“IT'S PRIVATE
LAND, but the
WILDLIFE
DON‘T
CARE MUCH
for YOUR
PRIVACY”thatched suite – between the sunken outdoor lounge
area, lap pool and bath, it’s hard to know where to
begin. The bathroom is the pièce de résistance, finished
with a giant hunk of green marble that most Instagram
flat-layers would give half their follower count for,
thoughtfully topped with citronella spray in case you
forgot your malaria tablets (don‘t), sunscreen and a chic
basket tote to chuck it all in when your 5am wakeup call
comes for the safari drive.
If safari sighting were a competition, spotting the
impala would be worth one point (they’re toward the
bottom of the food chain), while a herd of elephants
might be 10 (add bonus points for babies). A pack of
lions feasting leisurely on a “kill” might be 50, until
you realise their lunch is a zebra
you sighted earlier – minus 20.
Rhinos are the rarest of all –
it’s estimated that more are
killed by poachers each year
than are born.
Conservation efforts are
woven into everything at Tengile.
Dwindling animal populations
are top of mind, with guides
working alongside anti-poaching
units and global conservation
networks to continually monitor animal populations.
&Beyond’s organisation, Africa Foundation, is also
involved in efforts such as relocating rhinos to safe
havens and educating the local young people who are
at risk of being recruited by poaching syndicates.
Your days are punctuated with two safari drives —
one at dusk and one at sundown – and you’re bound to
be fast friends with your guide and tracker. It’s not
uncommon for them to spot a camouflaged crocodile, to
name a bird by its call, or to disappear – for a brief
moment – as they follow animal markings on foot. Their
innate knowledge of the landscape – perhaps best
exemplified by their ability to get you back to the lodge
sans Google Maps – is an impressive thing to witness.
Put simply, no cliché does justice to the experience of
Tengile River Lodge, where late afternoon drives spill
into the evening and sundowners are tinged with
Amarula (a cream liqueur made from the fruit of the
marula tree), followed by some of the best sunsets you’ll
ever see. And if you’re lucky, a lone white rhino might
appear, mirage-like, as a reminder to care for what
remains of and on this vast earth while we still can. >
&Beyond Tengile River Lodge safaris can be planned by
Jones & Turner Travel Associates. For information, visit
travelassociates.com/stores/paddingtonTRAVEL
&Beyond Tengile River Lodge&Beyond Tengile
River Lodge