Soaking up roar of the wild
Sibuya Game Reserve a surprise package right on the doorstep, writes Helen Crooks
IT’S not every day that your vehicle is escorted by a herd of graceful, and not at all perturbed, impala to a perfect picnic spot overlooking the Kariega River.
As they fall away, the drive continues through pristine forest and trees adorned by old man’s beard – the acid test for clean air.
Drinking in the scenery, you cast your mind back to earlier in the day, when morning coffee was savoured walking through the veld in the company of five or six curious giraffes.
You realise that you are in a pretty magical place, with the magic beginning the moment you check in to the low-profile Sibuya Private Game Reserve, situated just over an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth and East London – but as far removed from the hustle-andbustle of city life as can be imagined.
Perhaps, surprisingly, since you are going to a game reserve, check-in is at an unassuming house in the village of Kenton-on-Sea – not really the kind of place where you expect to start an encounter with the big five.
However, this unassuming property is where the fun begins.
Instead of the normal transfer to your accommodation by game vehicle, guests are taken on a lazy, insightful boat trip up the Kariega River, home to the endangered pipe-fish – and host to an abundance of birds.
There are kingfishers, egrets, cormorants, oyster catchers, goliath herons – and so much more.
Along the way, well-versed game rangers are quite happy to stop to answer questions and allow photographers time to search for that perfect snap.
Eventually – and perhaps reluctantly – guests disembark at their preferred form of accommodation.
There are three options at Sibuya: two tented camps and, for the less adventurous, the Bush Lodge.
In all instances, accommodation is both wheelchair and elderly-folk friendly, with one member of our party, an 81-year-old German tourist, handling both the boat and game vehicle trips with ease.
As stated, Sibuya is home to the big five so after a quick unpacking session, we set off back down the river again to a landing where a game vehicle awaited us.
We were not to be disappointed. There’s an abundance of buck at Sibuya, including the aforementioned impala, which are not in the slightest bit skittish.
There’s also kudu and white blesbok.
Recently there was a rare birth at Sibuya, when another white animal was added to the burgeoning population – an adorable white buffalo calf.
Back in the present – almost unexpectedly – we spotted a solitary elephant moving slowly, and ever so quietly, towards us through the veld.
We also spotted jackal on numerous occasions which, again, were not bothered at all by our presence.
Somehow the peace and serenity that is Sibuya, echoes through its animals.
We also enjoyed watching a warthog wallowing in a mudbath while, rounding off that day’s viewing, we came across our baby buffalo in the midst of a huge herd, contentedly munching grass in the late afternoon sun.
Spotting two of the big five on our first foray into the forest is, in itself, rewarding – but it was day two of our Sibuya experience that provided game-viewing par excellence.
The day started with a (very) early morning trip back down the river.
Only moments into the ride, we spotted a group of animals, some cuddled up to each oth- er – fast asleep.
We watched as they did the animal kingdom version of yawning and stretching, thrilled to be part of their early morning ritual.
Later we stumbled upon another latest addition to the Sibuya game population: an adorable two-month-old rhino, full of fun and nonsense – and taking her first ever mouthfuls of the verdant grass. Could this be topped? Yes, indeed it could. After a lengthy search we came across a pride of lions, relaxing by a dam.
We watched the cubs at play and then experienced an amazing first – after the lioness relieved herself, the male followed her, much as a dog would mark his territory.
He then tasted the urine – to check, we were told, to see whether she was ready for mating.
Whether she was or not we will never know – but picture a child’s face when fed soggy brussel sprouts and you will have some kind of an idea of the lion’s reaction to the taste.
With that experience fresh in our minds, our two-day stay came to at end, with only leopard remaining elusive.
But as we stepped onto the boat for a leisurely return to Kenton, that did not seem to matter.
Nor did the fact that we had not been near a television for two days. Its absence – and the lack of contact with the real world – made the whole experience even more special.