Last year in December, whilst Ale was trying to plan a Christmas Party for the three of us, it turned out more difficult than expected. With myself and Tristan being away, it was turning into a logistical nightmare. That was when Ale had a bright idea, that made her and myself very excited. Mala Mala had invited us to go and have a look at the camps and property, and so this was working out perfectly. Thanks to Ale, we were on our way there to have a look! We were all very excited, as although Tristan has done a lot of work there and Ale and I have both worked in areas surrounding Mala Mala, the two of us had never been there.
Trip there
On Thursday morning, Tristan and Ale picked me up and we were off on our adventure. We started off driving southwards, down through the Kruger National Park, deciding to give ourselves some time to bird and get the bush feelings going before our arrival. We had a great, all be it hot trip down, with lots of elephants, buffalo and birds like Martial Eagles and Southern Ground Hornbills keeping us entertained and excited.
Arriving at Shaws Gate, the entrance gate for Mala Mala, brought back a flash of old memories for us all and old stories were shared as we headed down the main road. As we drove towards the camps, we were greeted by large herds of general game and herds of elephants heading towards the Sand river.
Camps
Mala Mala has three lodges, Main Camp, Sable Camp and Rattray’s Camp. We were going to be staying at Main Camp, but would be getting the opportunity to visit the others two. All three camps are situated along the banks of the Sand River and all have spectacular views of the river and its surroundings. Mala Mala has 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) of river frontage. Main and Sable Camps are close to one another whilst Rattray’s is a little further south down the river. All camps have the same traversing area which is an impressive 16 000 hectares.
Main Camp
We arrived at Main Camp and were met by Nic and the greeting team. I had never met Nic before, but both Tristan and Ale had and they both seemed happy with the choice. Nice turned out to be an epic guide and knew the property like the back of his hand. His passion and love for the area was obvious and is appreciated by people like myself, as I know the feeling.
We had a very easy and to the point introduction to the camp before we were shown to our rooms. Safety and comfort are high on the agenda, with animal activities being the priority. What you want, when you want it, is pretty much what you can get as far as the lodge is concerned and we ordered a sneaky light lunch before heading to our rooms.
The rooms are perfect. Everything you need is there, and although they are not super luxurious like some camps, the idea is not to be in your room. Rooms are there to rest and wash up before you spend more time in the bush…just the way we like it. In saying this, the rooms are very spacious, either with views of the Sand River, or drainage system behind. General game pours through the camp and we had both monkeys and nyala around the room most of the time. Leopards are said to be regular visitors as well, but we had no such luck in our time.
After a very substantial lunch, we helped ourselves to some high tea, a gin and tonic and we were off to explore Mala Mala…finally.
Game Drives
as we left the camp, Tristan joked and said we wouldn’t go a few minutes without seeing a leopard. Not but two minutes later, as we were crossing the causeway in front of camp, a young male leopard popped out right in front of camp. With all the rain we had been having, there was no way we could follow him closer to the river and although it was a short view, it was a great view.
The rest of the afternoon and most of the drives there on out, were driving in areas that we wouldn’t get stuck in. Over the first two weeks of January, most of the central and eastern parts of South Africa had experienced large amounts of rain. The Southern parts of Kruger and parts of the Sabi Sands had also been affected. Although we managed to see “half” of the property, we were most certainly not disappointed.
With Nic as our leader though, we were in great hands. Between the four of us, we managed to spot some fantastic birds, track some leopards and pin point lions by their roar. Although it wasn’t as “easy” as it’s been out to be, we still had great time. Lion, leopard, elephant and general game were plentiful. We all got to see animals, individuals that we hadn’t seen in years, even decades, so it was very special in more than one way.
Rattray’s and Sable Camps
After our first morning drive, which we spent with a pride of lions, we had a quick stop and look at Rattray’s Camp. With the best and closest view of the Sand River, this was definitely the pick of the lodges for me. Private, low key, with phenomenal views of the river, it really doesn’t get much better than this.
A large breakfast was enjoyed before we walked across to have a look at Sable Camp. A little smaller than Main Camp, set amongst the large Leadwood and Jackalberry trees, Sable is special in itself. From the pool and main area you have a great view of one of the river floodplains, often frequented by elephants,buffalos and general game. A sneaky leopard walking right through camp is also not an unusual occurrence.
Special Place
Our visit was short and sweet, but it was very clear to Ale and I as to why Tristan loves Mala Mala. Although we had a “quiet time”, we still managed to see loads of animals. From new male lions, to large herds of elephants, some great birds and finally getting to cross the famous West Street Bridge, it was an amazing time. We left knowing that there are certainly trips to plan and ways of getting ourselves and guests back to this magic place. Mala Mala really lived up to its name and hype.
We all sat quietly, deep in thought as we headed back north towards Hoedspruit. With memories of the previous few days fresh in our minds, along with the strong team ideas we have for the year to come, this was an exciting trip for our Wandering Thru team.
