I had mentioned that our South Africa trip was getting bigger ($$$) than usual. Worth every penny. By changing our thinking, and making this our 30th anniversary trip (seeing as on our day I will be in Canada, and Tim will be in Singapore- it was an easy sell!) it was very special. And it was in spades!
Firstly, because we said we were celebrating our 30th, to our agent, we had champagne every place we stayed!
But it just was breath taking. I can not do it justice in one post, so I am going to do several.
I mentioned that my dear friend Kate said we HAD to do a safari, and had to go to Phinda (silent "h"), stay at Vlei Lodge, and to do so, contact &Beyond, their agent. Well, they put together our 10 days in SA, and it was fabulous.
We flew to Johannesberg (10 Hours, 5 hour time change) and on to Durban, a short flight east to the east coast of South Africa. We stayed overnight at a lovely inn in a residential area. A short walk to the beach, and in a huge wind, a walk on the beach in to a little town on the outskirts of Durban. We were made very aware of the security in SA. Barbed wire every where. A panic button on the bed table for in the night! Otherwise it seemed like Victoria, BC. We found the SA Rand very favourable. We had been told SA was expensive, but the Rand has suffered, and that worked to our advantage. To eat out was very reasonable, beer cheap cheap, wine even cheaper, and good SA wine.
The next morning we were picked up and transferred to a small airport nearby, and in a small (Cessna 172? 4 seater) airplane, took a 1 1/2 hour flight to Phinda's airstrip. Up the coast 30 minutes, a beach lined, huge wave shoreline. Inland over miles of sugar plantations, beautiful green waving in the wind, like wheat. To Phinda.
We were met by a Phinda ranger, of course in Khaki, in to a Toyota Land Cruiser, of course, and a 30 minute drive to the camp. On the way we saw beautiful zebras, maybe 10 meters from us.
The lodge is simple but beautifully done. I hope some photos will do it justice.
Phinda sits between Lesotho and Swaziland (if you know where they are!) south of Kruger Park, and is Zulu land. They have managed to give back to ancestral owners 9,500 acres dispossessed in Apartheid. It was derelict farmland and is now a conservation reserve in perpetuity. Phinda is a not for profit Game Reserve. It made money only 2 years ($22,000) and strives to work with a zero balance, putting back in to the land, the animals, and the people." Phinda "means "return". They are living up to their name.
It has 56,000 acres of land acquired in 1991, land which was being farmed very uneconomically, and starving the land of resources. An "against all odds" project. The land is unique in that it has seven different habitats: savanna, bush veld, coastal grassland, mountain range ( Lemombo), marsh, forest,
We stayed at Vlei Lodge, vlei meaning meadow. A central lodge with 6 out cabins, along sand paths in light forest. We were maybe 50 meters from the lodge. We signed a very wordy release of liability form, and they did have some very strict rules. No way go out at night in the dark unaccompanied. Call for a ranger escort. The cabins are not fenced and have night visitors. The night before we arrived a lion had got in to a fight between two cabins. Our first night we had elephants at our cabin. Big huge foot prints in the sand. Like snow shoes. One morning as we left our cabin at 6 in the morning (in darkness still) there were 2 rangers in conversation on the path at our door. I thought "oh what a coincidence". It was no coincidence. They had tracked a leopard to our steps in to our cabin, and could not find where they went from there. So we had a flashlight escort to the main lodge!
At our first safari we were given the drill. No standing up when animals are in sight. They are comfortable with the presence of the vehicle, but if the outline of the vehicle changes shape, that would alarm them. The rangers were incredible at driving up and around to give us good photo ops.
On that, oy. I bought a new camera, my old one died. I even practiced with it before going. Bought an extra card for lots of photos, and then forgot to take the charger for the battery. So guess what? I became very reliant on Tim for photos. I will post some but his are super. We will give you drop box address and you can go see them all.
Another oy. I forgot my coat. Very hard in 80' weather to grab your winter coat as you head to the airport. I knew it would be cold, but it was freezing. I think my blood is thinner. It was see your breath cold in the early morning. Then in to the open jeep and get colder. I wore layers and the same layers every day. The very coldest day it rained and we were driving home. They handed out ponchos, and I pulled the hood right around tight, and was happy I wore glasses because it was pelting. There is no windshield in a jeep, so...
I will attach some photos but more to come. I have to do this safari in a few blogs. So stay tuned.
Not many of getting there. JUST WAIT!!!
This is the coastline of gorgeous South Africa, from our little plane on the way to Phinda.
This is sugar plantations inland. I don't know what I was expecting, but not lush green plantations.
This was from the drive in to Phinda. Hadn't even dropped our bags. He was maybe 3 meters away. GORGEOUS.
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