Lions in South Africa

The drive back to South Africa passed by really quickly. Perhaps because of the speed we were driving at or perhaps it was the amazing scenery of this country. There was a small incidence where we were flagged off to the side of the road in Botswana for speeding. After a few minutes of negotiation it was a small fine of approximately £5 and we were on our way again watching as another guy was pulled over. At the boarder crossing we ran into this man again and when we asked how much his fine was he responded with a thick South Africa accent "I told him I was not going to pay". Yes he was very serious. Not sure if that would work in England or Canada and to be honest I doubt I will try that one.

We did drive passed a lot of shanty towns which are really a strange sight. You can't help but feel sorry for the way of life in them. The really sad part is that they are thousands of them all over the country. It really is an eye opener.

We were all tired from the drive that day so we spent the night watching the whole 3 DVDs of "The Long way Round" before calling it a night and getting some much needed sleep.

The following morning we were off out for another fantastic breakfast and then on to the local lion park where I told myself I would go inside the cage with the baby lions and wrestle them and perhaps get a nice bite scar that would make a great story. This was all fine until I actually climbed into the cage with two 5month old lion cubs. They are POWERFUL!!! Forget that I thought there is no way I want this thing to bite me. Even at 5 months old the power is incredible. At one point I was stoking is head and it seemed to get a little angry and snapped at my arm which I pulled away faster than I thought possible. Another time one of the lions grabbed onto my shoelace and had a tug of war with me until he just decided to grab onto my leg and try and bite it instead. The lion keeper quickly came over and smacked him on the head and ran off. It really was amazing to sit in there with them and stroke them. They are incredibly cute but you really do get an understanding of the power these animals must have. With that it was on to see the slightly larger lions although this time from a car.... not in the cage with them.




Before we made our way over to see these lions though, we had a quick walk around a few other cages to see the cheetahs and hyenas. The teeth on the hyena are insanely sharp and I managed to get a picture that shows their razor sharp teeth. Good thing I was on the other side of the cage for this one.


There were three sections that we drove around in the car while the lions wondered in and around us. A few times I put the window down a bit to get a nice clear photo. I also put it up twice as fast whenever a lion started walking towards the car. There were not many people or cars around so we had most of the place to ourselves. These animals are simply incredible and even though they look elegant and calm most of the time they can change on you before you know it. But one thing is for sure. They are extremely photogenic animals.











That night was our last night in South Africa so to celebrate we all went out for a nice meal and then Jess, her boyfriend, and I went out for few drinks and dancing at a club on the outskirts of Johannesburg. It was a great night involving many many cheap drinks. 6 tequila’s, 2 beers, 2 cocktails, and water was the first round and it came to about £7. Really can’t argue those sort of prices. I paid for it a little the next morning but still managed to get up bright and early to go out for some shopping. With that we were back at the house packing and getting ready to go. We said our goodbyes and then settled in for the 10hour flight back to England.

It was an amazing trip and something that I will never forget. Even without the 1000 photos I took altogether the memories will last a lifetime. I can not wait to go back and to explore this continent in more depth!

I just want to say a big thank you to Chris and Jacqui for inviting me to the wedding and having me one of the groomsman. Also I would like to thank Ian and Jill for the amazing generosity for everything they did for everyone during the week in Durban.

The trip wouldn’t have been the same without the Jacobz family picking us up, dropping us off, taking us to Botswana, and letting us live in their house for a week. Thank you so much for everything and you are all more than welcome to come and stay with me in England or wherever I am in the world at anytime.

Last but not least thank you to my parents for everything did with meals, organizing, etc. and for making it such a wonderful trip. I had a brilliant time travelling with you both. Yes I would definitely do it again without hesitation.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Botswana

We arrived at the "A Frame" lodge at Khama Rhino Sanctuary near Serowe, Botswana in the afternoon, unload the car, grabbed a few cold drinks to save us from the 40 plus degree weather. The Rhino Sanctuary is full of wildlife of all kinds not just the White Rhino which they are trying to save. We went out in the car again and did a massive game drive throughout the reserve seeing Rhinos, giraffe, warthogs, zebra, wildebeest, springbok, kudu, and much more.








We went back for a shower which happened to be an outdoor shower and toilet which just some wooden fencing around it. You could still see out through the gaps and was really nice and relaxing having a shower and looking out for Rhinos and other animals.

That night we had a wonderful dinner at the reserves new restaurant and watched the most amazing lightning storm I have ever seen. I tried for half an hour to get one decent photo but about 200 shots I only managed to get one decent picture worth saving.

The following morning we had to pack up the car for the final time and get on the road heading back towards South Africa. On the way out of the reserve though my Dad and I decided to climb a really old rickety watch tower. It was missing the first few steps so we had to climb up the posts and then use the rest of the ladder to get to the top. It was about 10m or so high but provided an amazing view over the reserve. After a few min of trying not to move around too much to stop the tower swaying back and forth we climbed back down, got in the car, and settled in for the 8 hour drive back to South Africa.

Limpopo River Lodge, Botswana

It is incredibly difficult to describe the atmosphere around this lodge. I literally mean its in the middle of no where. A four hour drive down a dirt road and then there it is. Right on the water of the Limpopo river. There were only a handful of lodges and I only saw one other person apart from the staff. The staff were amazing though. Doing the dishes in the early hours, starting fires, etc and yet you hardly ever saw them. When we did see them they were always cheerful and always laughing. It felt like a 5 start resort that we had all to ourselves.



Over the next 2 nights we did two game drives seeing all sorts of animals in the wild such as Kudu, waterbok, warthogs, many species of birds, laguans, monkeys and much much more. We were told stories by DJ and Kelly of their encounter with the elephants on their previous trip. They were charged by a mother elephant after they got between the mother and her baby and went flying down the road in reverse until the elephant gave up and turned around. Scary I am sure but part of me really wanted to see the elephants.




We relaxed a lot by the river, tanning in the sun, swimming in the pool, and catching up on a few books. At one point Kelly, my mum, and me decided it was a good idea to try and hop across the rocks to get to the other side of the Limpopo and see if we could enter South Africa this way. It was decided that the chance of crocodiles been in the river were slim to none so we set off to the other side.

We made it over we great ease and started walking up to barbed wire fence that acts as the boarder into the South Africa. We were currently in no mans land as the Limpopo is the boarder of Botswana. As we approached the fence a Springbok (or something alone those lines) jumped out from the side and ran across our path giving us all quite a scare. With that we decided to turn around as next time it might be a leopard or lion.

Other highlights of this trip was do a little off road 4x4 trips down dried up river beds and driving to a huge hollowed out baobab tree. I have never seen a tree quite like it and suggest searching one out if you are ever in Africa. Its quite a remarkable site.

On the last night as we were driving back from the last game drive it was getting a bit late and we decided not to stop to see animals unless it was something really big. About 5min later there they were about 30ft away. 3 huge elephants eating from the tress. Wow. I was just in awe of these animals. I was unable to get a photo as they sort of disappeared into the bush but I was just so excited to have seen a animal like this in the wild in its true habit. That night we had yet another brilliant meal (as we did every night in Africa) and sat around the fire talking and taking a few pictures of the sunset. There really are no other sunsets quite like an African Sunset. At least not that I have come across yet.

The Drive to Botswana

Sunday morning we had nice breakfast sitting outside overlooking the reserve before we said our goodbyes and grabbed a taxi to the airport. Just before we left I had about 50 people sing Happy Birthday to me (almost got away with it) which was a really nice surprise. The quick flight back to Johannesburg was a chance to catch a bit of a power nap and get some rest before a week of early morning starts.

DJ and Kelly who are long time friends of family live just outside Johannesburg and kindly picked us up from the airport and told us about what they had planned out. We went into their house where we had to make it past their 2 security fences and 3 guard dogs before getting inside. We had an amazing dinner cooked on the brie by DJ their kids Matt and Jess who many of you in Canada will remember from meeting last Christmas. and then watched a movie before making our way to bed as it was going to be a early start in the morning with a 8 hour drive to the lodge in Botswana.

Surprisingly I was up, wide awake, and ready to pack the car at some awful hour in the morning that I didn't know existed. The five of us (DJ, Kelly, my parents, and me hit the road in the SUV and started heading north. I did cave and have a nap about 30min into the drive though. The road was long and straight but the scenery was unbelievable. You just get lost in thought as you look at all the rocky outcrops, flat barren land, or tress in the game reserves. Before I knew it it was time to stop for breakfast. It was a rest stop on the side of the highway and I couldn't help but stare at the state of a bus that had pulled in. Apparently it was from Zimbabwe bringing people down into South Africa. A definite eye opener.


We arrived at the border crossing after a brief stop for some billtong (dried meat like beef jerky) where we all had to get out of the car and get our exit stamp for leaving South Africa. It was laid back and after a quick chat with the crossing guards we were back in the car and driving towards the Botswana side of the Limpopo river. The river at the crossing was completely dry which alowed for us to just drive through where the river should have been. Not something you get to do every day. If the river had been running then we would have had to turn around and find another place to cross. The guards at the Botswana gate where great.

They just seemed happy to have something to do and someone to talk to. After a 10min talk and stamping of passports we proceeded into Botswana in the now 40C hot sun. We turned onto a dirt road which we proceeded to drive down for about 3 hours of bumps which I could not get enough of.

The excitement of being in this country and looking out the window for wild animals was outstanding. There was no way I was going to miss any of it. At two more points we had to cross the Limpopo river again and at one of them we got out and went for a bit of a walk. Me, Kelly, and my mum were about 60ft from the car when I found a footprint of some kind. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be that of either a lion or leopard. Lets just say we made it back to the car if pretty good speed all the time keeping our eyes on the rocky outcrop about 40ft away. Its strange but I doubt you would see anything on it even it was there.

With that it was on towards our riverside lodge on the edge of the Limpopo where there was a bit of water and a sign saying beware of crocodiles.