Our African Safari
In April of this year my wife and I traveled to South Africa for a life-changing adventure - an African Safari. It really wasn’t a “Bucket List” item for either of us. Some good friends (the husband was a college classmate) who had already been on a safari were going again. And they encouraged us to join them.
An important factor in making our decision was the fact that our trip leader was also my college classmate. “Pete” had made many trips to Africa, and he had a wealth of information about travel, African history, safaris in general, customs, and even the native animals. He had organized and led many safaris, inviting 4 couples to join him and his wife - so he and his wife would experience everything we did. Obviously, this gave us a lot more confidence in the arrangements he made! After some consideration we decided to do it; when would we ever have this fortunate combination of events again? This was probably a true once-in-a-lifetime trip.
The other clear benefit for me was how this simplified the planning process. Normally I am the planner in the family regarding travel. On this trip all I had to do was get us transportation to Johannesburg and back home. Once we landed we put ourselves in Pete’s care.
A beautiful mature male lion up close.
My Planning If I’m flying more than a few times zones away, I always try to arrange a layover enroute, so we don’t show up for our event or destination completely wiped out. We talked about a stop somewhere in Europe to deal with the 6 time zones we would be crossing, and we thought about Munich, Madrid, Amsterdam, and Rome. In the end we chose Istanbul, Turkey. It was a fascinating city to visit, and I intend to write a similar article about that trip. This choice actually opened up a good routing opportunity which saved me a sizable amount of money for airfares. I wanted to purchase business class tickets for the trip due to the long flights, but the costs were extremely high. I did find a very good price on a website called Arangrant (which I had never heard of before) booking us on Turkish Airlines. The best deal came from two separate bookings – Miami to Istanbul and back, and Istanbul to Johannesburg and back.
A giraffe checks us out while he feeds on some leaves.
To be honest I had some doubts about Turkish Airlines, but our actual experience with them was excellent. The planes were modern and roomy (Boeing 777-300ERs and 787-9s), the crews were very friendly and professional, the food and drink were superb, and we even were able to use the fabulous Turkish Airlines business lounge in Istanbul and a smaller one in Miami. In fact, I would say the T.A. lounge in Istanbul is the best lounge I have ever visited.
Health and safety. I checked with my doctor and the CDC website to inquire about shots required for travel to Africa; we were going to South Africa and Zimbabwe. I also checked in with our trip leader, Pete, who was able to share his experience. In the end we got Typhoid shots and prescriptions for malaria pills. There are several more immunizations to consider, but I recommend you check with your own doctor. For us these were more than adequate.
A beautiful scene with multiple species around.
Clothing. We were advised to travel light and to bring lightweight clothing that would cover us. (Baggage weight limits were similar to US airlines.) As you can imagine, safari clothing needs to give you some sun protection and cover from insects and branches. Better not to wear any bright colored outfits; we had a lot of tan, brown, and beige clothes. Pete told us that some laundry service would be available at the camps. Hats were a good call, too. Mainly for sun protection. Our group had a variety of hats, ranging from bush hats to baseball caps.
Wildebeest
Cameras. Of course you plan on taking lots of photos, but what kind of camera will you need? I got a variety of opinions on that question, but ultimately we took two cameras – my Canon SLR digital camera and my iPhone 14 Pro. I bought a new rubber case for the iPhone that had a neck strap. Trusting now that my phone was relatively “safe”, I gave my wife that phone and camera. I used the Canon. After all the photos were in, in general the iPhone 14 Pro produced the most reliably outstanding photos. I got some superb photos from the Canon (my friends called them “National Geographic quality”) but adjusting for changing light conditions and shutter speed was a real distraction in the heat of battle. Fully automatic mode didn’t always result in great photos. In low light conditions, I never did find the sweet spot of adjustments, whereas the iPhone made the adjustments automatically. I used a 75-300 mm zoom lens which was ideal for bright sun and close-up shots.
Pete with his Nikon and telephoto lens.
A baby Rhino with Mom.
Currency. We brought some US currency, and we withdrew South African Rand from the airport ATM. Be sure to have an ATM card or bank card that does not charge foreign exchange fees. The local currency is handy for small items like tips, and we had been alerted that any laundry charges at the camps would be an additional (but inexpensive) cash fee. We also were planning to leave some tips for the staff which are normally given in cash. On that subject we got three envelopes at the camp for tipping. One for the Guide and the Tracker, one for the housekeepers, and one for the general staff (transportation, meals, etc.) As usual, we were told tipping was entirely voluntary, but we were told what was customary. We felt the amounts recommended were very fair and reasonable. Our service overall was excellent, so tipping was no issue for us.
One final comment on currency – to begin I withdrew roughly $200 USD in Rand for tips and incidentals, knowing that there would be a chance to visit another ATM several days later. At the current exchange rate this $200 USD converted to about 4000 Rand, and the ATM produced four 1000 Rand notes. Unless you want to give a $50 tip, these notes weren’t very helpful. I recommend getting 50- and 100-Rand notes at the airport/bank. For us that was about $2.50 and $5 respectively. Finally, small bills in US dollars are handy as well. You can get them in the US to avoid ATMs, and Greenbacks are welcomed anywhere.
A crocodile on the shore of the watering hole. We saw a variety of animals at this location.
Itinerary. In this article I will focus on the safari camps, but we did have two significant additional stops on this trip: Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Cape Town, South Africa. Both are worthwhile trips in their own right. If/when you visit hotels and restaurants in Africa, I recommend using your bank credit card that avoids foreign exchange fees; there’s no need to carry around a lot of cash. That’s also true of a safari trip; you will likely get good use of a bank card with no exchange fees.
A leopard on the prowl moves by our vehicle.
The Safari Camps. Our group of 10 met at the Intercontinental Hotel at Johannesburg Airport the morning we were to start. Almost all of us had arrived the day before, and we met over dinner at the hotel to compare notes and discuss our upcoming adventure. (My wife and I took a private trip on arrival day to visit the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. The hotel arranged a driver and car for us, and we felt it was a very worthwhile stop.)
The first safari day began early after breakfast at the hotel. We walked across the street to the airline terminal and took an AIRLINK flight to Hoedspruit. It was about a 90-min flight, and we arrived at a very small terminal. Pete had arranged a minivan with driver who took us all on a 2-hour drive over rough roads to our first camp, The Nkorho Bush Lodge. This is a component of a 153,000-acre area called Sabi Sand which contains about 40 similar private camps. The area adjoins the huge Kruger National Park, and there are no physical boundaries or barriers between the areas; the animals are free to roam as they please.
Very comfortable cabins at Nkorho Bush Lodge.
Interior of the cabin.
Tub, sink, and two showers.
When we arrived, we were greeted by the staff and taken to our individual cabins. These were very well furnished and comfortable villas with air conditioning, a king-size bed, an indoor and an outdoor shower, a small deck, and WI-FI. No tents in the jungle for us! In addition, there was a nicely designed clubhouse with a dining area, a bar, a small pool, and yes, even a wine cellar. Any fears we had about roughing it in the boonies drifted away. But to quickly bring us back to reality, we were advised not to go outside at night without a staff escort, and to exercise caution whenever we were outside, especially alone.
Bags were unpacked, a delicious lunch was served, and we were told our first “game drive” would start at 4 pm. We had time to rest, assemble any clothing or gear we needed for the game drive, and ready our cameras. At 4 pm the 8 new adventurers gathered looking eager but a little nervous. We met our guide and driver, Pieter, and our tracker, Chris, who gave us a short safety and overview briefing before we headed out. A couple of important rules were passed along; no leaving the vehicle; no flash photography; no loud noises or fast movements in the vehicle; and no standing up. All of this was to avoid startling the animals – we were going to be very close to lions, leopards, and potentially dangerous situations. Listen to the guide, keep quiet, and no standing up. Don’t forget to breathe.
Two guides and our tracker discuss fresh tracks. Typical vehicle shown on the trail.
The Game Drives. Off we went in a vehicle resembling a Hummer without a top. There were three rows of seats (3 across), a fourth row for the driver/guide and a passenger seat, and another seat which extended out the left front of the vehicle for the tracker. Perfect for our party of 10! The tracker would occasionally signal for the vehicle to stop, and he would hop out to look at tracks in the road or evidence of recent wildlife in that location. It was amazing to me how many times he would say something like, “several lions were here recently – they headed west.” We would attempt to locate them, and more times than not we would catch up to the ones we were tracking.
Leopard with a fresh kill. Hyenas and vultures were watching nearby, waiting for their turns.
A hyena aware of the kill.
In an attempt to lower our expectations, we had heard that sometimes the game drives come up dry – no game to spot. This definitely was NOT our experience. On 12 separate drives we saw dramatic wildlife every time. Our first spotting was of a leopard feeding on a fresh kill of an impala. We drove up within 15-20 yards from the leopard, and it concerned itself with feeding, not with us. Ahead of us 50 yards or so was another vehicle which our guide identified as a National Geographic camera crew; apparently they broadcast live and recorded animal action on their website. We noticed that all of the guides we saw had radios, and they cooperated in locating game. They also seemed to coordinate their movements, so that no one live game spotting turned into a free-for-all. Normally we would stay at a live sighting 30 mins or so, to give us plenty of time to observe and to take photos before leaving the area.
A pride of lions on the move. You can see five in this photo.
Our daily routine was a 5 am wake-up call and a 5:30 am departure for a game drive. We had time for a quick cup of coffee or tea, and then we were off. In April the mornings were chilly, and jackets were needed. By mid-morning the temperatures approached 75 degrees or so. Most of us had a backpack or some container for water bottles, cameras, jackets, etc., and they were very useful. Both camps provided us with souvenir water bottles to use for our drives. Aside from the pursuit of game, we stopped during the three-hour game drive for a short coffee break out on the trail. And yes, there was a chance to visit nature privately – our guide pointed to areas, ladies over here, men over here.
So, we returned to camp around 8:30 when breakfast was ready. All of the meals we had were wonderful. There was a full-time chef at each camp, and meal quality was outstanding. For breakfast fresh fruit, muffins, breads, cereals, and eggs to order. Lunch was served at 2 pm, usually sandwiches, salads, soups, fruits, and a light dessert. Dinner was usually around 8 pm, with restaurant quality entrees of all variety. Both camps easily accommodated my wife who is a vegetarian. The camps surprised us with some meals in the field, which were very well received. They set up tables and chairs, lighting, a field bar, and a buffet line which was impressive. We all wondered about security out at night in the field, but we were assured that we were safe. Actually we never saw any animals close to the group during the night meals in the field.
Dinner in the field.
Elephants are enormous animals usually moving slowly. We were surprised to see one stand on his hind legs and rip off a tree branch from a great height. He then ate the leaves and the branch.
Highlights of our safari. It’s hard to describe how overwhelming the whole experience was. From your very first animal sighting you felt as if you were in a Hollywood epic film. We got very close and could “sense” the animal world we were in. The animals were aware of our presence, but since they had seen many similar vehicles in their lifetimes, we didn’t pose a threat to them. Our guides told us that out here you are either predator or prey, and if you get out of the vehicle you enter the food chain. For me that was enough incentive to follow the rules.
The Elephant Encounter. There were many memorable moments, but two episodes were truly special and worth describing. The first was when we were approached by a herd of elephants. We had been driving slowly along a dirt trail, and suddenly we saw several large elephants coming our way. The guide told us to be still, and he stopped the vehicle. Elephants kept coming towards us, and I never knew the exact count, but I personally counted 16. Others said there were more just out of sight. We saw several smaller young elephants with the group including about three “babies” – very small miniature elephants. They were playing and moving quicker than the huge lumbering parents. These babies could walk upright under the mature elephants and never touch their bellies. They also seemed curious when they saw us.
A large protective elephant getting between us and the babies. In the lower right corner you can see a hat and sunglasses. She was CLOSE.
Before we knew it, we were completely surrounded by the herd, not in a threatening way but as they moved, they moved close by us. Many of them were feeding on trees and grasses, but as one baby came towards us to investigate, a large mature animal stepped immediately in front of the vehicle and stared us down. It was a scary moment. Nobody moved, nobody talked, and few of us were breathing. We were getting signals……. ”don’t even think about touching these babies!” This huge elephant continued to stand and stare at us, and I could see the little one move on across the front. I was spellbound, and I haven’t stopped talking about it since. “Magical” was the word I felt best described the encounter. Several of us talked about it later and described it as moving and emotional. Ten minutes passed and all the herd was moving past us. We were leaving their world and rejoining the human race.
Lion Pride on the Hunt. Another very exciting moment was watching a small lion pride on a hunt. The lions we saw always seemed to be on the alert and searching for prey, unless they were sleeping or resting. But we saw several active hunts during the game drives. Our group leader, Pete, posted a photo and a write-up on Facebook of one hunt that he described so perfectly that I asked for permission to use his words verbatim. Here they are:
This lioness is one of a trio we encountered twice. The morning of this pic the three had full bellies when we encountered them walking next to the road. Even so, when they came upon a "Dagga Boy" (a lone Bull Cape Buffalo) they immediately fanned out into an ambush.
Lions are cooperative, tactical hunters. Typically, one lion will hold the prey's attention until the others are in position, then try to get the prey running. A second will join in, herding the prey toward the ambush point, and the third, hiding at the ambush point, will pounce when the prey gets close enough. Usually, however, lionesses need the participation of a big male lion, with his much greater power and weight, to even consider taking on a formidable Cape Buffalo in his prime.
The African Cape buffalo takes a defensive position as the lions circled him.
When the lions were only 30-40 feet from the bull buffalo, he became aware of their presence and backed into a thorn bush swinging his horns menacingly. The lions moved around the buffalo as they considered their next move, but only took a minute to decide the risk in attacking the buffalo wasn't worth the effort, especially since their bellies were already full. They ran away toward the river with an almost relieved playful bounce in their steps.
Final Comments. We came home about three weeks ago, and we are still “buzzing” with excitement and telling our stories to anyone who will listen. We have indelible images of the safari which will last forever, and I’m sure we have already inspired some to think seriously about an African trip. As I stated upfront, we had a great advantage by utilizing Pete’s experience and knowledge, and not everyone has access to the same starting point.
But there are many private camps, many safari operators, and many travel agents qualified to provide a first-class experience. My advice would be to research everything carefully. My wife got a book from the library (Fodor’s Travel The Complete Guide to African Safaris) which had a wealth of useful information about safaris. I have barely scratched the surface in this report; there are other countries and locations to consider, more elaborate itineraries, and more options to research. Cost is certainly a factor, but accommodations, meals, safari duration, and extras can be tweaked to tailor exactly what you need. Take your time choosing an agent or safari operator, and resist jumping on the first one that looks like a good deal. Your research and planning will make a huge difference.
