Come with us on a breathtaking safari experience through South Africa.
A South African safari is an experience you must have at least once in life. It’s as soulful as it is indulgent, as wild as it is refined, writes Anna Flanders.
You can’t help but hold your breath as a herd of 30 elephants passes by. Sitting in an open-air vehicle in the soft light of a spring evening, wrapped in a blanket to combat the increasing chill, it’s a magical and soulful experience. The matriarch leads the way as fellow females and their young saunter behind, tearing at branches as they seek to feed their constant hunger. Some glance toward our vehicle and bat their long lashes; others pass with no acknowledgement of our presence despite the camera clicks and obvious awe and excitement of our group. They are so close it’s possible to see into their eyes and breathe in their grassy scent. It’s surprising that despite their size, they make little sound on gravel and stone.
Ten minutes prior however, the sight of a charging bull elephant in musth reminded us these animals are wild. He was ready to fight off other males or destroy anything in his way in order to mate, and we were parked between him and the objects of his desire. He shook his huge ears, secretions poured down his cheeks and a continuous stream of urine spilled down his back legs as he jogged menacingly towards us. Three or four times taller than our vehicle and weighing perhaps seven tonnes, this was an experience of a lifetime and one that left me thankful I was in the care of knowledgeable rangers and trackers.
As hospitable and engaging as they are passionate about their work, the rangers and trackers love to share their knowledge. This is of some comfort when approaching a pride of lions in an open-air vehicle with no gun at the ready for protection. Our guide explains that a lion sees the vehicle and its inhabitants as one large animal that doesn’t smell or sound like prey. Before reaching the lions, the guide (strapped into a seat on the bonnet of the vehicle) slides into the passenger seat. We are told not to make fast movements, talk loudly, stand up or leave the vehicle. If one person stands up, the outline of the vehicle is broken and the lion is likely to investigate (ie eat us). It’s hard to comprehend how the intelligence and olfactory prowess of a lion can’t discern individuals in a car, but after having a wild lion take a sniff only 40cm from my thigh, I can attest they can’t. And, it seems, they are unable to smell fear either…
A South African safari is as luxurious and hospitable as it is raw and unpredictable. It’s also cost-effective. The rand is almost 10 times less than the Australian dollar and the all-inclusive cost leaves you wanting for nothing.
This trip saw us travel to Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, staying in the Great Fish River Lodge on the Eastern Cape and Thanda Safari camp in Zululand. Both are leading privately owned safaris, home to the Big Five (lions, elephants, buffalo, rhinos and leopards), yet each is vastly different in location and experience. The safari timetables, however, are much the same.
We are placed in a group of no more than nine people with a ranger and tracker. Everyone is up before sunrise for a snack before heading out at 5.30am. After tracking and spotting animals and a tea break in the bush, we return at 10.30 am for brunch and free time before heading back to the main building for afternoon tea and another safari at 3pm. After a day-to-torchlight search for animals, which includes a sundowner in a jaw-droppingly beautiful location, we return in time for dinner.
These two safaris pride themselves on an authentic experience. The animals are wild and have had limited interaction with humans other than seeing vehicles appear and disappear during the course of a day. K wand we sprawls across 22,000ha while Thanda covers 14,000ha, so on both safaris the rangers keep in contact with one another while the trackers scan the ground and peer through binoculars to spot wildlife.
Driving dawn, day and early evening through the bush – the dense vegetation of the Eastern Cape or the sparse landscape of Zululand – imparts a certain magic. We witness the brutality of Mother Nature when two cheetahs chase down and devour a springbok; the elegance of the hunted as wildebeest, eland, impala and hartebeest dart into the coverage of trees; the majesty of giraffes as they traverse the land while eating from the treetops. Travellers often say there is something mystical about Africa. They are right, and it’s best experienced on safari.