An elephant at Kruger National Park. Photo / Julia D'Orazio
Julia D’Orazio discovers peak-hour traffic takes on a new meaning in Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, South Africa.
At Skukuza Airport, the familiar terminal sterility – steel beams, glass walls, stale air – takes a holiday. In its place, right in the heart of Kruger National Park, is a sun-drenched, thatched-roof sanctuary framed by tall timbers and living trees. The scent of a rain-soaked savannah wafts between dangling cocoon lights and pillow-piled lounges. While a life-size rhino stands guard at baggage claim, the real allure lies beyond its bronzed horns.
“How far is our lodge?” I ask ranger Bethuel Mikhonto as my Adventure World tour group settles into our off-road chariot: an open-air Land Cruiser with four rows of tiered seating. Its army-green paint perfectly matches the unruly, dense bush flourishing after summer rains.
Bethuel steers away from the faux wilderness retreat.
“It depends on the traffic,” he says, pausing then grinning: “Let’s see which animal will greet you first.”
We set off, eyes scanning either side of the sandy track as it slices through tall, swaying grass. It usually takes an hour to reach Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge – one of four five-star lodges in the renowned Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – but a doe-eyed welcoming committee has other plans. A blockade of impalas halts our passage. Some stand frozen; some give one-off performances, launching Olympic-worthy leaps into scrublands and into oblivion.
Out here, the reddish-brown creatures are ubiquitous like wallpaper. As they are frequently spotted – most often in large numbers – the novelty eventually wanes, earning these “wild ballerinas” the local cynical acronym NAFI (not another f*g impala). Harsher still is their reputation as the “McDonald’s of the Bush”, readily available for carnivorous prey. Dubious titles aside, their mass presence is an endearing testament to Kruger’s survival.
This park, where animals thrive in their element, was a battleground for unregulated hunting just a century ago. The park’s origins date back to 1898, when President Paul Kruger of the old Transvaal Republic founded Sabie Game Reserve to protect wildlife. Over time, the conservation zone expanded, and, on May 31, 1926, it was officially christened Kruger National Park.
This year marks Kruger National Park’s centenary. Today, the country’s crown jewel – a landscape that changes palette with the seasons – is just over 20,000sq km. With only three days to explore the park – nearly half the size of Canterbury – we narrow our focus to Kruger’s southwestern tip: the 5400ha Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve. At the convergence of Sabie and Sand rivers, the reserve is a magnet for the Big Five – not least for its favourable odds to lock eyes with Africa’s most elusive cat, the leopard.
Peak hour eventually gives way, and we arrive at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge. The wild welcoming committee is replaced by a human one offering cold face towels and mocktails to pacify humid air. It’s a greeting I could easily get used to.
Established in 1979, the pioneering lodge is a luxurious extension of the reserve, where traditional safari decorations, animal fabrics, and African artworks are woven with modern comforts. At the core of the 25-room lodge are two swimming pools and an enormous viewing deck overlooking bushlands.
Multiple sun loungers are in prime position for “Bush TV”, affording front-row access to watch wildlife scenes unfold, cocktail in tow. The storyline changes every hour.
The ultimate reality show hits closer to home, with sighting a greater kudu munching on tall grasses within metres of my standalone thatched-roof suite.
Speaking of entertainment, days out here don’t skip a beat following a stacked – yet prized – itinerary: morning game drive, breakfast, followed by an activity – whether a walking safari to closely observe ecosystems and footprints, splash time, spa treatments, binge-watching “Bush TV” – another game drive, sundowners in the wild, and a Boma dinner under the stars. But again, depending on traffic, the schedule can be thrown off.
It’s past sunset, with animals and landscapes slowly morphing into darkened silhouettes as we journey back to the lodge. Perched at the front of the vehicle, tracker Hendrick shines a torch with the rhythmic sweep of a lighthouse to guide us through darkness. A glint of a nocturnal eye, an added bonus. Passing a bend, we come to a sudden halt. The cat that had evaded us since sunrise, teasing us with fresh footprints, finally appears – strutting right past our tyres. Its tubular tail flicks with hypnotic cadence as it saunters down the yellow dirt track.
The leopard is nonchalant about our presence, moving towards a tree. Bethuel roars the engine, taking our mobile grandstand off-road for a closer inspection. The spotted cat brushes against the tree, emitting its scent. It repeats this territory-marking exercise with nearby trees before retiring from its nighttime antics, lying down in golden straw grass. We cannot believe our luck having this prolonged moment with a leopard. No wonder this region is regarded as Leopard Country.
“It is the behaviour of the leopard we have,” Bethuel later tells us back at the lodge, “It goes back to the way you treat the animal. If you don’t show respect, they will run away every time you see them. This one was happy to walk past the vehicle as they know they aren’t being threatened.”
With incredible moments like these, it’s understandable why Bethuel factors in such generous buffer time to trek back to the airport.
“There’s a buffalo there,” one passenger shrieks.
“There’s a giraffe over there,” another passenger points out.
The traffic never stops.
adventureworld.com has dedicated Destination Specialists to curate a journey that includes a unique stay at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge.
The writer travelled courtesy of Adventure World and South African Tourism.