We have arrived at Sabi Sands and are staying in the most stunning thatched lodge. Its about the size of a 3 bed semi with a 2,000,000 hectare garden.
2,000,000 hectares is the size of the game reserve here and to put that into perspective thats about the size of Wales.
We have 3 safari drives out into the wilds with our expert guide Mac and highly talented tracker Colbert.
These guys really know what they are doing and within 10 minutes we are right beside the most beautiful leopard basking in the sunshine.
All visitors to a game reserve want to see the Big 5.
Big 5 means the animals that are the most dangerous animals for a hunter to track and kill on foot. They are elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo and rhino.
Mac is keen that we should try and track and see as many of the Big 5 as we can. The only shooting we’ll be doing is with our ‘box brownies’
It is quite normal for visitors to see one or two but we have obviously arrived at a good time.
Over the next couple of days we get up close (to damn close if you ask me) to leopard, lion, lioness, elephant complete with 3 baby elephants, rhino, and buffalo.Thats all of the big 5.
We have seen India elephants before but nothing can prepare you for driving round a corner and coming face to knee cap with a huge African bull elephant.They are very scary and not to be messed with.
We also get very close to hyena, hippo, giraffe, zebra, springbok,dwarf mongoose, and the sight that got all the rangers most excited, a pack of wild dogs.
The day is rounded off with a fantastic outdoor dinner, think Michel Roux in deepest Africa and you get the idea. The staff also put on a traditional dance show, which we all join in with. I excel at my famous day dancing routine.
Note to self, must come again.
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