Our Journal

December in Cape Town is beautiful! Cracking days, sunny and warm, middle of our Summer. This is Cape Town at its finest. So many things to do in Cape Town today, so little time, that’s why we cram it in, and go hard. 

Best of the best with Safari Architects. It is the busy season as it is the South African Summer holidays, but with us; Fast Track tickets at Table Mountain, Boulders Beach and the airport, ensure the very best experience. Seamless and smooth. Less time in queues, more time for good times.

The Silo Hotel once again got raving reviews, fabulous service and a great hotel, location does not get better. Great dinners only a walk away at Marble in the Waterfront and Il Leone – family style, magnificent little Italian eatery, this is not where the world class meals stopped – La Cotte on our visit to the winelands was a highlight. A very special meal in a super cute and quaint setting. A beautiful day also helped.

We hiked – In Cape of Good Hope as well as on Table Mountain, admired Penguins, sipped cocktails on rooftops in the glowing sunset, learnt about history and culture, laughed, and breathed in the fresh Cape Air, lots of family photos, memorable moments, and outdoor fun.

Scenic drives, roadside coffeehouses, views, a little shopping, and some more great meals. A magic time in a magic City. We will be back to play golf! 

Highlights – The Penguins – no doubt, the beautiful and well executed walks and the choice of restaurants.

Departing Cape Town for Mala Mala – the oldest and best destination for game viewing in South Africa! Excitement, unknown and apprehension, too much excitement. Here we go. Let the safari begin.

Mala Mala is one of the largest private game reserves in South Africa and is world-renowned for offering the finest and most consistent Big Five game viewing on the continent.

Lion and Leopard densities are high along the famed Sand River. We were so fortunate, Lions feasting on a very smelly Buffalo carcass, Male Lion strolling by (far away) while sipping on Gnt’s, two incredible Female Leopard sightings, territorial marking and patrolling, African Wild Dogs hunting, Elephant herds, Giraffes, Hippos and so much more. 

An action packed few nights.  Lioness roaring, Lions sleeping and yawning, Lions close, walking past the car, we are completely safe, but it certainly takes our breath away, many moments left us in silence. Always a sign of something special. 

Beautiful along the river. Mala Mala always delivers, without doubt consistently top-class game viewing. 

We head to Selinda in a Pilatus PC12NG, changing habitats, changing countries and camps, to the famed Northern Botswana. Safari in the morning in South Africa, Safari in the afternoon in Botswana.

Selinda is a very special place, wild, pristine, and on a Safari Architects safari, it seems like a real adventure. It is a wilderness of massive expanse, and a unique place on our planet! The wildlife is abundant, the birdlife unreal, and the carrying capacity for all of nature is in perfect balance, a pristine and perfect ecosystem. 

The area had received very much needed rain over the week preceding our arrival and the bush was alive. Dung beetles, migratory birds, hatching termite alates, sweet sounds of bird song. 

The camp is in a magnificent location and there is always a hippo honking in the background or strolling on by. Selinda has hippos! And lots of warthogs- which we wanted to see. We had 3 different lion sightings, including lions stalking a Leopard on our last morning, Leopard got away – to our relief.

Its baby season, and this is a real highlight of safari season in December. Babies’ babies’ babies!

The teeniest tiniest baby elephant, lion cubs – curiously peeking through the grass. Newborn wildebeest, days old, a miniature baby giraffe, Impala lambs everywhere, tiny little warthog piglets. Maternal instincts kick in on the jeep.

So cute!

Selinda is a feast for the soul, for clean air, pure sounds and for catching our breath in the wild!

Top class camp and staff. Off to Zimbabwe and the treasure which is Singita Pamushana.

Singita Pamushana is in southeast Zimbabwe. An incredible variety of different habitats contributes to the diversity of experiences and activities on offer here. On a safari drive the scenery changes constantly and dramatically. 

Pamushana is a Rhinoceros haven, with both species occurring here. This is a massive drawcard. The lookouts from the stone walled lodge, high above the lake, situated among huge sandstone rocky ridges, are breathtaking. 

One of the highlights (always) here is a boat cruise on the lake, slow, relaxing, sipping on a cold beer, watching fish eagles fly by, and watching the sun slowly set. Walks here are also a wonderful experience, as well as visiting hundreds of years old rock art, and thousands of years old Baobab trees. 

Food is world class, and the coffee just tastes better here, watching the sunrise over the large rock outcrops. Great lion sightings, a herd of Buffalo at last, hyenas, giraffe and zebra abound. 

Spa treatments and a private dinner to end off a truly incredible journey. Special times. Lots of laughing, good stories and conversation. South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Cape Town and Safari. One incredible city. Three of the very best game viewing destinations and luxury safari camps. Private chartered, in 11 nights. There is no other way to do it.