Limpopo, South Africa
Sometimes you arrive at a place and instantly know: this is going to be special.
After a freezing 3Ā°C morning in Johannesburg, we drive towards Welgevonden Game Reserve. At the Main Gate, we leave our car behind. No self-driving here. Stephen, our guide for the next two days, loads our bags into his safari jeep.
Tintswalo lies about an hour inside the reserve, so weāre really going deep into the bush.
And Stephen likes to talk. Lions, leopards, cheetahs... Careful, Stephen. Youāre setting expectations rather high.
Well, this is quite a room...
Tintswalo immediately feels like a dream. After lunch, and an introduction to a huge, noisy baboon who considers the lodge his personal territory, weāre shown to our room.
Three bedrooms. Two bathrooms. Three terraces. An upgrade. WOW.
An immediately tries the outdoor shower, Amke disappears into a Bridgerton-style bathtub and Janne makes the most important discovery of all: the minibar is all-inclusive.
Priorities. š
Before our first game drive, Amke and I quickly climb to the lodge viewpoint. And there it is. A rhino. We havenāt even left yet. Whoop whoop!
Can Stephen deliver?
At 3:30 pm we set off with Stephen and a British family. We all have the same goal.
Lions.
The drive already delivers plenty: kudu, zebra, rhino and a beautiful group of giraffes walking gracefully past our jeep. Then Stephen gives us a choice. Cheetahs or lions? The lions are far away and could make this a very long game drive. We look at the Brits. They look at us.
Lions.
Off we go. Eventually the radio crackles. Someone has spotted them. We arrive and seeā¦ absolutely nothing. Stephen points. The girls see them. I see rocks. More rocks.
And then suddenly I get it. There they are. A male lion and two lionesses, perfectly camouflaged in the bush. One lioness gets up and walks towards the others.
Wow. Stephen delivered.
Stuck behind a big bum
Itās getting dark, but we continue looking for elephants. Instead, we end up behind another rhino, slowly waddling down the road. Thereās no way past. So there we are, stuck behind a very big rhino bum. Eventually he looks back into the jeepās lights, gets startled and disappears into the grass. Road clear!
In the darkness we finally find the elephants too. And among them is a tiny baby, no more than four days old according to Stephen. Its little trunk swings uncontrollably in every direction. Zero idea what to do with it. Adorable. ā¤ļø
After more than three hours, however, Iām cold, hungry and desperately need a toilet. Time for the lodge. Housekeeping has already heated our room for us, and the hot soup at dinner tastes absolutely heavenly.
Breakfast with the King
The alarm goes off at 5:50 the next morning. Another freezing start. Coffee, hot chocolate and some quick food, then weāre back in the jeep. We first search for cheetahs without success.
But then the radio comes alive. Yesterdayās lions have been spotted again. This time in the open. Even better, they have just killed a wildebeest. When we arrive, the lionesses are having breakfast in the bushes. And then we look left. Oops. A huge male lion is sitting almost next to our jeep.
The King.
We almost drove straight past him. The lionesses have dragged their kill into the bushes, while the bloody crime scene is still visible in the field. Fascinating. And slightly terrifying. Then the British girl drops her phone. Outside the jeep. With lions nearby. Not ideal. The guides carefully position their vehicles so the phone can safely be retrieved. Phone rescued. One very embarrassed teenager. š
One last look at the bush
We try our luck with a leopard that has been spotted nearby, but arrive a few minutes too late. It has disappeared behind a hill. You canāt have everything. Although... In less than 24 hours weāve seen lions, rhinos, giraffes, elephants, bush pigs and a four-day-old baby elephant.
We really canāt complain. We stop for a drink in an open area, with rhinos, warthogs and baboons in the distance. No rushing. No radio. No animal to chase. Just sitting there, looking around and realising where we are. Those are often the best moments.
Back at Tintswalo, a huge breakfast is waiting for us. We pack our bags, grab a few last drinks from our all-inclusive minibar and climb into Stephenās jeep one final time. On our way to the gate, we secretly hope for one last lion encounter. No luck. Only a few brave jackals who managed to steal some wildebeest from the lions. Respect.
At the gate we say goodbye to Stephen and get back into our own car. We arrived hoping to see lions. We leave with lions, a newborn elephant, rhinos, giraffes, a naughty baboon, a dropped phone, ridiculous luxury and another backpack full of family memories.
Tintswalo, you were definitely one to remember. ā¤ļø
Our journey doesnāt end here. ā¤ļø
From African wildlife to Asian adventures and the incredible landscapes of Canada, weāve collected quite a few stories along the way.
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