Machadodorp, Lukimbi Safari Lodge. idube game reserve and Barberton. Road tripping…

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I suppose that a 6-7 hour drive is manageable in one day.
But being a travel writer,
I enjoy spending time in small town South Africa.
That being said, I divided a recent trip to Kruger National Park
and Sabi Sand with my wife into two days.
Machadodorp was our overnight stop on the outbound leg of the trip.
We enjoyed the hospitality and meals provided by Samson and Beauty
at the aptly named:
“Absolute Leisure Cottages“…

Our room, named “Geluk” (meaning “luck” in Afrikaans,
but it was also the name of the farm on which the town was founded)
It was bigger than expected and had a seating area
as well as a small kitchen and dining table!

The aforementioned dining area.
Breakfast is included in the price, but they can do dinner if you require it.
We had lunch at a local pub, and were served wonderful lasagne for dinner

There is seating outside on the wrap-around veranda which
is shared with two other rooms.

My first actual sighting of a “Piet-my-vrou…
( Red-chested Cuckoo).
The call is a very distinctive one,
but they are usually incredibly difficult to spot.

Lukimbi Safari Lodge, Southern Kruger National Park.
We were last here in 2010, and I am glad to report that nothing has changed.
Apart from some of the staff.

The lodge is set out like the horns of a buffalo,
with the main buildings in the centre and the accommodation
being the “horns”.
We were in W3 on our last visit…this time it was W9.

There is an outside as well as an inside seating area,
both of which share a similar view of the river and surrounding bush

Even when lying in the bath,
we had a spectacular view out of the huge bay window

One of the most unusual sightings.
A Black Rhino, out in the open and relaxed.

From Kruger we drove up to Sabi Sand,
and probably one of my wife’s favourite camps…
idube game reserve.
This is a “sister” property to Lukimbi and
once again, this was a return visit for us.

The lodge will undergo a refurbishment in early 2017,
but it is charming in its current form

The accommodation was more than adequate,
with a full bathroom as well as an outdoor shower.

The lounge at the main building…
many of the guests spend time here as it is where the Wi-Fi is.

While we were sitting in the lounge,
this male leopard walked through the bar area on its way to the waterhole
at the bottom of the property!
An awesome sighting by any stretch of the imagination.

On our way back we stopped of in Barberton,
a town that has been on my list of places to visit.
This was our accommodation at Fountain Baths Guest House.

Not so much just accommodation as a cottage.

We decided to spend two nights here as it turns out that there
is a lot to experience in and around town

I have to say at the end of two busy days,
bed did beckon early…

We almost brought this cat home with us.
Not quite the leopard that we saw padding though the camp at idube,
but at least this feline decided to “move in” with us
for the duration of our stay.
Luckily was are both “cat people” and enjoyed the company.