Tag: David Bellamy

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From Zimbabwe to South Africa via Zambia

David, Olivia, and John decided to leave the packing until later and left at 6:15 a.m. to see the Zimbabwean sunrise one last time. Few things compare to seeing that big African orange sun come over a hill ridge bringing a clean slate and a promise of a great day. Truly worth the ride in the nippy morning air.

Breakfast and packing was done by 9:00 and we departed Matetsi River Lodge for the last time. There were many people to hug and whom to say “See you next time”. The staff really was wonderful, and it was a privilege to stay at the Lodge and be so well taken care of. Maybe the staff felt the same way – some ran alongside our bus as we left, and every time we thought we’d left the staff behind, they’d pop up from somewhere else bringing a smile to our lips.

The transfer from Matetsi was fairly smooth all things considered, but we did have to unload all our luggage and change bus on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border. The only reason we had to cross the border into Zambia, was to catch a commercial flight to Kruger National Park. The Zambia border control still insisted on selling us visas despite the fact that we would be gone less than a couple of hours later. Cost: $750. Cash only… Nick wondered if we could pay with one of the 50 Billion Dollar(!) bills that street sellers were trying to sell to us and if the immigration office would have change for 50 Billion dollars…

We arrived well in time for our South African Airways flight from Livingstone International Airport. The kids devoured what could be ordered from the concession stand – the chicken sandwich was declared the winner of all things ordered. John and Olivia tried to find a lounge where complimentary drink could be had. This turned out to be a bit of a challenge, but eventually it was found, very well-hidden behind four completely empty and rather large lounge rooms. They stocked up on refreshments and for the second time the Priority Pass membership equaled free soft drinks and Wi-Fi.

It was critical that we left Livingstone Airport on time so that we would arrive at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport no later than 3:45. The is a strict rule in Kruger National Park, that cars cannot be on the road after 6:00 p.m., so counting backwards we would have to leave Mpumalanga by 4:00 p.m. given that the last flight was one hour long followed by a drive of similar duration. It all worked out perfectly and the many combined hours spent worrying where we would sleep if we got stuck in Nelspruit, turned out to be wasted – luckily so.

The drive from Kruger Airport to the Singita Lodge revealed many different animal species and a beautiful sunset. But arriving at the Singita Lebombo Lodge was something that we will probably never forget. Walking into the reception area was amazing with its stunning architecture and views of the nearby mountains, river and rooms. The lit pool looked very tempting and in general these lodges take such a beautiful presence at night with the way they incorporate light into the overall presence- often using candles, lanterns and open fire. We were all taken back by the beauty of the place and stood for a moment just to enjoy and appreciate just how lucky we were to call this place home for the next three nights.

After seeing our beautiful rooms, it was time to sit down for dinner. The kids with their saved-up energy were served in the entertainment room, and the teens got their own table. As it always happens on safari trips we’ve been fed delicious food at the lodges, but once the taste buds sprang into action, many of us agreed that this was the very best meal we had had on our trip. The open kitchen was a nice addition, allowing us to watch the chefs prepare the meals. The wine selection did not disappoint and the bartender, John, whipped up tasty drinks for those in the mood for an aperitif. All-in-all this was an incredible start and we went to bed excited of what the areas would look like at sunrise.

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Game Drives in Zimbabwe

Hoping to see a bit more game in the morning, one vehicle set out for the southern part of the AndBeyond concession. No joy – the animals hid well and the favorite sighting ending up being that of a baby zebra and having morning coffee on a hill overlook the area that previously were the grounds of the AndBeyond lodge. 

After breakfast John, Olivia, Chris, Kara, Sandy, David, Sarah, Robert, Adriana and Penny went on the Zambezi river in what’s is known as Canadian canoes. Two-seaters with an extra seat for the guy paddling. Such a nice way to experience the natural border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. They spotted a few crocodiles and a water monitor lizard that decided to jump from its branch and back in the water only a few feet away from Sarah’s canoe. 

The afternoon was spent relaxing. We met at 3:30 to enjoy tea and left at 4:00 for the pontoon boats that would take us all up and down the river. We split into two groups – 10 on each boat – and started slowly drifting. Luckily away from the Victoria Falls. We were very lucky that a heard of elephants got thirsty and came down to the river bank to consume about a 100 liter of water each. A tiny baby elephant stole the highlight but any elephant is worth watching in its natural habitat. Even the skittish ones that sometimes made sure we knew who was the rightful habitant of the area. The river cruise ended with the sighting of one – maybe two – hippos, although they left most of their good looks under water.

Dinner was served in the wine cellar at the lodge. A perfect combination of wine, comfortable seating and even exhibits of old toys. The kids were entertained in the upstairs TV room and watched Disney Channel while consuming burgers.

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A Night Sky Like No Other

We had been warned of colder temperatures and wind and some of us woke up in the middle of the night as the increasingly louder sounds announced the weather’s arrival. 

Breakfast was served at 8:00. We met at the vehicles afterward and set out to find whatever wildlife the area had to offer – obviously with the usual request to see giraffes. Up until then, we had seen oryx, jackal, ostrich, and springbok. Fast forward a few hours, and you could add giraffe (yay!) and zebra to the list. 

The winds were blistering cold and two of the three vehicles got stuck in sand storms on the way back. One car, therefore, came back much earlier, and John, Nick, David, and Isabella left to race ATVs in the sand dunes. So much fun! Isabella, unfortunately, hit a sand dune at high speed and got thrown off the bike, but was ready to continue once she got the sand out of her helmet. Over the course of the afternoon, two more groups went, and only the very little once were left disappointed. 

The evening started with a lecture by the local staff members who made sure we were all up to speed on Namibia – both past and current. Last stop before dinner was a trip to the observatory to make sure all got a chance to see the moon, Saturn, and Jupiter. 

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Visiting Deadvlei

Yesterday’s travel from Cape Town to Sossusvlei got disrupted, but we managed to just touch in the Namibian desert before sunset. It was dusk by the time we had checked-in and we got a taste of how dark this place really gets while having dinner. The night sky was incredible to watch and a few got to visit the on-site observatory. The itinerary for the following day was to see the desert dunes and also to visit the famous Deadvlei with its dead trees. 

We set out early in the morning so that we were at the park entrance by 7:00. We enjoyed the closed vehicles and the included African massage, as the drivers call the seat movement that is a direct result of the gravel roads.  

Once at the dunes we we’re given a choice of dune to hike: Big Daddy or Small Daddy. Only David, Pia and Jilly ventured towards the 1,000’ Big Daddy while the rest chose the somewhat easier option. It was a very good hike up before – with a bit of hesitation – one could run downhill. A few elected to roll downhill. One of those that initially seemed like a good idea. 

At the bottom were the dead trees and is was rewarding to be among them in the midst of blue, orange, white and gray colors. Surprisingly hard to capture the color, but as everyone will know it’s possible and there is hardly a screen saver collection with respect for itself that doesn’t feature parts of this rather smaller area. 

We enjoyed a delicious brunch at the foot of Big Mamma but nobody had the energy to venture up despite the slightly smaller size of the dune.

We got back to camp around 2:00 in time for a siesta at camp. At 4:30 p.m. we left for a sundowner and munched on Oryx skewers while the sun disappeared in the horizon. Dinner was loin of kudo – some looked envious at the spaghetti Bolognese that the kids were served. 

Sadly a decent amount of cloud cover hid the impressive night sky and we had to wait another 24 hours before gazing and the International Space Station, satellites and galaxies.