Our First Safari in South Africa
… but before we do that, let me show you around our new South African home. 🙂
Safari Accommodation
After extensive searching for safari lodges—often getting sidetracked by captivating photos and blog posts about safaris—I eventually chose Kapama Southern Camp, part of the esteemed Kapama Private Game Reserve family. Normally, Lloyd handles planning on our trips together, while Georgia is a solid second choice. However, for this journey, I took the lead in organizing everything.
Making a selection for a safari is more complex than I anticipated, given the numerous options and variables available (which I plan to detail in an upcoming post). After several weeks of deliberation, I made my choice, hoping the experience would meet the high expectations I had set.
I needn’t have worried about my choice! Aside from that remarkable transfer from the airport, everything from start to finish was fantastic. I was thrilled about going on safari, but when you’re staying at such a lovely place, it enhances the entire experience immensely!
Safari Experience Overview
Let me take you on a guided tour of our surroundings…
We skipped past the bar with a promise to return.
We ventured past the pool, which, to our surprise, we would end up not using for reasons revealed later.
And finally, after our brief tour, we arrived at our lodge (well, one of two).
We stepped into a refreshing, cool room that was one of the most impressive hotel rooms I’ve experienced in quite some time…
… complete with our very own pool! (Now you understand why we didn’t venture to the other pool).
Within moments of entering here, I was confident I had made the correct choice, and I eagerly sought out praise from Georgia and Lloyd. I kept inquiring every few moments about how skilled I was at planning travel, and even on their less complimentary days, they couldn’t help but express their admiration for the place, ultimately yielding to my “I told you so” moments.
We made our way past the pool, which, as it turned out, we would end up not using… for reasons you’ll understand as you continue reading.
We walked into an inviting, air-conditioned room, which turned out to be one of the nicest hotel rooms I had encountered in ages…
After a quick freshen up, we gathered everyone and went to the restaurant for some much-needed lunch…
… after which we returned to our rooms, ordered some wine, and spent the remainder of the afternoon splashing in the pool!
Before we knew it, it was time for our very first safari! We popped into the bar area for tea and cakes, found our ranger and trackers, and hopped into the 4×4 jeeps!
We quickly rejoined our group and set off. During safaris, you typically have the same ranger and tracker throughout, as well as the same group of fellow adventurers on each trip and for dinner, creating an excellent opportunity to meet new people!
Our initial sightings included the charming impala… (which are abundant in the area!)
… along with a group of rather timid warthogs.
Next were the stunning zebras…
… followed by even more warthogs.
