Water For Elephants

A few facts about our location and setting before I journal our final morning game drive. Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is located on the western edge of Kruger National Park and is known for its remarkable biodiversity and outstanding conservation efforts. Spanning a massive 53,000 hectares, it is unfenced from Kruger, allowing animals to roam freely across both areas. To put it in perspective, Ngala only encompasses about 14,000 hectares (about 35,000 acres) within Timbavati.

Timbavati is famously home to the rare white lions, naturally occurring and revered for their striking beauty and cultural significance. We were so fortunate to experience an older female white lion of the Birmingham pride. The reserve boasts the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo, alongside more than 360 bird species, and dozens of more animal species. We were able to check off four of the Big Five during our drives here, plus so many more on our bucket list – including hyena, giraffe, hippo, and zebra.

The Ngala Tented Camp is part of & Beyond luxury safari operator that has 30 lodges and camps across Africa, Asia, and South America. The company is known for its commitment to sustainable tourism and conservation, living its mission of “Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the People.” We experienced the highest level of service by warm, kind, and genuine staff. They made our stay that much more memorable with their hospitality. We absolutely will seek out other & Beyond properties to experience in future travels.

Our final morning drive kicked off at 6:00 am, with our bags packed and in tow, in what was the coldest and windiest morning yet. We were thankful that Daniel once again provided us with wool blankets and hot water bottles, covered in coordinating plaid wool, for our laps.

Daniel recommended we head to the main water hole – one of few remaining places with a decent amount of water that is often frequented by herds of animals in the morning and evenings. It’s on a far edge of camp we hadn’t yet ventured, giving us yet another area of topography to see.

Right as we began our drive, we saw the most amazing sight of a large flamboyance of flamingos flying overhead, backlit by the dawn’s light. We stopped and soaked it all in, but were too cold to grab our cameras or phones to try and capture a photo. They were headed to the wetlands, possibly in Mozambique, given that this area is entering its dry, winter season.

A few yards ahead, we viewed a tower of giraffes feeding off of the acacia trees, full of thorny branches. Their colors were intensified by the morning sun. What a majestic sight! We then passed zebra, elephants, and even spotted a white-backed vulture and a few more red-billed hornbill (quickly becoming my favorite bird) on our way to the water hole.

As we neared, Harold joined a few other trackers on foot to track the movements of lions, hoping to give us one last glimpse at one of Timbavati’s prides. Daniel drove us down to the water’s edge, and we saw two large hippos making their way from a mud pile back into the water! Now that we were closer, we could see a whole bloat of hippos with their heads just above the water surface and constantly bellowing – magnificent! We also drove up close to a large crocodile basking in the sun, with another one in the water adjacent to it. A regal-looking gray heron was perched nearby, and Kittlitz’s plover ran around the sand.

We stopped on the ridge overlooking the expansive water hole, and Daniel set up a light breakfast of coffee, tea, cinnamon rolls and homemade granola bars for us. He explained that we will likely see herds of different animals make their way to water quickly and then retreat just as rapidly due to the wind. The reason for this is the wind carries their scent and provides prime opportunity for predators to find them.

What transpired next was a sight to behold and something out of a movie. First came a large herd of impala, huddle close together, making their way to the water’s edge, and then quickly disappear into the surrounding bush. Next came the largest parade of elephants – seemingly out of nowhere – with several babies in tow! Interestingly, two larger elephants flanked both sides and were looking outward, clearly guarding their herd. While the elephant is no match for most predators, babies are still vulnerable to attack by lions or hyenas. The parade retreated as quickly as it came and disappeared into the bush. Incredible! We also saw wildebeest and waterbuck at the water’s edge.

No luck in finding the lion pride, so we picked up Harold and another tracker and made our way to the Ngala airstrip, where our charter flight awaited. We said our grateful goodbyes to Daniel and Harold, and boarded the small plane for our 20-minute flight to Kruger National Airport. We had a short wait in the airport and then boarded our flight to Victoria Falls.

After a short drive, we were greeted by the Victoria Falls River Lodge staff who transported us via pontoon boat down the river to the lodge. Thanks to Inspirato and Rothschild Safaris, we were upgraded to the Rapids River Villa, a two-bedroom villa overlooking the Zambezi River. Our tented glamping in Ngala was special, but this is next level!! Our two-bedroom villa includes a kitchen and eating area, indoor and outdoor living areas, three balconies, two outdoor showers, and is appointed with tasteful African furnishings.

We enjoyed a welcome cocktail, then proceeded to sit outside to soak up the spectacular river views. The River Lodge is in Zimbabwe, and just across the river is Zambia. Not long after, we looked up to a parade of elephants – probably 12 in all – making their way from the river bank into the water! Once again, we were mesmerized just watching these giant creatures playing effortlessly in the water! Two young males were giving one of the females some grief, possibly attempting to mate with her, and the large adult female intervened and promptly chastised them. What a sight! The elephants continued for over an hour just below and to either side of our balcony. We could hear the bellowing of hippos, but didn’t see any surface near us. We also saw a flurry of birds, from an African harrier-hawk to a pied kingfisher.

We enjoyed a tasty dinner prepared by our chef (another benefit of the upgraded villa – it comes with a private chef for the duration of our stay), relaxed and read a bit, and retired early for a good night’s rest. We’ve been going full throttle since arriving in South Africa, it felt nice to slow down and take in all of our new surroundings.

We’ll begin tomorrow (Friday) with a tour of Victoria Falls, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. Until then, good night!

PS. Credit to Dr. Hannah Crosby for confirming all of our bird species, as well as providing the proper terms for groupings of animals!