In the Bush: Chapter 1: where I stayed

I figure the best way to start describing my experience in some of the most beautiful places in the world is to start by sharing where I stayed.  As mentioned in the Table of Content post, I stayed in 3 game reserves and in 4 lodges.


Sabi-sand game reserve: Kirkman's Kamp

So on Sunday 30 October, I took a short puddle hopper flight from Joburg to Nelspruit (Kruger Mpumalanga International).  Then it was about a 1.5 hour drive from Nelspruit to Sabi - sand game reserve, a private reserve that shares an unfenced border with Kruger National park (on the south west side).  It is famous for the sighting of the Big 5 (more on that later).

Gate that controls in/out of the conservation area (also to make sure you didn't smuggle an animal out)

Arrival to Kirkman's Kamp!

Kirkman's Kamp's main building used to be a hunting cottage of someone from the 1920s.  They have since kept up on the theme and built additional guest accommodations to that theme.

Upon arrival, I was introduced to a bunch of the staff who came to welcome us and was introduced to Sonny Boy who was going to be our butler for our stay.  We were given a tour of the lodge area and had to sign my life away on a waiver form that pretty much says if I get eaten the lodge will not take any responsibilities.  As well, because the lodge area is not fenced off, animals do come into camp.  It is thus recommended that you do not use the pool between dusk til dawn and also that you must be escorted by a security guard at night if you are to move between buildings (from main area to room).

Then the lodge manager also gave us the schedule/itinerary of this lodge.  Wake up knocks on the doors are at  5am and we meet for coffee/tea at 5:30am.  Then you're off to your morning game drive that goes until 9 to 9:30am.  Then you're off for the morning to nap, enjoy the pool, schedule a bush walk, etc.  Lunch is then served at 1pm.  And then we meet again at 4:00pm and around 4:30pm we're off for our afternoon game drive that runs into the evening (night) portion.  We return at around 7:30pm and then drinks are served.  Then dinner is around 8pm.  (Un)lucky for us, our meetings/work engagements are scheduled to start at around 10am and end shortly after lunch 2pm hence we had the opportunity to do the morning game drives and the afternoon ones (just no nap) - SLEEP IS OVERRATED. I figure I can do that when I'm back in Joburg, when I'm back in Canada, I've gotta just do it all while I can! This also means I'm usually exhausted by dinner time...

A fever tree! (Apparently it got its name because  people in the past went into the area and got  malaria, and one of the symptoms of malaria is getting a fever, so they thought it was the trees that were causing it.  The tree also has a Shangaan name, but i don't remember it.

Antlers, just like what you would expect at a hunting lodge

that was the picture of the owner

A water buffalo

This was the scoreboard! Where people congregate after a game drive and tally up their score.  The highest points awarded is for the Cape hunting dog, and the kill at 200 each. (by rarity)

the main driveway and also where you board your game vehicles for game drives (see game drive post)

The lounge area

The usual breakfast, lunch areas

The swimming pool that overlooks the river

looking back at the houses/cottages that holds 2 rooms each.  They are all along the river (sand's river) It is because of the river that a lot of animals from Kruger comes to Sabi, increasing the chances of seeing animals here.

Once I finished walking around the lodge area, I went to my room and it was beautiful

Lemon and passionfruit cordial and snacks

The shower! Really liked the wooden grill at the bottom

Branded bottles (apparently some guests take these.. like really?)

a bathtub and lots of towels

I didn't get a close-up but the band around the soap is branded (you'll see for the other lodges)

A stocked fridge with little alcohol bottles on the side (didn't make it into the picture).  The little pop bottles are cute (all over South Africa)

Safe and other amenities, incl a horn, bug spray, insecticide, shoe brush

Complementary laundry form: 3rd bullet from the bottom: "Occasionally hyena and baboons raid the laundry area"

A beautiful bed :)

It seems that all of these lodges have an area called the BOMA where there is a big grill (South African likes their braais) and they usually rotate having dinners there every few nights.

We ended up having dinner there on our first night, with the fellow guests in our game drive vehicle and the ranger.  I stayed at Kirkmans for 3 nights and then we drove up north for about 1.5- 2 hours to Ngala.


Ngala game reserve: Ngala Main lodge


Because of the rain that we got on our 2nd day in Sabi, the rural south African roads did not hold up (a new found appreciation of tarred road for sure!) and man it was a bumpy ride... regardless, we managed to arrive at Ngala game reserve shortly after 4:30pm.

When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by a couple of birds at the entrance.  Then our "African momma", Connie came with a drink, and cool towels to welcome us.  Again, we had to sign our lives away - since the camp is not fenced off.  Very similar rules exist between the two camps, but there are also its differences.  The schedule was slightly different (but with the same morning knock on the door at 5am), lunch was at around the same time, and there's also an afternoon game drive at around 4:30pm.  Similar rules with not walking around the property without an escort at night (unless you want to be eaten).

Entrance area

these are real birds!

the area where supposedly you can get wi-fi

A watering hole, where animals will come and drink.  We were warned that if any of the big cats come or the elephants we were to remain on the deck (avoid the grass area) to keep some distance

lounge area in the distance

the lounge area close up

hmm looks lovely to just relax here

Then we were shown to our rooms and we took as little time as possible to get ready so that we can go join the afternoon game drive that has already started.  It was called a linked-out.

There are two latches on each of the room because bush criminals (baboons and vervet monkeys)  figured out how to unlatch only one (the top one)

another very nice shower

we were recommended to keep the curtains closed, otherwise the bush criminals will try to do anything to get in if they see something from outside the window

branded soap ribbon

complimentary sherry in the room

a nice canopy king sized bed in a hut like room

At Ngala main camp, because it is so remote, there is actually no cell phone towers at all.  We were warned by our host, Lotus, about that.  So when the landline phones are down at the lodge, it is actually quite inconvenient.  (Also no cell phone tower means there's no data stick usage).  We were cut off from the world for 2 days (which was somewhat refreshing.. as I didn't really have much time to go online anyways with our schedule packed with work and being a tourist).

Ngala BOMA

beautiful

love the lamps

Similar atmosphere but a very different set up, still pretty.

Ngala game reserve: Ngala tented camp (just a visit only)

Lotus wanted to make sure we get to take a look at the more luxurious camp that was in the same reserve, the Tented camp.  So one afternoon, he took us over for a tour.    It was very different than what I had pictured when I heard it was a "tented" camp.  

the main area

Pool that opens up again into the viewing area

the tent!

Inside a room, you can see the tented top

A true outdoor shower

a tub

Looking in from the outside

Apparently the tented camps have been running for over 10 years.  They will actually be redoing all the tent tops in Feb of next year.  I can't wait to see how great it'll look afterwards.

Ngala Game Reserve: Ngala Main Camp (the private suite visit)

We also took a tour to the private suite on Ngala Main Camp which is usually rented out to a family.

Only one bed in here so far, but apparently furniture can be moved around including adding more beds

A private pool!

and a beautiful balcony view

And so after a short two night stay at Ngala Main camp (being cut off from the world), I was back to Johannesburg shortly for Friday night.  Accommodation was booked for us starting on Saturday and there was no way I would be missing out on this opportunity of a lifetime.  Hence bright and early on Saturday morning, I flew to Richard's bay and a 1.5-2 hour ride later to begin my second week in Phinda Game Reserve.

Phinda Game Reserve - Forest lodge

The beauty of arriving on Saturday morning is that work doesn't start until Monday.  Besides, my colleague does not get in until mid-day sunday (wanted to spend time with his family in joburg).  Hence it was definitely a nice break for me and I got to enjoy being at these lodges as a regular guest (no need to rush off to work) and schedule a bush walk on sunday (since they can only happen between the morning drive and lunch)

As I have mentioned in my Table of Content post, Phinda Game reserve is very special because it encompasses 7 distinct eco systems: woodland, grassland, wetland, forest,  mountain ranges, rivercourses, marshes and pans.  The Forest lodge is within the Sandforest area.  A sandforest is a forest that is on ancient sand dunes.  My ranger told me that there is about 5000 hectare of this type of land left in the world and the sandforest where the lodge is at is about 1/4 of it.  The sand on the ground is like beach sand, it's truly special.

Vlei, Homestead and Forest were in the Northern area of the reserve, while the others in the south.  

reception area at forest lodge

the veranda area for breakfast and lunch and sometime dinner

Another thing that makes this lodge special is that the rooms are surrounded by glass and elevated to minimize damage to the ground (sandforest!) 

My room! no 3 , elevated glass houses

the elevation makes the scene very pretty, and sometimes little animals come by

more branded soap

Again latches on the door, it seems like monkeys are the problems

The fridge and snack area outside with walking sticks, boots and yoga mat to use

outside sitting area - personal deck

looking into the sand forest surrounding

We were going to take a tour of the Vlei lodge and the Homestead, but there ended up being no time.  To give you a bit of an idea.  Vlei lodge is more intimate with only 6 rooms.  Each room has its own private pools.  Sometimes in the dryer season (winter), the elephants come and drink out of the pool.  The homestead is rented out as a whole - 4 bedrooms up to 8 people.  It's very luxurious and actually where Prince Charles stayed (for the day only to freshen up) when he was at the reserve the day before I arrived!


Because I was free on Sunday, I also managed to schedule a massage service.  All the bumpy rides (rain rides) and sitting in game vehicles all week the week before had made my neck very tense.  The massage bed was set up on the deck and you don't even need nature's music, because you are already in nature!  It was so wonderful

Phinda Game Reserve - Phinda Mountain


I was very sad to leave Forest lodge (i think it's my favourite - the rooms are special, sand forest was special, we got attached to the ranger and the camp manager and other staff at the resort, it was just hard to leave!).  But after 6 nights at Forest, we were moving to Mountain lodge in the south before we fly out on Saturday morning.


We had a meeting in the community with the mayor before returning to Phinda and directly to mountain lodge in the south to check in at around lunch time.

walking towards the lodge

reception area

internet room

menu board - hmm yummy- food pictures later

beautiful view of the mountain

 The lounge and reception area was very beautiful with an excellent view of the mountain (ubomba? maybe).  However, it was a bit of a walk to get to our rooms... and it might be hard for some people to walk it.  It's practically a hike!

a waterfall

the pool with a great view

the pathway to my room

a hike down to get to the room

those are dried pineapples and maltese.. yum

the bathroom

hmm tough choice, a bath or a dip in the personal pool ( 1.5m by 1.5 m "pool")

I opted for the outdoor shower in my bathing suit...

and then tanning!

looking up in the sky

the big 5!!

another branded soap!

Overall, all the lodges were very beautiful and the beds were extremely comfortable.  I really like the system at Kirkmans (butler),  the view at Mountain, but I loved my time at Forest which has the most special rooms and lovely people =)  

I would say that Phinda is one of my most favourite places in the world and especially at Forest lodge =)


Stay tuned for the next chapter!