When my friend Andy mentioned he was planning another safari trip to South Africa, I didn’t hesitate for a second – I immediately told him, “Count me in!” After seeing all his incredible photos of wildlife from previous trips and hearing about his amazing experiences with Wandering Thru, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join him!
In late March, we contacted Ryan with a rough outline of our plans: the reserves we hoped to visit, the duration of the trip, and our budget. While we were flexible with our dates, we knew November and December were ideal, as South Africa’s late spring and early summer offer prime wildlife-viewing opportunities.
I also had one specific request: leopards! Although I had been on safari with my family years ago, I had never seen a leopard in the wild and was determined to check that off my bucket list on this trip.
Ryan considered all our preferences and created an initial itinerary for us. One of the best things about working with Ryan and Wandering Thru is their deep knowledge of the reserves and the wildlife. They even tailored our itinerary to maximise my chances of spotting a leopard. After a few back-and-forth emails tweaking the dates and budget, we had our perfect trip: 5 nights at Klaserie Private Nature Reserve with Ryan as our private guide, 4 nights at Timbavati Nature Reserve, and a final 3 nights at Ngala Reserve.
The stage was set for an amazing adventure!
Klaserie Private Nature Reserve
Our adventure began at Nzumba Lodge in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, with Ryan as our private guide during our stay. This lodge perfectly embodies the charm of a safari retreat – rustic yet undeniably luxurious. Siobhan and Jamie, the lodge managers, warmly greeted us and immediately made us feel at home.
At the heart of the lodge is a thatched main building, offering views of the plains and where you can view the most spectacular sunrises. Flanking the main lodge are cosy guest cottages, and directly in front of them lies a waterhole where wildlife frequently gathers. On our first night, we were treated to a majestic male elephant who wandered in for a drink.
After a quick refresh and delicious lunch, we set off on our first game drive. Within just 15 minutes, Ryan and our tracker Peter spotted a leopard! A beautiful young female lounging on a termite mound, soaking up the sun. It felt like she had been waiting just for us – as if she knew a leopard sighting was at the top of our list. The experience didn’t end there – she treated us to an incredible display of her hunting prowess. We watched in awe as she stalked, caught, and devoured a squirrel right before our eyes. It was a raw and unforgettable introduction to the wild.
With two drives a day, we could see an array of wildlife. Among our sightings were a pride of lions, herds of elephants, zebras, giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, ostrich, buffalo, black mambas (!), playful jack puppies, hyenas, dwarf mongoose and a rhino Andy named Cory. We were even lucky enough to encounter a pack of wild dogs, one of the most elusive animals. And to top it all off, we saw not one but six leopards during our stay. Each leopard sighting was unique, making the experience even more magical than we had imagined.
The magic of every drive lies in its unpredictability. One moment that will forever be etched in my memory was when a solitary male elephant passed our vehicle. We all held our breath as he came so close that we could look him directly in the eye. We didn’t even think of reaching for our cameras – we simply soaked in the moment.
Nzumba truly felt like a home away from home, thanks to Siobhan and Jamie’s warm hospitality and genuine care. Their dedication to creating such a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere set the perfect tone for the start of our adventure. It was a wonderful way to kick off our trip.
Timbavati Nature Reserve
The second leg of our trip took us to the Timbavati Nature Reserve, where we stayed at two incredible camps: Walkers Plains Camp and Bateleur Safari Camp. The landscape here was vastly different from Klaserie Private Nature Reserve despite being only a hour and 40-minute drive from Nzumba Lodge, with expansive open grasslands that offered uninterrupted views reminiscent of the iconic savannahs of Kenya.
At Walkers Plains Camp, we spotted our first Wildebeest staking its terror, lions lounging in the road and a herd of elephants visiting the waterhole under the cover of night. We also had up-close and slightly nerve-wracking encounters with a Baboon spider (which has a lifespan of 25 years+) and a scorpion that casually strolled into the main lodge while we had dinner! Our hosts, James, Steven and Lynette, made us feel incredibly welcome, and we couldn’t help but wish we had stayed longer to enjoy the beautiful lodge and their hospitality.
For those seeking to immerse themselves in the African wilderness, Bateleur Safari Camp is the perfect place. While the camp has an electric fence to deter elephants, smaller animals such as hyenas, bushbucks, and even leopards can roam. There’s no need to worry – they’re naturally wary of humans and tend to run off when approached. The magic of Bateleur Safari Camp lies in the experience of drifting to sleep to the whooping calls of hyenas right outside your tent. During our drives with Lucky and Thomas, we witnessed two male lions roaring (breathtaking), a stampede of giraffes and zebras and a standoff between a buffalo and rhino (the rhino won!).
The game drives here, led by our expert guide Lucky and tracker Thomas, were extraordinary. We witnessed two male lions roaring – a spine-tingling experience that echoed through the bush. We also saw a thrilling stampede of giraffes and zebras, bush babies leaping from tree to tree and even a dramatic standoff between a buffalo and a rhino, with the rhino emerging victorious! One of my favourite memories was watching a pride of lions, including three cubs, make their way down to a waterhole for a drink before settling down for a nap in the shade of nearby trees.
[Sleeping lions 1 – Bataleur; Sleeping lions 2 – Bataleur, Lucky and buffalo carcass; ]
Timbavati offered us moments of raw wilderness and unforgettable wildlife encounters, leaving us with memories to treasure forever.
andBeyond Ngala Safari Lodge
We chose to end our trip at Ngala, nestled within the Ngala Private Game Reserve. Surrounded by mopane trees, Ngala offers the perfect blend of luxury and tranquillity – a fitting finale to our adventure. We were greeted by Lola, Petunia and Hidden, who looked after us throughout our stay.
Our time at Ngala was a delight, filled with lots of baby animals. We saw our first impala calves, warthogs and their adorable piglets, Zebra foals, elephant calves suckling on their mothers and more jackal puppies. We also came across a rare white-tailed mongoose, impala rams fighting and a female leopard elegantly draped on a tree branch. A herd of elephants put on a lively show, swimming and splashing, much to the annoyance of the resident hippos.
One of my personal highlights was watching bush babies squabble and dart from tree to tree and scamper across the roof of my cottage. If you’re fascinated by scorpions, be sure to pack a UV light, as they glow blue-green under UV. Each evening, as David escorted us back to our cottages, he joined in our scorpion-hunting, even pointing out a few along the way!
Thank you to Ryan and Ale for organising such an incredible trip for Andy and me. And I can’t wait for our next adventure – fingers crossed for Botswana!
