We are back!
Travel & Things recently returned from a road trip, researching content for upcoming articles on De Ark Guest House and four Sun Destinations lodges I visited.
Whenever I head towards the Lowveld, I always stop at this iconic Lydenburg guest house.
Although not part of the Sun Destinations portfolio, De Ark Guest House has become a traditional stop along the way to my final Sun Destinations lodges.
Staying here overnight allows me to arrive at the 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 this visit, I got to stay in the recently renovated Roccoco Room. which, I am certain, will become the signature room on the property.
Co-owner Francis makes certain 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…
Rococo Room.
This was originally 2 rooms that have now been combined into a single unit that is spacious enough for the most discerning traveller. Whether you are staying for one night or several, your comfort is their priority.
Aside from a lounge area and a small kitchen, it has a bathroom, the likes of which would NOT be out of place in a Roman Palace…
A jacuzzi bath with not one but two shower heads and an outside shower when the weather plays along.
This is truly over-the-top bathing at its very best. The only problem is…it was a cold night and once in the bath with the jets turned on, I really did NOT want to get out. Luckily the bed has an electric blanket so I was not chilly for long.
The Fickle Fox Bar is a joyous space where guests can relax and share a drink or two with host Barney…or whoever else might be behind the bar on any particular evening.
The pub backs onto the dining room and although dinner is not included in the room rate (breakfast is) you can order should you want to eat in rather than brave the potholes looking for fast food outlets.
This guest house is highly recommended if you are thinking of travelling on this route to destinations further North.
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.
All the camps I visited were post-renovations that, in my opinion, enhance the safari experience of visitors now and in the future.
Listen to this while you read this post… On the road again.
Before I dive into the lodges I visited, pull up a chair and I will share this 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 was and still 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.
A return visit to Africa on Foot. One of my favourite Sun Destinations camps for many reasons.
The rondavel that I stayed in on this visit had an indoor shower, whereas the previous visit had seen me in accommodation with an outdoor shower. But that was during the summer months, while this was in the dead of winter and getting wet outdoors was NOT an option.
Simplicity is the key to this lodge decor, but that does not mean compromise. It merely means that the room is not cluttered with items that are not required to enhance the guest experience.
Many lodges leaned during COVID that items they had to remove for health reasons were not missed by the guests, and therefore many of these were not returned post-pandemic.
The major changes at Africa on Foot are in the public spaces.
New soft furnishings and furniture make the space vibrant and welcoming. First-time guests might comment on how open and comfortable the lounge/dining room/ bar areas are.
Returning guests will certainly give it a ‘thumbs-up’ and a BIG WOW.
Seated her, post-drive, walk or meal is the ideal place to be, given that the camp is unfenced and animals might wander through at any time.
THIS is why the camp is called Africa on Foot. Guests are offered the choice of a walk or a drive in the morning.
The former allowing visitors to experience the bush differently, while the latter will give you access to the larger game species .
This is one predator that you want to experience from the safety of a game viewer.
That being said, I have walked into lion sightings with experienced guides and felt no anxiety about the encounter. Treated with respect, wildlife would rather walk away than engage.
This particular young male was part of a pride of 5.
2 males and 3 females who had encountered a LARGE herd of buffalo and were intent on finding a meal in amongst that lowing mass of horns and hooves.
Click on the logo for more information about the camp.
Less than 3km down a gravel road from Africa on Foot is nThambo Tree Camp.
Here to, for those who have been before, there are changes to be seen in both the public spaces as well as the accommodation.
The colour palette is based on the plumage of the Cape Glossy Starling and as such makes the space colourful and positively iridescent.
The bar has been moved and as a result, it opens up the lounge area making all that spend time there feel comfortable and at home.
The views out over the deck and across the plain to the small waterhole, offer guests the opportunity to watch the passing pared in comfort and style.
The accommodation has also been given a make-over. The shower in the bathroom has been opened and extended at the deck is about 3 times the size that it used to be.
I am reliably informed that there are more changes planned for the near future, so keep an eye open for updates on Travel & Things.
On my previous visit, the pool was being renovated so I was not exposed to this…the elephant herds prefer the fresh water of the lodge pool to that available in the waterhole that is less than 100m away.
On one particular morning, there were 14 elephants of various sizes vying for space to quench their thirst. If guests are prepared to sit quietly (and by this, I mean in silence) then it becomes an immersive experience and one that they can take away as a memory.
Click on the logo to find out more about the camp.
Nambu Camp is the one that impressed me the most for the attention to detail that the owner has focussed on during a recent major renovation.
Small things that other guests might not notice, like the positioning of the taps in the shower or the number and type of plug points on either side of the bed.
A bugbear of mine is the fact that often bedside lamps are for decoration only and it is impossible to read a book in tier soft glow. Great for creating ambience, but not so good for those of us who still read books with paper pages unlike the digital versions. Well done to Rewald and his design team!
Nambu believes in the long table concept for meals…unless you specifically want to eat away from the majority of the guests.
I find that conversations can be interesting in a setting like this when English is not always the language of choice.
One of the Scarce 5, this African Wild cat sat and watched us while the dying light of the setting sun lit its ears perfectly.
Usually, this small but deceptively fierce predator is seldom seen. Or if it is, it is usually a fleeting glimpse of its rear end as it vanishes into the under growth.
Hence this is such a special sighting.
To find out more about the camp, click on the logo.
Last but by no means least… Chacma Bush Camp. An intimate camp currently that is about to undergo major changes that will allow guests to fully appreciate the African bush and make the camp much more open and accessible to both staff and guests (another camp that will require a return visit before the end of 2024!
It took us a while but this young female leopard eventually popped out of the bush and sauntered down the road while we sat in awe…and the digital cameras clicked away like demented machine guns.
No matter how often I head into the bush, this elusive predator always seems to validate a particular trip for me.
And judging from the stunned silence of the international guests sharing the vehicle with me, they too found it a sight to remember.
When I opened the door to my accommodation, this is what awaited me.
One of a pair of African barred Owlets it seemed to be judging me, as I must have walked past it more than once before taking note of it.
Did you know?
The vocalization of the African Barred Owlet is interesting for a variety of reasons.
The male’s song is a series of 9-8 equally spaced whistles that sound “kweeu-kweeu-kweeu-kweeu-kweeu-kweeu.” And is repeated every 15-20 seconds.
The female will sing the same song, although slightly higher-pitched.
When both owls are excited, they will sing in a series of short purring notes and when they are at a nest, they çonverse’ in soft “twoo” calls.
The final sunset of this trip as in the morning I bid farewell to the Lowveld and all the camps that I visited on this road trip.
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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“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?”
Edgar Bergen
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