https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/africa/on-safari-in-south-africa
Tag: Newmarket Holidays
On Safari in South Africa. Newmarket Holidays 8.
Departure
We said goodbye to the Sebatana Reserve, Johnson and all the other staff that looked after us all so grandly.
We had a true South African send off with joyous, happy singing from the Sebatana team.
Our flight wasn’t until the evening so we down the day in Johannesburg . We were due to drive to Soweto but this was cancelled; not considered safe. So instead we went to the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg.
It was interesting walking around. The later years of Apartheid were in my lifetime. I remember the Free Nelson Mandela concert. I remember his momentous release.
And so on to O.R. Tambo International airport for the long night flight home.
South Africa, I had a trip of a lifetime. A true bucket list experience. I thank you.
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/africa/on-safari-in-south-africa
On Safari in South Africa. Newmarket Holidays. 7
Big Game Drive at Kaingo Game Reserve.
Our last big game drive of the trip. It was a very cold start. Winter mornings were beginning to set in with a vengeance and the freezing wind whipped through the open jeep. To a man we all pulled the blankets provide up to our chins.
This was a much quieter drive than the previous ones. Maybe the cold weather was a factor. The animals remaining hidden until the sun came out.
However the high point of this drive was having to break to an extremely sharp standstill due to a Black Mamba across the track in front of us.
According to our guide, Johnson, the highly venomous Mamba is capable of striking at considerable range and may deliver a series of bites in rapid succession, but will only attack humans if it is threatened or cornered; hence we stopped the jeep and let it pass.
No photo here. I was frozen to my seat. I am not averse to many things, but snakes terrify me.
We then drove back to Sebatana for lunchtime cocktails, lunch and free pool time.
Photo Safari with Sundowners at Sunset Rock.
A final safari ending the afternoon at a beautiful location on the Sebatana Private Reserve- Sunset Rock- to enjoy the amazing sunset, overlooking the majestic Waterberg Mountains with a glass of champagne.
In true Afrikaans tradition we also partook in an unusual competition: The Kudu Verspoeg Kompetisie. Contests are held all over the country, at game fairs and community festivals. It also became a formal sport in 1994 and every year there is a world championship competition.
Basically this is a Kudu poop spitting competition. We had girls versus boys. Two heats boys then girls, best of each heat in a final. I was useless. Girls won overall. And all the time tiny Elephant Shrews scuttled among the rocks and around our feet
Back to Sebatana for dinner, managers farewell and departure details. Sadly our stay at the reserve had come to an end.
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/africa/on-safari-in-south-africa
On Safari in South Africa Newmarket Holidays 6.
Photo Safari and Champagne Bush Brunch.
Day six kicked off with a bit of healthy competition between our two groups. We drove out onto the bush and our task for the morning was to make Bush Hats which would then be judged by the chefs and waiting staff at the Champagne brunch.
The hats had to be made from natural materials gathered from the bush. So:
Reads (for weaving); Silver Cluster leaf (their bark can be used as string); Soft branches for filling in the hat; leaves, flowers etc. for beautification of the hat
Each team had to make a bush hat and also create a story/ fairytale about the hat to be presented at the bush brunch.
This was our entry
Then back onto the jeeps and off to the safari champagne brunch.
The location was stunning, looking down on a very busy watering hole. The champagne flowed and the food was delicious.; game sausages with all the delicious vegetables and salad accompaniments. The animals kept our cameras clicking and the bush hats were judged. An absolutely unforgettable morning
Back to Sebatana for coffee and biscuits and then out again on another game drive and to Christina’s Wallow, a wildlife observation deck to watch the animals come down and feed at dusk!
It was like the best well-being meditation experience in the world to sit quietly and watch the animals in the gathering twilight. Magical.
Finally after a packed day it was back to the reserve for our evening meal and Guide’s Cocktails around the fire pit; a huge highlight that saw us downing traditional South African shots in one.
First was a Springbokkie Shot. Creamy and minty and layered this shot is like having South Africa in a glass. It is a beloved and patriotic drink to South Africa. Its green and gold colors are reminiscent of the country’s national rugby team, the Springboks, and also the country’s national animal. It was delicious.
This was followed by Hakkiesdraad Mampoer, a white spirit distilled (gestook) in a potstill to the highest purity using the traditional double distillation method. There is no sweetening or fortification with any cane sugar. It was lethal!
Finally bed. What an exhilarating and action packed day. An experience of a lifetime.
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/africa/on-safari-in-south-africa
In safari in South Africa. Newmarket Holidays 5.
Day 5. Pilanesberg National Park.
It was a 5:30am breakfast start and a 6:00am departure for the four hour drive to Pilanesberg National Park.
Pilanesberg National Park is a beautiful area in the North West province of South Africa. Situated in the volcanic landscape, its impressive mountain formations and open plains are hope to a range of antelopes and a large population of black rhinos. It’s also home to the big five as well as over three hundred species of birds.
On arrival at the reserve our guide Johnson handed us over to a Pilanesburg guide who took us on the drive around this National Park. The scenery was different to Sebatana; vast, open African plains.
The first momentous event was a huge African elephant walking up the dusty road head-on towards our jeep.
Our driver stopped the jeep as we all sat in total awe as this magnificent beast made his ponderous way past the jeep, our guide talking softly to him all the time. Apparently this is less alarming for the elephant than if we sat in total silence. Then he would have been more likely to prod and attack. It was a magical, life affirming moment.
During the drive the guide explained about the rhino de-horning programme conducted during Covid on the game reserve. A necessary measure to ensure the rhinos survival from poachers killing for their horns. Still a huge problem in the South Africa . All the rhinos in the park were sought out, shot with a tranquilliser and de- horned by local vets. A program that was not only costly but would be ongoing as the horns do grow back. We saw many rhinos, ungainly but again, magnificent animals.
Elephants were prolific on our drive.
This was a different game drive from earlier ones. Pilanesburg is a National Park and larger than the private reserves we had driven. The landscape was more open and drier. We saw less big game, but what we did see was closer and we also saw a whole variety of different wildlife. Warthogs and tortoises being a personal favourite.
Our three hours up we started the long drive home, stopping off for a very late lunch (3pm) for us at a fast food (licensed) burger bar.
Back at Rhino Lodge there was just time for a shower and cocktails then dinner tonight was outside; tables of four beautifully laid and silver service around the fire pit. Speciality meat was ostrich.
Shattered after a long day and extremely early start it was an early night for me ready for our champagne safari the next day.
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/africa/on-safari-in-south-africa
On Safari in South Africa. Newmarket Holidays. 3
Day 3. Welgevonden Game Reserve and Night Safari and Bush Dinner.
Today was the first of our Big Five game drives and my favourite of the trip. An early 6am breakfast and we were away.
Welgevonden Game Reserve is currently one of South Africa’s largest private reserves and encompasses more than 40,000 hectares of pristine nature. It is home to more than 50 different mammal species, including the Big 5: lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo. This was also our most successful game drive, with close up spotting of elephant, buffalo, hippos and rhino, as well as the prolific giraffe, zebra, warthog, and impala. It was made clear from Johnson, our guide:
1.getting out of the jeep was not an option. 2.keep arms and legs tucked in. 3.we would only divert to a sighting from other guides radio calls if we were close by.
Access is obviously restricted to the private reserves, with only a certain number of jeeps at any one time and three hours maximum for a drive.
We had a stopping point midway round the reserve where it was safe to jump out and stretch our legs while staying close to the jeep throughout. Snacks to keep us going were authentically South African bush fair; dried fruit, nuts, dried sausage and bilatong served in tin containers placed on the bonnet of the jeep.
All the animals we spotted were extremely close up. There was a bit more distance between us and the lions, but it was an experience of a lifetime watching two young lions hunt down their prey. As they were spotted the call went over the radio and several other jeeps turned up to watch too. There was something primitive about watching and being a part of a scene unfold that I had only watched on wildlife programmes.
As we sat there herds of zebra, impala and wildebeest started running across the open plain while the lions stalked their prey and finally made their kill. Johnson told us that generally adult lions only kill to eat, but the two we were watching were young lions that were learning to hunt and doing it for the thrill.
What stuck out for me on this safari was the prolific number of different species cohabiting together on the plain. You wouldn’t see this in the Uk in the wild. In addition the huge sizes of the herds of grazing wildebeest, zebra, impala etc. but again as Johnson pointed out the vegetation eaters thrive in large numbers because food is plentiful. The meat eaters have to hunt, so life is more of a challenge. Sadly the lions were too far away for my iPhone to pick up, but managed with the camera, which I’ll post at a later date.
Our three hours up, we drove out of the reserve, flush from our magical morning, back to the lodge and another sumptuous lunch, a cocktail by the pool and a rest before our night safari and bush dinner.
After a rest and an afternoon debriefing we were back in the jeeps for our Bush Evening.
First was the night safari Exploring the African bush at night was an amazing experience, allowing us the opportunity to see animals that are nocturnal in nature.l and an amazing chance to see the beautiful African sky in all its wonder.
It was a magical experience driving around the night bush in open jeeps. It is winter in South Africa now and although the days are still hot, it is cold morning and nights, so we had to wrap up warm, despite the heat of the day.
After the safari we drove into a camp where the Rhino Lodge team had set up tables around a large fire pit and big barbecues roasting our meat for the evening meal: impala with all the trimmings. It was a delicious feast under the stars next to a roaring wood fire.
It was soup for starters, cooked in large cooking pots over a fire and an alcohol fuelled sponge pudding for desert.
Then back into the jeeps for a last ride round before returning to the lodge and nightcap before bed and another early start in the morning.
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/africa/on-safari-in-south-africa
On Safari in South Africa. Newmarket Holidays.
Day 1. Arrival.
This trip was booked 18 months ago, so long awaited.
A twelve hour overnight flight from London Heathrow into Johannesburg, followed by a four and a half hour drive with a lunch stop at an amazing food shack in Modimolle, complete with sparkling South African wine. After twenty eight hours of travelling from leaving home we finally arrived at the Sebatana Private Game Reserve. Our first ‘big game’ was hanging out by the long drive up to say hello
Sebatana was originally a cattle farm. The current owners brought the farm in 1998 and restored it to its natural state. It is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the Waterburg mountains surrounded by wildlife from all over Southern Africa. The animals have the chance to live in their natural habitat, without human interference. The Waterberg Mountain area is malaria free; a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, 149 miles North of Pretoria, under complete environmental protection.
Our small group of twelve are staying in the Rhino Lodge. We have our own team of chefs, preparing exquisite fine dining, including snacks for safaris; also two bush guides who will be with us all week,
Accommodation.
Rooms are large and luxurious, each with a huge bath, shower and outside sitting area. The artwork is fabulous and all interior accessories artfully and tastefully arranged, complete with sprigs of local shrubs. Doors have to be kept firmly closed because apparently the monkeys will come in and wreck the joint.
On arrival at the reserve we were greeted by the Sebatana Team with hot flannels and a cocktail. Time for a quick shower and a walk up to the main lodge for the manager’s introductory talk on our itinerary for the week around an enormous fire pit, followed by our first dinner; kudo fillet steak, the first of the speciality meats we would eat over the week.
After a very long journey and exquisite food, we were all ready for sleep.
Hollywood, Vegas and the Grand Canyon. #1
Los Angeles was the base for the first part of this trip. First day was San Diego and Coronado Island. I joined the tour bus and we set off.
Coronado Island is home to the Hotel Del Coronado where ‘Some Like it Hot’ with Marilyn Monroe was filmed.
Elegant and charming the Hotel del Coronado screams old style luxury; an iconic living legend that continues to inspire.
‘Hotel founders, Elisha Babcock, Jr., and Hampton L. Story, along with San Diego developer Alonzo Horton, survey Coronado beach, c. 1886. Although neither Babcock nor Story had experience in the hotel business, they were so inspired by the natural beauty of Coronado that they decided to buy the island and build a magnificent hotel, one that would be “the talk of the western world,” an iconic California destination where “people will continue to come long after we are gone.”’
We then drove through the Gaslamp District and on to the Marina area. The highlight of this for me was the “Embracing Peace” statue by Seward Johnson.
This sculpture depicts one of the most famous and iconic moments in the history of the United States, reflecting the joy of the American people upon learning World War II had ended. It is inspired by the spontaneous war end celebration in New York City’s Times Square.
San Diego has a huge military history and there are some fabulous commemorations in Tuna Harbour Park.
We then moved on to San Diego Old Town. Predominately Mexican it has an eclectic, boho, laid back vibe. I loved it.
Lunch was the tastiest I’ve eaten in a while; cheese topped boar and chilli bean soup with big chunks of garlic bread and two glasses of Chardonnay, from the Hungry’s Kitchen and Tap.
It was a good first day. Good to be back in America. New states, new experiences.
Island Gardens of Garnish, Bantry Bay, Southwest Ireland.
The final, and one of my favourite, stops of our South Western Ireland trip was the beautiful Garnish Island- reached by a short ferry trip from the village of Glengarriff, overlooking the waters of Bantry Bay and set against the back drop of the Caha Mountains.
Garnish island extends to 37 acres and is renowned for its gardens which flourish in the mild humid micro climate of Glengarriff harbour assisted by a pine shelter belt.
A damp visit that in no way took away the beauty of the island- I was entranced. On the way over we passed Seal Island. The ferryman drew in close, allowing us to say hello and take some photos.
It was an enchanting and enriching afternoon and a lovely conclusion to our road trip.
Home
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/europe/irelands-beautiful-south-west
Bantry House, Bantry County Cork.
First port of call on the penultimate day of our tour was Bantry House, a private estate and the ancestral home of the Earls of Bantry- still lived in by the family. Set in magnificent Italian gardens , inspired by the travels of the second Earl, this was a highlight of the trip for me.
Visit, have afternoon tea, stay a night or two, or get married. Whatever you do, you cannot fail to be moved by this beautiful, slightly ramshackle house and gardens. I was instantly smitten with the experience, enhanced by the knowledgeable and charming guide that took us around.
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/europe/irelands-beautiful-south-west
Cobh, Western Ireland
The departure town for over three million Irish Emigrants and final port of call for the RMS Titanic. We visited the Cobh Heritage Cente, which tells the story of Irish emigration through to the 1950s and traces the history of Cobh over the centuries. Starting with the indentured servants who were transported to the colonies to work on the plantations in the 17th century, to Annie Moore, who with her two brothers were the first emigrants to be processed on the newly opened Ellis Island in New York in 1891.
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/europe/ring-of-kerry-and-wonderful-western-ireland
Cork. Ireland.
Today Cork was one of the stops on our tour of Western Ireland.
Cork is one of the oldest cities in Ireland. This medieval city extends from South Gate Bridge to North Gate Bridge and is divided by a long Main Street- the North and South Street. The medieval Main Street would have been narrower, messier and smellier, than its current form, but still followed the same route. Many of the lanes and alleyways that led off the Main Street still exist today. The city centre is an island positioned between two channels of the River Lee, which meet downstream at the eastern end of the city centre.
It was and still is, plainly a merchant’s city…
As a librarian I had to pay a passing glance at the city library. Loved the window display:
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/europe/irelands-beautiful-south-west
Puck Fair.
Puck Fair is one of Ireland’s oldest fairs. It takes place annually 10–12 August in Killorglin, County Kerry.
Held in Killorgan, Co Kerry each year, a wild mountain goat is crowned king of the town by the Queen of Puck, who is traditionally a young local schoolgirl. There is a coronation parade and King Puck rules the town until his dethronement on the festival’s final day.
The first day of Puck is known as “the gathering”. On this day the Puck goat is enthroned on a stand in the town square and the horse fair is held. The second day of Puck is known as the “Fair day”. On this day a general cattle fair is held. The third and last day of Puck is known as the “scattering” day and on this day the goat is removed from his stand and his reign as king Puck ends and he is returned to the wild Kerry
Travelling around Ireland in October, we missed the Puck Fair, but I loved the legend.
https://www.theringofkerry.com/puck-fair
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/europe/ring-of-kerry-and-wonderful-western-ireland
The Kerry Bog Village. Western Ireland.
Located on the Ring of Kerry, the village gives a fascinating insight into how people lived and worked in Ireland in the late 19th Century.
The Labourer’s Cottage 
The Old Forge 
The Thatcher’s Dwelling
So what is Bog? Undrained bog is 95% water and 5% solid material. The solid part is made up of partially decayed vegetation i.e. trees, grass, roots, moss etc. Bogs were a major source of fuel for Irish homes.
A key member of an Irish Bog village would be the Irish Wolf Hound.
An ancient breed of Irish dog these were used for hunting.
The Kerry bog ponies are a native breed to Ireland and were used for transport and farm work, such as bringing home turf from the bog, seaweed from the beach and milk from the creamery.
Spent an interesting hour wandering around this true to life reconstruction. Life was certainly harsh.
Home
https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/europe/ring-of-kerry-and-wonderful-western-ireland
Ring of Kerry. Western Ireland.
A Road trip of Road trips today. The stunning Ring of Kerry. Starting in Kenmare, this is a 110 mile circular route around the Iveragh Peninsular covering stunning views, charming towns, rugged forests, gushing waterfalls, all edged by the rolling, crashing waves of The Atlantic Ocean. It was a sublime journey, covering breathtaking land and seascapes. Key stages of the journey included the Coomakista Pass, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Molls Gap, Skellig Micheal in the Atlantic, Waterville village and Cahersiveen.
‘And some time make the time to drive out west
… along the Flaggy Shore,
In September or October, when the wind
And the light are working off each other
So that the ocean on one side is wild
With foam and glitter…’
Seamus Heaney, Postscript.
It was a long day, but a memorable one. https://www.newmarketholidays.co.uk/holidays/europe/ring-of-kerry-and-wonderful-western-ireland
Milly Space 