We were so close to her that I could see her eyelashes glinting in the afternoon light.
The young lioness seemed to be waiting there, especially for us, as we rounded the bend on our afternoon game drive. She stretched and yawned and scratched and played, just like a house cat on a carpet. She lounged, languidly in her chosen spot in the bushes, not far from the road and was so comfortable with us so near to her that I’m convinced she put on a show just to keep us entertained.
My husband and I were enjoying the good life at [highlight]Amakhosi Safari Lodge[/highlight] in northern KwaZulu Natal. We were there as guests of our WildWeb friend [highlight]Africa Geographic[/highlight]. Usually I am working on sharing stories from our safari lodge clients on [highlight]Africa Geographic’s blog[/highlight] but this time it was my turn to be part of the story itself as we were spoilt to a weekend away as their client. We were lapping up the Zululand bushveld and all its wildly wonderful offerings while being in such great company too.
We followed that lioness as she wandered up the road, peering back at us with that “come hither” look in her eyes. She continued her show as she filed her nails on a nearby tree and then added some comedy to her act by jumping onto a fallen tree, balancing precariously and trying to sit down in her awkward chosen position. Our guide said that she was probably waiting around for her mom to return from hunting. We laughed, imagining that she was a bored teenager, trying to keep busy at home while her mom was out picking up takeaways on that Friday night.
She wasn’t the only wild thing we came eye to eye with on that glorious weekend in the KZN bush. The reserve Amakhosi is in is a Big 5 area and we were astounded at just how relaxed the wildlife was with the safari vehicles. It was a real privilege to be able to watch them going about their days from such close proximity but seeing too that we were not disturbing them in any way.
These are some of the astounding beasts we came face to face with out in their wilderness home:
A little more about Amakhosi Safari Lodge:
[highlight]Amakhosi[/highlight] just happens to be a long standing WildWeb client too and there’s a reason it’s a firm favourite amongst us safari lovers. It’s a truly luxurious, 5 star safari lodge but also maintains a friendly and welcoming aura. Staff refer to it as a “royal hideaway” in the heart of Zululand. Suites are set along the river bed and we watched nyala and even buffalo come down to drink from our hammock on our veranda. The birdlife around the main lodge is also incredible. The rooms boast outdoor showers and African chic interiors.
Days at Amakhosi begin with an early morning guided game drive followed by a decadent brunch back at the lodge. The rest of the afternoon is dedicated to snoozing and relaxing in the gorgeous setting and perhaps making time for a spa treatment. By 3:30 high tea is served before the afternoon game drive and sundowners in the bush. The evenings are all about fireside dinners, Zulu dance entertainment and sharing tales about the day’s sightings. Then the next day we do it all over again and come eye to eye with different wild things. And we love it just as much as before.
Find out more about Amakhosi Safari Lodge on their [highlight]website[/highlight].
