BREAKING NEWS

 

 

Before diving into this post, I am excited to announce two new additions to my site (with thanks to JHnet Web Design)

The first thing you might have noticed when you landed on my page is the new subscription facility. Enter your email address, and you will be informed, not spammed, when new posts are published. There will be giveaways and prizes available to subscribers in the new year.

The second is the fact that my photo gallery has gone live, and limited-edition wildlife and landscape images are for sale there.

More changes are scheduled for 2026 to keep the site fresh and interesting.

 

 

 

Most times, while in the bush, it is the buffalo that glare at you as if you owe them money.

However, in this instance, it was this lioness that had her “WTF “face on as she watched me.

This post is going to be different from my usual road trip overview posts inasmuch as I am not focusing on food, accommodation or wildlife sightings.

Instead, these images spoke to me about what made my trip memorable.

This was as a result of being asked by guests at almost every camp, “What is your favourite camp”? And my response is usually “Each one offers something different and often unique”.

So that is what I will concentrate on here.

However, there will be upcoming posts that will deep dive into the experiences I enjoyed at every camp, so keep an eye open for those.

There will also be interviews with lodge owners and guides that I met along the way…if I can convince them to join me on my YouTube channel. In Conversation With…

I need to add a disclaimer here. My comments on the various lodges are not a review per se, but an overview of my experiences there. I have come to realise over the years that many travellers have expectations of food, accommodation and game sightings that are not realistic.

So, what is the difference?

A review tends to focus specifically on the accommodation itself: the rooms, facilities, service, staff friendliness, cleanliness, meals, check-in/out, and comfort — basically, how the “business” performed in hospitality terms.

While an experience covers sensory, emotional, behavioural and relational aspects. How I felt, how the environment touched me, how interactions shaped my memories.

It doesn’t necessarily evaluate a business’s service objectively; experiences are more subjective, sometimes messy, and often deeply personal.

So, read and enjoy the experiences that made me happy on this trip. And even though each lodge I stayed at was different, the one constant was the staff and the guides that I interacted with. What a wonderful group of passionate people!

This trip educated, informed, and entertained me… even the R100.00 speeding fine I received when I drove into Hoedspruit was part of the experience.

To find out more about each of the properties I stayed at, click on the appropriate logo, and you will be taken to the relevant website.

 

 

 

 

Once again, my road trip North started, as it always does, at De Ark in Lydenburg.

Talk about “any port in a storm”. The heavens opened up, and a deluge of note was dumped on my car on the section between Dullstroom and Lydenburg.

But I knew that my refuge awaited there in the form of another visit to De Ark Guest House.

Upon my arrival, the staff member who greeted me apologised for the fact that water had seeped under the door to my room during the storm, and they were in the process of mopping up.

Not a big deal, as it was only the bottom of the door that had got soaked. Well, it turns out I was mistaken. I closed my door while showering and then could not get it to open when I exited the bathroom.

Luckily for me, the owners had just driven in, and they heard my plaintive cries for help and released me from my inadvertent prison.

Lots of laughter ensued, and we all had a fun evening watching the rugby and eating a snack platter that had been hastily prepared for all of us.

The room, the company and the food are why I always choose to stop here on my way further north. It allows me the opportunity to have breakfast (and a chat with the owners) and still be in Hoedspruit for an early morning meeting.

Lydenburg might not be a tourist attraction hot spot, but there are enough buildings of interest in the town to while away an afternoon. Starting with the De Ark Guest House itself.

So why the image of the welcome platter? Because I believe that epitomises the way that De Ark is run. Hospitality is front and centre, and interactions with both the owners and their staff are what keep me coming back.

 

 

 

I am very seldom, if ever, both gobsmacked AND speechless at the same time.

However, this property caused me to be both, simultaneously.

These are the new kids on the block, and the footprint that they have made is almost out of this world. The main lodge building looks like it could be a TV set for one of the Taylor Sheridan dramas. And the accommodation was beyond spectacular.

But more importantly, 18 on the Hill has a separate full Kosher kitchen and an on-site chef that can turn out dishes that would not be out of place in an urban Michelin-star restaurant.

Most memorable for me were the views from the main deck that encompass more than 180 degrees of bushveld beauty and a stillness and quiet that is what I long for when I am in the bush.

BTW. Do NOT be tempted by the glass jars filled with sweets that become almost addictive very quickly. And if that was not bad enough, there are small packets that you can fill so you don’t have other guests watch you while you make back and forth trips from your chair on the deck or next to the pool.

The owners are passionate about their camp, and I wish them success going forward.

 

 

 

And now for something completely different…

What do a pig and a rhino have in common?

You can phone a friend if you wish. I will wait.

*Answer at the end of the post.

 

 

 

I have been trying to get to this camp for more than a year! And I was in and out faster than I expected. Through no fault of the owner, the camp had been overbooked, and I had to move to Hoedspruit instead of spending a second night here as planned.

For those who are wondering, Pungwe means Civet cat in one of the local languages

Not really a problem, as I still got to experience an evening drive with some new digital heat-sensing cameras and screens. I meant that we were able to spot animals that we could not see with the spotlight, and the technology used does not affect the animals.

On the second morning, before I knew that I was going to have to leave, it was raining, so I chose NOT to go out on a game drive.

And what occurred? The rain cleared quickly and the lone passenger on the vehicle goy to experience an incredible drive all by herself.

I am grateful to her for not rubbing the fact that she had seen both lions and wild dogs in my face on her return.

The stories shared by Michel, a consultant and mentor, around the dinner table were the stuff that legends are made of. And all those present were enthralled and sat and listened to the fireside tales long after the last plate had been cleared and the coffee mugs were all cold.

I will be returning there early in the new year to complete my shortened visit.

 

 

 

Back to one of my favourite Sun Destinations properties for the fifth time; however, this time I was not staying in the camp, but merely using it as a start point for two days of walking trails rather than just heading out on game drives.

So, what WILL I be doing there? I will be with Africa on Foot Wilderness Trails based at Chacma Bush Camp, and I can expect the following:

A 3-day, guided walking safari where you trek through the reserve and spend each night in a different location, sleeping in dome tents.

Hi Ho, hi ho. It was off on a walk we go. What a wonderful group of people who all brought something different to share around the fire at night.

Luckily, during the walking hours, the rain held off, but at night, in both Camp 1 and Camp 2, it bucketed down relentlessly.

So much so that the guides suggested that we each eat in our own tents. All well and good for the 3 other couples, but I felt like I was in a cell. Flaps down against the wind and the rain, with food being handed to me through the zip on the front door. Although I may sound sorry for myself, there was a lot of laughter involved.

Visiting the toilet at night was also an issue, as it drizzled throughout the night. So I tried to keep visits outside to a minimum.

The next morning, my tent neighbour, a Norwegian, and I chatted about this, and he mentioned that he had brought a “secret weapon” with him…a pee bottle. I, too, had one, but had left it at home. It had come in very useful when I climbed Kilimanjaro. Turns out that my new walking friend had used his when he WALKED to the North Pole with a group. Game, set, and match to Bjorn!

 

 

 

 

The last time I was at Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside, I saw so many leopards that it was almost overwhelming.

By contrast, this was my first cat sighting in almost a week.

The group in our vehicle was rather diverse, with some being from Europe and another couple, and uncle and his niece were ex-South Africans, with the former living in Australia and his niece living in LA. I did the whole where do you come from and why are you here, and in the process found out that they were here for a family wedding. And that was where the conversation ended.

But lo and behold, I got an email from the young lady a few days later to tell me that she was staying with her Gran, who was my late father-in-law’s next-door neighbour!

What a small world.

 

 

 

I have stayed here previously and enjoyed both the accommodation and the food. Hence, I’m stopping here once more.

Just time to have dinner with the manager and his partner, and to tuck into the jar of cookies that are made and replenish as fast as you can eat them.

This spot is a great place to unwind between game drives, as Kruger Park is not too far away.

Or you can just relax and watch the wildlife wander past the fence that marks the border of the property

Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate certainly has a variety of wildlife to share. From Grey Duikers and warthogs to giraffe and even a leopard.

 

 

 

 

This was my first visit to this camp, and I had no idea what to expect. I have to admit that I am a lazy travel writer inasmuch as I do little, if any, research on camps that I am going to visit.

I don’t want to be tainted by bad reviews or swayed by comments and images of food and accommodation.

So this was all a surprise for me. The camp has a waterhole close by, and the herds of waterbuck and elephants that came to quench their thirst while we enjoyed our meals kept us all entertained.

BTW. Milima means mountain in Swahili, and the name becomes obvious when you look beyond the main lodge building to the enormous rocky outcrop behind it.

The camp was full of guests from as far as Brazil( who dressed impeccably) to a family of Danes with whom I spent a lot of time chatting.

The Grandfather of that group had been in the Danish Army and had retired with the rank of Colonel. Needless to say, I addressed him by his rank whenever we interacted.

An interesting observation on wildlife behaviour that turned out to be one of the highlights of my visit occurred with a breeding herd of elephants.

We passed them on our morning drive with no interaction at all. They continued to feed without even a glance in our direction.

The afternoon drive was a different experience altogether. One of the individuals must have had a bad day and decided to put on a show for us. She ran back and forth in front of our vehicle while emitting a noise that none of us had heard before. And if that was not enough, she ended her display by ripping a large branch off a tree and tossing that down where we could see it.

But what made this special was that as she stormed off to rejoin the rest of the herd, she gave the branch the most nonchalant kick with her back leg.

If that was meant to intimidate us, it had the opposite effect as we all burst out laughing.

 

 

 

Another question for those who are playing along.

What do a Zebra and a Killer Whale (Orca) have in common?

I will give you a clue. It has nothing to do with their black and white colouration.

* Answer at the end of the post.

 

 

 

 

A return visit. There is always something new and exciting going on at this camp, and I am looking forward to interacting with the staff for Season 2 of their podcast series.

Use this link to watch Season 1:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDXmz-IHHTT_Xjz3ll1Y 

Aside from staying in the recently refurbished Tent 1, the two highlights for me were sitting in the boma having dinner with the final full moon of 2025 shining down on us.

Known as the Cold Moon, also referred to as the Springbok Moon in South Africa, it was a significant supermoon event, reaching peak brightness and its closest point to Earth on December 4th, appearing larger and brighter, and it was the last supermoon of the year. 

The first full/super moon of 2026 occurs on January 3rd, and is known as the Wolf Moon.

The other was meeting a couple from Calgary who live not too far from my best friend, who lives in the same town.

Details were exchanged, and I am hoping that they will all meet up for coffee when they return and are settled.

At my suggestion, Bob bought himself a pair of Veldskoen to take back to Canada. I hope that every time he wears them, they will remind him of his time in Africa.

 

 

 

An unexpected overnight stay and a return visit to this camp to have a look at their latest addition to their fleet of game viewer vehicles.

I do enjoy time at this camp and the staff, and I have become friends over the course of several visits.

The family group already at the camp were from the Canary Islands. And yes, I had to turn to Google Maps to find out where those were.

It was a 3-generational group of Gran, Mum and daughter. They also taught me a new game to play called “Guess the Nationality of the Arriving Guests”. And you have to make your predictions BEFORE the new guests arrive! Fun for all and a great icebreaker.

A final drive before packing away my laptop and my cameras for the final time on this 14-day trip.

 

 

 

NOW you know why I love my job!

I am grateful to all of the guest houses and lodges that hosted me, and I look forward to sharing my unique experiences with my Blog readers and my YouTube channel viewers.

THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS I POSED:

1] Neither pigs nor rhinos can look up.

2] When a zebra is unwell, its mane will flop to the side. With killer whales, their dorsal fins will droop similarly when they are ill.

Great questions to entertain guests with while seated around the fire at night.

 

 

 

Travel & Things is the proud winner of these prestigious awards from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife.

The awards are in the categories:

Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa

Best African Game Reserves & Lodges Travel Review Site 2025.

Best African Resorts and Retreats Award 2025.

 

 

 

See who the guests have been since the inception of this YouTube channel.

Click on the logo above.

 

 

Looking for something to read? Click on the logo above to visit the Off the Shelf YouTube channel for interesting and up-to-date interviews and book reviews.

 

 

“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?”

Edgar Bergen