sundown, with two off-road game drives guided by rangers who had dedicated decades to this land. Every sighting was a lesson in patience, timing, and awe.
“ Less than a metre away, the lion lay in the hazy afternoon light, unbothered, majestic, king of all he surveyed. I knew then: nothing would ever feel the same.”
My first lion encounter was staggering. He cleaned his paws lazily, scratched his battle-scarred face, and occasionally fixed his amber eyes on us— eyes that seemed to tell stories older than language. There was no fear, only peace. Time itself seemed to pause.
The next day brought another miracle: an enormous elephant wandered into our private garden to drink from our pool. He splashed, reached into branches above for leaves, and allowed us to swim nearby, sharing the water with him in quiet awe. The smell of wet earth, the cool splash of water, the rough texture of his trunk— intimacy with nature in its purest form.
Evening drives offered encounters with hippos and calves, giraffes alongside wildebeest, and powerful rhino standing as silent sentries.
Then, an early morning brought something extraordinary. After hours of quiet, we heard roaring. In a lone tree, a leopard guarded its kill. Three lionesses coordinated flawlessly, circling, climbing, cornering, and taking the prize. The leopard descended slowly, defeated. Roaring, grumbling, dominance asserted. I watched, heart racing, utterly humbled.
Breakfast that morning was served in a clearing: champagne, fresh fruit, delicate pastries— luxury framed by wilderness.
Afternoons at the villa were spent in quiet indulgence. I enjoyed a massage while the bush whispered outside. And on our final morning, the trumpeting of elephants called me to the deck: an entire herd had come for breakfast. Adults, juveniles, calves moving gracefully together— a show-stopping, once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
“ You are not observing nature; you are within it.” This is the unparalleled magic of a private safari reserve. Boundaries vanish. Barriers dissolve. You live, breathe, and feel the wild in ways that leave you forever changed.
Next Chapter: Kruger Awaits Even after Siviti, the journey continued. Next, we headed to Kruger National Park … but that story deserves its own telling.
For anyone seeking to craft a safari experience that defies imagination, my team and I are here to help make it happen— bringing you closer to nature than you ever thought possible.
Call us today on 0330 380 2224, email us at info @ flyawaytoday. co. uk, or visit us in-store at 35 High Street, Neston or 3 The Crescent, West Kirby.
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