Saturday, September 16, 2023
This morning, we squeezed in one final safari drive at Lukimbi before our 10:00 am transfer ride to another lodge. The drive was lovely and we once again saw lots of wildlife: giraffes, elephants, rhinos, hyenas, zebras, waterbuck, and more.
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| A Breakfasting Giraffe |
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| Giraffe hanging with Zebras |
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| Lots of Tracks at the Watering Hole |
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| Waterbuck |
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| Male Elephant |
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| Spotted Hyena |
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| Coffee Time |
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| Rhino Crossing |
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| Zebra Crossing |
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| Marcel and Monday with their Safariites |
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| African Buffalo behind the Lodge |
Back at the lodge, we said our goodbyes to our fellow safariers and rushed to our cottage where I took an outdoor shower and we did our final packing before having a quick breakfast. Jane bought a few items at the gift shoppe while I settled the bill including gratuities for our guide, tracker and general staff. Meanwhile, our driver, Chris had arrived and we loaded up. Marcel, Monday, and other staff members were in front of the lodge waving us goodbye as we sadly drove away.
It was good to see Chris again and he was curious to learn about our safari experiences. We continued to spot animals during our two-hour long transfer ride. At one point, a public road was crowded with parked vehicles trying to get a peak at a pack of African wild dogs. We only were able to see them from a distance. We passed out of Kruger National Park at a different gate than we had entered and then passed through a small village before entering Sabi Sands Game Preserve.
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| Zebra |
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| Wildebeest |
Upon arrival, Idube Game Lodge had a completely different vibe than Lukimbi. Kudu were grazing throughout the grounds. As Chris unloaded our bags, we were greeted by our hostess who offered us drinks and provided our orientation inside.
After being escorted to our cottage, Number 8, Jane and I refreshed ourselves and then went outside (despite the heat) to explore the Idube facilities. A single line of electric fence wire surrounded the grounds to keep elephants from entering and causing damage. However, there was a herd of elephants nearby and the lodge had installed a blind area were they could be observed closely when passing by. We then reported to lunch that was served in an outdoor dining area with wildlife views.
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| Cottage 8 |
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| Idube Lodge |
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| Pool |
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| Den for Reading and Watching TV |
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| Grazing Kudu |
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| Outside of Cottage 8 |
At 16:00, we reported to the front of Idube Lodge to start our afternoon safari drive. We were greeted by our hostess and met our guide, Joas, and tracker, Congive. We boarded the vehicle which was not canopied and sat in the middle tier between a couple from Paris below us sporting cameras with massive lenses and a couple from Denver behind us. We first headed to a watering hole and only saw a lone hippo there in the water. We learned that that rarely leave the water during daylight hours. We then headed toward another pond and drove close to a white rhinoceros nearby. We then parked by the pond and watched as the rhino descended into the water to refresh itself and then proceeded to wallow back and forth in the mud. Meanwhile, zebras and other animals approached the water.
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| Mom and Baby Elephant |
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| Peek-a-Boo |
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| Hippopotamus |
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| Water Monitor |
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| White Rhino |
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| That feel’s Good |
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| I’ll try the Other Side |
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| Waterbuck |
As darkness began to set in, Joas received a report over the radio of a sighting and he hurriedly drove to the designated area. It was a leopard! We and another vehicle followed it for quite awhile before we lost it in thickets. At one point while we were parked, the leopard approached Congive while he as seated in the tracker chair and bushed his foot. The leopard also walked around Jane’s side of the vehicle so that Jane was mere feet above it. After the leopard encounter, Joas found a safe place to have drinks in the dark and we headed back to the lodge satisfied with our observations.
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| Congive tracking a Leopard |
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| Still Tracking |
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| Leopard |
After refreshing ourselves in our cottage, we were escorted to the Lodge and ordered gin and tonics. We ate dinner in a circle around a fire pit in an indoor facility. Jane & I sat between the couple from Denver on our left and a mother/daughter couple from Aukland on our right. The food was very good but everyone appeared exhausted and we quickly dispersed to our respective cottages after dinner. Back in Number 8, while I was brushing my teeth, Jane killed nine mosquitos INSIDE of the netting that the staff had drawn around our bed. On the other hand, I still haven’t seen ANY mosquitos because of the dry weather, and unperturbed, fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
I am glad you had a great time
Terrific photos! Thanks for sharing your adventures.