Our Journal

A Southern Africa Spectacular

Steve and Dawn repeat guests and friends of Safari Architects are back with their adult children and son in law, to share the experiences as a family and live the dream!

As we often do, a few days acclimatization in Johannesburg, history, culture and eating at great restaurants, it offers a chance to get over the jet lag. 

A 3 stop – 7 night – curated journey at Botswana’s very best lodges. An extravaganza of the best locations, incredible hospitality and game viewing at its best.

Little Vumbura is a water-based camp – true Okavango Delta style. Arrive at the camp by boat, and activities include traditional canoe – a relaxing and immersive experience on the water and always a highlight. Fishing – we caught one Catfish – no Tiger fish this time! But it’s about more than fishing, floating in the Delta- sun setting over the water, hippos grunting, herons heading home to roost, and an ice-cold beer in hand. 

Evenings and mornings are spent around the fire, laughing telling stories and relieving the experiences of the day and night.

We had excellent sightings including a totally incredible morning with 3 young male lions following a herd of 800 Buffalo, the interactions left us breathless. A remarkable first morning.

A watery paradise to Selinda, where this year there is very little water in the Selinda spillway and this has attracted hundreds of Elephant families to the area, a sight to behold. Selinda camp is intimate, exclusive and extremely beautiful, the rooms are exquisite. Porcupines on the way to bed at night, the grunts of Hippos and roaring of Lions serenade the night.

Game viewing highlights – a morning with a young male Leopard hunting Impala, lazing in the sun in a huge Leadwood Tree, Pride of Lions feasting on a dead elephant. Sunrises with herds of Elephants, breakfast out in the bush, and many wonderful evenings, sharing exceptional South African Red wines, 7 course tasting dinners, so many laughs and memories shared, this is quality family time, present and connected. A Fathers Day to never ever forget!

From Selinda we head to Little Mombo – the place of plenty. An exquisite camp in a haven of game. Animals of every description around every corner. Hospitality and people are of the highest order. Thousands of starlings and ducks, hundreds and hundreds of Buffalo, stampeding through the water, Hyenas at every turn, including at dinner! Elephants, journeys of Giraffes, and baboons, this place has it all.

Of course, Leopards – a young female at arm’s length away, another adult female strolling through the camp at night, a close encounter! Lions on the hunt, a pride of 10, stalking a warthog, the strategy is incredible to watch. Pumba got away – to some’s relief and others disappointment.

From the Okavango Delta to the Namib Desert, flying private we wake up in Mombo, go on a morning safari, enjoy a last breakfast and head for Namibia via Windhoek. We will end the day in the Desert, it is quote extraordinary.

Using only the finest local guides, most intimate camps, in the very best locations, these private chartered safaris are a level up from everything else, curated in every way.

I asked at the end of 7 days of Safari and before heading to Namibia, what stands out:

• All the variety and number of animals in front of Mombo Camp
• An Elephant drinking from the swimming pool at the room, in the darkness of the night
• A herd of 1000+ Buffalo stampeding through a watery channel, a most incredible sighting! One I will never forget.
• Lions eating an Elephant at Selinda
• The big pride at Mombo on the hunt
• Leopard at the room on the way to dinner
• Helicopter flight between Selinda and Mombo – spotting Elephants, seeing the Delta from 3000 feet, and just the general rush of being in a chopper!

From a magic Safari to the vastness and extreme space and silence of Namibia.

A most beautiful lodge, a most unique location, the views of nothing, are more than anything. A space unlike any other, more magnificent meals and delicious wines. 

There are many varied activities to do, and we kept ourselves busy! First up an adventure to climb Big Daddy Dune in Namib-Naukluft Park, walking up a massive sand dune, is no easy task, a nice physical challenge, and an accomplishment to get to the top. But the best part, is rolling, falling, running down! Turning every adult back into a child! 

Back through Deadvlei, the landscapes are breathtaking, so many photo opportunities!!!!!  A picnic under the camel thorn trees, and we had back to the camp, after a great morning! In the afternoon, we are off into the dunes on ATV’s – always a thrill, scenery, golden light, Oryx, and good times, another crazy activity, ended off with a Gin and Tonic, watching the sun set and the full moon rise over the desert. Good times!

But the excitement is not done yet, we finish off a truly epic Safari, with the most wonderful family, floating in the crisp morning air, in a hot air balloon, breathing in the last of Namibia’s wide open spaces, and vast landscape.

A Nam breakfast back at the lodge and we are off in our chariot, headed for Joburg, everyone staring out the window, deep in memory crunching.

What trip. Grateful.