After quite a trip from Australia to South Africa, my guests started off their trip with two nights in Johannesburg to acclimatize and shake off their jet lag. I met them on day three in Hoedspruit before starting off the real adventure, heading to our first destination, Tintswalo Safari Lodge in the Manyaleti Game Reserve, where we were to spend our first four nights.
As always, we had a warm welcome committee, and the elephants were drinking at the famous water point in front of the dining deck. We got everyone checked into their rooms, had some lunch, and then headed out on our first safari. Lots of general game, including elephants, buffalo, giraffe, and hippo, were all enjoyed by our first-time safari goers. Our tracker, Wise, and I let them ease into it before getting the real mission going the next morning.
Big cats were our target for the day, and the lions didn’t disappoint at all. After some great tracking and teamwork in the morning, we managed to find three lionesses on the move. From the tracks, they were on the hunt, but by the time we found them, they had finished off whatever they had caught and were on a steady march. We knew that one lioness had cubs, and so we were hoping she would take us to them. Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for the cubs, mom had hidden them in a very dense drainage system, and we could no longer follow them after an exciting hour with them. We let them be and decided to try again in the afternoon.
A large breeding herd of elephants kicked off our afternoon, with some very boisterous youngsters in the herd. We then managed to find another large pride of lions with a big male. They had obviously eaten something large the night before, and the whole pride was fat, happy, and fast asleep.
We carried on to see if we could relocate our three lionesses from the morning. There was no sign of them coming out of the area we had left them, and so we decided to stop for sundowners close by. As we watched the sunset, a male lion started roaring close by! The male’s calls received responses from the three lionesses we sought and an additional male. Swiftly, we gathered our belongings and hastened toward the source of the roars. Wise’s intuition proved accurate as we turned a bend, revealing the roaring male striding down the road toward us. We observed as he eventually joined the lionesses, exchanging head rubs and greetings. Soon, the other male also joined in. This exceptional sighting unfolded flawlessly, offering us an unforgettable spectacle.
The next few days at Tintswalo were filled with more elephants and a lot more lions, which is exactly what my guests wanted, so it was perfect. Unfortunately, on our last day, the whole of the country was hit by a massive cold front, but we still managed to get in our drives and spend some time with elephants, as well as get in some really good birding at the big dam.
For the second part of our journey, we ventured to the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. Our plane touched down in Livingston, where Biswell, our knowledgeable guide from Sussi & Chuma, welcomed us. With his deep-rooted connection to the region, Biswell shared captivating local insights as we made our way to the lodge. Nestled along the Upper Zambezi’s banks, the lodge boasts enchanting treehouse accommodations offering stunning river views. After a satisfying lunch, we embarked on a brief walk to stretch our legs after a day of travel.
The following morning, we embarked on a game drive along the riverbanks, spotting diverse bird species, crocodiles, general wildlife, and hippos. A delightful surprise awaited us as we encountered game guards from Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. These guards are responsible for safeguarding the reserve’s precious white rhino population. After a concise explanation of their duties and objectives, we set out on foot with them. They led us to a young white rhino bull, providing an extraordinary encounter. It was an incredible experience as we observed the rhino from a close distance, benefiting from their familiarity with humans on foot.
We then did a village tour, learning all about the local community and culture. It was great to see the way people all worked together. There were ladies fixing and selling bikes to help raise funds to help the clinic’s maternity ward, and ladies making beads from recycled glass to help the schools. Everyone is doing their bit to help the community and the youth in the area. After a full day, we ended off with a leisurely cruise on the river, enjoying the tranquility, the sunset, and some well-deserved sundowners.
On our final full day, we embarked on a journey to the majestic Victoria Falls, locally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya, translating to “The smoke that thunders.” This name stems from the tremendous noise generated by the falls and the misty spray produced when water collides with the base. Thanks to the recent late rains in Southern Africa, the falls remained potent, soaking us with their mist. The experience was thoroughly enjoyed by all, and we were fortunate to witness a double rainbow, an awe-inspiring sight. Along the way back, we made several stops to admire baobab trees, and we dedicated the afternoon to fishing. Regrettably, it wasn’t the optimal time for tiger fishing, and despite a few bites, no catches were made. During our final dinner that evening, we collectively recounted our numerous highlights from the trip.
There was a bit of an emotional farewell at the airport as I bid farewell to my guests. They then headed down to Cape Town, where they had a fantastic six days exploring, and I headed home.
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