Safari - Big Four

I finally decided to go on a guided safari on my birthday. At around 1:30 PM, me and three other couples headed into the park. Edward was our guide for the safari. He was super nice and told us a lot about various animals and their behavior. We quickly took our seats in the safari car, and I have to say, it was quite different. You sit higher and have a much better view of the landscape.

The drive started and within minutes, we spotted two lionesses and a lion taking a nap. The three of them were lying in the shade in front of a large bush. I was amazed. One lioness raised her head, stood up, and looked in our direction. I thought she would sprint towards us and jump into our car. But no, she probably thought, "I can't eat you, so I'll just go to the bush instead," and poof, one lioness was gone. The lion also briefly looked up, shook his mane vigorously, and looked over at us. Now he looked like Tina Turner. He lay down again and continued dozing. Daniela said to me, "Now we finally get to see lions on your birthday!" Yes, I was really impressed!

We then saw wildebeests, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, and then a herd of elephants came running towards us. Oh, it looked incredible and there was a baby elephant too. I could have cried with joy. The adult elephants kept shielding the baby and kept it in the middle of the herd. It looked really cute. One elephant came so close to our car. Eddi just said, "Stay calm, and the elephants will stay calm too." The elephant touched the car with its trunk and head. It lightly nudged it, but then stopped. It slowly walked past the car, looking at each one of us. It was a bit unsettling, but also really amazing. For me, the safari could have ended here :). But it continued.

We made a stop at a larger pond. In the middle of it, there was a hippopotamus. Suddenly, the head of the hippo shot out of the water with its mouth wide open and turned around. And guess who captured it all on their phone? Exactly, me! The pictures turned out great, but I also had damn luck.

After that, we encountered a herd of buffalo, and Eddi told us how dangerous they are. What? Dangerous? Daniela and I looked at each other. On our safari in Hluhluwe Park, they were standing in the middle of the road and let us pass without attacking. Well, let's leave it at that. After the herd of buffalo, we saw two rhinoceroses. It was a male and a female. The male watched us, and since we were uphill with the car, Eddi wanted to find another viewpoint. We wouldn't have been able to drive away quickly in case of an attack... But we didn't disturb the two rhinos any further.

The sun was slowly setting, bathing the landscape in a wonderful light. It looked incredibly beautiful, especially when herds of wildebeests appeared.

Our dinner took place around a campfire. It was very atmospheric, and everyone in our group was in high spirits. Around 9:30 PM, we headed back to the lodge, and I almost fell asleep in the car on the way back. It was an indescribable and unforgettable day for me. Thanks to the animals, and a special thanks to you, Daniela.

Best regards from Anke & Daniela