in Kruger and then two up close and personal in the private reserve. Three to four days is probably the ideal amount of time. Towards the end of the four days we started to lose appreciation for the experience. You find yourself saying "oh, a rhino" with much less enthusiasm than you did on day 1. We took a ton of photos, had some great meals, and enjoyed some quality family time.

Now to finish catching up on the Tembo-sized mound of laundry we brought home with us. Until next vacation...