Travel & Things will be on the road while researching forthcoming content for upcoming articles on the lodges mentioned in this post.
No posts will be published on Monday 8th, Friday 12th, Monday 15th and Friday 19th of July.
Normal publishing will resume on Monday 22nd July.
Every time I head towards the Lowveld, I always stop over at this iconic guest house in Lydenburg.
Although not part of the Sun Destinations portfolio, it has become a traditional stop along the way to my final destinations.
Staying here overnight allows me to arrive at my first camp mid-morning, rather than mid-afternoon. (It also allows me to leave home at midday instead of having to get up in the cold and dark of a Highveld winter morning).
During my last visit, Francis, the owner, showed me where she would be building more accommodation. I am looking forward to staying in one of those rooms on this visit.
The deal I have with Francis is that I never stay in the same room twice and, as a result, I am slowly working my way through all the themed accommodation on offer…
To find out more about the guest house and what it offers, visit their website by clicking on the logo above.
AND NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT…
Click on their logo to learn more about what this company offers.
I will be visiting, post extensive renovations that I am told will offer visitors an even better safari experience.
Listen to this while you read this post… On the road again.
Before I dive into the lodges I will be visiting, pull up a chair and I will share a story with you…
“In the high and far-off times the Elephant, O Best Beloved, had no trunk. He only had a blackish, bulgy nose, as big as a boot, that he could wriggle about from side to side, but he couldn’t pick up things with it. But there was one Elephant- a new Elephant – an Elephant’s child- who was full of ‘satiable curiosity’, and that means he asked ever so many questions. And he filled all Africa with his ‘ satiable curiosities. He asked his tall aunt, the Ostrich, why his tail feathers grew so, and his tall aunt spanked him with her hard, hard claw. He asked his tall uncle, the Giraffe, what made his skin spotty, and his tall uncle spanked him with his hard, hard hoof. He asked his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus why her eyes were red and his broad aunt spanked him with her broad, broad hoof. And he asked his hairy uncle, the Baboon, why melons tasted just so, and his hair uncle spanked him with his hairy, hairy paw. He asked questions about everything he saw, or heard, or smelt, or touched and all his uncles and his aunts spanked him. And still, he was full of ‘satiable curiosity! One fine morning this Elephant’s Child asked a new question that he had never asked before: “ What does a Crocodile have for dinner?” Everybody said, “Hush!” in a loud and dretful tone, and they spanked him for a long time. By and by, he came upon a Kolokoko bird sitting in the middle of a wait-a-bit thorn-bush, and said, “ My father has spanked me, and my mother has spanked me, all my aunts and uncles have spanked me for my ‘ satiable curiosity, and still I want to know what a Crocodile has for dinner!” Then Kolokolo bird said, with a mournful cry, “Go to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River and find out.”
Rudyard Kipling “The Elephant’s Child”
I am not certain about you, dear reader, but I am filled with satiable curiosity.
Luckily I did not have to go as far as the Limpopo River to find my answers…neither was I spanked by any family members.
This road trip will answer some of the questions you and I might have about the camps I visit.
The images and comments in this post are from previous visits to the camps that I will revisit on this trip.
These cubs were playing on the road with one of the adult females watching in the background.
No sooner had we arrived than the cubs and the females decided to move off into the long grass, but we were able to spend time with them.
Click on the logo for more information about the camp.
Often these Foam Nest Tree Frogs can be found in the accommodation.
Although harmless to humans they can scare a guest who is not expecting to find them in a bathroom or balanced quietly on the frame of a mirror, waiting for prey to scuttle past.
Click on the logo to find out more about the camp.
One of the international visitor’s favourite animals…
Aside from the Big 5, the Ugly 5 and the Scarce 5, there should be a list of the Most Popular 5 and giraffe would most certainly be on that!
To find out more about the camp, click on the logo.
Always an exciting moment when these grey giants appear out of the foliage.
There is a waterhole in front of the camp, and the elephants visit there several times a day to either quench their thirst or to play and wallow in the shallow water.
A great sighting for guests, who do not even have to leave camp.
To find out more about this camp, click on the logo.
Travel is the proud winner of this prestigious award from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife. The award is in the category Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa.
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Edgar Bergen
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