Travel – Kwafubesi
Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp provides a sure-fire way to stoke the romance
Camping involves a lot of work — from packing everything you’d need, to pitching the tent, and then hoping it doesn’t rain. There’s also that sinking feeling you get when you realise you forgot something important at home. Cue sulky faces and I told-you-sos for the rest of your stay. It’s no wonder that camping tops many people’s lists of “least-favourite activities”. But, a weekend stay at the Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp in the Mabula Private Game Reserve, will turn you into a believer . . . of glam-ping, that is.
Kwafubesi — the place of the Giant Eagle Owl — consists of five opulent canvas tents, with each accomodating two people, set back against the tree line of the Mvubu plain in Waterberg. The 12 000-square metre game reserve is a mere 47 kilometres from the Limpopo Province town, Bela-Bela, 150 km from Pretoria and just over 200 km from Joburg. The best part is that you’ll have every amenity possible, all the privacy you crave, and the chance to relax and connect as a couple in the heart of nature. Here, there were no noisy neighbours with portable satellite dishes, TVs or blaring radios to disturb the peace. Only the Big Five were around after a short game drive away.
HAPPY CAMPERS
To get there, we followed the firm “don’t follow the GPS” instructions and arrived with no major mishap early one Friday afternoon. The region’s first rain of summer went ahead of us, and washed away the dust from the sun-scorched vegetation. We left our car at the Mabula Lodge where we checked in at the reception area, before we were accompanied to Kwafubesi, a 20 minute-drive into the reserve.
On arrival, we received a rich welcome from the staff who, under the watchful eye of manager Sammy Mokwatlo, went all out to make our stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. Refreshed with the help of warm hand towels and frosty drinks, we watched a Woodlands Kingfisher feeding its baby by a nearby tree. Then, we set off to our tent for a short rest, before the afternoon game drive.
Each of the five tents is within reasonable distance from the thatched lapa where guests enjoy their meals. Set on a raised platform with its own deck, each one has a big, comfortable bed surrounded by mosquito net (even though the area is within a malaria-free area), an en-suite bathroom with a huge bath and overhead shower and . . . . wait for it . . . electricity. Yep, that’s the glam-ping part! The safari prop consisted of a two-way radio to communicate with the ranger. After placing our drink orders, we took off on a game drive with our guide, Cyrano Padiachi, who proved to be as adept at describing the vegetation and habits of the animals, as he was at mixing cocktails. But more of that later...
BUSH BABIES
Out in nature, the stress of the city simply melted away. The game drive took us through the biggest area of the reserve, far from the lions housed in the smaller section. We saw the first of numerous warthogs and antelope, and bashful hippos at play, while a crocodile watched from the banks. A rhino mother and her baby put on a “show” while taking a mud bath and a spot of “weightlifting” as the little one tested its strength against a fallen tree trunk. What a special moment that was! But, gamewatching is thirsty work, and everyone welcomed the snacks and drinks. Cyrano decked a small table on the grassy strip, and we stood back and enjoyed a spectacular sunset.
As we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, the Kwafubesi staff had decorated our tent with a trail of tea candles on the wooden floor, bougainvillea flowers on the bed and in the bath, and had prepared a special dinner on the deck of our tent. Under the glow of an oil lantern, we had numerous visits from insects, a tiny lizard and even a praying mantis – we were in the bush, after all. And so, anointed with insect-repellent, we enjoyed a dinner consisting of fresh salad, mouth-watering mains of fish and steak followed by dessert, with the accompanying sound of crickets. Bubbling Kassina frogs later provided a lullaby that lasted long into the night.
The next morning, we got a 5 am wakeup call. Hot tea, coffee and biscuits fortified all the guests before we went in search of the reserve’s elephants. A call on the radio sent us rushing to the smaller part of the reserve to watch three lions stalk a dazzle of zebras. We did find the herd of elephants, later, during the afternoon game drive.
FLEXI-TAINMENT
After a hearty breakfast, we left for the Mabula Lodge where we enjoyed a pampering session in the spa, accompanied by soothing music and crashes of thunder as another welcome thunderstorm pelted the reserve. Driving back to camp, we saw different animals than before, that included giraffes and jackals. We then enjoyed an afternoon high tea before leaving for another animal viewing.
Braais go hand-in-hand with camping. So that Saturday evening, we had plenty of meat, a roaring fire and lanterns, but another rainstorm sent us dashing for the comfort of the lapa. That gave us the chance to hang out with the occupants of the other tents. “You know it’s a great venue when the locals are here,” said a Canadian tourist who was visiting with his son. Everyone agreed that Kwafubesi’s intimate set-up was a tradeup from the usual bush lodge experience. After another restful night, we preferred to sleep in and gave the morning game drive a miss. If game drives are not your thing, you can sign up for horse-riding, a ride on quad bikes or a guided bush walk. And if you just want to laze around the splash pool or the deck of your tent, then those are great options too.
All too soon it was time to say goodbye, to our new friends and the friendly staff, after breakfast. Back at the lodge, we collected our car to head back home, armed with great #Kwafubesimoments of our glam-ping experience.
For more information about Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp, visit www.kwafubesi.com, call them on 011 516 4367 or email: res@extraordinary.co.za