AAC Senior Journey Specialist Diana traveled to South Africa this summer and joins us on the blog to share her experiences. Welcome, Diana!
I just traveled on a personal holiday to South Africa in July, and it was everything I could have imagined and more. My partner and I decided to visit Lapalala Wilderness, a 118,000-acre Big 5 private game reserve located east of the Waterberg biosphere in the Limpopo Province. It takes a 4-hour road transfer from Johannesburg, or you can take a 1-hour private light aircraft flight followed by a 20-minute transfer from the airstrip to camp.
We loved every minute at Noka Camp and highly recommend it to anyone wanting a Big 5 safari, especially if you want to enjoy a malaria-free reserve. We celebrated my partner’s 40th birthday on this trip, and the staff at Noka surprised him with a song and chocolate birthday cake during one of our dinners. That same evening, we returned to a romantic turndown in our suite, including rose petals and a warm bath.
The fact that Lapalala Wilderness is malaria-free was a highlight for many guests we met, including a family using the 2-bedroom villa. The camp features an open solar walkway, which connects its five villas and also generates clean electricity for the off-grid camp. Alternatively, Melote House is a nearby private villa that sleeps up to 16 guests and takes kids of all ages. Kids 6+ are allowed on game drives (kids 4-6 are allowed at the guide’s discretion) and there is a babysitter included in your stay to watch the kids while the adults head out on safari.
What intrigued me about visiting Lapalala was that they are known for having excellent cheetah sightings, as well as the Big 5. But once we arrived and experienced the location, I have a much better appreciation of its extensively diverse landscape. On each game drive, our excellent guide, Dylan, took us to different regions of the reserve, and despite all our exploration, we still didn’t see half of it. It was amazing to see the diversity of its topography, from elevated rocky outcrops and valleys to the rivers, grassy plains and woodlands. The reserve was founded in 1981 and serves as an excellent conservation story that is uplifting the local community with jobs and education and creating a sustainable landscape for future wildlife generations.
We saw four of the Big 5 during our 3-night stay, but did not spot a leopard. We know leopards were in the area, as our guide pointed out paw prints throughout the journey. Though we didn’t see leopards, we did see and enjoy a couple of walking safaris for up-close encounters with cheetahs! Our guide asked if we were open to walking in the bush, and we eagerly answered yes. He then drove close to the cheetahs, and from there we walked anywhere from 10-40 minutes to reach them. The mom currently has two very curious cubs. It was magical to sit and watch them for hours at a time!
I really appreciated that we could enjoy all sightings as long as we wanted, with no pressure to move, and our guide was an excellent storyteller, which made our game drives even more precious. Black and white rhinos roam freely and with their horns intact, which is very hard to come by in South Africa. We also saw beautiful antelope species including roan and kudu.
The camp is a luxurious 5-star camp with 100-foot cliff-top views of the Palala River. Because we visited during South Africa’s winter, the morning and evening drives were cold, averaging around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but the day quickly warmed up once the sun was out and averaged around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Dressing in layers is very important.
For wildlife sightings, it’s usually better to travel during winter, which is from May to August. The animals congregate around water sources, and the bush is dry, making wildlife easier to spot. If you want the best of both worlds – warmer weather and great game viewing – I recommend September on a three- to four-night stay to enjoy all that the reserve has to offer.
We loved the solar walkway at camp, as it not only creates power but also provides shade during the day from the solar panels mounted above, while the power it generates lights the walkway at night. The property is built with only 1% of the structures touching the ground, which is mind-boggling as the suites are massive at more than 1,600 square feet! Each has a sitting room with a wet bar and an outdoor deck to enjoy the views. The main bedroom area has another walkout deck and glass floor to enjoy the views down to the river. The bathroom has heated floors, his-and-hers vanities and showers, an outdoor shower and a heated plunge pool! The food was another highlight for me; they provided a creative menu with lots of veggies, presented beautifully. My partner is a pickier eater, so we notified the camp so they could arrange more basic meals for him. Overall, the Waterberg area of South Africa is a true safari gem, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to enjoy a Big 5 safari.
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Photos courtesy AAC Senior Journey Specialist Diana Garcia Hernandez and Lepogo Lodges