AFRICA
2024 AUTHOR: LOIS GRAY
PHOTOS: KAY
GILMOUR
Three week trip arranged by Nadia Eckhart at AfricaEasy.Com
Four travel friends: Micki & Dan Kaufman, Lois Gray & Kay Gilmour
Four Safari Camps (Posh!) Animals Galore!!
Yes – It’s June. But it’s WINTER in South Africa
Flights 18 hours Miami to Qatar then 8 hours to Johannesburg And back
INTRODUCTION
After multiple African trips in the past, we four friends were once again off for safari after the travel hiatus Covid had suspended for three long years.
We turned to our mutual friend Nadia Eckhart of Africa Easy to arrange this trip. She set us up with four distinctive safari accommodations: Jabulani Safari Lodge, &Beyond Tengile River Lodge, &Beyond Phinda Vlei Lodge, and &Beyond Phinda Mountain Lodge. Each was enjoyable for its amenities, staff, guides and trackers and the environments explored.
In years past, when we first visited Africa, accommodations were safe and simple with comfortable room- sized tents. Meals were served on pie plates while seated on camp chairs by an open pit fire. Cold showers rained down from a water bucket hung on a tree limb.
On this trip, we were introduced to upscale living with luxurious houses/cabins with curated furniture and decorations. We luxuriated in our private pool connected with our sleeping quarters. There were indoor and outdoor showers and spas with piping hot water. Gourmet meals with table service were provided in a central area with cloth napkins and fine china. There were butlers catering to our every need.
As we deduced from earlier trips, private preserves and public parks are currently functioning as “Noah’s Arcs” to preserve African wildlife. There are educational efforts ongoing to prove to the African people that preserving the natural habitats are good for them in providing many wellpaying jobs. Many companies support free schools. Without the wild animals, all this educational and monetary support would disappear.
There are still companies that cater to groups of adventuresome people with a hankering for the old style safari at a modest expense compared with those with the means to enjoy the butler cash outlay. But no matter whether or not you have a choice of white or red wine with each night’s dinner fare, the animals you came to see will not fail to amaze!
Here follows a sampling of the critters we “hunted” with iPhones and SLRs.
For all other photos, visit https://kaygilmour.smugmug.com/
JABULANI
MOUNTAIN LODGE
Weretreatinhaste
concealingthetawnylion'sform
butnothisdeepgrowl
Hippopotamus
voicesfilledwithboomingthreat roiltheturbidwaters
Thesoundofleopardsmating roaringonamoonlessnight shiversupourspines
Ahugebuffalo
tranquillychewinghiscud–
Watchoutforhisrage
StripedstockyZebra
ceaselessswishingropytails
blocksafaritrails
Gracefulantelope
fillforestandopenplains
fearinghungrylions
Toweringgiraffes
surveythelandfromonhigh nibblingthornytrees
Clingingtoearthor
soaringinthebrightbluesky
birdsongsfilltheair
Arhino’sliptellsall
Therareblack’slip’sabeak
Thewhite’sflatandwide
ThecleverVervetmonkey
Blueballsattherear
Thebaboonslaughat
Sweetalertdogface
Buthecannotchangehisspots
Orfooluswithhislaugh
Thanhisgrasshidingsnakemeal
Quicklyhepounces–Whoops!
Hiddenontheshortgrassplains
Lightningspeeddoomsprey
Fursplashedwithmanycolors
Openjaws–hugeteeth
Chameleonsandcrocs
Coldbloodedtheylayinwait
Foreachnewday’ swarmth
Committeedesigned - awkward
Butfastonhisfeet
Goodbyeashetrotsapace
Lionseestheflag
And so ends a wonderful trip with great friends.
