May 19 - First Game Drive

From here, we were on a mission to see Africa’s Big Five, known by the acronym as BRELL – buffalo, rhinos, elephant, lion, leopard. Our next stop was Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park for our very first game drive. Our driver was Tabi. We saw impala and nyala and wart hogs (like Pumbaa in the Lion King). Then we hit it big with a sighting of buffalo (not water buffalo, but Cape or African buffalo.)

Then a troop of baboons entertained us as the wandered along the side of road.

And then we saw rhinos. We were at two out of five on the Big Five already. So exciting!

And then the rain started. Tabi gave us each a big green poncho, but despite them, the cold, driving rain made for miserable conditions. We persevered. After a sundowner stop (drinks and snacks at a covered picnic shelter), we pressed on. We were rewarded for our persistence with a sighting of elephants. Three out of the Big Five on our first game drive!

We stayed overnight at Hluhluwe River Lodge (sort of pronounced Loo-Loo-Way). The place is lovely, with one central building, surrounded by 12 thatched roofed chalets in the middle of an indigenous forest. Red duiker (another antelope) and nyala wander the property. It would have been nice to see the whole place in daylight. We had lovely meal in the dining room and then went to bed early. It had been a very good day.Read more