Ngala Private Game Reserve
In the Northeast corner of South Africa you'll find a private game reserve called Ngala. It is nestled right on the edge of Kruger National Park right in the middle of the African savanna - some of the most gorgeous country you'll find. Ngala means "place of the Lion" in Shangaan which is the local language. This all inclusive safari experience is off the charts.
My wife and I flew into the airport at Hoedspruit and were shuttled to the reserve. Just a few minutes onto the road the wildlife began to appear. Giraffe and Impala littered the savanna on both sides of the road. We were very excited, although we had no idea what awaited us ahead - this was just a taste.
We arrived to cool wet towels and fresh fruit cocktails. Then we were shown our thatch roofed room. Very vintage 20-30's style safari decor - reminded me of an Indiana Jones set.
At Ngala we got a game drive every morning and afternoon. At 515AM we would get a wake up call and then gather for a morning snack before hitting the road. A security guard would of course escort us out. Armed with seat warmers and blankets we took to the savanna in search of African wildlife.
Below you can see our safari vehicles. Every seat is a good one. Our guide drove while our tracker sat in a jump seat which you can see on the hood of the truck - from that vantage point he can easily identify tracks in front of us. Notice that stick sticking up on the front of the truck? That's a spider catcher - an invaluable tool out there! You'll see the spiders further down in this post.
During each drive we stopped in the middle of the savanna for a bathroom and drink break. Our guide would pick out a nice clearing and set up a table with refreshments. Then he would point out a tree and call that the restroom. In the mornings we would have tea and coffee. In the evenings it's wine and cocktails.
Below is a group picture when we stopped at sunset. Wine, cocktails and the great wide open savanna. Who knows what's lurking beyond that tree? A heck of a way to end a great day though.
Some water holes provide for a spectacular backdrop. This was shot minutes before we stopped for our wine and cocktail/bathroom break. Not pictured, perched high in the tree above, were several White-backed Vultures.
Another sunset stop.
Dining at Ngala Game Reserve is a remarkable experience. After our afternoon game drive we would come back to our room and freshen up then off to the dining area which you see below. Completely lantern/candle lit with a bonfire to top it off.
It's open bar at Ngala - all the wine, beer and cocktails you can drink. The food is also bottomless. At each dinner the head chef does his rounds at each table explaining the dishes. The food was mostly Western style dishes with some African flare to it. I did try Ostrich, for the first time there (which is amazing by the way), and Kudu (a type of Antelope).
While we do dine with in a walled area, the camp itself is not fenced in at all and wildlife frequently share the space with us. At night you are not allowed to be outside without a security escort.
Here we are enjoying dinner and some wine.
All in all the food and the service top the charts ( as well as the ambiance!) - by the second day all of the staff you came in contact with knew your names.
During mid-day we would lounge on these recliners and watch Warthogs play on the lawn area or Kingfishers diving for fish in the river.
As for the wildlife - which is after all why we are here - they were abundant. Every drive had something interesting to see. On our first outing there was a small pride of Lions, that we quite literally got up close and personal to.
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Here's a taste of what else you can expect...
We tracked this Leopard and got to witness it kill an Impala which I posted about here.
These are the Warthogs that would play and graze in the camp as we lounged and watched.
A Vervet Monkey visited our camp high in the trees above.
These are the giant spiders we found out there. Golden Orb Weavers. They are about the size of your fist. Although they are completely not aggressive I squirmed out of the way as we drove through their giant webs.
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