After our time in Cape Town, Tom and I were looking forward to the next part of our trip—safari. I had the good fortune of going on a
weekend safari in Zambia while completing an exchange program in Malawi during pharmacy school. That was 10 years ago though, and I was excited to share this experience with my husband.
The
Sabi Sand Game Reserve is a private reserve bordering
Kruger National Park, sustained by the perennial Sabi and Sand Rivers. It's world-famous for close wildlife sightings—especially the Big Five: lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant—and for helping pioneer sustainable wildlife tourism in South Africa. With no fences between Sabi Sands and Kruger, animals roam freely across a 6.7-million-acre protected landscape.
Day 9: Cape Town to Sabi Sands
Tom and I left Cape Town on Sunday morning, flying about 2.5 hours northeast to Skukuza. With temperatures in the high 80s, the heat hit us the moment we stepped off the plane.
Skukuza Airport was tiny, car rental was slow, and what should have been a one-hour drive to camp took much longer thanks to dirt roads and constant wildlife interruptions: elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, impala, and baboons. We were stunned, happily humming tunes from The Lion King the whole way.
We eventually exited Kruger and entered Sabi Sands, arriving at
Notten’s Bush Camp, recommended by my sister Anna. Our stay was phenomenal, rivaling our night at the Ritz in Santa Barbara. Fully inclusive and thoughtfully designed, it felt both luxurious and rustic. At night, animals can be heard nearby, sometimes even wandering through the camp itself. What sets Notten’s apart from many of the area’s lodges is that it remains small and family-owned.
We arrived just in time for the afternoon game drive, heading out from 4–7 pm with our guide Jeff and tracker Raiden.
The bush was greener than I expected. Summer rains had left the vegetation thick and lush—beautiful, but making animals harder to spot. With the grass so dense, wildlife, particularly predators, use the dirt roads more often at this time of year.
Within seconds of leaving camp, we saw an elephant. These giant herbivores eat almost constantly because of their poor digestion and sleep only around four hours a day. Males have bigger tusks and rounder heads than females, and are more solitary.
There were impala everywhere—the “fast food” of the bush. They are medium-sized antelope, expert jumpers, and highly social. It was mating season, so horned males were loudly snorting while trying to defend harems.
We also spotted a group, or dazzle, of Burchell’s zebras—my favorite! Zebras often graze alongside wildebeest, impala, and warthogs because they don't compete for the same vegetation.
And then, lions. A male and female were sleeping when two fighting male impala came past, completely unaware. The lioness instantly locked in and began stalking them—but no luck. Afterward, the lions had a quick mating.
Lions sleep for up to 20 hours a day and excel at short-distance sprinting. They are the only cats that live in large groups (prides) and are highly territorial, causing population fluctuations on the reserve.
Other sightings included chacma baboons and bateleur and tawny eagles, plus a water monitor lizard and baby crocodile in the river. That first drive was pure bliss—thrilling yet filled with awe and wonder.
After a glowing sunset, we joined the other two groups for gourmet snacks and drinks around a bonfire.
After dark, we spotted two lion brothers play-fighting, a common duiker (a small, solitary antelope), and a chameleon. We returned to camp for dinner as temperatures cooled off to the low 70s.
Day 10: Notten's Bush Camp
Morning drives ran from 6–9 am, with a coffee stop in the middle. It gets dark and light very quickly in the bush, and every drive is different. At the same time, certain areas are known for particular animals. To take advantage of this, a Dutch couple in our vehicle were moving between three camps over 10 days.
Safari tracking is about reading a sequence of clues—footprints, broken branches, scent, dung—that together reveal what's nearby and where it's headed. An alarm call from an impala might signal a predator; vultures circling or hyenas in the distance can point to a recent kill. Layered with local knowledge and radio updates from other vehicles, these patterns let trackers predict where wildlife will appear next. It was remarkable to watch.
Our first big sighting of the day was a pack of African wild dogs. These endurance athletes prefer to hunt at dawn and dusk, and eat only fresh meat. It's rare to see them, so we were fortunate that they happened to be in our part of the reserve.
We also watched zebras, along with a group of female elephants with two babies. Herds, or parades, of elephants are matriarchal, and pregnancy lasts 22 months.
Later, we saw two female white rhinos and a suckling calf. These grazers often have their horns trimmed to deter poaching.
And finally, giraffes. They are "browsers," meaning they eat leaves rather than grass. Males have larger ossicones (horns) and their spots darken with age.
After breakfast, we went for a guided bush walk. With animals less active in the heat of the day, it was the perfect time to learn about the utility of plants from the Shangaan culture:
- Wild lemon mint – antiviral uses
- Anise – digestion aid
- Devil’s thorn – used for shampoo and sunscreen
- African whipping wattle – nature's toilet paper
- Magic guarri – used as a toothbrush and for stomach cramps
- Marula tree – source of Amarula cream liqueur and beloved by elephants
We also examined termite mounds and spiderwebs, learning how much of the ecosystem depends on insects.
After cooling off in the delightful lap pool and having lunch, we headed out for the afternoon drive. Before long, we were surrounded by a herd of several hundred buffalo. The males’ heavy horn bosses look like helmets, and despite being herbivores, they are among the most dangerous animals in Africa.
Later, we stumbled upon three animals from the Ugly Five: warthogs, vultures, and spotted hyenas. Hyenas have very strong jaws, which allow them to crush and consume bones—which turns their scat white. Known for their distinctive “laughing” calls, they are effective hunters and scavengers, and live in matriarchal clans.
After dark, we found a white-tailed mongoose and a spotted genet, while dramatic lightning flashed on the horizon beneath the Milky Way.
Day 11: Notten's Bush Camp
Tuesday morning was crisp and dewy as dawn broke with another magical sunrise.
Sightings included:
- The same pack of wild dogs, springing into action toward impala
- Elephants, with one male resting his trunk on his tusk
- One male lion and three lionesses sleeping in the shade
- Giraffes and zebras
- Various types of antelope: greater kudu, waterbuck, nyala
- Helmeted guinea fowl sprinting down the road
- Vervet monkeys, which are notorious camp food thieves
My favorite birds were the lilac-breasted roller and Burchell’s starling.
Another midday bush walk featured leopard tracks, hippo dung, and giraffe remains—plus two of the Small Five: the red-billed buffalo weaver and a leopard tortoise, estimated to be over 60 years old!
On our final afternoon drive, we saw rhinos, as well as three lionesses sleeping in a cool riverbed. Their mannerisms reminded me of our cats.
Then, a female leopard, bathing in the tall grass. Leopards are notoriously hard to spot in thick vegetation, but the guides tracked her by following alarm calls from impala and monkeys.
Unlike cheetahs' solid spots, leopards have rosettes. Both species live in the region, but Sabi Sands is especially famous for leopards. And with that sighting, we completed the Big Five.
After dark, we saw banded and dwarf mongooses, an eagle owl, and a scrub hare.
Day 12: Sabi Sands to Blyde River Canyon
Our final safari drive went off with a bang.
Just outside the camp, a leopard with her four-month-old cub.
Later, we found another leopard—the female from the previous evening—feeding on a male impala hoisted into a tree to protect it from hyenas. Jeff thought she may have allowed a hyena to eat part of the impala first, making it light enough for her to haul into the tree. Like most big cats, leopards rest during the day and hunt at night. And they often feed on their kills over several nights.
Other sightings included:
- A young male elephant and two larger bulls (one agitated, so we gave him space)
- Rhinos
- A lone wild dog, separated from its pack
- Wildebeest (Ugly Five)
- Slender mongoose and tree squirrel
- Birds: hornbill, go-away bird, stork, Egyptian geese
Tom and I left camp after breakfast. Driving out of the reserve somehow felt scarier now that we knew what was in the bush.
Two hours west brought us to Graskop. As we approached town, the landscape transformed into mountains and pine forests, and the temperature cooled off to the mid 60s—Oregon and autumn vibes! We had reached the Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga, the world’s largest "green" canyon, filled with lush subtropical vegetation and dramatic quartzite cliffs. It's home to primates, hippos, crocodiles, and antelope, as well as several notable bird species.
Storms rolled in, and we were tired, so we checked into our
guesthouse and saved the scenic route for morning.
Day 13: Panorama Route to Johannesburg
The weather was still gloomy on Thursday, requiring us to pay a "rain tax" on our final adventure. Still, Tom and I drove the Panorama Route, stopping at several scenic viewpoints:
- Three Rondavels, Lowveld View — massive rock formations resembling traditional African huts
- Bourke's Luck Potholes — cylindrical formations carved by swirling water where the Treur and Blyde Rivers meet
- Berlin Falls, Lisbon Falls
- Pinnacle Rock; we skipped God’s Window because it was completely socked in by cloud
There were entry fees and people asking for money at nearly every stop.
Then it was 4 more hours southwest to Johannesburg, a 9.5-hour overnight flight to Perth, and another 3.5 hours on to Melbourne—arriving Friday evening, tired, grateful, and excited to see the boys. An extraordinary trip, especially for the scenery and wildlife.
