My husband and I began going on Safari way back in 2009. We went for 4 nights in the Sabi Sand. Our guide was Ryan Johnston and he gave us an amazing time. We returned to be guided by Ryan for the next four years. We have then spread our wings and experienced safaris in other areas. We became good friends and have since always remained in contact with Ryan.
The start
Last year we read that Ryan (now working for WanderingThru) was guiding a four night safari in the Klaserie. We made contact and extended the trip by 4 more nights and we were set up and waiting. We had not visited the Klaserie before so it was to be a new experience. Ryan met us at Hoedespruit airport and we travelled to Klaserie Camps Nzumba Lodge. It was beautiful, only five rooms. The setting was amazing with a waterhole right in front. Staff were so kind and helpful. For five of the eight nights we were the only people in the camp, which felt wonderfully exclusive.
Game Drives
Each of our sixteen drives was amazing. The scenery was breathtaking and varied from rocky outcrops to rivers and woodland areas, so different to what we were used to.
Our first drive was very exciting as we had a very close encounter with a large bull elephant and lots of general game. At nightfall we had a call to say that a pride of lions were at the waterhole in front of the lodge. We hurried back and found them on the airstrip very close to the lodge. We stayed watching their interactions for quite a while. When we went to return for dinner we discovered that the battery was flat. Thankfully another vehicle was brought out from the lodge and the tricky process of attaching a tow rope whilst surrounded by 15 lions began. It was achieved successfully and we were returned for an amazing dinner.
The lions were still around the next morning, although it took some expert tracking to relocate them. Peter and Ryan put on quite a show, tracking, anticipating and finally finding the lions that had been hunting all night.
Ryan’s aim on the second afternoon was to find the wild dogs which were thought to be in the area above the river. As luck would have it, we were very fortunate to find the dogs and spent some quality time with them. It was fascinating to watch as they tried to cross the river, but were far too frightened of the possibility of crocodiles to make the attempt.
The lions were back at the waterhole again the following morning and had obviously fed well during the night. They groomed for a while and then settled to sleep. Ryan and Peter then took us on a leopard hunt and found a very skittish female in the act of bringing her young kudu kill down a tree.
In the afternoon Ryan took us to the Oliphants River. The views from the hills were amazing. We were able to see two klipspringers and some very cute rock hyrax’s. Both were a first for us. We watched the sunset from a high hill, whilst enjoying gin and tonics.
We relocated the leopard the next morning and watched as the young lady rolled around, playing with a stick. We waited patiently and after following her through the bush she returned to her kill now safely back in the tree. We watched her feed for quite some time as by now she had eaten a fare amount of the kudu calf. We also saw a very young white rhino all on her own with no sign of mum, which caused some concern.
The afternoon was an elephant hunt and they were surprisingly elusive. We did eventually find a small herd. However during our hunt we watched two mating lions in the riverbed, two hyena playing in some water and two very tiny baby hyenas with mum at the den.
More time was spent with the leopard the next day, before returning for a lovely bush breakfast in a very scenic location. We were also treated to a bush dinner in the evening on the airstrip. A guest had also been invited with a huge telescope and we were given the most awesome talk about the moon, stars and constellations. It was so interesting and the view through the telescope was breathtaking. As we were clearing up a little wild cat came to join us. These secretive creatures are rarely seen so we were very lucky as we saw her twice over the following days.
The next day was a day of surprises as another pack of wild dogs appeared very close to the lodge on the airstrip. Giving us good extended viewing. In the afternoon a Sharpe’s Grysbok crossed the track in front of us, we had never seen one before and so yet another first for us. We bumped into a leopard as we turned a corner and were able to spend quality time with her. Elephants joined us for our evening drink and we were invited onto a neighbouring property to join a lioness roaring to her male companion above. The echoes in the deep drainage system reverberated all around us.
Our superb sightings continued for the next couple of days and on the last evening we were delighted to see the lonely young rhino back with her mum and a large bull.
Not all big
But it was not just the sightings of large animals that made the trip so amazing, but the small things too. We saw so many butterflies and insects. We had a brief glimpse of a large Black Mamba, a genet, a chameleon and a tortoise drinking out of a large puddle. The birds too were so varied. The lodge provided a book to tick off birds viewed and we managed 114 ticks including a rare Osprey and Dwarf Bittern.
Thank you and we will be back
All eight days were memorable and we were so grateful to Ryan for guiding us, Peter for his remarkable tracking, all the lovely staff at the lodge who kept us supplied with wonderful food and help of every kind. Thank you WanderingThru for arranging this for us.
We have already planned a trip for next year and will be spending another 8 nights with Ryan at Nzumba, trying a different time of the year. Ryan has two other trips as well that we would highly recommend, one in the green season of March and the other inn the cooler, drier time of June.
