Kruger - ventilated!

'I've often wondered why people prefer to stay outside the Kruger National Park rather than in it...'

Pestana Kruger Lodge - [Malelane]

I've often wondered why people prefer to stay outside the Kruger National Park rather than in the reserve at one of the many overnight camps. These visitors secure accommodation outside the Park - and enter the reserve each day, either under their own steam or on a scheduled OSV (Open Safari Vehicle) tour; the tour operated by a professional / specialist safari company.

On the 24^th of September, South Africans mark Heritage Day - a day set aside to celebrate the cultural wealth of the country. Dressed in traditional garb, the day is usually brightly-coloured and always festive. To spoil the fun some commercialist proposed that South Africa celebrate its cultural appetites in a way synonymous with the peoples of this country ie: around an open fire @ a braai (barbecue) &, as a consequence, "National Braai-Day" was whelped on the Promotions pages all across South Africa's retail space.

"National Braai-Day" was whelped on the Promotions pages all across South Africa..

The 24^th fell on a Sunday this year - an unfair roll of the dice really but that's the Gregorian for you. Fortunately ours is not a hard-working society & the Monday was set aside in its stead earning the diehards double-time at the tills. For the rest of us this concession to productivity equated to a long-weekend - the perfect excuse for an excursion elsewhere & up here, in the innards of the country, that means to the bushveld ie: the Kruger National Park. The scramble for access & accommodation is an eastward migration of urban aggression - which, some would argue, speaks to our true culture but there you are. It's a fact; the scramble that is. Notwithstanding, we tagged along for the jostle - securing the Saturday night's accommodation in the park [an online fluke] but in the sure knowledge that Sunday night's accommodation lay elsewhere; on the road outside - looking in. Kruger was filled to capacity & then some.

We avoid the southern region of Kruger like vegans at a pig-on-the-spit. I'm not immune to cretins unfortunately or the circus that is the OSV industry - a dust-cloud at odds with common sense and the ethos that is Kruger ie: peace & quiet. As for the cretins, most seem inexplicably drawn to the Park's southern camps - who knows why? Perhaps it's first seen - first bought ie: a bottom-up stare-down at the Park's map - a habit difficult to ignore away from the street-side cafés back home. To be fair the southern region is the most convenient point of access. At a guess it's also why most foreign visitors get posted to Skukuza by tour operators driven by a profit-engineered stratagem rather than on value-add. It's a shame. Skukuza, for those who don't know, is the Kruger's largest camp by volume & din and the Park's administrative hub. It's also located in the southern region. Avoid at all costs but if it's the only available option - go anyway! A day in Kruger is a day well-lived.

Avoid at all costs but if it's the only available option - go anyway! A day in Kruger is a day well-lived.

Malelane Gate - KNP (Saturday 11am)

With Saturday night's Skukuza reservation in hand, we arrived at Malelane Gate at approximately 9am (late by our youthful standards but we're older.. wiser now). When I say 'we arrived at Malelane Gate' I mean 'we could see Malelane Gate from the back of the queue - some 300 meters away'. From when 'we arrived' to when 'we entered' 2 hours had been consigned to our life's journal under 'waited in the queue - incompetence rife'! Gate personnel were seemingly more interested in the confiscation of alcohol, a commodity forbidden day-visitors, than in manning the formalities' desk. Two counters serving 100s, on behalf of 100s more, is a feat I would drink to most days but even the strongest sauce would not have dulled the aggravation of the most patient sot there.

When I say we drove to Skukuza in a convoy of strangers; a convoy no less impressive than rush-hour traffic back home - that is what I mean. Fortunately lions were scarce or we'd still be 'at-the-back-of-the-queue' en route to yesterday - a fact we proved next afternoon, further west, at a mating lions sighting somewhere between Lower Sabie & Crocodile Bridge; two more overnight camps located in the deep South, east of Skukuza. We heard from the broken-telephone info-booth, at the-back-of-the-queue, that 3 (?) lions were entertaining the front-seats with excerpts out of the Kama Sutra. We were obliged to leave some two hours later without laying eyes on the naked truth; a fortunate result given that our son of 3 was all ears on the back-seat. The same front-seats hadn't moved - or taken a breather even as temperatures spiked in spits & spats. Deviant cretins then.

A lion - no argument there

Never call a South African unobservant - test the hypothesis at Malelane Gate on the first day of a long-weekend. We know exactly when you arrived & where you should be in the queue - JUST TRY AND GET AHEAD *BOET [*'my brother' in JHB & in the more contemporary parts of Cape Town] ... "I'm just going to the bathroom" se gat ie: be damned!

Fortunately Alisha's smarter than I am & we spent early Sunday morning birding Skukuza camp. If you ever get the chance forget the leopard-tally for a second and walk the camps. It's Kruger at its best. Birdlife is prolific - the photographic opportunities less hurried - the birds themselves more used to one-eyed-dicks squinting through a lens; long or otherwise.

'If you ever get the chance forget the leopard-tally for a second..'

Close...

Later that morning, whilst watching a buffet of the camp's local specials drink at an unrepentant leak - 'Africa's most precious resource' - we heard some Vervets arguing a point - in no particular order really. If the leopard walking nearby was anything to judge these things by, then at a guess, the monkeys were a little too distracted to notice us as we veered-in on the cat. We didn't want to be rude but the fracas in the trees seemed less intriguing than a tom-in-camp even if the cat was on the other side of the electric-fence. Stellar stuff - memories even. Elephants & a herd of buffalo were also in close attendance. A veritable smorgasbord of the big uglies - all within touching distance & whilst we were on foot.

Hippo disagreement - discussed

I can't argue the merits of the South's potential for unusual / special sightings. Fair enough. We saw the Big 5 more than once but at a cost to all things simple & smart... 'Nuff said. 

Before we ended up at Pestana Kruger Lodge on the Sunday night, a resort located on the banks of the Crocodile river & adjacent Malelane Gate, we exited the Park further east at Crocodile Bridge en route Marloth Park. We'd seen the brochures & succumbed to the media-hype. All the lodges in Marloth were at capacity save a single 'lodge' hitherto rated 9/10 by past attendees. This fine, clinker-brick emporium had a single room for us - at least as far as booking.com was concerned. We filled in our particulars online at circa 120kph en route only to be told, on arrival, well after sundown I might add, that they 'couldn't honour the booking'. Why? 'We're tired - room's dirty'. The empty bottles of alcohol, lolling on the lawn, seemed proof enough. We left - vowing to never set-foot-in-Marloth again.         Don't say I didn't warn ya.            An hour later we arrived at Pestana 60 km or so further west on the Kruger boundary hat-in-hand. I think the gate security will forgive the 'we-have-a-reservation' fib. Truth is we didn't - they probably guessed - we were let in anyway, dishevelled & a little tired to say the least.

Pestana Kruger Lodge - (Malelane)

If I said the reception desk was a peel of angelic music would that be too much? We were offered the very last room on the books; I suspect kept 'in reserve' for vagrants like us whenever the opportunity to score a few points presents & score they did. It has changed my outlook on 'southern' Kruger fairly dramatically. I know it isn't strictly accurate comparing the Kruger's dated accommodation with the facilities of a four-star lodge but I think the comparison is valid in this case.

Forgotten perhaps - Skukuza nevertheless

The 3-bed rondavel at Skukuza set us back approximately R1500pn (per night); the Pestana room circa R1900pn. Skukuza's accommodation is grimy (a consequence of inattentive housekeeping more than anything else); the linen threadbare and the decor mostly beige or spotted in derivatives thereof. The room at Pestana was contemporary, tasteful and bright. Some dust on the balcony & on the back of the bathroom door spoilt the Pestana card but I think the point is fair.

Pestana's rates are full-board [Dinner & breakfast] - Skukuza is self-catered. Leopard Creek, adjacent Pestana on the same Crocodile river but on the other side of the bridge, observes the 'quiet-after-9' ethos I generally encourage. The bushveld demands a quiet neighbour. 

Protea Hotel by Marriott Kruger Gate 

Out front - off the Pestana deck, the night sounds & the ambience were the equal of Skukuza's Sabie river by anybody's measure; certainly in our books & we know Kruger. So I ask you this. Where would you stay? We're not talking about financial semantics btw. - everything is relative. The same applies to Protea Kruger Gate on the eastern boundary nearest the Kruger Gate & closer still to Skukuza. The same contemporary decor, rates / services apply there too.

The New Kruger Safari Lodge

Again, in fairness, I think Sanparks [Kruger's de facto administrators] acknowledge the shortfall & are attempting [at last] to meet the demands of the more discerning visitor &, more importantly, the expectations of our international guests. Eateries / restaurants have been outsourced - so too the retail space mostly. These economies of scale filter down to the user; a nice change from yesteryear when that wasn't always the case. At Skukuza the 'New Skukuza Safari Lodge' is under construction and due for completion this time next year. At face value the construction is impressive. I don't care much for the argument against a hotel in the park. Congestion is what it is. A tasteful day-spa kneads-away the aches & pains of what I would assume is an assortment of cricked necks & wobbly bums. Safari isn't always a song & dance. Elsewhere in the camp the riverside accommodation has been renovated - & on first-hand experience a nice surprise but that too is becoming a victim of inept housekeeping.

The modern traveler is experience-driven. Private lodges acknowledge the fact and are modifying their focus on the overall experience accordingly. It's important, therefore, to make the distinction between a 'boutique hotel in the bush' and a 'bush experience'.

However, when we rate Kruger the safari / game-viewing experience is more generic - sightings are a factor of course but premised on luck & the experience of the tour operator / visitor. The same criteria apply for privately-owned, non-safari lodges catering to the same Kruger visitor but located outside the park. The safari experience, in the park, is equally generic. The difference, however, is in the quality of the stay & on that basis these lodges are more bang-for-back; more comfortable & generally streets ahead.

Where the attraction is the Kruger and well-positioned, privately-managed resorts exploit the opportunity - it's only fair to call it as it is. Then again, in case we forget, the Kruger is the attraction. The potential is limitless. 


Just leave the north alone - it's perfect as it is.  

Phinda - a vision!

Old farmstead - Phinda 'returning to the wild'

In 1990 Dave Varty's [Londolozi] vision of community-based tourism; a model sustained by good business practice & not on donor funds, was born.

CC Africa - [now &Beyond] was formed to facilitate the purchase of land - properties hitherto farmed for cattle, sisal & pineapple. The land was mostly degraded & purged of wildlife. This newly-formed reserve was called 'Phinda Izilwane' - Zulu for 'return of the wildlife' & the wildlife has, indeed, returned. [The conservation / community-upliftment success-story is almost too good to be true, in fact] 

In 1991, Phinda hosted its 1^st guests at Mountain Lodge. Today Phinda Mountain Lodge stands sentinel over the property - a proud salute to vision, strength of character and the success synonymous with hard work & opportunity's knock.

Phinda Mountain Lodge

In 2007, &Beyond and Phinda's two neighbouring communities, the *Makhasa & the *Mnqobokazi, signed a mutually beneficial land-restoration agreement. 9000ha of Phinda was restored to the two communities; the ancestral owners of the land.

The agreement, however, also included a 72-yr lease back to &Beyond which would continue to run its lodges on the Phinda property. In terms of the agreement &Beyond pays an escalating [annual] rental back to the community. In 2009 two additional properties were returned to the community. These properties were subsequently included in Phinda under the same terms & stipulations agreed in the 2007 deal - the difference being the term of the lease; in this case - 36 years. 

Phinda's success is its cheetah program

In early 2015, the South African government revisited land-ownership and although yet to be promulgated, has proposed that land-ownership be forbidden foreign nationals. &Beyond is owned by the Enthoven family [Nandos, Spier & Hollard] and Tara & Jessica Getty (the grandson of J.Paul Getty - the US oil tycoon). The repercussions for &Beyond could be fairly dynamic. Time will tell.

Last year an additional 1600ha of community-restored land was leased back to Phinda.

I don't want to get into the straw-man argument about #Phinda & its relevance in a land-starved country. Suffice to say the neighbouring communities seem satisfied [prima facie] with the agreement; so too &Beyond. Game on the property is flourishing; the birdlife prolific. 

Safari-guiding is like a box of chocolates (with apologies to Forest's Mom) - you never know who you gonna get...

Not a Black-shouldered Kite

Our allocated guide / 'ranger' [a misnomer] for the duration of our stay at Phinda Forest Lodge [beautiful btw. - see below] was introduced as an experienced outdoorsman / company-man. That proved to be true even if his bird ID skills were a little rusty.

Call yourself a birder and most of the other guests look skyward in trepidation or chant a spell to ward-off the evil hex. [The fact that most international, 'non-birding' guests embrace Africa's birds, well before the end of their 1^st morning's game drive, is not lost on many; least of all on the two of us.]

As it turned out, our ranger was a senior member on the neighbouring community-council; a bombshell dropped in sober conversation much later. Say what you like, we're never truly masters of our universe - respect walks, in an egocentric world, hand-in-hand with the untested; particularly in this country. 

The tragedy lies in what we [I / me / us?] take for 'granted'; - ideas not necessarily adopted / accepted in the traditional communities. If you're prepared to listen, the arguments against 'accepted practice', in some cases, are fairly compelling. At the time, I'll admit, I was disappointed with the quality of the guiding, esp. w.r.t our ranger's birding knowledge, but thinking back now who doesn't get these things wrong from time to time [I do all the time] & what should it matter anyway? We're quick to judge on first impression - hypocrisy at its finest given the paucity of criteria against which we measure people in the 1^st place. That on its own is a life lesson well-taught &, I hope, subsequently learned. 

OPTIMISM vs. PESSIMISM - same safari - different blog...

Bush breakfast (a surprise) - Phinda Forest Lodge

It's not difficult to concede that the world's First Peoples understood what it was to be human. When people come together, at an open fire - share good food & engage in honest, non-aligned conversation, the positive influence can be quite impressive. [At a guess we'd solve this country's troubles - chop-chop...]

At the business-end of a bush breakfast [a smorgasbord prepared for ten, consumed by two], I learned our ranger was on the committee (yes, another committee) tasked with sourcing verifiable Zulu names for Southern Africa's birds - a three-year project currently in mid-phase. [That's more than I can claim, btw.].

Hoodwinked!

I also learned that a single vulture shot for traditional muti, as opposed to the flock poisoned indiscriminately, at a carcass, is 'sustainable harvesting' - ie: kills two moans with one bird. 

It's a little tough on the donor, obviously, but arguably a small concession to the viability of the sp. The donor birds would be harvested in Zimbabwe - why Zimbabwe, you ask?        Because...

A Central Selling Organisation, predicated on access to product / price-control, would facilitate the needs of local, interested parties. The same traditional medicine men & women [let's call it TAM or Traditional African Medicine] will also have access (controlled) to plants & shrubs on the Phinda property - the intended consequence: to let off some steam & reduce the wholesale pressure on local fauna & flora not afforded special protection outside the reserve.

An authentic model - on the cat-walk

The latest fabric samples for faux leopard 'skin' [sourced in Italy] seems to have passed QC at the Council of Chiefs - good news for the local panthera population.

A community-sponsored program, prohibiting the wearing of leopard-skin, unless the model happens to be of royal descent, is also making waves in conservation circles. I've said it before - Africa's problems require African solutions. It's really that simple. (Read here and here for more).

'The old man's a bore - give us new blood.'

There were, however, one or two sticky bits & pieces - the kind-of-sticky that gets you emotional & chewing open-mouthed. The most jarring addressed the question of retirement; LIONS (read here) that is - ie: where do old male lions go when their daughters & grand-daughters are old enough to be weak @ the knees when dealing with the birds & the bees - Daddy's twinkle not usually considered pucker in polite society... 30-odd (..40+) lions call Phinda home - the optimal carrying capacity usually 1 adult Leo per 1000ha. Phinda's 23000ha should support 23000 / 1000 = 23 individuals...

Master of the keep - for now...

This surplus to good form is probably a concession to &Beyond's international guests - their demands tend to be for Bigger, Better, More - & let's be clear; guests like more buck for their $buck.

In a managed conservancy, Phinda included, game - esp. Big Game - is subjected to vigorous management. The strategy is premised on sustainable utilisation of resources - a concept too outrageous for our own delicate constitutions... 

Elephants are put on the pill, weight-gain notwithstanding. Buffalo tend to find themselves looking out-of, rather than into, a pot of stew and lions end up at fenced establishments where the photographs are usually preceded by a "right betw. the eyes, Tex" pat on the bottie. That's the rush. Don't kid yourself.

Mkhuze side of the shared Phinda / Mkhuze boundary

Left to their own devices lion-society tends to sort out the family tree quite nicely - as was the case @Phinda whilst we were there.

One of the older Phinda lionesses (a cougar, no doubt) had lured in a youngster from neighbouring Mkhuze Game Reserve [himself relocated from Tembe Game Reserve not long before]; the bonnox fence a cold-steel reminder that all is not as wild as it seems.

Phinda's 'old male' - the father of last year's crop, was hand-delivered a pink slip, escorted off Phinda & sent beyond; I assume to a retirement home on a banting diet or to some sort of correctional facility for the sexually deviant.

Care of the People

'Care of the land - Care of the Wildlife - Care of the People' 

Phinda's success, however, is rooted in its core ethic - 'Care of the land - Care of the wildlife - Care of the people' - generally useless clap-trap generated at a let's-hold-hands conference or on a 'boozeberaad'! (ie: Proudly going where many fools have been before...). Notwithstanding, w.r.t Phinda, it's an ethos that is being taken seriously.

In 1992, CC Africa [now &Beyond] launched their Rural Investment Fund (RIF). The RIF sourced funding internationally and channeled the resources into the communities living adjacent &Beyond's reserves / lodges. Renamed the Africa Foundation as the initiative changed gear, to date more than R100 000 000 has been channeled into local healthcare, education and SME development. That's an impressive number. Cynics will argue that the Getty's initiative to build houses on Phinda at $6 000 000 (circa R80 000 000) each was the more pressing ambition, but R100 million is still a number that makes a difference.

Legal trade in #horn = 2 steps back..

You have to concede the pioneering vision to the two Varty brothers; John & Dave. The Care of the Land - Care of the Wildlife - Care of the People philosophy was more or less the same ethos they adopted at Londolozi in the 70s. Say what you like about John's tiger-program or Dave's disillusionment with institutional conservation & his subsequent departure from CC Africa - their idea works! I suppose you could argue that Londolozi was acquired (at a tennis match..) by John & Dave's father under circumstances that didn't exactly inspire the indigenous communities. Be that as it may, the voluntary return of some of Phinda's land, to the local communities in 2007 & the successes of the Africa Foundation initiative are, undeniably, the cornerstones of Care of the Land - Care of the Wildlife. 

'You can't have a reserve in a sea of poverty. People need to benefit from wildlife.' - (Dave Varty)

Here's an example. You decide if it's coincidence. Since the start of the #rhino-poaching pandemic, Phinda has lost 3 (three) #rhinos. Phinda shares a fence with Mkhuze Game Reserve - a larger reserve &, on paper at least, under the care of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Mkhuze's entire #rhino herd, bar (3) three animals [I'm told], has been lost to poaching in the last few years. On the one side of the fence the most successful #rhino-conservation strategy in Africa - and on the other side, poaching & devastation on an incomparable scale. Let's concede the idea that Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is not incompetent & that their Care of the Land and Care of the Wildlife strategy is relevant, given the resources available to them. What's missing?  

Investment & 'proper land-use' = future prosperity

Almost every African safari lodge can claim to support a local charity / school / whatever. Some even employ people from the local community. That's fair enough but it's a handout. What's more impressive is the confirmation of Dave's promise to the late Mr Nelson Mandela when the statesman visited Londolozi in 1992. Paraphrased - "... proper land-use will contribute to the prosperity of the country." Where people benefit from wildlife eg: Phinda's landlord-community - the people are given the opportunity to develop at their own pace & initiative. The community has a collective interest in the sanctity of the land & its wildlife. 

Care for the People - & the people will Care for the Land - will Care for the Wildlife. 

We need to guard against egregious, profit-driven / institutionalised conservation - ie: safari / lodge companies which market an experiential / interpretive game-viewing experience but which actually focus on delivering a boutique hotel stay-in-the-bush only. Subtle, in some cases, but a very different scorecard. 

...we need to guard against egregious, profit-driven / institutionalised conservation...

Phinda Vlei Lodge - authentic

That said, I must admit, &Beyond's lodges at Phinda are world-class. Phinda Forest Lodge & Phinda Rock Lodge are the two stand-out successes. Even so, Phinda Vlei Lodge is, i.m.o, the most authentic. Phinda Homestead is under construction &, I'm told, will be the 'flagship' of the Phinda portfolio when completed by late 1^st - quarter 2018.

Phinda Mountain Lodge

Phinda's largest lodge is still Mountain Lodge - it's a popular choice; has sweeping views over the southern valleys of Phinda Game Reserve, including 'Leopard Rock'; & is, perhaps, the most classically-appealing. The succulent-themed gardens, en route the living area, are inspiring. Sunbirds (4 sp.) are especially proud of their garden & tend the produce most of the day.

Phinda Zuka Lodge, further afield, was a disappointment in imagination - I couldn't find much to endear the facility beyond the basic standards of luxury - except, perhaps, it's swimming pool / hide & its locale in 'leopard country'.

#Phinda Zuka Lodge

It takes as little as three seconds to form an impression; an impression nearly impossible to change & so it was at the Phinda lodges where we spent a few nights enjoying some R&R. These are eco-lodges which tend to grab you by the sweet-spot. 

These are eco-lodges which tend to grab you by the sweet-spot. 

African Broadbill

Phinda Forest Lodge, located in the sand forests, in the NE of the reserve, is dramatic - a ghost-like indoor / outdoor atrium that hums with lullaby birdsong. African Broadbill, Neergaard's Sunbird, Narina Trogon & overwintering Emerald Cuckoo were a few of the stand-out specials. African Wood Owl serenade the night's yips, yelps & roars.

16 privately-located, luxury suites are serviced by a multi-purpose living / reception area. The reception includes a well-appointed curio shop, wireless internet access, data points & electrical outlets.

The suites offer the same data / electrical outlets. Special attention to detail is archetypal. Superior-quality mattresses & quality bedding, on high bed-bases, give the suite a residential look & feel. Stand-alone armoires and a stylish interior finish are appealing. Soft, ambient lighting compliments the decor - accent lighting accentuates the 'home-from-home' feel. Vanity lights & decorative wall sconces, in the bathroom, are contemporary - functional & dramatic. 

A blended facade - a greener eco-lodge 

No. 15 - our suite / 'Trogon alley'

The suite's living area - trogon nest nearby

Natural light - early morning in the sand forest

Well-appointed - ceiling mounts & wall sconces

Early evening / sunset - main suite (#Phinda Forest Lodge)

#Phinda Rock Lodge - recently renovated

Whilst we enjoyed Phinda Forest Lodge, the newly renovated Phinda Rock Lodge, with its panoramic views of 'Leopard Rock', is outstanding - if not spiritually hypnotic. A quick note on Rock's TEAM - the sum is more than the whole - a concept that becomes apparent, fairly square-on @ Rock - where the service is as rarified as its air. 

The senior staff, perhaps a touch eccentric, draped in shoulder-throws, are the indelible WOW factor - our 'butler' so much more than an exceptional hotelier - a gentleman, certainly.

Our allocated safari-team was, perhaps, the greatest ranger / tracker pairing we've ever had the pleasure of sharing an OSV with; anywhere in the African bush. This female-inspired team - assisted from the jump-seat by some home-team experience - are setting the trend in experiential guiding; a refreshing & informative outside-the-lines / paint-by-imagination only attitude to hosting paying guests in the bush; the numbers / antiquated theory consigned to the bin where they belong. It's a nod to contemporary travel & a long-step ahead of the traditional shoot & score game-viewing experience offered elsewhere. 

As for our accommodation & the hospitality on offer @ #Phinda Rock Lodge - perhaps the pictures tell a story...    

Breakfast - #Phinda Rock Lodge

#Phinda Rock Lodge Suite 2 - unforgettable

Views of Leopard Rock from the bath / outdoor shower (suite 2)

#Phinda Rock Lodge - Suite 2's entrance / reception

Fine-dining served @ our suite's pool-side [#Phinda Rock Lodge]

If the contemporary safari addresses (a) anticipated levels of hospitality & (b) the game-viewing experience; how does Phinda feature out in the bush? If true wilderness is what you're after, Phinda isn't for you. Signs of rehabilitation are glaring - as are the sounds of civilisation if the wind blows unfairly. That said, you don't get the feeling of claustrophobia - an artificial, farm-tamed experience. At 23000ha the property is expansive-enough to traverse wide-eyed for the ave. safari-stay of three nights. Move 'camp' often, like we did, & that isn't an issue. 

The big cats aren't 'named' - (at least not publicly) a pet hate & an immediate DQ on the scorecard if they are. The reserve's roads are mostly corrugation-free excluding, perhaps, the main thoroughfare servicing the northern & southern camps. Gate-security is courteous, generally & the 'welcome letter', a nice touch. If you like your omelette served off the griddle, under cloudless skies, or under the canopy of a ficus tree, you won't die wondering. Sundowners / tea-time 'amarula-coffee' are not tin & plastic offerings; - the conversation congenial, even if the snacks lack the imagination / attention to detail you might expect from an attentive host. (eg: beef biltong - 'no beef pls.' guests)

Take-down - shock & disbelief

The game-viewing experience smashed expectations - a start-to-finish leopard kill & South Africa's second Malagasy Pond-heron just two special notes in Phinda's postscript. 

Neither sighting was unique nor new for us, but let's be fair - how often do you get to feast on the bird & keep the cat? The early-morning leopard was opportune - the afternoon's Malagasy targeted. 

Released too early - the impala revived & fought-on

On this particular morning our intrepid ranger / tracker TEAM stopped the vehicle, in a cloud of winter coughs; disembarked & poured over some early-morning leopard tracks; at a pace not unlike bushcraft tai-chi for the initiated. An elephant cracked a mouthful, hors d'oeuvres I suppose, somewhere out on the furthest left. Unseen, behind our eyes, a nyala barked an 'I see you' - a warning that simply washed over the bums pointed skywards in furrowed concentration. There she was - behind; a leopard; a small cat - proud mistress of her turf. We followed her, off-the-beaten-path, for a breathless time. She & we converged on feeding impala rams circa 100-odd clicks (on the camera that is) later. The tackle was at arm's length (ours) - very close; a silent, dusty fight - a chanced / bad-luck day. 

The coup de grace - lights, curtains 

Most of us were a little moved by the violence, sad for the life & yet there was nothing vulgar, no intended meanness, in the 5-minutes of the kill. 

The fight was waged over two rounds - the first won on points - the second lost for all time. In the 1^st the leopard misjudged the bell & released the ram - which found its breath & fought on. She obliged & ended the contest, quickly, quietly and with respect. There's a lesson in it somewhere ...

As for the Malagasy there's not much to say other than 'ngiyabonga; (thank you) Phinda'. Oh yes - we (our #Phinda TEAM) found the Pond-heron @ a spot recently vacated by the 'Pond-heron drive' [afternoon session] which did not. That made the sighting sweeter - birders are a jealous, tricky bunch. Phinda is, in the broadest of strokes, the perfect canvas for the very best of Africa. 

Phinda is, in the broadest of strokes, the perfect canvas for the very best of Africa.  

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