TOP TRAVEL OF THE MONTH

Villa izulu at Thanda Safari is the perfect choice for a getaway with friends and family.

“Welcome ladies,” beamed our ranger, Buselaphi “Buse” Mngomezulu. “You are our angels!” With local tourism just emerging from the restrictions of last year, Buse and tracker Winneth Khumalo had had a hiatus of several days between game drives and were itching to get out into the green lushness of Thanda

Safari, a private game reserve in the Northern reaches of Zululand, Kwazulunatal.

Winneth climbed onto the tracker seat at the front of the 4×4, clad in a hilarious face mask with a picture of a grumpy-looking Grinch on it – though, as we would soon discover, it in no way reflected his warmth and quiet sense of humour. Above his mask, his eyes darted back and forth, constantly on the lookout for animals.

His job was made infinitely easier by the fact that the animals themselves seemed just as keen – after the lull in game drives – to be seen as we were to see them. A dazzle of zebras was waiting for us as we drove out the gates of Villa izulu. The newly-born foals were covered with halos of fluff made luminescent in the afternoon light, but I doubt I will ever look at a zebra again without imaging it with dreadlocks. Buse’s mnemonic device to help us remember the Zulu word for zebra (idube) was to shout “Lucky!” in reference to well-known Rastafarian singer Lucky Dube!

Hey, Baby!

A fair drive away from the baby zebras (thank goodness), we came across another bunch of babies – this time a lively rabble of lion cubs with their mothers. At close to a year old, they were already practising their hunting skills by play-fighting with each other – and occasionally testing the boundaries with the adults, which often resulted in a cuff around the ear. They gambolled and rolled, wrestled each other in the long grass, and nibbled on each other with the boundless energy of youth as the mums snoozed, and we whipped through our memory cards with repeated clicks of our cameras.

Babies were a recurring theme of our trip, as we came across a procession of littlies, from delicate baby impala and strange-looking baby wildebeest (who, as a completely different colour from their parents, look adopted rather than birthed by them), to a pair of cheetah cubs. Though no longer in their adorable fluffy honey badger guise, the semi-adolescent cheetahs were still a thrill to spot.

Perhaps the most endearing of the animal baby brigade are the baby ellies – their loose skin making them look like they have been dressed in oversized PJS they have yet to grow into. Being surrounded by a herd of everwatching adults also gives them the freedom to play – with endearing trumpets, mock charges, and rolls in the mud. We came across a few of these playful pachyderms on one of our game drives, where our vehicle was

surrounded by elephants on all sides, munching on a forest of trees. Among the babies was a particularly small ellie – clearly the most “newly hatched” of the bunch – who found our vehicle a little disconcerting. He squeaked (yes, elephants can squeak), and it was amazing to watch as the adults quickly assembled to form an impenetrable laager around him.

A Luxury Laager

Returning to Villa izulu after each of our game drives had a similar feeling – though instead of being protected from danger, we were cushioned – luxuriously, I might add – from the stresses of daily life; and done so not by elephants, but by a bevvy of wonderfully warm and welcoming staff.

Executive chef Catherine Garden fed our tummies and our souls with a procession of meals that just got more and more delicious and – unusually for game lodges – in portion sizes that did not leave us rolling out the door at the end of our stay! Her light and fresh lunches were particularly welcome in the characteristic sticky Zululand heat, while we all clamoured for recipes of her various cakes and desserts.

All of this was served up to us by the ever-smiling Phumi Nsimbi (who, incidentally, finds frogs terrifying but once shared a room with a snake!) while Linda Gumede (team leader) and Wonderboy Mngomezulu (butler) were always available for anything else we might need. I have no idea what that could be, though, as we were well and truly pampered in every way.

There are three accommodation options at Thanda Safari – the nineroomed Safari Lodge, the Tented Camp of 15 luxury tents, which is used for special events (see sidebar), and the fiveroomed private villa of the owner, Villa izulu, which is available on a sole use basis, making it perfect for groups of family and friends. We were lucky enough to stay at the latter. With king-sized beds and wallow-worthy bathtubs, balconies looking out onto the bush on one side, or the lush garden and inviting pool on the other, Villa izulu truly is an oasis. Both literally and figuratively, I could not help thinking as I bobbed around my private plunge pool (the added benefit of pulling the long straw and getting the master suite), with a refreshing glass of cola tonic in my hand, while watching a family of warthogs rolling in the mud of the nearby waterhole.

It’s All About Perspective

On our last evening at Thanda, Buse and Winneth took us for sundowners atop a ridge overlooking the reserve. A spectacular sunset added to the magic, as did the opportunity to see Thanda from a different perspective. Much like the magnificent view, the travel restrictions of last year have given South Africans a different way of viewing our country. We are truly a world in one country, with so much to explore right here on our doorsteps, with arguably some of the best game viewing opportunities on Earth. I know I, for one, will never take this for granted again, and if you feel the same, be an angel and book a trip to Thanda – both the animals and staff are eager to meet you!

For more information, visit www.thandasafari.co.za.