Spending a week in the bush was an experience that has taken me several days to digest and contemplate before I could put my thoughts into (hopefully) coherent sentences.

This post will follow our typical diary format, but we have also written some other articles. Here is our helpful article on how to plan a safari trip.

Like our recent trip to Antarctica, the vastness and beauty of the land dazzled our senses. But it was much warmer in Africa!

A lot of planning went into this trip, where we pieced together a road trip to three different game reserves, covering more than 1200 miles across several provinces in South Africa.

After two restful weeks in the high bushveld northwest of Johannesburg, we swapped our small rental car for an SUV and left Hartbeespoort. Our first stop was the Black Rhino Game Lodge, about a two hour drive further northwest into the interior of South Africa.

We wrote an article about our experience at the lodge that should be published soon. That link will follow once that happens!

As we drove deeper into rural countryside, we spotted more cows and goats. Some were behind fences but many wandered on and near the roadway, either grazing or just crossing the road at will.

Though Black Rhino Game Reserve is part of Pilanesberg National Park, there is a separate gate just for visitors staying in the private reserve. We expediently went through the process at the gate and slowly drove down the dirt road to our luxury safari lodge.

How to Safari

There are tour and self-driving options. We did both! Our first two hotel stays each included two daily game drives. So when you arrive there is an afternoon drive available and on the day of check out, you also get a morning game drive.

Our final safari location was accommodation only, where we had the option to self-drive or to book tours.

We learned that on a multi-day stay, it is typical to be formed into a group based on the length of your stay, and possibly nationality or language. We believe it is because guests that are freshly arriving want to see everything! But by the time you have seen a hundred zebras, you are ready to drive right by them and scout for lions. It also allows for the guide to know what the goals of the group are, and what animals have already been seen, avoiding a situation where half the group has seen enough rhinos but the other half has seen none.

The Big Five was the collective term for the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot. Now we “hunt” with our cameras and try to collect all five: lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalo, and elephants.

Pilanesberg National Park

Quick facts:

• The terrain is concentric ringed ridges, caused by the collapse of an ancient volcano
• Self-driving is allowed in the park
• The Black Rhino Game Reserve is a private reserve inside the park, where self-driving is not allowed
• 3 lion prides, about 40 total lions
• 200 elephants in the reserve

Upon arrival we toured the grounds of Black Rhino Game Lodge. There was a viewing platform constructed next to a large watering hole. Within two minutes we had our first sighting: kudu. At that point we did not know what we were looking at, but we were glad to see animals so quickly!

Shortly after arriving we grabbed a snack from the afternoon tea spread, and got settled in the room. Here is a tour of the room on YouTube.

After unpacking, I sat with a nip of wine on our patio overlooking the game reserve. We had just bought binoculars and tested them out. I caught a glimpse of something grey. I was so excited, thinking I saw a baby elephant or a wild dog. Nope, it was a damn monkey rushing toward the suites looking for an easy meal. Corey spotted a mongoose in the underbrush but it hid before I could spot it.

The time for the afternoon game drive soon came and we saw stunning skies and a few animals.

Black Rhino afternoon drive #1:

• Wildebeests
• Lions
• Impala
• Guinea fowl
• Rhino carcass

We stopped just before sunset for a sundowner drink in the bush. I had ordered a South African brandy and Corey drank a local beer. The snack spread was jerky (biltong in South Africa), potato chips (aka crisps), nuts, and dried mango.

We didn’t see any other animals on our way back to the hotel. It was a great first trip out… except that we had to share the safari truck with nine high-school kids on a field trip from the United States. They weren’t ill-behaved. They simply were not mature enough to handle situations with animals without shrieking or talking. And that was the group we were stuck with for our two days at Black Rhino.

Sleep came quickly that night in an enormous bed. We were comfortable even if we slept in different zip codes. We were told that lions were roaring at 3 AM but we missed all of it.

At 4:30 AM, the alarm went off for us to get ready for the morning game drive. It was nearly 5 hours long! We stopped for coffee at one point, but the bulk of the time was spent checking out all the animals. To me, the drive felt like the Indiana Jones ride at Disney, with a hint of Jurassic Park. We would drive around the corner and giraffes would just be standing on the side of the road munching on leaves. We’d stop and take photos and ask our guide questions, then we would zoom off.

The open air was pleasant but we were cold in the wee hours before the sun came up. I liked the smell of the sweet grass with morning dew. Just like the zebras do!

Black Rhino morning drive #1:

• Wildebeest
• Rhinos
• Elephant herd
• Giraffes
• Zebras
• Yellow-billed hornbill (aka Zazu)
• Tsessebe (one of the fastest antelopes)
• Dassie, or rock hyrax, a little critter that perches on cliffs
• Buffalo, but only from far away
• Warthog
• Black-winged kite and many other birds
• Springbok
• Leopard tortoises

Upon our return to the lodge, we were greeted with a large, tasty brunch. I had no idea we would be out so long and was famished! Then I went to immediately edit photos in bed and rightfully fell asleep. I woke up in the afternoon feeling a little groggy but forced myself to the pool. I wanted to be sure that I enjoyed as many amenities as possible around the resort. So we enjoyed sitting around one of the lodge’s three pools while drinking a little wine.

It was about time to start packing up again, even though we just arrived the day before. We walked over to the lodge for afternoon tea (i.e., a moderate lunch) and waited for our afternoon safari drive.

Black Rhino afternoon drive #2:

• Kudu (called the “ghost of the bush” due to its elusiveness)
• Wildebeest
• Grey-billed hornbill
• Collared dove
• Elephants
• Hippos
• Scrub hare

Our guide, Rassie, loved the land and animals. He was a compassionate guide who has been doing this for decades. He was funny and wish I could have taken him with us across South Africa. Here’s a video compilation of what the game drive was like around Black Rhino.

On our final morning drive, we saw many animals while the kids mostly slept. At least they were being quiet except for the occasional snore. Can you imagine going on safari in Africa and sleeping through it?

Morning drive:

• Sleeping wildebeest
• Sleeping herd of impala
• Babbler
• Giraffes
• Zebras
• Rhino
• Dassie
• Waldorf Eagle
• Cheetahs
• Jackal
• Springbok
• Kori bustard, a bird that sounds a lot like “Corey bastard” when said with a South African accent
• Secretary bird
• Lilac-breasted roller bird

We had a hearty breakfast and then drove north to our next safari location.

Madikwe Game Reserve

From Black Rhino, we drove northwest toward Botswana. We knew that the roads would get more treacherous on this route. There were many slowdowns or stops for cows and goats, as well as an abundance of potholes and gravel or dirt roads. At one point we hit road construction where the detour sent us down a dirt alley behind tin-roof shacks.

Quick facts:

• Madikwe is a complete private game reserve, with 22 lodges to choose from in the reserve
• No self-driving or day visitors are allowed, so each lodge offers their own touring
• The radio is constantly used to alert other guides about sightings
• The area was used for cattle grazing until the 1990’s, when the game animals were reintroduced to this area in a project called “Operation Phoenix”
• All of the Big Five are in the park, as well as African wild dogs and cheetahs
• More than 1200 elephants
• Around 60 lions

We arrived at the Molatedi Gate and made our way through the reserve and toward the lodge. We were immediately greeted by zebras. Then more zebras.

We drove for a few more miles and happened upon a watering hole. Three zebras were hanging out by the road but looked like they were waiting for their turn. A few large elephants (and one baby) were drinking water while the zebras waited. Watch our video on Instagram.

Then a large dazzle of zebras pushed their way in and the three amigos finally crept closer. Then a warthog showed up. Then two rhinos pushed their way through the zebra herd for some water. A wildebeest looked on from afar. We took in the whole scene for about 30 minutes and we were the only people. So cool!

Further down the road, we arrived to another watering hole that looked like a scene from Madagascar 2. Lots of warthogs running around with piglets, and other animals. Warthogs are so cute! Their little legs swing like pendulums in the savanna grass. I didn’t know I was going to enjoy watching them so much!

As we drove through the park we saw so many animals! We passed by a few herds of:

• elephants
• wildebeests, plus a baby
• impala
• ostriches

We could have gazed all day but we needed to actually check in at our new lodge so we were on our way. When we finally arrived at the turnoff to the lodge, we were greeted by giraffes, zebras, and elephants. What a great welcoming committee! While there is no self-driving in Madikwe, our drive from the gate to the lodge felt like a bonus game drive (and it took us 2 hours)!

Our reservation was at Madikwe River Lodge, one of the older lodges in the Madikwe Game Reserve, but more than adequate for our needs.

When we pulled up to the lodge, a mother warthog and her three children were grazing on the lawn. The lodge is fenced but warthogs love to dig and they go under the fence. We arrived just in time for teatime (more of a snack than lunch) and our first afternoon game drive.

We met our new companions for the next two days, a large tour group of Italians that took up two safari vehicles. They were nice and respectful, and gave us an opportunity to practice the language ahead of heading back to Italy in a few weeks. And our guide, Jerry, was vivacious and adventurous.

The drives felt a lot more wild in Madikwe: tight turns, bumpier paths, and no doors!

We started by loosely following the river in search of hippos, all the way to the north end of the reserve, where we could see Botswana. Our drive then took us all over the game reserve. And because it is a private reserve, our driver was allowed to go off-road!

Madikwe afternoon drive #1:

• Impala
• Warthog
• Kudu
• Water buck (markings look like it sat on a painted toilet seat)
• Zebra
• Elephants – one pregnant
• Lions

We stopped for a sundowner and we were attacked by aggressive flies that we did not experience in Pilanesberg. We applied bug spray but it did not slow them down!

Once back in the vehicle, Jerry, told us we were searching for hyenas, but it was a trick! We met a pride of lions, slowly walking as they hunted for their next kill. One adult male, two young males, and two females.

We followed this pride for about an hour. The sky grew dark and we eventually lost them in the bushes. Jerry drove into the brush, taking the car between trees and right over shrubs. We were usually within a few feet of the lions and they barely cared. Every once in awhile they would look up as if to say “what’s with that noisy radio?”

That night we fell asleep early and slept soundly until the early morning alarm. The morning game drive started with a large full moon hanging low over the horizon.

Madikwe morning drive #1:

• Jackals
• Wildebeest
• Giraffes
• Elephants
• Buffalo
• Rhino
• Spotted hyena
• Cape starling
• Kori bustard
• African wild dogs
• Warthogs
• Ostrich
• Bunny
• Yellow canary
• Lions (same pride as previous night)

There was an amazing 20 minutes as we watched a group of wild dogs lounging around while three warthogs crept by. The dogs gave chase and our vehicle followed. Watch a short video on Instagram!

Six wild dogs were originally transplanted from Pilanesberg in the 1990’s. The growth of the population is a success story, but they are still a rare sighting, even in Madikwe.

Back at the lodge we enjoyed a nice time by the pool, and also checked out the animals in the river: buffalo, wildebeest, antelopes, and zebras all took a walk down to the water for a drink or bath.

Madikwe afternoon drive #2:

• Warthog
• Impala
• White rhino
• Jackal
• Elephants and rhinos bathing
• Different pride of lions with a cub
• Bunny

We started with a long drive down one of the main roads of the reserve, seeing nothing but scenery for the first 20 minutes. Eventually we came to a lush valley with two rhinos with the biggest horns we’ve seen yet. The horns were easily about 18 inches long. I had just been asking Jerry about rhino horns, and I think he took us there specifically so I could see them in person. (In Pilanesberg, the rhino horns are trimmed to prevent poaching, but they let them grow in Madikwe and Kruger.)

As we continued, we passed by termite mounds that grew large enough to envelope the trees and shrubs, much larger than what we had previously seen. We visited a large and busy watering hole. Many elephants and a few rhinos were cooling off by the edge.

Just around the corner a pride of lions were lounging near the road. One was a baby and was nursing from his mother. An adult male was nearby but hiding behind a bush.

We took our sundowner drink in a field by the reserve’s administration building, next to a chapel and some ruins leftover from the farm days. I had a moscow mule and Corey had a beer, and we chewed on some droëwors, a dry sausage similar to a pepperoni-stick. As we left the full moon was rising large in the sky, and we got the Italians to join us in a quick chorus of “That’s Amore.” Jerry told us there was a hyena den with babies for us to see. He tricked us again!

Lit only by the moon, we drove into the bush to find the pride of lions surrounding a warthog on its back, legs still kicking in the air. The male lion was eating, surrounded by four hungry females and three safari vehicles. It was incredible and also gross. Photos and videos do not properly convey what it is like to be so close to a feeding lion that you can hear the visceral crunching as the prey is devoured. We knew what the eventual result would be when we saw the lions on the prowl, but it was another thing entirely to see the disemboweled warthog turned into dinner for these apex predators.

Jerry worked hard to show us a unique experience. He was just as knowledgeable as Rassie, identifying birds and plants as we drove by. But with the opportunity to leave the roads, he could look for game paths and use those to find the animals.

The guides often use Afrikaans or Bantu languages to speak with each other, including on the radio. This meant that they knew what they were going to see, but it was a surprise for us. They also appeared to use hand signals in certain situations to avoid conversation.

The Madikwe River Lodge was great. Each chalet was nestled on the riverbanks, and when we were on the patio, it felt like we were in a treehouse. Though not as luxurious as our first stay, it was less expensive. We were there to see animals and the sheer amount of viewing opportunities made it well worth the $300/night we paid (park entrance/conservation fees included).

Our last morning at the lodge we woke up before our alarm clock. We were either getting used to the schedule, or just excited for our last opportunity for a guided game drive. We packed up the car so we could take a quick exit after breakfast, since we estimated an eight hour drive to our stopover night, on the way to Kruger National Park.

Madikwe morning drive #2:

• Zebras
• Impala
• Elephants
• Water buck
• Monkeys
• Warthogs
• Wildebeest
• Jackals
• Lion brothers

We saw the male lion from the night before, as well as his blond-maned brother. Both had full bellies from the kill the night before, and we watched them for more than 30 minutes as they hydrated at the watering hole and then sprayed the bushes to mark it as their territory. They took naps in the sun and slept off the large dinner.

This part of the morning was a stand out highlight of the whole week!

It was fun to ride with the Italians, a jovial group. We learned piccolino as the term for babies and we exclaimed “bravo!” at the end of each drive. Check out this video to see what the game drives were like in Madikwe.

On our drive out of Madikwe:

• Tortoise
• Baboons
• Elephants
• Warthogs
• Giraffes
• Kudu
• Still more zebra

It took us two hours just to drive out of the reserve on the dirt roads (with some limited stops for wildlife viewing). Then another six hours to get to Dullstroom, our stopover point on the way to Kruger National Park. Our goal was to arrive just prior to sunset so that we did not have to drive at night in South Africa.

The driving was sometimes harrowing as I passed semi-trucks on narrow two-lane roads, maneuvered through Pretoria traffic, and raced against the daylight hours to make it to Dullstroom. As we cruised through the beautiful countryside with wildflowers lining the highway, pink and purple clouds stretched across the sky, and it was a beautiful sunset.

Dullstroom

We unpacked the car and settled into our room quickly. We noticed as we drove through town that most restaurants were closed for dinner, but we were famished since we had not eaten since breakfast. After a precarious walk along the road that seemed longer than it was, we went into the first open establishment: Amigos Cantina, for a South African version of Mexican food.

When we entered, there were a handful of friends and neighbors gathered in the cantina. We found out that since Dullstroom is a tourist town, the “weekend” for the locals is Monday and Tuesday. They were just getting started with their night and they let us join in on the merrymaking. Although the kitchen was closed, Chef Greg made us some amazing tacos that came with his housemade hot sauces.

We were quizzed on Tennessee whisky, Roman numerals, and some general curiosities about Americans. It was evident that we had arrived after a few rounds had already been consumed. South Africans are so friendly and it was fun to hang out for a few hours.

We woke up early the next day but without the morning game drive it felt like sleeping in. We got breakfast and coffee at Seattle Coffee Company, and hit the road by 9 AM.

Our route took us on the north side of Blyde River Canyon, a gorgeous drive up and over the bright neon green mountains.

Kruger National Park

We reached Orpen Gate at 1 PM, a little behind schedule after a few breaks for stretching and snacking. Our first stop was at the gate where we paid our conservation/entrance fees. We were greeted by Zazu, a yellow-billed hornbill.

Once inside Kruger, we made our way to Satara Rest Camp, where we would spend the next two nights.

Within a few miles we spotted a herd of elephants eating grass near the road. There were many other animal sightings during our two-hour drive from Orpen Gate to Satara.

Drive to Satara sightings:

• Impala
• Elephants
• Giraffes
• Butterflies flitted around our car
• Zebras
• Hippos
• Baboons
• Warthog
• Wildebeest

We stopped at a watering hole about a mile west of Satara. It was a peaceful time to watch the animals interact in their various groups. I swear these giraffes walked up to do a yoga class!

We checked in around 4 PM and quickly unloaded the car. Then we drove back out of the camp for a quick afternoon self-drive, to be back before the Satara gates closed at 6 PM.

Kruger afternoon drive #1:

• Wildebeest
• Fish Eagle
• Giraffe
• Zebras
• Buffalo

Racing back to camp, we found that we missed out on a leopard sighting by about two minutes and 600 yards. We saw a number of cars circling and area and making U-turns, but we could not make it to the sighting in time.

For dinner, we ate at the camp restaurant, an outpost of the South African chain Cattle Baron. It was fabulous! We had springbok carpaccio salad, chateaubriand flambe, and a buffalo pot pie. Yummy!!

In our bungalow we found two spiders, one on the bed and another on my bath towel. Eek! Thankfully I was tired, and I was able to put the spiders out of mind and fall asleep.

Back to our early morning game drive schedule, we got up early to join the line of cars at the gate for the 5:30 AM opening. It was still dark when we left the gate at 5:31. We first headed to the watering hole from the previous day to watch the sun rise.

On our way, Corey thought he saw the leopard from yesterday, lying in the road. As we approached, it had spots but it was a spotted hyena! It stood up as we approached and headed off the road. Hyenas have a funny walk! Following it into the brush, we saw more hyenas, possibly a den. We heard different vocalizations, laughing and screeching, some of which sounded like babies.

The watering hole was not busy, and perhaps for good reason. We were the only car there but we only saw birds waking up. The sunrise reflected pastels on the water: yellow, pink, and blue.

After leaving the watering hole, we slowly crept down the gravel road until we became enveloped in a buffalo herd. There were hundreds all around, from old males with horns formed into a skullcap, to dozens of babies. Horns poked up from the tall grass. They were all staring at us like they knew we ate buffalo pie for dinner the night before. I felt a little guilty but dinner was so delicious.

We stayed with them for several minutes. One buffalo was laying down next to the car, twitching his ears. I saw that a tiny bird was crawling all over him and even crawled around in his ear! Nature’s airpods! Perhaps he was sharing the latest gossip.

We crept down the road and passed by elephants. We watched an adolescent elephant explore for a while. When we decided to leave he shouted at us and feigned like he was going to charge. I picked up the speed but he did not give chase. That was the second young elephant to yell at us: the older ones generally ignore the vehicles.

Kruger full day driving:

• Hyenas
• Birds
• Buffalo
• Elephants
• Zebras
• Large waterbuck
• Impala
• Steenbok, a tiny antelope with huge ears
• Buzzard?
• Southern Ground Hornbill
• Ostriches
• Giraffes
• Warthog and baby
• Leopard but far away
• Cat, small and black

That night we again dined at Cattle Baron, this time enjoying wildebeest tenderloin and a ribeye steak (from a regular beef cow).

The next morning we packed the car quickly in the dark. Not silently though as Corey accidentally set off the car alarm while looking for the lights. We crept out the gate with everyone else at 5:30 AM before the sun rose. But as soon as we left we hit traffic! Cars were at a standstill as there was a lion resting right by an intersection. We snuck around the traffic, posted up and caught a glimpse of the large-maned male, before heading away from the crowds. Here’s our terrible photo within the morning collage.

Last day sightings:

• Lion
• Wildebeest
• Vulture?
• Elephants
• Giraffes
• Zebras
• Impala
• Hawk/eagle?
• Hippos
• Crocodile
• Pride of lions, ladies only
• Kudu
• Mongoose
• Warthogs
• Tortoise
• Tiniest antelope
• Buffalo
• Rhinos
• Herd of ostriches (around nine)

We slowly drove down the dirt roads, which allowed us to get away from other cars and their bad drivers. We found that where there are crowds, a lack of etiquette emerges. A bright red sun emerged over the grassland. We had made a french press of coffee, which we slowly drank as we crept along. We needed wide eyes as we scanned the trees, hoping for a leopard sighting. Our route took us east toward the border with Mozambique, and then we drove to the south, parallel to the border. Passing other cars was more rare than animal sightings.

Eventually, we arrived at a hide, a viewing platform overlooking a watering hole. Hippos barked and swam, and crocodiles jumped out of the water. Large birds posed in the reeds.

Continuing down the road, we had just opened a pack of biltong when Corey spotted a lion in the road ahead. This time it definitely wasn’t a hyena! We rolled up our windows and proceeded slowly, until we saw an entire pride in the brush by the road. There was at least one adorable cub, and we think we counted eight lions in total, although no adult males. Once they were about ten feet from the road, they were quite difficult to see! We think our timing was incredible here, as anyone coming ten minutes later would not have seen anything but the waving of the brush in the wind.

At one point an elephant blocked the road for several minutes. We just watched and waited. In Kruger, the animals have the right of way! (Although Corey thinks I may have run over a snake in the road.)

It was an incredible day of animal sightings!! If only leopards and cheetahs weren’t so elusive. (And I never saw that snake so it doesn’t go on the sightings list.)

At 11 AM we stopped at Tshokwane Trading Post for coffee and lunch. This is a counter-service restaurant at a picnic stop in the park, where the food is prepared outdoors around a wood-fired oven. It did not disappoint! We tried a mutton-mince pie, a chicken jaffle (like a panini cooked in cast-iron in the oven), and a kudu sausage.

After lunch, we continued toward Crocodile Bridge and the gate there to exit back to the real world. As we crossed the river Corey pointed out four hippos lined up on the bank. It was our first time seeing them out of the water, and a great goodbye from Kruger National Park!

Our safari week was a surreal experience with close encounters and beautiful moments. Overall, I prefer being driven around in a safari vehicle with a guide. The self driving experience was more than worthwhile, and we were able to see a lot of animals on our own. But part of that successful experience was having the knowledge that our prior guides had given us. On our own, for example, some of the vultures and buzzards were hard for us to identify. Here is a video of what it was like to self-drive through Kruger.

All three places we visited offered outstanding nature experiences, and we would recommend all of them. South Africa is full of wildlife adventures, and it is much harder to figure out how to narrow down the options than it is to find and view the animals!