Ilanga Travel gets a taste of the Bush!

Although its winter and the Cape is cold and rainy, it’s the perfect time to visit the Bush in the northern part of South Africa. Here they have little to no rain in winter, the vegetation is dry and not as dense, and the animals have to travel to the few watering holes that are left – this makes for perfect game viewing opportunities.

We visited Thornybush Game Reserve, which is part of the greater Kruger, and also Qwabi Private Game Reserve in the Waterberg.

We would like to share our experiences with you in this newsletter.

Thornybush Game Reserve – Elisa and Josy were lucky enough to stay for one night each at Saeska Tented Camp and Thornybush Game Lodge.

Neither of us have ever visited Thornybush before, and we were blown away by the beauty of the reserve and the amazing sitings we had!

We travelled to Johannesburg from Cape Town with a domestic flight and were met by a Fedair representative in the arrivals hall. We were promptly escorted through the airport to the Federal Air lounge which is a short 15 min drive from OR Tambo.

The lounge is a very comfortable space with lots of snacks and drinks where guests can relax before their flight to the bush. The staff are very attentive and we were soon met by our pilots. After a short flight to the Kruger with 2 quick stops along the way, we arrived in Thornybush and were met by lovely 36 degree weather.

Our Ranger greeted us and off we went to Saseka Tented Camp.

The camp immediately blew us away – it is really beautiful! The 9 very spacious tents each have their own private deck with plunge pool and outside showers. There is also a two bedroom unit called Little Saseka which can accommodate 2 adults and 2 kids. At Little Saseka kids of all ages are allowed. At the Main Camp only from 12 years onwards.

Everything at the Saseka just feels right, from the décor to the presentation of the food and the exceptional staff – we loved our stay here and can recommend it wholeheartedly to our clients.

We moved to Thornybush Game Lodge, which is just around the corner, the next day . Here we were again warmly welcomed and shown around.

This lodge is bigger – 16 suites have riverbed views and there is a Safari Villa, Kamara House, which is great for families and sleeps up to 6 guests. Kids of all ages are allowed at the lodge, but only kids 6 years and older on game drives. Private game drive vehicles can be booked for families with younger children.

The lodge has a huge deck, with a bar and dining area, which is the hub of the Lodge. There is also a lounge area perfect for colder days where families can gather and spend time together. A communial pool can be enjoyed even in winter – with 35 degree weather we went for a swim to escape the heat and the icy cold water was glorious!

Both of these lodges are great value for money and are very well run. We could see that the staff are proud of what they do, which gives these amazing spaces heart, turning a simple stay into a cherished memory!

On our four game drives we were spoilt so much. We saw the big 5 one after the other almost on every drive, and enjoyed other sitings like wild dog, hippo, hyena and loads of bird life. We even tracked lions which were hunting a herd of buffalo. The rangers and trackers are masters at their craft – very knowledgeable and perfect hosts in the bush.

Our weekend in the bush was amazing. The lodges impressed us so much we were sad when we had to depart from our newly made Thornybush family! However, we will definitely be back and will take pleasure in sending many of our clients to this beautiful part of the world!

Qwabi Game Reserve – Xavier enjoyed a short trip to the Waterberg area and this is what he had to report.

Letamo Lodge: Letamo Lodge is situated approximately 3.5 to 4.5 hours drive from OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg. The drive is very straight forward, but I would recommend a high clearance vehicle for the gravel road leading to the lodges.

Letambo is an amazing option for families, as it has a separate pool for children which is fenced in, and they have a padel tennis court and a play area for children. They also offer wheelchair friendly rooms for clients with disability-friendly bathrooms. The lodge is very large with a beautiful spa and gym area.

The game viewing was good and they do have the Big 5 – the reserve is approximately 11 000 hectares and animals are continuously but slowly being re-introduced.

The food is fantastic and is served in a buffet style.

Babohi Lodge: Babohi Lodge is the more exclusive lodge and does not allow children under 16 years old. This breath-taking accommodation is situated on the top of a hill overlooking parts of the reserve. The food here is also really good and we were treated with a bush dinner on top of one of the mountains.

The sunset was incredible, and the dinner was even better!

To summarize:

The rooms at Letamo and Babohi are very spacious. I would recommend either lodge as a great start for a safari. This could be the first stop for any guests wanting to go on to Madikwe Game Reserve or the Welgevonden area. We would recommend it in combination with another reserve.

The service was great at both lodges. I would comfortably sell Babohi as a 5-star lodge and sell Letamo as a high-end 4-star lodge.

Both lodges are also great options for larger groups, as they offer a lot of rooms at each property.

Kariega Game Reserve – On a different occasion, Xavier got to experience Kariega Game Reserve.

Kariega is still one of the most unique South African game reserves with a very versatile ecosystem, making the search for animals both fun and exciting. On your drives you can sometimes even see the ocean in the background, which is a spectacle for anyone who has not been on safari in the Eastern Cape yet!

The game viewing was great with some beautiful elephant and lion sightings. We were also fortunate enough to see some cheetah on the reserve!

With the four different lodges, there is something for everyone and every pocket. We are pleased to report that Kariega is still thriving and giving guests a great Eastern Cape experience!

Summer is on its way in Southern Africa!