Run by Liam and Allison, this intimate and friendly, resort excels in the level of attention to detail of the staff, and the excellent food provided to guests. There are twice-daily drives in land cruisers and you have to be prepared to get up at the crack of dawn in order to chase the Big 5. But it’s well worth it.

 

A recent flood in the area badly damaged many of the roads. This however, did not seem to cause a problem for Liam our driver and guide, and Mamps our tracker.

 

As we bumped over the water-filled and muddy ruts in the road, we felt privileged to see this still-untainted part of the world on our search for the wild animals and birds that live in the Kruger area.

Each new sighting of the animals and birds was a thrill. I had not expected to see so many of the animals come almost within touching distance of the vehicle.

 

To see a leopard lying in the grass next to the car, panting after her unsuccessful chase of an Impala was one of the most magical parts of our safari. The advice to stay seated in the car unless otherwise instructed was sound. The predatory animals are used to seeing the safari vehicles. If we were to stand and cause a general ruckus the animals are suddenly aware of you and then who knows what might happen. So we stayed sat and enjoyed every second of watching the magical creatures at close hand.

 

Hyenas were happy cooling down in the puddles on the road in front of us and an elephant strolled past looking carefree; just the way it should be. We sighed wild dogs, which are very rare and the team at the hotel were envious we had seen them. The sighting caused much excitement for everyone.

 

There were too many animals to name, but each was a joy to see. This was for us, an unforgettable experience.

 

Written by Jan Pinder