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...

Our South African Safari - Part 1

Well no one got eaten by a lion so we're back in Ghana safe and sound. We had a fantastic time on our 5 day African safari! Dan and I flew out on Friday night, getting to Johannesburg early on Saturday morning. My parents had flown from the US to Cape Town earlier in the week and spent a few days there enjoying that beautiful city and adjusting to the time change. We met at the Johannesburg airport and took a small plane over to Skukuza airport in Kruger National Park, where we were picked up and driven to our first lodge.

We spent the first two nights at Rhino Post Camp within Kruger Park. You can self-drive through Kruger but you have to stay on specific roads and can only be in the park for certain hours. The rangers who work at the camps can take many more dirt roads that go off the main drag, giving you a greater opportunity to see more animals. Additionally, the guides share a radio/walkie talkie station so if one finds a pride of lions, they'll let the others know so you can come see it too.

The schedule during the day was pretty standard at both lodges we stayed at. Wake up call was at 5:30am, then people met for coffee and muffins before hopping into the vehicle. About an hour and a half in we'd stop and stretch our legs and have a coffee, then get back in for another hour or so. We arrived back at the lodge around 9:30 or 10am for brunch. After brunch you had the afternoon to yourself until 3pm. We gathered again for some light bites before getting back into the vehicles. We'd drive until sundown and then stop for a beer or a glass of wine and some snacks and enjoy the sunset. Then back in the car for another hour or so to see if we could find any animals hunting. Drinks were at 7:30pm and dinner was served at 8pm. After dinner most people went back to their cabins to crash and prepare for the next 5:30am wake up call.

Rhino post had a really cool "common area" for lack of better term. They had a fire pit and a small bar that backed up onto a river bed that had dried up. So you could just sit there and watch the animals walk by. Each cabin room also had a patio that faced this so you could relax in the afternoon and watch impala, elephants, monkeys, buffalo, etc walk right by your room.

Sand pit/watering hole from the common area of  Rhino Post.

A family of elephants and some buffalo spending the afternoon

Elephants at a watering hole during our first sunset in Kruger

The evening drives were less fruitful than the morning drives, in our opinion. The morning drives brought more excitement as we saw different animals than the ones that frequented our lodge's watering hole. We saw giraffes, rhino, a pride of lions, a leopard, and a few zebra. Our driver was very experienced and we had a really great time. We were so successful in our first two days that we couldn't fathom how the second lodge could be any better than this one... it was. But you'll have to wait til the next post. 

A rhino crossing in front of our vehicle (excuse the windshield wiper curve)

Sunset on the second/last night in Kruger