KwaMbili Game Lodge. Thornybush Nature Reserve.

2416
The devil is in the detail and that is certainly the case at KwaMbili Game Lodge where a variety of interesting decor pieces make guests want to investigate and explore the lodge buildings.

 

 

KwaMbili means “Place of Two” and my wife and I can attest to the fact that the lodge is the ideal setting for couples or families. When a logo includes a bush hat and a pair of binos, you can be assured of an authentic and affordable safari experience. From the moment that you arrive, the staff are attentive to the guests every need. And that included sending a field guide out to find us on our arrival as we had taken a wrong turn and headed off for 10km in the wrong direction. Not the fault of the lodge, but both my wife and I missed the turn not once, but twice! Anyway, we turned it into a mini-game drive and we were pleased to see the lodge vehicle come into view to get us safely to the camp reception area.

 

 

This post will include some of the extraordinary sightings that we had during the 4 days that we were at the lodge.

I always get excited when there is a wild dog sighting. During our stay at KwaMbili, we spent time with this pack of 7 on three separate occasions.

 

 

 

I had a farm in Africa…not quite, but the decor is reminiscent of that era of the explorer. Out of Africa, the movie based on the Karin Blixen story was the inspiration for the decor, not only in the public areas but in the chalets and safari tents as well.

 

 

Out of the darkness… We had found this young male on a giraffe kill early in the morning and we returned after dark to see if he was still there. And he was.

 

 

 

Not only was this terrapin a long way from water, but he had also gotten himself into a rather embarrassing position when trying to navigate between some branches. Eventually, he did manage to free himself and headed off in the general direction of where I assumed there was water.

 

 

 

A tracker trick, or a good guide training? Finding a Flap-Necked Chameleon in the dark with only a spotlight as an aid when driving past is a definite skill. Our guide, Matt, went on to tell us that not only was this the only species of chameleon found in the area, but it was also the ONLY chameleon! And our tracker, the legendary Eddie, had managed to find it.

 

 

 

Something I had not seen before. An entire tree filled with European Bee-eaters. It seems that they roost in large numbers at night for safety as well as keeping a wary eye open for unwanted predators.

 

 

 

Get away from my water hole! NOT a happy hippo. He kept up this display for the entire time that we sat on the bank and watched him. Interestingly enough, he never came any closer but maintained his distance while trying to intimidate us. Finally, we got the message and left him to be grumpy by himself.

 

 

 

This is not the lion that made the giraffe kill. We had found this particular individual alone some distance away, but the lure of kilograms of giraffe meat was just too much and it seems that he and the other male may have the beginnings of a coalition.

 

 

 

A Hooded Vulture strutting its stuff while waiting for the lions to move off so it, together with the White Backed Vultures could claim the carcass for themselves before the hyena move in.

 

 

 

The first Impala baby of the season, seen in the area around KwaMbili. There had been others reported further south, but this was the first that we spotted. The lambing season has begun and over the next few weeks, there will be a multitude of babies born.

 

 

 

Dung beetles are fascinating insects for several reasons:

Did you know that…

There are 800 species in South Africa.

A dung beetle can roll a ball of dung 50 times its own weight. For a human, this would mean pulling six double-decker buses full of people!

The beetles are specific about the dung that they will utilize. In Australia, the beetles refused to process the dung of the introduced horses, sheep and cattle that “covered” the Outback and would only ‘snack’ on kangaroo poo.

Navigation by the stars…
Scientists have known for some time that dung beetles move in straight lines away from dung piles. This they manage by detecting a symmetrical pattern of polarised light that appears around the sun. Humans are not able to see this pattern, but many insects can, due to the special photoreceptors in their eyes. But it was not known how beetles use visual cues at night – like the moon and its much weaker polarised light patterns. During a study observing the nocturnal African dung beetle, scientists realised that the beetle could still roll a ball in a straight line, even on moonless nights. They came to the conclusion that the beetles must be using the stars.

 

 

 

Although the area has many leopards, this was the only one that we managed to see, albeit briefly. Supposedly very relaxed under normal circumstances, it was skittish when we discovered it lying on the limb of a large tree. The moment the vehicle turned in her direction she was off and this was the only glimpse that we had of her as she vanished into the thicket on the side of the road.

 

 

 

Summer is here. We spotted the first Woodland Kingfisher, which won our guide bragging rights. The call of this particular bird is very distinctive and after spotting this one we came across several more. Always an exciting time of year for birders.

 

 

 

Many thanks to my wife for this image. Just proving that I was working…

 

 

To find out more about what this stunning lodge has to offer, click on the logo

 

 

 

 

All images are the copyright property of

and may not be used without permission.