Into the wild: Why safari and city are the perfect pairing in South Africa
Who’s up for hike back to the lodge?” asks our safari guide Ruan Mey. Four hands are sheepishly raised and, moments later, we leave the relative safety of our robust Toyota Land Cruiser for the exposed bushland. We begin walking as instructed, silently and in single file, Ruan leading the way with a loaded rifle clasped across his chest. Barely three minutes from where we abandoned the truck, he raises an arm as a signal to stop. Off to our right we spy a lone, single-tusked bull elephant the size of a bus, its head swaying theatrically from side to side.
Ruan appears concerned and quietly directs us to seek refuge in tall grass near a huge termite mound. “If he moves towards us, I need you all to climb up that thing as quickly as you can.” We don’t need much persuading to do as advised and sit crouched for what seems like an eternity as the huge pachyderm approaches. Less than 10 metres away, it stops to sniff the air and takes a cursory glance in our direction. Satisfied we pose no threat, the creature continues its journey – and we all breathe a collective sigh of relief. As the elephant disappears into the distance, Ruan explains the erratic head movements likely indicate its keen desire to find a mate. “He’s high on testosterone,” he informs us.
Wild beauty
This close encounter is one of many we are lucky enough to experience in the spectacular Sabi Sands Game Reserve, located in northeastern South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park. Our home for the duration of our stay is the magnificent Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge, part of the Sabi Sabi Collection, which shares unfenced borders with the famed Kruger.
Earth Lodge is one of four luxury properties that comprise the Sabi Sabi Collection, alongside Selati Camp, Bush Lodge and Little Bush Camp. A fifth, Sandringham Private Game Reserve, will join the portfolio in August. All are approximately an hour’s drive from Kruger’s Skukuza Airport, although it’s not uncommon for guests to arrive and depart using the reserve’s private airstrip.
Each lodge has its own unique character and style, but it’s fair to say Earth Lodge is the most adventurous architecturally. Sculpted into its surroundings to be almost invisible from a distance, the innovative design is equal parts stone-age brutalist and futuristic. There are 13 spacious suites featuring a modern mix of sympathetic materials, subtle lighting and understated warm tones, with natural fibres permeating the ‘bunker-style’ themed walls. The main reception and dining areas are largely open plan with views onto a nearby watering hole and expansive bushveld. As well as a library and spa, there’s a lower-level dining space with a wine cellar, housing more than 6,000 bottles of ‘flagship’ South African wines.
Special sightings
Game drive days begin early and, after a quick, much-needed coffee, we set off long before dawn with our guide and tracker. I’d been warned that mornings could be surprisingly chilly, but I hadn’t banked on the unseasonably cold and rainy conditions we are greeted with. Channelling my inner Toto, I can say with conviction, “I bless the rains down in Africa”.
However, not for one moment does the weather detract from the immense beauty of the landscape and the incredible abundancy of wildlife. Our journey from the airport to the reserve alone treats us to a rare sighting of a pack of 13 wild dogs. Only 250 are thought to exist in all of South Africa after being hunted to near extinction. We encounter this same pack two days later when we have ringside seats for a chaotic territorial brawl, where the wild dogs ‘face off’ with seven high-pitched screaming hyenas. Even the guides pull out their phones to record this extraordinary occurrence.
On our first full game drive day we see four of the famed big five: rhino, elephant, lion and leopard. Only the elusive buffalo escapes our attention, but scattered between those sightings we see kudus, impalas, wildebeest, giraffes and zebras. The day spectacularly culminates with an evening dash to catch sight of Mawelawela, an 11 year-old leopard gracefully going about its usual hunting routine. In the early-evening darkness, Donald Temba, our tracker, directs his high‑beam flashlight across the foliage to highlight its magnificent coat.
Later that evening, discussing our good fortune seeing Mother Nature’s finest, Sabi Sabi marketing manager Louise Barlow sums up our collective sentiments: “We see wildlife as being the rightful inhabitants of the bushveld; we are simply privileged to spend time in their world.”
Our three days at Earth Lodge pass in the blink of an eye and, with tearful hugs from the wonderful staff, we depart for the contrasting environment of South Africa’s second-largest city to embark on a different kind of safari.
City life
South Africa excels at variety. It may seem a world away, but the wilderness of the Kruger is only a few flight hours from the bustling metropolis of Cape Town. After landing in the city, we drop our bags at The Claremont Boutique Hotel, a relatively recently acquired addition to the Sabi Sabi Collection, and are ushered to Klein Constantia, one of Cape Town’s oldest wineries, for an oenophile’s dream: a wine safari.
We’re escorted around a section of the 360-acre farm by front house manager Alan Wickstrom, a veteran of more than 20 years in wine production. His passion and knowledge are evident, but the highlight of any winery visit is, of course, the tasting. In the depths of the cellars we sample, among others, a 2002 Vin de Constance, a sweet wine originally born in 1685 that has delighted kings, emperors and icons from Napoleon and Frederick the Great to Jane Austen and Nelson Mandela. A nice way to acquaint oneself with this great city.
In years gone by I used to visit Cape Town frequently, and I’m now dumbstruck by how much I hadn’t seen on those trips. What better way to discover the unknown than with a local guide? Enter Josh Brent from Escape+Explore, who treats us to daily excursions that visit both local haunts and touristy spots, cruising around in his customary surfer’s wagon, a VW Panel van.
We begin by leaving the city boundaries and cross-country eastwards to delightful coastal towns along False Bay, many of which share characteristics of English seaside equivalents. Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and Simon’s Bay all have a familiar feel, but there is no mistaking the multicultural South African flavours. After some obligatory penguin watching at Boulders Beach, we journey to Africa’s most southwesterly point, the Cape of Good Hope – also known as the Cape of Storms. Through horizontal wind and rain we satiate our requirement for Insta snaps, particularly of the local baboons, then travel northwest for lunch in, of all places, Scarborough. Josh politely remarks: “I’ve been told it’s quite different to your English version.”
Hidden pleasures
Showing off the less touristy, but equally interesting, spots becomes a theme on our travels both in and around Cape Town, illustrating just how much is on offer. Within the space of one day we manage to squeeze in a cable car tour up Table Mountain; enjoy refreshments at steampunk-themed coffee house Truth; take a history walk around city hall, famous for its Mandela statue; stroll past the multicoloured houses of Bo-Kaap; cycle along the Sea Point promenade; drink cocktails while watching the sun set over Camps Bay and indulge in a quick pint in The Foresters Arms, known locally as Forries, one of South Africa’s oldest pubs.
Like a good wine, the flavour leaves you only thirsty for more. Author Richard Mullin famously wrote: “The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa – for he has so much to look forward to.” A sentiment many visitors will empathise with, leaving with the yearning desire to return. I for one still have a date to fulfil with an elusive buffalo.
Book it
Audley Travel offers a six-night trip to South Africa from £9,100 per person, including three nights’ all-inclusive at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge and three nights’ bed and breakfast at The Claremont Boutique Hotel. The price includes international and domestic flights, private transfers, park fees and safari activities.
AUDLEYTRAVEL.COM
Change for good
The Sabi Sabi Foundation was formed to cultivate custodians of the region’s natural heritage, through education, employment and conservation. Sabi Sabi endeavours to focus its community involvement on projects that benefit and involve staff, their families and respective communities.
To the west, Sabi Sabi borders Ximungwe district of the Bushbuckridge municipality (encompassing the rural Shangaan villages of Huntington, Lillydale and Justicia) where many of the group’s staff live. Those employed by Sabi Sabi typically support a high number of dependents in these communities, representing tangible benefits that extend beyond the boundaries of our protected area.
The foundation’s mission is to make a difference by fostering the success and upliftment of its neighbours in the communities bordering the reserve. The major cornerstones of its mission are coordinating poverty relief in line with identified needs; supporting the provision of quality education; bridging access to employment; nurturing the development of future leaders; and protecting and conserving indigenous fauna and flora.
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