Well, what a surprise. To be greeted with my name on a board when I arrived.
This has only occurred once before, when I landed at an airport, and a driver was waiting, with my name on a board, to take me to my hotel.
In this instance, all the arriving guests are welcomed at Nyala in this fashion. Makes them feel that they are special. Just one of the “devil in the detail” touches that the Sun Destinations lodges are known for.
The garden at the front of the property was lush and green when I visited. It was a pleasure walking through this foliage to get to the main reception area.
The fact that the camp is fenced does help, as the species that can turn a garden like this into a desert are denied access.
Even so, keeping the grounds looking like this is an ongoing challenge that the team are adept at keeping consistent. And I can say that from experience, as I have visited this camp on more than one occasion.
This stopped me in my tracks and took me back to 1966, when as a 13-year-old, I was taken to the Kruger National Park for my birthday. Back then it was a train journey from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg and then a Railway bus ride to the Park.
At least this camp is only 5 hours from my home in Johannesburg.
But my memory of Pretoriouskop in 1966 was so strong that it almost reduced me to tears.
I have to say that the outside was the only resemblance to what our family stayed in back then. The inside of this rondavel was modern, spacious and beyond comfortable.
If an army is said to march on its stomach, then safari visitors are not far behind.
The food that the kitchen staff at Nyala can produce is spectacular and worthy of serving in any urban restaurant.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all on offer here.
Guests can use the outdoor lounge for relaxation, or it can serve as the reception area where arriving guests can check in and sign all the relevant paperwork.
And the same space at night…
Looking towards the dining area through a seating area in front of the main building.
Slow and steady wins the race? Our first leopard (tortoise) sighting.
But believe me, these guys can move faster than you think. Especially when you are trying to take a picture, and they wish to be somewhere else.
Ever had the feeling that you are being watched while out on a drive?
In fact, this fellow was eating not too far from the lodge. He had been disturbed at the waterhole and figured that it was better to be safe than sorry, and headed off into the trees for a snack, rather than take a chance at the waterhole.
Whatever disturbed him there never appeared, but he did leave with both his dignity and his life intact.
Now THIS is how you are meant to enjoy your time at Nyala!
Relax with a beverage, a book and the possibility that something will trundle down to the waterhole.
That peaceful vista was abruptly shattered when this large herd of buffalo descended on the water.
They milled around and, with safety in their numbers, were not frightened off by the threat of any potential predators.
Individual members of the herd came and went, making it an awesome sighting from where we were seated on the deck.
They left almost as quickly as they had appeared, leaving the dry river bed full of buffalo hoofprints and mounds of dung.
Bush TV. There is nothing like eating dinner under the stars in an open boma with a fire as the central focal point.
Food tastes different, and guests are more relaxed and ready to chat about themselves and their safari experiences.
Just another African sunrise that signals a day of new experiences for both guests and guides.
I believe that even though the guides live on the property, they do get to have new adventures on an almost daily basis.
That is what the bush delivers…new lessons and content for fire-side tales.
New branding, but the same service excellence that guests have come to expect from the luxury lodges in the Sun Destinations portfolio.
Click on the logo to find out more.
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.
And the most recent accolade… Most engaging Travel & Lifestyle Blog 2026.
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
All images are the copyright property of
and may not be used without permission.
All images used in Travel & Things posts are edited using Ribbet software. To learn more about the product and what it offers both amateur and professional photographers, click on the logo above.
