the best for game viewing (and for more leopard sightings than anywhere in South Africa) is Sabi Sands. With no fences, animals roam freely, often cheek-by-jowl. Better yet, its highly trained, rifle-carrying rangers are allowed to drive off-road to get you closer to any of the Big Five, which is generally not the case elsewhere. “Creature” comforts include gourmet spreads from master chefs, butler-serviced suites with wood-burning fireplaces, sumptuous beds swathed in mosquito nets, private splash pools and blissful spas. And most will arrange transportation from as far away as Johannesburg.
O
ur driver fetched us from the Blue Train and took us to Sabi Sabi’s Earth Lodge. A five-hour drive, it
was actually rather pleasant and certainly less of a hassle than driving to Johannes- burg for a flight to a small airport some- what closer to the lodge, followed up with either a puddle-jumping ride to a lodge’s landing strip or a 90-minute drive. Mornings began with three-hour game
drives at dawn (strong coffee and muffins strategically placed as we made our way to the Land Rovers) and wound down with another three hours in the late after- noon, but not before stopping at sunset for cocktails amid distant lion roars, or perhaps trumpeting elephants.
SAFARI TIPS The best sightings in South Africa are from June-October, when the weather is cooler and dryer and malaria risks are considerably less. The vegetation dies back, making animals easier to see. Rest camps in Kruger Park (www.
krugerpark.com) are the best budget
To get us within spitting distance of the animals, our tracker used footprints and dung as his road map. He also watched for bubbles rising to the surface of rivers and lakes – a signal that hippos were ready to emerge. Additionally, rangers from all the lodges within Sabi Sands stay in constant radio contact, so any news of special sightings (i.e. leopards, honey badgers and serval cats) can be conveyed quickly. Some of the best sightings come after dark, mainly because that’s when the more noc- turnal predators stalk and kill prey, but kill sightings are extremely rare.
But, at the end of one of our late after-
noon drives, our ranger suddenly veered off the road and ploughed through a dense thicket. Lo and behold, he brought us face- to-face with a leopard and her cub, made visible by our tracker who slowly panned a huge spotlight from side to side and up and down as we sat in the dark. The cub was perched high on a sturdy
branch, enjoying her mother’s impala kill when, suddenly, a hyena showed up and began skulking about as he waited for the leftovers. All of this was taking place merely inches from the mother, who seemed to barely rouse herself from what appeared to be a much-needed nap at the base of the tree.
One morning, we stopped for a herd of female buffalo and their young to lumber
options. Accommodations vary from tents to cottages and rates can be as low as $15/night for two. For packing, choose gray, brown, beige and khaki to blend in. Morning and late evening drives are a bit on the chilly side, so bring sweaters, jackets, scarves and a hat to stay warm.
Don’t forget to pack a sunhat with a
visor, sunglasses, insect repellent and a good pair of binoculars. Wear pants that fit closer to the ankle and socks to avoid mosquito bites and prickly vegetation if you’re planning on a walking safari.
past. As we sat mesmerised, our ranger wondered aloud what had prompted this small group to go on the run. Later, he learned their rather sudden trek was a result of a pride of lions coming down from the north. Not long after, we came upon a female rhino with her young taking a peripatetic stroll along a sandy airstrip. A hefty male began following them, but from a distance. Our ranger told us he was looking for a bit of “intimacy” with the female, but she was having none of that and, as he narrowed the distance, she suddenly turned toward him and snorted loudly, which sent the poor guy running! Another day, we spotted our first lion pride as they stretched out impassively,
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