South Africa (Safari) -Day 2- Of Pink Gin & Elephants

Renting the car from the hotel was the beginning of an easy trip out of the city. Admittedly the most challenging part of our drives when in foreign countries is getting out of the metropolis, but because the way Joburg is structured we were already in an easier part right off the highway.  Jumped in the car, turned on our South Africa playlist, and hit the road! A much easier drive that we were honestly expecting, with highway the whole way and some beautiful scenery (including the Highlands Meander which was super hilly and lovely)—after about 3 hours and fifteen minutes we were in the Mpumalanga area; exactly what Google maps projected!

The Nkomazi Game Reserve entry was very clearly marked and we were greeted at the gate at the 1pm arrival time, directed to a secure parking spot, and then welcomed with cold beer/ cider in the welcome tent by a lovely guide named Celebrate (who is our guide while we’re here).   Quick detail—Savanna cider is awesome, much more refreshing than the British versions J  Another couple was starting their stay as well so we chatted with them a bit and found out that they are South African and live about an hour and a half from here, so this is a quick 2-day trip for them (lucky ducks). They were raving about Nkomazi and its merits—a small, single lodge on 15,000 hectares whereas on other properties they feel much more crowded since there are more people/trucks/tents and you have to time the animal viewing so you rotate through.  Sounds like we made the right choice!! On the driven in the land rover from the main gate, we started seeing some wildlife—a small taste of what was to come!

We received an awesome surprise—all 10 tents are actually full right now, so we somehow ended up in the royal suite! We have way too much space for the two of us, but certainly aren’t complaining. All tents have a plunge pool and outdoor bathtub, but we actually have two tents (one with our bedroom, bathroom and small sitting area and the other is what we’re calling the party tent as it’s basically a big lounge) and a big deck that has a large plunge pool, the bathtub, and an outdoor shower. Absolutely incredible.

After settling in a little, we met up for tea at 3pm in the main tent where we met some of the other guests, had a few bites, and started getting really excited for the game drive that kicked off at 4pm.  There are 2 game drives a day—one at 6am and one at 4pm, both for three hours—timed to the best parts of the day to see the animals.  We were off on our first safari and were practically bouncing out of our seats with excitement. 

Not long after leaving the lodge, we saw giraffes (!!!!) and we truly realized that we are here on this amazing adventure.  Won’t bore you with the play by play of driving around looking for animals except to say that the landscape is truly breathtaking here and diverse—the park is backed by beautiful mountains, there is a river (which provides the most soothing white noise) and there are grasslands and rocky outcrops alike.  Managed to see giraffes, impala, kudu, nyala, elephants, and a hippo—so incredible to see close up.  The elephants were eating the whole time and tearing off branches of trees while the hippo was a very lucky spotting!

Before we left for the evening drive, our guide Celebrate asked about our favorite drinks to bring on the drive. They have this great tradition called sundowners where you basically have a cocktail and appreciate the sun going down from a scenic spot (which is basically every other tree in this place!).  Brennan had done some research and found a cocktail called a pink gin (gin, tonic, bitters) that was the traditional safari drink—Celebrate knew it at once and B was very excited to have an authentic, old-fashioned beverage on our drive.

The weather is truly summer here—upper 80s/low 90s and sunny as well.   There’s two ways they do dinner—one in the dining tent, the other in an outdoor setup called the boma. Because the weather was so good, dinner our first night was in the boma which was a truly special way to kickoff the safari leg of our trip.  With a big campfire in the middle and stars shining overhead, it was magical. Throw in some great food and wine and we couldn’t have been more content.

Overall just can’t get over how beautiful it is, how nice everyone is, how luxurious this place feels, and how incredibly fortunate we are to be on this once in a lifetime experience.