We flew out of Capetown in the wee hours of the morning and landed in Port Elizabeth at 9am. We were promptly met by a cheerful driver sent by the Lalibela Private Game Reserve who was incredibly chirpy for that time of the morning. During the hour-long journey to the game reserve, he regaled us with stories of exciting game drives he had been on. So, we arrived at the gates of Kichaka Lodge with heightened anticipation.
A lovely lady by the name of Samantha checked us in and we were given a quick tour of the luxurious surroundings while nursing a glass of hot cocoa. The lodge was beautifully furnished with oversized cushioned seats and African artifacts. Both the cosy dining room and the comfortable living room had large stone wood-burning fireplaces that warmed our hearts. Beyond the living area was a large outdoor patio with dining tables for lunches when the weather was warm. It overlooked a large watering hole where we could see 3 hippos bobbing up now and then.
After the tour, we were whisked off to our room where our luggage were waiting for us. Kichaka Lodge only had 10 rooms and could accommodate up to 20 guests. Our room was massive with the biggest bed I had ever seen and a nice seated area facing the glass walls. The outdoor patio had lounge chairs as well as a heated plunge pool. We were delighted to have a room facing the watering hole so we could spend the afternoon watching out for animals.
After a quick nap to recover, we met other guests at the dining room for lunch. The menu was small – 3 choices of entrée and a dessert. It was a decent and filling meal and the drinks (including alcohol) were included. An hour later, we were served high tea in the bar area with appetizers like meat skewers and spring rolls.
Thirty minutes later, we met our baby-faced ranger, Woody, who would take us out on our first game drive. The safari jeep was 3 rows deep, set in a tiered manner so everyone had a good view. We climbed aboard, got a quick brief from Woody and off we went. I could almost hear the intro music of Indiana Jones playing in my head. The vast grasslands, the dirt trail and the bouncing jeep all added to the adventure.
Woody was an amazing ranger who not only knew a lot about the animals in the park but also all the plants growing naturally there. He could track animals, even hear them from afar and could tell what animals were lurking about before we even saw them. A licensed birder, he could mimic all the different bird calls. He also had a GPS implanted in his brain and, although, we traveled off the beaten path in the bush many times, never once got lost. Impressive.
Ten minutes after we started out, we spotted our first herd of Impalas and blesboks, grazing together. Two of the male Impalas, which appeared to have been kicked out of the herd for misbehaving, sauntered past our stationary jeep and we were able to capture some awesome shots. Nearby several zebras grazed with the blesboks. Blesboks are the South African relative of the antelope and they were all over the reserve as we would find out in the subsequent days.
As the sun set and the night crept in, Woody pulled out a round flashlight and shone beams of light all around the bush. When asked what he was looking for, he replied, “Eyes.” Yes, he can identify nocturnal creatures by their eyes. And shortly we were rewarded with a herd of savanna buffalos, also known as cape buffalos. They were large cow-like beasts with thick horns that curved from downward then up.
Most of the herd animals we encountered did not appear afraid of us. Woody explained that they were used to the sound of the jeep and the fact that the humans never bothered the animals, gave them a sense of calm.
Three hours after we started, we drove through the gates of the lodge and were welcomed at the entrance by a staff with a tray of hot towels. They were just what we needed as we traipsed into the living room to warm up at the fireplace. A 3-course dinner was served shortly and the dishes were scrumptious. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
Next Day
We were woken up by the phone ringing. Woody wanted us to be in the breakfast area in fifteen minutes. We were reluctant to climb out of our warm beds to face the cold, morning air but we did. And we were rewarded with hot beverages and an array of pastries.
Thankfully the jeep had been prepared for our warmth and comfort. Neatly folded on the seat was a thick poncho lined with blanket material and beneath it was a hot water bottle. Once we had donned the poncho, the biting cold air was no longer a discomfort.
As we headed, Woody turned to us and said, “What would you like to see today?” “Lions!”, “Rhinos!”, “Elephants!”. “Oh my” Woody responded to our gleeful shouts. “Let’s see what I can do”.
Twenty minutes later, we rounded a thicket and came upon a long neck with a small head peeking out from the branches of a tree. It was a giraffe. Correction. It was a group of 7 giraffes having their breakfast. It was a great photo op with the beautiful creatures silhouetted against the rising sun.
We then noticed little birds perched on the necks and bodies of the giraffes, pecking away. Woody explained that these were oxpeckers who eat ticks and parasites off the giraffes. In other words, the cleaning crew. It was fascinating to watch.
Next, we came upon three massive rhinos feeding in a clearing. We were told that two of them were females and the one lagging a distance away was the male. He was trying to mate with the females but they were not having it so he was just following them to see if he could get lucky later. Poor chap. One of the females had a horn partly shorn and Woody said that was to deter poachers. Apparently, the rhinos were being hunted for their horns and if they were caught, the poacher would remove the horn completely from their faces and leave them to bleed to death. So, their removing part of the horn makes the animal less attractive to these poachers.
Suddenly we heard excited chatter coming over Woody’s radio. Immediately he took off down a trail. As we bounced around in the jeep, he explained that lions had been sighted. An air of excitement stirred among us as we got ready with our cameras, binoculars and cellphones.
In the distance we spotted a stationary jeep with the guests looking towards the grassy area. Woody stopped and pulled out his binoculars and scanned the area. “There!” he pointed to a spot in the grass. I squinted but did not see anything. But then a gust of wind parted the grass and we saw two lionesses completely camouflaged among the stalks.
Then across from them, a male lion roared and stood up and he was majestic with the wind blowing his mane. We were dumbstruck at how close we were to the beasts and how stunning they looked. Silently, we were begging the lion to roar again, but he just looked around and then he gave a huge yawn that gave us a good look at all his teeth, down to his throat. Then he promptly fell on his back and went to sleep.
Just then one of the lionesses got curious about our jeep and came towards us. Woody banged on the side of the jeep to scare it but it just kept coming. That’s when he thought it was time to go. The jeep roared to life and we were off, leaving the lioness far behind.
After all that excitement, my husband and I decided we deserved a relaxing massage to calm us down so we headed over to the spa at the lodge and booked a couple’s massage. The room was spacious and the massage tables were facing a glass wall through which we could see the watering hole. The heads of the hippos could be seen bobbing up and down the surface of the water.
The two masseuses who took care of us were excellent. Their expert hands coaxed away every stubborn knot and tension in our muscles. At the end of the massages, we were in a state of blissful tranquility and wonderfully refreshed.
Over the next few days, we were able to witness a group of around 20 hippos sunning themselves by the water, the elusive cheetah, meerkats, a mongoose, ostriches and many more animals. We even saw a herd of elephants lumbering down the hill slopes towards the watering hole in front of our lodge. And did I mention we had a lovely picnic amidst the wandering giraffes? Awesome!
This was a trip that went beyond our expectations, and we would highly recommend Kichaka Lodge to anyone who thought a private reserve is less exciting than a national park. The accommodation was five-star, the food was great and the service was top-notch. And with two game drives a day, we got to see everything we wanted to see at a pace that was thoroughly enjoyable. And you can spend the afternoons relaxing at the spa. What more can you ask for?
