Fall in Love with the Wild
A stay at Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve
My first Big Five experiences all happened in Zululand. We stayed in thatched rondavels, got up at the crack of dawn, staked out hides, and ticked a progression of animals off our checklist. I loved those trips, not least of all because of their wild location and the amazing hospitality we received from everyone we met. I have always loved the bush – the sights, sounds, and smells hold a special place in my heart, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief every time I step foot into the vast, open spaces of the South African wilderness.
Irecently returned to Zululand, this time to Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve, and I was reminded once again just why I love this part of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). It is somewhat fitting, as Thanda means “love” in Zulu. As well as reigniting or reaffirming old love affairs with this area and its people, it is guaranteed to make even first-time visitors fall in love with everything it has to offer.
PUPPY (OR ELLIE, OR LION, OR GIRAFFE) LOVE
Thanda, which spans 14,000 hectares of bushveld, with terrain that varies between open grassland and rolling hills of thick scrub, is an African Eden. Here, every game drive – or guided game walk – is guaranteed to reveal something worth whipping your camera out for.
We spent our first afternoon watching a pair of lionesses and two adolescent cubs dose off the excesses of a successful hunt, the only remaining signs of which were their rotund bellies and their post-Christmaslunch-type poses – on their backs with tummies in the air and legs akimbo.
On our final afternoon we found ourselves surrounded by a herd of elephants, some so close they almost brushed against the game-drive vehicle, while other young bulls stomped and trumpeted in displays of bravado in between play fighting. It was possibly the most relaxed and playful encounter I have ever had with a herd of ellies – but then again, this is KZN, and “laid back” goes without saying!
Less laid back was the shy male leopard we spent another morning desperately tracking. Notoriously elusive, he at least graced us with a flash of his spots and a twitch of his tail before disappearing back into the thick scrub. Other animals – like towers of stately giraffe and unperturbedlooking buffalo – were more obliging when posing for their mug shots.
AESTHETIC LOVE
It is not just due to the willing models that Thanda is a dream for photographers. Resident pro photographer Christian Sperka runs his own specialised photographic safaris in his fully-equipped game-drive vehicle (the “Green Mamba”). He is also available (by prior arrangement) to offer guests photographic courses – and not just for the pros with the long lenses. We spent an hour with Christian as he gave us a fantastic tutorial on how to take the best possible wildlife pics with only a cell phone camera!
We put our new tips and tricks to good use the following day, when some professional walking guides took us out to explore the reserve on foot. There is something exhilarating and almost primal about being in the bush on your own two legs. As we walked, we came across kudu and nyala grazing, spotted all manner of birds, learnt about a fascinating trap-door spider (although he refused to answer the door when we knocked), and learnt more about some of the area’s indigenous trees, as well as their traditional Zulu uses – to cure all manner of ailments and afflictions.
FAMILIAL LOVE
After all of that excitement, it is comforting to have somewhere welcoming to head home to.
Thanda’s Tented Camp boasts 15 antique safari-style tents scattered in the bushveld. They are far enough away from each other to make you feel like you are completely on your own in the wild – particularly valuable when using the outside shower.
The accommodation is tented, but you would be mistaken if you thought it would be anything like the camping trips of your youth. These are no ordinary tents – for one, they have a front door instead of a tent flap, and for another, the camp cots and sleeping bags have been replaced in splendid fashion with a king-sized bed decked out in puffy duvets
and pillows. An overhead ceiling fan helps to combat the heat – as do the ice-cold drinks in the mini fridge – and a large ensuite bathroom ensures that you are saved the possibility of stumbling into a zebra on the way to the ablutions!
When you have had your fill of lounging in your tent, there is a lovely open-air lounge perched above a waterhole, where you can spend the afternoon watching the animals come and go, in between reading a good book or popping up to the main lodge for a dip in the pool.
FOOD BABY LOVE
Days spent at Thanda fall into an easy rhythm of game viewing, reading, and napping, with the duration of each dictated by a delicious succession of snacks and meals.
Mornings start early with a quick cup of coffee and a yummy home-made rusk, before you set off on your game drive or walk. Drives are punctuated by a morning drinks stop, where more home-baked goodies are served on the front of the game drive vehicle while your guide and tracker make the tea, coffee, and hot chocolate (the latter two going from lovely to divine with a dollop of Amarula cream liqueur).
Breakfast is a hearty al fresco affair, while lunch is light, with a host of salads, venison, and home-made bread or rolls, topped off with something to satisfy the sweet tooth. After your afternoon game drive you return to camp, where you can sit around the fire with a pre-dinner G&T before heading to the dining room for a scrumptious threecourse dinner – and I do not use the word “scrumptious” lightly. As something of a foodie, I have a discerning palate and it certainly was not disappointed on this trip.
On our final evening, instead of heading back to the friendly ladies in the dining room, our guide parked us under a large tree and led us down a short incline, where spread out before us were hundreds of winking lanterns, perched on white linen-covered tables, hung over smoking braais, and placed next to buffet tables filled with food. All of the guests from the tented camp and Thanda Safari Lodge had been gathered together to feast under a Zululand sky filled with stars, surrounded by the sounds of the bush. As we ate our dessert, we were serenaded with traditional Zulu songs, and found it impossible not to get caught up in the enthusiasm of the performers. I looked around at my dining companions, smiling and clapping, and I could see that I was not the only one who had fallen in love with Zululand.
For more info, visit www.thandasafari.co.za.