Those who know me know that this is how I like to tell a story.
So why should this post be any different? Nothing rushed here, just a lot of meandering thoughts that I have tried to corral into a cohesive whole…
Spoiler alert: There might well be tenious links, but do try to keep up.
So, grab a cup of your favourite hot beverage. Sit back and relax, as it might be a bumpy ride. That being said, it will be educational, informative, and you WILL be entertained.
Breakfast of champions? And NO, as far as I am concerned, 3 rashers of bacon is NOT a portion. Although it seems to be the norm.
Between this early morning meal…
A delicious lunch…
Not all lodges serve lunch, and often this is replaced with a comprehensive pre-afternoon drive high tea, which offers guests both sweet and savoury treats.
And a plated dinner in the bush, there are several hours that need to be filled.
There are several ways to keep yourself occupied while on safari in the African bush.
You can:
a] Read a book.
b] Lie next to the lodge pool until you turn a shade of red that would put a lobster to shame.
c] Take a nap. (A recent favourite of mine).
d] Fill as many hours as you can with game viewing of some description
or
e] ALL OF THE ABOVE!
I usually choose e… and for a variety of reasons that might not always include the Big 5.
Not all drives start with large mammal sightings.
I think guides are sometimes taken aback when I ask them to stop in order for me to take pictures of spider webs when the light is favourable.
When finding a tree branch in this condition, you know that there were elephants in the area.
Given their size, you would think that they would be easily spotted, but that is more often than not not the case.
They can move through the bush almost silently and will arrive and depart in ghost-like fashion.
Especially when crossing a road. They can emerge from the bush on one side, cross in front of your vehicle, and then vanish into the foliage opposite as if you had never seen them.
This was some of the rain that preceded the Lowveld floods in January.
We left this particular camp two days before it was engulfed by the Sealti River and rendered out of commission for the rest of 2026.
Voluminous storm clouds were the frontrunners to the deluge that was about to be released on the Lowveld.
Although not what you want to see while on holiday, they do make for impressive images.
One of my favourite carnivores. A Wild Dog sighting, especially a large pack, is always exciting.
In this case, it was one of three dogs that led us on quite the chase before we eventually caught up with them.
Not cute and cuddly. Baboons have been known to catch and eat young impala lambs.
Watching the interaction between troop members can while away several hours.
Can you see me? This Kudu has all but vanished into the surrounding foliage.
The white stripes on its body break up its silhouette, thus earning it the name “Grey Ghost”
Why is the male referred to as the Suicide bird…
When the breeding season arrives, the male undergoes a remarkable transformation. He raises the distinctive reddish crest on his head, puffs out his throat, and begins a dramatic display designed to impress nearby females. What follows is less a polite courtship ritual and more a full-blown aerial stunt show.
During these displays, the male launches himself suddenly into the air with frantic wingbeats, producing a loud, rattling call before plunging dramatically back toward the ground. To the casual observer — and especially to startled motorists on a bush road — it can look alarmingly as though the bird has lost control and is about to crash headfirst into the earth. This rather reckless-looking dive has earned the male the colourful nickname “the suicide bird.”
In reality, of course, it’s all part of a carefully choreographed performance meant to show strength and vitality to potential mates. Fortunately for the korhaan, the manoeuvre usually ends with a perfectly controlled landing rather than a tragic finale, leaving the onlookers slightly bewildered and the females, one hopes, suitably impressed.
Now you know.
A Saddle-billed Stork strides across the wetland near a dam.
Lunch is served. This young male was part of a pride that had brought down a giraffe and was enjoying the fruits of the combined labour of the pride.
Although giraffes put up stiff competition when attacked, once they have been brought to the ground, they can’t get back on their feet. And then the pride can celebrate the hunt with a carcass that might last them for several days, depending on the number of scavengers in the area.
“I spend most every nightBeneath the lightOf a neon moon”.
Lyrics from a 1991 song by country duo Brooks & Dunn.
Not quite a neon moon, but this African moon will do nicely, thank you.
Let me end this post the way I began it…with a spider web, this time with a female Golden Orb spider and her prey.
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Best African Resorts and Retreats Award 2025.
And the most recent accolade… Most engaging Travel & Lifestyle Blog 2026.
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