South Africa

On Saturday morning, our first full day in Bateleur, we left the camp at 5:40 am tucked up with blankets and hot water bottles. (It was very cold and windy.) I was dressed in almost everything I had packed: both silk and 32 degree leggings under my pants, with similar layering on top. I bought … Read more

On Saturday morning, we took our last game drive at Idube. (Turnover at the camps is built around late morning departures for departing guests, and early-mid afternoon arrivals for new guests.)  We rounded the bend out of the Lodge’s driveway to find the wild dog pack waiting on the road leading to the dam.  Other … Read more

Thursday was our last full day at Idube.  At dawn, we headed out to the site where we had seen Tsaya the leopard stash her kill on the previous day. We passed a beautiful new (to us) species of antelope, Waterbuck, en route. On arrival at Tsaya’s kill site, we found two hyenas, an adult … Read more

By Wednesday morning, we had the routine down: collected from our chalets like goslings at 5:30 am and escorted to the lounge for a quick hit of beverages and muffins. Into the safari vehicle by 6am to greet dawn in the bush. About 4 hours hacking around looking for wildlife (broken by a “coffee stop” … Read more

Some of us were wide awake for our 5:15 am wake up call on Tuesday – others, not so much. Everyone managed to stumble to the reception area where coffee, tea, juice and muffins lured everyone into awake-ness. The five of us were joined today by Rob and Kay, a couple from Australia.  Rob grew … Read more