Game drive. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Okay, this is a very simple description of how my stay unfolded at [highlight] Rhino River Lodge [/highlight] , a big 5 safari lodge in KZN, but indeed the perfect bush remedy I was in search for.
Welcomed with a refreshing fruit juice in a champagne glass as I was taking my first looks around the lodge site, my boyfriend who joined my first South African bush weekend whispered to me, “Your grin says it all.” And it did, I was immediately in my happy place, with the most beautiful shades of beiges & greens surrounding my every step, as if continually greeting me to the wilderness experience ahead.
It was in no time that we were bundled up in the safari vehicle listening to ranger Frances Hannah giving her quick safari 101 speech of the dos and mostly don’ts, when on a big 5 game drive. It was quite simple; don’t sprawl your limbs outside the frame of the vehicle, no camera flash, and no abrupt, loud noises that could disrupt the animals. Within 5 minutes into our game drive, I scream “RHINO!” and point to the bush he was secretively hiding behind. You could say I got a warning and quickly learned my lesson, which was to contain my excitement to a whispered scream.
There he was. Big, grey, and well, big; adjacent to the vehicle, intensely chomping away at a thorny bush. We witnessed the black rhino, one of four on the private reserve, and he gave us a full frontal view showing off his cleft lip and all! It was intimidating to say the least. And what a splendid way to start the first 3 hour game drive, hey?
One of the most blissful times of the game drives was during sundowners. Coming from Pittsburgh, PA (in the good ol’ USA) to Durban, SA, I had absolutely no idea what a “sundowner” was. And man, do I regret missing out on many sundowner evenings. There is nothing more beautiful and calming than having a cool drink (a Savanna dry for me) in hand while watching the sun kiss the afternoon away. I often joked, “Can I order a cheetah with my cider?” Believe it or not, my wish came true!
Frances Hannah always seemed to find the perfect sundowner spot to wake up our legs and immerse ourselves into the open bushveld. I couldn’t help but think that I am a tiny, small spec in this big, mysteriously beautiful world.
The 3 hour afternoon game drive flew by; as it always did on the 4 safari excursions I had the pleasure to experience. Rhino River Lodge is a private 23,000 hectare reserve in the heart of Zululand, 30kms North of the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, but in my eyes it was the quintessential blend of privacy mixed with the pulse of the African wild.
Highlight of my bush weekend:
Abruptly stopping during a morning game drive to see a surprisingly wide awake male lion peering inquisitively at our safari-packed vehicle. Flash forward from our 10 minute photo shoot and reverse the vehicle about 40 meters from the male lion and we find ourselves stuck in the bush with a flat tire.
Frances Hannah (our one of a kind ranger) pauses, laughs, then instructs us apprehensive passengers to get out of the safari vehicle and ever so slightly place ourselves behind the bulldozer I called our car.
Simultaneously setting up the side table, she continues to say, “Coffee, tea or hot chocolate anyone?” Me: “Umm…(shaking)…hot chocolate please!”
Accommodation for a king or queen:
The en-suite double room that I stayed in was quaint with a signature, high-ceiling thatched roof, which was a common theme to the character of the lodge, as well as an exclusive patio where I often went into bush dreamland. Upon my arrival to the room after an afternoon game drive, our beds were tidily undone, canopy daintily flowing over our queen sized bed, ready for two sleepy children to doze off into a bush wonderland.
I learned three very important things during my trip:
- That waking up at 5:30am has never been so easy & exciting, knowing that a game drive awaits.
- Flat tires can happen anywhere. Even in the bush!
- When my family comes to visit Mother Africa (I hope you are reading this), I will be sure to introduce them to the bush beauty at Rhino River Lodge.
Contact Rhino River Lodge:
Website: http://rhinoriverlodge.co.za
Email: info@rhinoriverlodge.co.za
