Wild cocktail at the bush bar

Never mind the hours you have watched National Geographic footage of the African wild and its fascinating fauna — nothing can prepare you for being there. The spreading savannah landscape, the blazing sunset, the haze on the horizon… all expose the inadequacy of human skill and the best photographic equipment to capture nature. Add a tower of giraffes here or a herd of impala there, a couple of feisty rhinos or a pair of lions in postprandial stupor. It is all very surreal, very exciting.

Driving about the bush in open vehicles, and the thrill of spotting the variety of fauna not just raise your excitement levels but also, strangely, leave you hungry and thirsty. In the middle of nowhere, you crave for a nice cold drink. And here is where the luxury lodges of South Africa move seamlessly from creature to comfort. As we turn into a large clearing with a herd of snorting wildebeest, we espy a table set with a variety of drinks and short-eats. Our surprise is delight to the rangers who, beaming widely, welcome us to the Bush Bar.

In a win-win arrangement, a couple of decades back when South Africa’s Kruger National Park needed money to run the reserve that was — at 350-km long and 54-km wide — the size of Israel, it decided to bring in the private sector. Along the border, parcels of land — from 15,000 hectares to 60,000 hectares — were allotted to some 15 private developers (through a process of transparent public auction). Here they could set up lodges, develop the land, and even introduce animals. With no fence, animals moved freely in and out of these private parks from the Kruger, which is home to 147 types of mammals, 507 types of birds, and 114 types of reptiles.

Kruger is no doubt big and has lots more animals, but the private lodges score with the luxury and intimacy they bring to game viewing. The lodges host few tourists at a time, which means only a couple of vehicles are out on the ‘hunt’ for animals. More important, the private sanctuaries ‘off-road’ — that is, if they spot an animal the rangers will drive the open vehicle right up to them, unlike in Kruger with its fully-covered vehicles and designated tracks. Off-roading makes wildlife viewing an unparalleled experience. According to the rangers, the animals see no threat from the vehicles as long as the occupants remain inside and make no overt threatening moves.

The lodges have redefined luxury — in accommodation, service and cuisine. Five star or more. Every suite is usually free-standing, with a large living area, fireplace and four-poster bed. One wall is just glass, opening to the bush. That takes getting used to, but it is magical to see the moonlight-bathed bush and wonder if a wild animal would come by. At Tintsvalo, we came upon a herd of elephants digging up clean water from the riverbed on which the Lodge stands. Long wooden walkways connect the suites and are off-limit to guests after 6 p.m., as leopards have often been spotted on them. The first night in the suite can be electric.

The bathing area is lavish, and the outdoor deck has a small pool. Even in the middle of the bush, the rooms have not a single bug, insect, or mosquito. The high-end lodges offer a safari vehicle, a ranger, and a butler with every suite!

The pampering continues through the day with a procession of food and drinks; the room charges cover everything, including the safari drives, food and drink, and even laundry. Heading out early for a safari, the vehicle has not just rugs to beat the nip but also hot-water bottles. And you come back to a welcome of hot towels and beverages. Then, a large, hot breakfast.

Lunch is frugal but dinner is sumptuous, either private or group braais (barbecues, with rangers and managers joining in). Also called bush boma , this under-the-stars dining is a must for anyone visiting South Africa. With rangers at the table, the talk invariably veers round to safaris, the best sightings, the lodge economics, conservation and rhino poaching — the current hot topic. Many of the rangers are also amateur astronomers and can explain the brilliant night sky.

Beyond offering luxury, the lodges are committed to conservation and sustainable tourism. South Africa National Parks’ General Manager for Media, Events and Stakeholder Relations, Reynold Ray Thakhuli says the private lodges’ commitment has made them pull up their socks to introduce best practices in the SA National Parks-run reserves. Tintsvalo’s Head Ranger and General Manager Fritz Breytenbach has set off on a 1,000-km walk in the bush to create awareness among the communities living along the game reserves about rhino poaching, which is taking dangerous proportions.

It is the animals that are the raison d’étre of the lodges; all the pampering is but the icing. Bringing the animals face to face with tourists are the rangers, and ergo the real heroes. Usually working in pairs, they seem to have a sixth sense about the presence of animals. As one of our guides at Tintsvalo said: “I can smell lions somewhere here.” And, sure enough, we came upon two, fighting to keep their eyes open and head up after an obviously sumptuous lunch.

Swinging from self-effacing to exaggerated bragging, the rangers have a great sense of humour and are a fund of hilarious stories as much about the animals and their behaviour as about themselves and their colleagues.

Take a walk with them in the bush and they will tell you all about the spekboom , the elephant bush whose sweet taste the animals love. Or, make you taste aloe. They will give you the basics of gleaning information from the seemingly dry earth about the animals that have passed that way or, more importantly, those that could be around. To them, the rhino loo and the elephant dung tell a tale.

The downside of the lodges, especially the safaris, is that they get addictive. As one of the guests from the UK, who now makes an annual pilgrimage to South Africa, says, “Once you see the Big 5 (leopard, rhino, cape bull, lion and elephant) and the other animals, and get used to the luxury lodges, they are difficult to kick.” Tintsvalo puts it equally well: Every thing in Africa bites. But the worst is the safari bite.

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