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/