As if out of a movie, we were treated to a luxury African bush experience at the world renowned Sabi Sands Game Reserve. This has been a lifelong dream of mine ever since I became enamoured by both wildlife and travel shows showcasing the spectacular natural beauty that our country has to offer. Two nights at Simbambili Game Lodge - party of the luxury Thornybush Safari group - and situated in the Sabi Sands which now forms part of the greater Kruger National Park.
We flew into Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA), directly from Cape Town, taking advantage of FlySafair’s new direct route, which comes at a fraction of the price of the Hoesdpurit flights. I had heard that the road to the lodge is not great, so opted to book a transfer rather than hire a car. Best decision ever! Thornybush organised our transfer through Eastgate Transfers. The driver, Clifford, was waiting for us as we landed and we hopped into his air conditioned vehicle where we were offered cold water. Clifford made the 3 hour drive so much more interesting by telling us about the areas we were driving through, along with the history and cultural information. What a treat!
We arrived at Simbambili Lodge just after 3pm and were welcomed by the friendly staff who made us feel like we were some sort of celebrities. We were offered a refreshing towel and welcome drink before being escorted to our thatched bungalow, where the staff had set aside some delicious food for us since we missed lunch.
To say that our room was luxurious would be an understatement. It had everything we could possibly need. Except a TV - something that has intentionally been left out of such luxury resorts. Not that we needed any entertainment - we had our own private viewing deck, complete with sala bed, sun loungers and a plunge pool!
The itinerary was jam packed but it was our choice whether to participate in all the activities on offer. If we had more time we would have enjoyed a bush walk and a spa treatment but since we only had 2 nights, we stuck to the game drives and the very generous meals. We met our guide, Mike, and tracker, Chris, over high tea before heading out on our first afternoon game drive. Mike asked what was on my wish list and I instantly said ‘to see a leopard’. Leopard being the only one of the big 5 I had yet to see in the wild, and one of my favourite animals. I know that Sabi Sands is famous for leopard sightings but I also know that this is the real bush where there are no guarantees as the animals do as they please and it just depends on the day. Not 5 minutes out of the camp and we stumble upon not one but two leopards. The male leaopard, Tortoise Pan (TP) of Wild Earth fame, and his newest mate, Makomsava. Yes this is incredibly rare. The pair were on somewhat of a honeymoon, and were in the midst of a lengthy on and off mating session. They didn’t seem fazed by us at all so we got to witness this incredible pair within arms reach for over half an hour. I can’t explain the privilege of this and how surreal it all felt.
After leaving the pair we continued to see a magnificent heard of elephants, complete with a weeks old calf. Later on the drive we happened upon another female leopard, Tiyani, who had recently had a pair of cubs which she had securely left at a neighbouring camp while she went in search of the baby daddy - none other than the mating male leopard, TP! This was a drama straight out of an animal soapie. It did not escalate in a fight but she did scare off the female so that put an abrupt end to the honeymoon and we were incredibly fortunate to have witnessed it before the pair dispersed.
Following an eventful game drive we were welcomed back to the lodge with a welcome drink before being escorted to the boma for a barbecue dinner complete with singing and dancing by the staff. What a wonderful an authentic experience, dining under the stars by firelight. We also got to dine with our guide, along with the other guests, which was a wonderful experience.
After a restful sleep we had a 5:30am wake-up call before having coffee and rusks at the main lodge and then heading out for our morning game drive. Some may think it’s too early to wake-up on holiday but getting up to go and view wild animals is somehow a bit more enticing than waking up at the same time for work. While the days were warm, the morning was chilly but they had us covered - literally. The vehicles were equipped with warm blankets and hot water bottles. They thought of everything!
On the morning drive we once again saw an incredible herd of elephants grazing peacefully when suddenly as if out of the blue they started trumpeting and all frantically making their way somewhere. It was both incredible and terrifying at the same time. We didn’t tanks if they’d been spooked by something or seen something but when the guide knew we were safe he followed behind in our vehicle and he saw that they were having some kind of reunion. When elephants are excited or stressed their temporal glands leak which looks like they’re have tear marks running down the sides of their faces. All the elephants at the reunion had this, even the babies. It was a sight to behold. After greeting their long lost heard member they went back to grazing peacefully as if nothing had happened, although the tell tale ‘tear marks’ remained. Our guide explained that elephants have very descriptive body language and that he can read if an elephant is upset or angry and he knows exactly when to back off. This put my mind at ease as these monstrous animals could easily tip over our car at any time, but they were not bothered by us one bit.
The next majestic herd we came into contact with was the largest herd of buffalo I had ever encountered. Well over 300 completed this herd, creatures of all ages from light coloured babies to elderly animals whose horns had fallen off. Once again our guide Mike explained that when buffaloes are in a herd they are not a threat. It’s when one encounters a lone male who has broken off from the herd that one needs to be concerned because they are the grumpy ones and cause more human deaths than any other of the big five. I could never have imagined that I would feel so at ease in the middle of a herd of hundreds of creatures each weighing up to 900kg, but just like the elephants I felt totally at peace. Not in a small part thanks to my total confidence in Mike and his vast wildlife knowledge and experience. Even if I’d been on hundreds of game drives I know that with Mike I would learn something new each and every time.
The rest of our trip was similarly fascinating, exhilarating and relaxing at the same time. We were spoilt by a surprise private dinner on our deck on the second night and on the morning we left we enjoyed a breakfast in the bush. That roosterkoek is something I will be dreaming about for a long time.
After a captivating two night stay it was time to leave Simbambili. We were sent off with the same care as we had arrived. With promises to be back, our first holiday as a couple since becoming parents had come to an end. While I felt like I could easily have stayed for weeks, at the same time since becoming a mom I longed to get back to my daughter. My dream is to bring her back when she’s old enough to enjoy it and many more times after that too.
Simbambili and the other Thornybush camps offer special rates for South African citizens. You can check out their website for details. thornybush.com
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