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AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN | 149

This trip saw us travel to Kwandwe Private Game

Reserve, staying in the Great Fish River Lodge on the

Eastern Cape and Thanda Safari camp in Zululand. Both

are leading privately owned safaris, home to the Big Five

(lions, elephants, buffalo, rhinos and leopards), yet each

is vastly different in location and experience. The safari

timetables, however, are much the same.

We are placed in a group of no more than nine people

with a ranger and tracker. Everyone is up before sunrise

for a snack before heading out at 5.30am. After tracking

and spotting animals and a tea break in the bush, we

return at 10.30am for brunch and free time before heading

back to the main building for afternoon tea and another

safari at 3pm. After a day-to-torchlight search for animals,

which includes a sundowner in a jaw-droppingly beautiful

location, we return in time for dinner.

These two safaris pride themselves on an authentic

experience. The animals are wild and have had limited

interaction with humans other than seeing vehicles

appear and disappear during the course of a day. Kwandwe

sprawls across 22,000ha while Thanda covers 14,000ha,

so on both safaris the rangers keep in contact with one

another while the trackers scan the ground and peer

through binoculars to spot wildlife.

Driving dawn, day and early evening through the bush

• the dense vegetation of the Eastern Cape or the sparse

landscape of Zululand – imparts a certain magic. We

witness the brutality of Mother Nature when two

cheetahs chase down and devour a springbok; the

elegance of the hunted as wildebeest, eland, impala and

hartebeest dart into the coverage of trees; the majesty

of giraffes as they traverse the land while eating from

the treetops. Travellers often say there is something

mystical about Africa. They are right, and it’s best

experienced on safari. #

YOUR TOUR GUIDE

THANDA SAFARI

Thanda Safari is part of the Leading Hotel of the World group and

has won countless luxury awards. With 14 safari tents nestled into

the trees, this is the ultimate in glamping.

SAFARI KNOW-HOW

ORGANISATION Our itinerary was devised by Encompass Africa,

a specialist tour operator with expert knowledge of Africa.

A six-night stay taking in Thanda Safari and Kwandwe Great Fish

River Lodge costs from $4565/pp, airfares not included.

encompassafrica.com.au.

DRESS Look to neutral-toned outfits that are appropriate for

climbing in and out of a vehicle; wide-brimmed hats that will stay

put in the open air; shoes for gravel pathways and a bag.

KWANDWE GREAT FISH RIVER LODGE

When it comes to atmosphere, dining, staff and decor, this is the

quintessential South African safari experience. Set above a river, its

design is colonial in that South African organic-yet-refined way.

ROOMS (below) Small luxury huts dotted along a narrow gravel

path. Think wood, thatched ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glazing

with views to the bush. Sink-into-me beds are dressed in white linens

and you can bathe indoors or out.

FOOD Incredible European (croissants, soufflés, seafood) and

safari dishes (warthog salami, springbok carpaccio, impala steaks)

served up in elegant colonial style. http://www.kwandwe.com.

ROOMS (above) Think Hemingway-style safari tents – polished-

timber floors, crisp linens, colonial furniture and fixtures, candles

and brass details in the bathroom.

FOOD Help yourself in the morning and table service by night.

Dining by candlelight in the evening and retiring to the bar or

fire pit, which sit above the pool, is just magic. http://www.thanda.com.

South

African safari