The June / July school holidays afforded my family & I to escape the wet winter cold of the Cape and head to Kruger , in the opposite corner of South Africa , 2100 km from Cape Town , here the day time temperatures were around 23 degrees celcius and it was great to be wearing T shirts & shorts again . We spent two nights at Tremisana Lodge in the Balule Nature Reserve , (which is now part of the Greater Kruger as the fences separating the Kruger National Park and the Timbavati and the Balule Nature Reserve have been removed, thus providing a bigger area for these wild animals to move through).
Hoedspruit and Eastgate airport are about 10 kilometres away , on arrival, we had a very warm welcome from Pearl , who showed us to our thatch en suite chalet which was comfortable with a double bed & two single beds for our two boys, the lodge has a home away from home feeling with a lovely garden, a swimming pool and numerous mature banana trees , fan palms & date palms that provides an almost, tropical garden .
At around 4.30 pm we went for a sunset game drive in the Balule Nature Reserve and saw giraffe, wildebeest, black backed jackals, zebra, impala, buffalo, grey heron & yellow billed hornbill (better known to the rest of the world as Zazu from Disney's "The Lion King") . The much marketed "Big 5" were other wise occupied that evening but the sunset was dramatically beautiful and the quietness was deafening.
After the sunset game drive we gathered in the intimate boma for dinner and met up with the other guests, who had spent the day game viewing in the Kruger National Park and by all accounts, it was a very successful day, as they had spotted leopard and lion. We enjoyed a three course dinner , soup followed by caserole chicken and vegetables and apple wheels for desert , real tasty home style cooking with interesting company to compare stories ranging from the African bush to the Glaswegian down town.
The next morning , we were up at at 5.15 am for a quick cup of coffee before heading out with Bertus for a morning bush walk , checking fresh lion spoor, and comparing droppings like seasoned pathologists , sampling leaves & brushing our teeth with thin branches from the guarri (Euclea divinorum) tree , which acts as an early warning beacon to other trees, in times of impending drought, the marvel of God's creation is so amazing, like how does a termite mound maintain a temperature of between 18 & 20 degrees celcius all year round, above or below the ground ?
We returned back to the lodge just after 10am to enjoy a scrumptious breakfast of cereal , fresh fruit & yoghurt followed by eggs, bacon, beans & toast plus fruit juice & coffee, one needs to keep a watchful eye on the half dozen vervet monkeys that chatter & dart from the trees above to thatched rooves , and are always on the look out for any unattended yoghurt , fruit or other edible delicacy.
We enjoyed the warmth and easy going character of Tremisana Lodge where our day's events were carefully plannned and well explained by Pearl and we found that the lodge was condusive to meeting fellow travellers in a relaxed atmosphere.
Best regards
Clive Murray
Price from: R 6 195 pp sharing; R 6 495 single; R 3 895 child under 12 years
Double or Twin or Family en suite air conditioned chalets
All meals included , Air conditioned mini bus (max 13) for distance travel and open 4x4 safari vehicles for game viewing (max 10)
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