After passing through a security check point, we drove into the Madikwe Game Reserve and followed the simple instructions to Impodimo Lodge. It would be a short drive, but we told the girls to look for wildlife along the side of the road. The sun was setting, and we were eager to arrive. Up ahead, a few meters from where we would pull into the lodge, we saw a herd of zebra grazing along the side of the road. With muffled squeals of excitement, we stopped the car to watch them for a while. It’s possible nothing compares to one’s first safari wildlife encounter.
Our first evening at the lodge was very special. We were shown to our room and asked if we wanted to go on a night drive before dinner. We said yes and rushed to drop off our bags. When went out on the balcony to check out the view, an elephant strolled into the spotlight of the watering hole. We couldn’t believe our luck – we hadn’t even been on a game drive yet and had already seen zebra and an elephant! Little did we know, we would see dozens of zebra and elephants by the time our 3-day safari was over.
The stars that night (and every night) were incredible. The girls had never seen them so dense and so bright. On the night drive we didn’t see any animals – just one very camouflaged chameleon – but we could not stop smiling from the fresh evening air and the excitement of the drive. That night we celebrated a very special 12th birthday with dinner under the stars, and a lovely cake the kitchen had prepared for her.
Try not to panic…
We were told not to wander around the outskirts of the lodge alone. There are no fences or gates and all kinds of animals have been seen on the paths. (Yes, even lions.) For this reason, an armed field guide would escort us to our rooms after dark and at dawn. Rule number one: If you do see a predatory animal…don’t run.
The only animal we saw on the paths were a couple of small impala at sunrise. However, we did have a couple of alarming incidents…
False alarm…
As we were relaxing and enjoying some sundowners on the balcony, we heard what sounded like a low lion growl. After a bit excitement, I remembered that one of our daughters was using the outdoor shower next door. This shower is on the edge of the bush and exposed to all the elements. Heart pounding, I flew over to the next room. Of course she was fine, humming a tune as the water splashed over her.
What we heard was an elephant. I had no idea that an elephant could make a low rumbling sound like the snarl of a lion.
But we did see lions…lots of lions!
Slightly more serious…
On our very last game drive, our vehicle came across an elephant that was clearly in musth (high testosterone levels causing highly aggressive behaviour). I think there are two options when faced with this situation. Option one: Stay completely still and quiet and wait for the elephant to go away – there are some terrifying (yet successful) YouTube videos of this option. Option two: Make a lot of loud noise and get the heck out of there. Personally, I’m thankful our guide went with option two. He shouted at the elephant, banged loudly on the side of the vehicle, revved up the engine and got out of there as quickly as possible. We had been warned in advance that these elephants could be extremely dangerous, but it wasn’t until after this incident that our guide told us that an elephant in musth is the one thing that gives him nightmares.
Other less threatening animals we saw…
As for the less-scary but equally thrilling experiences, there are too many to mention. I feel this sense of inability to do it justice. It had been a dream to do an African safari and there were a lot of “pinch me” moments. The kids were such a great age for this (10 & 12) and my brother and sister-in-law joined us, making it a special family reunion as well. Here are a few of the highlights:
Game drives at sunrise and sunset…
Safari refreshment stops…
Incredible food at the lodge…
Visit by a large male rhino while enjoying sundowners…
Mother rhino with her day-old calf…
Finding a pride of lions with their buffalo kill…
Cheetah brothers, recently released into the reserve…
Walking safari (adults only!)…
Watching these weavers create incredible nests…
Misty morning atmosphere on our last day…
If you have the opportunity to go on safari, if it’s something you’ve been dreaming of – please do it. You won’t regret it. I’m a big believer in checking off that bucket list as soon as possible, while you have the health, energy and enthusiasm to truly enjoy it.
