One of the best things about working so closely with safari lodges is actually getting to go and stay at the lodges every now and then.
I could go on and on about the other perks of working at a dynamic and vibrant office like [highlight] WildWeb [/highlight], but let’s face it, nothing beats a holiday! I was recently invited to go and stay at one of our lovely owner managed lodges, [highlight] Rhino River Lodge [/highlight] in the Zululand Rhino Reserve and, let’s just say, I never wanted to leave the place.
On arrival on the Friday afternoon, my partner, Wes, and I were just a few minutes too late for the afternoon game drive but made ourselves at home in our lovely [highlight] en-suite double room [/highlight]. The staff were all wonderfully friendly and welcoming and it felt like we were ‘coming home’ to a place we’d never even been to before.
That night we were treated to the most amazing braai in the boma area while the camp fire roared nearby. It seemed everything was set up for a spectacular safari.
The next morning was an early start but our eagerness to get out and into the wild fuelled us on. We met up with the other guests for some coffee and freshly baked muffins in the lodge lounge. From there our rangers led us to the game vehicles and off we went, cameras ready and eyes peeled. The scenery was like something out of a storybook.
Within less than 20 minutes of leaving the lodge, we spotted the first of what was to be a series of fantastic animal sightings. Just a few metres off the road were two lionesses and five adorable little lion cubs! I looked over at Wes who was grinning like a Cheshire cat and I couldn’t help but do the same.
To think that just the day before we’d been in the middle of the city, and now we were in the presence of lions. Simply unbelievable. The ‘October babies’, as our ranger, Ryan called them, were now 6 months old and this was the first time that anybody was getting such a good sighting of them as up until then they had spent their days hidden by their mothers.
The curious cubs continued to put on a fantastic display of lion antics for us while I clicked away frantically behind my camera.
Unfortunately for the guests in the other game vehicle, they got a flat tyre on their way to the lions and missed the sighting. We rushed over to help and quickly loaded them up into our vehicle so that they could continue the drive with us.
Having started our safari off with such a ‘bang’ we thought it would be hard to outdo our first sighting and didn’t get our hopes up for any other such lucky sightings. The reserve, however, had other plans in store! Over the next couple of game drives we were treated to more fantastic sightings. I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story…
A buffalo roadblock.
Tails up! These little guys were so tricky to photograph as they would scatter at the slightest noise.
Striking white rhino and her alert little calf.
Incredibly special sighting of a black-backed jackal, who wasn’t at all shy to pose for the camera. We found him in the middle of a flying ant hunt and he seemed quite pleased that we were there to light his path for him.
You know you’re in the middle of the African bush when you can see stars like this at night!
A meandering giraffe photographed in the morning light.
There were two white rhino on the opposite side of this waterhole while we were enjoying our morning coffee stop.
We were blessed on our last game drive to the most fantastic wild dog sighting. They had just enjoyed quite a sizeable meal, as can be seen by the size of this girl’s belly!
Driving back to the lodge for breakfast after our last game drive, I couldn’t help but think that safaris really are good for your soul. It’s a cliché because it’s true! Getting out into the bush, huddled in blankets in an open-air vehicle, is unbeatable.
I would highly recommend [highlight] Rhino River Lodge [/highlight] for anybody looking to awaken their senses and rejuvenate themselves amongst the wild things.