Going on an African Safari is something that has always been at the top of my dream holidays. Being an animal lover, I could not think of anything more exciting than an opportunity to see the beauty of wildlife in their unspoiled natural habitats. Last month I ‘finally’ got my wish granted when I traveled to my very first African Safari holiday.
We flew from Johannesburg in a six-seater charter aircraft to our destination; andBeyond Ngala Tented Safari Camp, a private game reserve situated by the banks of Timbavati River and bordering the Kruger National Park. The journey took us about one and a half hour (we also had to make two stops to pick up some passengers from other game reserves along the way). Once we arrived we were greeted by two game rangers from the camp; Lee-Anne (who would be our personal ranger for the entire trip) and her partner Dylan. We were immediately struck by the warm welcome and genuine friendliness of both Lee-Anne and Dylan, who chatted to us during the drive back to camp and showed such enthusiasm about our trip that we felt so at ease as if in company of good old friends.
When we arrived at the camp we were completely blown away by the amazing facility, the beautiful surroundings, as well as the friendliness and warm welcome from all the staff. Not having been to any safari camps before, I hardly knew what to expect but I was very glad to find that andBeyond Ngala camp had more than exceeded my expectations.
{images from http://www.andbeyond.com/ngala-tented-camp/)
The main area of the camp has a living and dining areas, where guests can enjoy their meals, drinks and snacks and sit down to relax and soak in the tranquil atmosphere and sheer beauty of nature in its truest form. The large decking area provides a magical safari ambiance with sights and sounds of animals wandering around the river banks. At night you can sometimes hear the sound of lion roar, calling for each other, which to me is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
{images from http://www.andbeyond.com/ngala-tented-camp/}
Our tent is a short walk away from the main camp, along the riverine forest and by the sandy bed of the Timbavati river (which is completely dried up during the winter). I love how the accommodation blends in with the surrounding environment right down to a tee but inside you have the same comfort and luxury expected from a five star hotel. Our tent is a double-glazed canvas tent mounted on a raised platform with gauze screen all around so you can still feel the breeze from the bushvelt but with an option of air-conditioning should the weather gets too cold or too warm. Inside there is a sleeping area with a comfortable king-size bed, a study/dressing corner, a mini-bar corner where all drinks are inclusive, two wash basins (which I ‘love’ because I hate fighting for space to get ready in the morning!), a massive bath tub indoor and an outdoor shower for those who enjoy an alfresco bathing experience.
{images from http://www.andbeyond.com/ngala-tented-camp/)
Our days started at exactly 5.30am every morning, when a friendly staff came to our tent with a tray of tea and coffee to wake us up. We then had about half an hour to get ready for our morning game drive at 6am. Lee-Anne, our ranger, normally discussed with us what game animals we would like to see that day before we set off, which is great because that revved up our sense of adventure and got us excited to be on the lookout for the animals during the whole drive. After our morning drive we usually stop somewhere on the way back for a morning coffee, before heading back to camp for a scrumptious breakfast. After breakfast we spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon relaxing at camp or in our room and then at 3.30pm we meet back again at the main camp for some refreshments, snacks, tea/coffee, before heading out for an afternoon game drive, which usually finished at around 6.30-7pm, just in time for dinner.
Each and every drives were truly magical. I learned and witnessed so much about nature and wildlife thanks to Lee-Anne who constantly filled us with little trivia, amazing stories and valuable information about the animals, plants and natural environments surrounding us. It was also very touching to witness the sheer passion and dedication that Lee-Anne and her team of rangers have towards wild animals and their conservation and how much they love their jobs, interacting with us and teaching us the importance of preserving and caring for the future of these magnificent creatures.
One of my favourite moments from the trip was seeing a whole pride of lions (2 male brothers; one is the leader of the pride, 3 lionesses, and 7 cubs), stretching out and relaxing together on the river bed, with their tummies full to the brim after devouring a whole zebra.
Our jeep parked quite close to the lions and the cubs and it was so amazing and rather surreal, to be able to witness something so beautiful and so personal upclose. I realised how the lions are just like us, they are completely dedicated and work incredibly hard to care for their family and the babies, and they have such a strong family bond and sense of responsibility towards each other.
On our last morning we were treated to a very scrumptious breakfast in the bushvelt after our drive. The staff at the camp drove out to a beautiful location and set out tables and breakfast buffet for us with plenty of delicious foods, tea/coffee and morning cocktails.
On our last day, as we waited to be taken from camp to the airfield to catch our flight back to the city, we were pleasantly surprised to see two elephants walking up to our swimming pool to drink some water and had a bit of a splash to cool down.
These majestic animals are massive and were so close to us that they could have easily crushed us to pieces if they wanted to but as we sat watching them quietly I didn’t feel scared or intimidated. Instead I felt peaceful by their calm and gentle presence despite their intimidating persona. This last moment was a perfect end to one of the most incredible, amazing experiences of my life.
This trip has also made me realised even more that our world belongs as much to the animals as it does to us. What a real shame that human race has come to the point where we don’t even think twice about exploiting and threatening the lives of animals and their habitats. After witnessing how incredibly tough nature can be and how hard the animals struggle to survive, I feel so humble and almost ashamed at our own easy existence in comparison. If everybody can one day wake up and realise that animals and wild life are as entitled to this world as we are and that we should feel privileged to have the ability to nurture and protect them, the world will be a much better and more beautiful place to live.