What a spectacular way to traverse the bushveld! We are headed to the Inyati airstrip, where I will be met by a guide to kick-start my week-long stay at Dulini – spending time at Dulini Leadwood, Dulini River and Dulini Moya. Where normally a road transfer takes about an hour and a half, exiting the Kruger National Park at the Kruger Gate and circumnavigating the Sabi Sand Private Reserve to the Newington Gate, our ETA after take off is just a mere fifteen minutes.

Hennie points to a herd of elephants below; dusty, brown-coloured bulky shapes marching through the bush. Flying at a speed of 100 knots, equivalent to 180 kilometers per hour, we are only able to spot smaller game as we come in to descend. I can see a herd of impala, and several giraffe browsing from acacia trees.

The Mpumalanga Helicopter Co., based in Hazyview, offers a variety of scenic flights over the lowveld, as well as private charters and even an experience for guests to take part in air surveillance with a qualified ranger from the rhino anti-poaching unit in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, which brings in all-too important funding to help protect the lowveld rhinos.

Expertly setting down the Long Ranger in a patch of grass close to the airstrip, Hennie performs his shut down procedure and before too long, the rotor blades slow down and we are good to disembark.

This is truly a magnificent experience, adding a tremendous sense of adventure to getting to and from a luxury safari lodge. I’m definitely planning to do it again!

For more information, please visit www.mhelicopter.co.za, email info@mhelicopter.co.za or call 084 505 2052.

View some Aerial snapshots and videos below:

Curious to know more about the man behind the wonderful dishes that were prepared for me while on a recent visit to Dulini, I decided to ask Lamek about his two great passions: culinary art and the bush.

LM: I was born in Hluvukani, a small village close to the Kruger National Park, and raised by my strong, independent single mother. After passing my matric, I started work as a gardener, but soon advanced to the position of field tracker in the Kruger Park. During that time, I learnt that Singita ran a community enrichment program called “the Singita School of Cooking”. This appealed enormously and, after training for two years and gaining immeasurable experience from several great chefs at Singita, I passed my national qualification. I continued to hone my culinary skills and personal style across the country, from the Madikwe Reserve to Cape Town. These all provided the invaluable mould for the career I enjoy today.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef in the bush?

The bush is simply the most inspirational place; it is grounding and humbling. Since not everything is as easily accessible as in the city, you really need to draw from the environment, mentors, and peers to create magic.

Can you tell me a little about the produce you use and what kind of dishes are you most inspired to create and do you have a specific kitchen influence to follow?

All our ingredients are locally produced and sourced, supporting and empowering a great many families in the communities. I find a great deal of inspiration in Asian flavours, follow all the great chefs, and enjoy fusing these with the traditional African cuisine. Dulini grants me complete creative culinary freedom; my personal goal is only to satisfy every individual guest.

As custodians of this beautiful place we strive to ensure to waste as little as possible; all left over food is taken to a community farm to create compost and fertilizer for the vegetables they farm, and in turn produce and supply to us.

Have you ever had any encounters with wild animals on the job?

During my first week at Dulini River Lodge, I went out to pick some fresh herbs from our planter boxes and found myself eye to eye with a leopard that was staring straight at me! It was a phenomenal welcome to the bush.

The bush breakfast and dinner in the riverbed was a real surprise for me. How much preparation goes into these bush events?

The bush events require a lot of preparation and work, but not just from my kitchen. It is truly a collaborative effort with many hands at work behind the scenes from the entire Dulini team. We need to ensure the chosen site in the bush is perfect and safe, and that we have all the necessary equipment, crockery, cutlery, crockery, lamps and other necessary items on site to ascertain the smooth operation of it all. If it looks effortless, we are doing our job right.

Many thanks, Lamek.

One of my favourite treats at all three Dulini lodges – courtesy of Lamek – was a delicious sundried tomato dip. The recipe was kindly provided to share with readers.

Sundried Tomato Dip

Ingredients:

200g sundried tomatoes
100ml sunflower oil
30g basil leaves
30g fresh parsley
30g fresh dill
100g grated mozzarella
100g almond flakes

Sundried Tomato Dip

Method:

Mix everything together in a blender to a consistency of individual preference. I recommend a chunkier consistency, over smooth.

Back at Skukza restcamp, I am booked in one of the riverview rondavels and, after staying overnight and having a lovely peaceful evening all by my lonesome self – along with a take away pizza from Kruger Station (which by the way, are one of the best pizzas in the entire country) and a crackling fire – I have just driven out of the main gate. It is shortly after 6 in the morning and, surprised not to see any other vehicles on the road, I drive along to turn left at the 4-way stop towards the river road.

It is late autumn, and the light is still low; the Kruger bushveld is shrouded by that greyish colour that preceeds the very first rays of the upcoming sun. Twighlight.

I am not really looking for any animal in particular; just enjoying the drive. I have pretty much seen everything at Hoyo Hoyo and Hamiltons already; elephants, lions, buffalo, plenty of plains game and the most spectacular leopard sightings. But, as I mentioned, more about that later.

Hyena and cheetah. Those are the only predators I have not yet come across and, since this is my last day in the park before heading back home to Cape Town, I am not holding out much hope.

Gently motoring along, the T-junction is looking up ahead of me. Still no other cars around.

And then, suddenly, a dark shape emerges from the hazy early morning light.

Hyena! On the road! I slam on the brakes and take the lens cap off my camera, fumbling with the settings. I know I am too far and, with low light, any shots I will be taking won’t be very good, but it will still be nice to have a picture.

The hyena is walking along towards the river and then disappears into the bush. Ah, that was nice, I muse, as I lower my camera back onto my lap.

At that exact moment, emerging like ghosts from the bush on my left and exactly parallel from where I have stopped, another two hyenas apppear. I can’t believe it! They are steadily making their way to the road and are now too close for me to be able to photograph with the long lens. Still no other cars around.

They are behind my car now. I turn to look right through the driver’s window, expecting them to reappear as they are walking past. Except, they don’t. I catch a glimpse of one of the hyenas in my left rear-view mirror; he or she seems to be taking an interest in my car. I now snatch my phone; it is the only way I will be able to take any photos since both hyenas are so close.

One of the hyeans is inspecting the left side of my little rented VW Polo and calmly walks along to the front, where the inspection continues. The second hyena has surfaced and is coming up to my left. With the engine stil running, I flip the switch to close both windows up until there is just a smallish gap. And good timing too. Both hyenas are now standing close to my window. My heart begins to beat faster and I am getting a bit nervous. Closer they come, and closer still.

One of them is taking an unusual interest in my rear-view mirror; with trembling hands I snap away, hoping the pictures won’t be too blurred.

While the other hyena is looking on, I am at eye level with the first as he or she opens wide and begins to chew on my rear-view mirror. Enough is enough.

“Hey!’ I shout, realising what those powerful jaws can do. It has, however, no effect. Without thinking to hoot, I roll the car ever so slightly forward, which makes both animals jump a little. Still no other cars around.

And then, as if by silent command, both hyenas abruptly turn and lope away to the right into the bush. Gone.

I drive on, excited, elated, and with some disbelief. At the T-junction I see the first car of that morning driving toward me; I almost want to wave them down and say, “you never guess what just happened ..” But I don’t. The only evidence, apart from the few photos, are the chew marks on the rock-solid rear-view mirror.

We can see why. The panoramic views over the landscape below are truly breathtaking. We climb out of the game drive vehicle and, while Russel busies himself unfolding a small wooden table and draping it with thermos flasks and breakfast snacks, I take myself off for a quick bathroom stop.

Walking up along a bend in the road, I am soon out of sight and, since we haven’t come across any other vehicles all morning, I forego delving into the bush to find a private place. All set to relieve myself only a metre or so beside the road, I suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, hear the sound of a car engine drawing closer. Darn! Having to call things short, I hastily pull up my shorts and step back onto the track, giving the Mabula staff members a wave of my hand as I pretend to be out on a casual stroll. Phew! That was close!

When we get back to camp, a large herd of buffalo are scattered out across the plains, moving along the open savannah grasslands in front of our tent; we can still see them as we head down to the main building for breakfast.

Our waiter presents with a prettily printed menu, which offers an elaborate listing from the Continental Breakfast Buffet. There are assorted sliced fruits, a choice of grains and yoghurts, muffins, croissants, Danish pastries plus a selection of cured meats and cheeses and fresh fruit juices. Then there are eggs to order, along with a number of sides. Or we could opt for the Chef’s Breakfast Special. A frittata; an open omelette served with onion, tomato, mushrooms and cheese. It is not an easy choice.

Enjoying the restful comforts of our special private sala, we are back at the table for lunch only a few short hours later. It’s a miracle my clothes still fit! Still, that does not deter me from savouring the slice of chocolate cake, beautifully plated with flower petals, strawberries and a swirl of honey.

Before we know it, we are back out again for the afternoon drive. It has been a relatively quiet day in terms of animal sightings, but we are not too fazed. We simply enjoy the loveliness of the area and the peaceful gatherings of plains game in the shade of a stand of acacia trees.

It is almost dusk. We have just left our sundowner stop close to a small dam surrounded by tall scrub and are now back on the road. The sun is setting and, feeling happy and slightly mellowed from our white wine, we are laughing and chatting in the back of the vehicle when Russel suddenly slams on the brakes. It is a moment I’ll never forget. There, a few metres to our right, out in the open, sitting calmly on the road, are the two cheetah brothers! It takes a few seconds to sink in; I virtually cannot believe what I am seeing.

I feel an incredible rush of excitement as one of the males gets up and starts walking along the road, soon to be followed by his brother. There is some scent marking on a tree and a veering off into the bushes, but for most of the time, they keep to the sandy track.

“They must have hunted earlier this afternoon”, Russel whispers. “Look at the size of their bellies!”

Both tummies are definitely very distended. With the light fast fading, I am struggling photographically, but I don’t really care too much. It is an intoxicating sighting; unexpected and wonderful.

We stay with the cheetahs for a good ten minutes, driving up slowly behind them, and the opportunity to snap some photos presents itself as one of the males bends down to drink from a shallow pool of muddy water. The sound of engines nearby heralds the onset of other game drive vehicles and, a little reluctantly, we eventually leave the cheetahs and return to camp.

When the next morning our transfer vehicle arrives to take us to the airport, we say our goodbyes with a real sense of sadness. Our stay at Safari Plains and The greater Mabula Game Reserve has been nothing short of fabulous and we leave with just one intention; we will be back!

Originally published on https://safariplains.co.za/2021/05/31/safari-plains-fransje-van-riel-night-2/

The bar and lounge area, with its heigh thatch ceilings, comfortable sofas and high chairs and tables and long, long curtains are stunningly contemporary. Tall glass doors open out to the terrace, where white outdoor furniture on dark brown timber and pristine white parasols offset the bright blue swimming pool. Safari Plains, in essence, is architecturally stylish, colourfully fashionable and quintessentially modern; a genuinely sophisticated place.

We are accommodated in tent number 10, which in itself is pretty impressive. The views over the open savannah plains are expansive, especially as seen from the comforts of the private sala; a daytime lounger which is connected to this particular tent via a wooden boardwalk

Entering through the wooden door, we find that the main feature has to be the King size bed, which is opulently draped with white mosquito netting. There are two nightstands, a comfortable chair, a writing desk and chair with convenient sockets for charging laptops or notebooks, an armoire and a bar fridge. The luxuriously appointed bathroom, on the other side of the inside wall behind the bed, comprises of two stylish washbasins complimented by indulgent toiletries and fluffy towels.

We discover a lovely Victorian-style bath with shelves boasting thick candles in one room, plus a separate toilet and, again, separate shower. There is also a space to hang our clothes, shelves and a safe. On the far side of the bathroom is an extra bedroom.

Time, now, for lunch. Closing the door behind us, we make our way back to the outside terrace where we take a seat at one of the tables overlooking the swimming tool. We order a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, which is swiftly served and poured into elegant wine glasses.

There is both a bottle of still and sparkling water on the table, along with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar; it is like being at a trendy, upmarket place in Cape Town.

Eager for our afternoon safari, we meet our guide, Russel, at 3.30. After introductions, he asks what we would most like to see, and when we tell him that the Mabula elephants and the coalition of two male cheetah brothers have given us the slip so far, he grins.

“You are always lucky with Russel”, he jokes and, adjusting his cap and sunglasses, adds, “we will certainly try!”

It is a beautiful afternoon; much warmer than the last few days and, content to savour the magnificent views over the bushveld, we sit back to enjoy the ride and admire the abundant other natural delights The Greater Mabula Game Reserve has to offer; the stunning colours of a lilac-breasted roller in flight, the unmistakeable sounds emanating from arrow-marked babblers in a nearby bush and the lovely sight of the tiniest of fragile light yellow coloured butterflies, dancing from one clump of upturned soil to the next.

And then … “Elephants!”
Laughing out loud, Russel points ahead triumphantly. “There! Up on that small ridge next to the road!”

There, at last, are the large iconic pachyderms that we have been looking for these past few days. Slowly moving in our direction, the herd comes very close. One of the younger bulls is standing in the road and raises his trunk to catch our scent. The other elephants are milling about nearby; one of them is throwing up clouds of dust in the beautiful soft, golden afternoon light.

Suddenly, as if sparked by some signal, the elephants start moving again, and are now approaching us on the road. Closer they come, and closer still.

Russel reverses our vehicle to allow them right of way and they calmly traverse the road to pass our vehicle. It is a magical sighting. When they reach the dam wall, their burley bodies are reflected as a mirror image by the water’s edge.

We couldn’t have orchestrated it better if we had tried and when the herd eventually disappears into one of the gullies, we let out an exhilarated sigh. It is a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Originally published on https://safariplains.co.za/2021/05/25/safari-plains-fransje-van-riel-night1/

Having made us a quick cuppa in our safari tent, I load the now fully charged battery into my camera and grab an extra layer of warm clothing in preparation for our morning game drive. It’s been cold; a definite winter spell so we have decided not to head out on an early, pre-dawn safari, but rather to enjoy a full breakfast first, and then leave the camp when the sun is up.

About half an hour later we are ready to go and, sliding down the zipper of the tent canvas, we step out onto the deck and into the sparkling fresh morning.

The deep, olive green vehicle is already parked in front of the entrance and Taylor welcomes us, clad, himself, in a thick bush jacket. He and Tannah are the only staff members who are actually staying in their own little place close to the camp, so he has already been up and down to Mabula Game Lodge to fetch the staff members for the early morning shift.

Chef Johannes is back on duty and has waved his culinary magic wand once more. Our breakfast, consisting of fruits, granola and yoghurt plus delicious cold delis, along with our choice of eggs, has been magnificently well-prepared and presented; definitely on par with a five-star hotel in any major metropolis. We are quite curious about him and have a chat inside the restaurant. His eyes light up when we compliment him on his cooking skills and prompt him to share some of his experiences about being a chef in the bush. He seems almost a little baffled when I ask him about it, and simply says, “I am only happy when I am in the kitchen!”

We eventually head out onto the open plains at around 9:30 am and, after a relatively quiet drive, stop a few meters away from two wildebeest who are affectionately nuzzling one another repeatedly.

By lunchtime, it has become pleasantly warm. We relax by the pool on the loungers bedecked with rolled-up blue and white towels and enjoy a cool drink from the bar before settling down for yet another fabulous meal. Chef Kevin, whom we met on our arrival yesterday, is now back at the helm. His spinach and feta Kʼicheʼ, S-shaped home-baked soft bread roll and salad strung together by a slice of cucumber look so good I have to take a picture of it.

A couple of hours later and we are back out in the bush. Cruising along in the game drive vehicle, Taylor rounds a bend in the road to encounter a rhino and her calf, dead smack in the middle of it. The scene is one of peaceful slumber; an afternoon nap in the still warm sunshine. Mum is facing the other way, while her cute, but burly baby, is facing us, trying to get comfortable. As we watch them, a rasping, trumpet-like noise emanates from rhino mum and we suppress our giggles as the scent wafts on the wind towards us.

This has got to be a first. I can now speak from experience: these magnificent animals produce magnificent body odours!

Another unusual sighting is when we stop for sundowners at one of the Mabula Game Reserve dams. Just as Taylor sets up the wooden fold-out picnic table with drinks, a hippo surfaces in the middle of the dam and appears to be making his way towards us. Standing by the water’s edge, Anne and I can see that he is clearly watching us. Surrounded by sparkling ripples cast by the setting afternoon light, the hippo stops and stays quite still for a very short while before raising his head and propelling his heavy upper torso from the water. We are quite baffled, including Taylor.

Photographically speaking, I miss the moment, but I do manage to snap a few pics when he opens his mouth open to display an impressive set of teeth.

It is so nice, we muse, when we have once again returned to camp and are sitting by the fire, to see so many unusual aspects of interesting animal behaviour. As darkness descends over Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp, and we are back inside the comforts of our tent for the night, I cannot help feeling that I have pretty much fallen in love with this rustic little camp that offers so much intimacy and charm.

Originally published on https://kwafubesi.com/kwafubesi-tented-camp-fransje-van-riel-4/