I arrived back from a well-rested leave on 10 December 2014 and before I knew it I was posted at Little Bush Camp on the 11^th December 2014 to shadow Ross Hawkins at Little Bush Camp who is one of the more senior guides working at Sabi Sabi. Little Bush Camp is the smallest lodge of the four lodges on Sabi Sabi’s reserve with only 6 rooms which accommodate only 12 guest at full capacity. The bush experience is very intimate and personal and a must stay destination if you are a bush loving couple!

The shadowing consisted of doing morning wake-ups, hosting morning coffee, safaris, bush walks and sitting at dinner with the guests. I have to say I really enjoyed the hosting aspect of the shadowing as the guests that I met where great to chat to. We had a good laugh together when I got hit in the forehead by a flying bug while I was in mid conversation at the head of the table! The five course dinner cuisine was also exceptional! The main courses such as the kudu and the beef fillet along with some great desserts such as great crème brûlée and chocolate crumble were delicious! Those were just some to name a few.

I did a total of 10 safaris and one bush walk with Ross and on every single drive Ross would give me “homework” in in terms of tree identification which consisted of at least 3 species per drive such as the Dwaf boer-bean Schotia capitata as a single example. Ross would also ask me to identify LBJ’s (little brown jobs) in terms of birds as they fritted overhead while out on safari which was rather challenging as you could only identify the bird by their call, general size, and shape and flight pattern. Now if you are a person who does not know much about birds like me this is a tall order to fill. However I tried my best and most of the time I got the identification correct. Which I was most chuffed about. The trick was remembering what you have identified!

During one of our first morning drives with our new guests we found a pack of nine wild dogs just off the side of the road. We were extremely lucky in that regard as they were lying in an open area possibly due to the amount of rain we had the night before. The weather was slightly overcast at the time which kept the dogs active. Being the sociable animals that they are we saw them jumping and chasing each other around and at a point we had them right up close to the vehicle. Truly one of my highlights while shadowing Ross! These guests in particular eventually saw all of the magnificent seven which consisted of lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, elephant, cheetah and of course wild dogs during the duration of their stay.

Besides the ‘homework’, just listening to Ross talk to his guests was a learning curve in itself as his bush knowledge is extraordinary ranging from the Big Five right down to a velvet ant or lions eye flower. This is the calibre of guiding we here at Sabi Sabi are about, it’s all about the bigger picture not just an isolated animal. Hence why I am training for the extended period that I am before being let out on safari.

I was also lucky enough on my last day to shadow Grant, who is the other ranger at Little Bush Camp, on a three hour bush walk where we approached one of the Big 5 with six guests getting within thirty meters without them even knowing we were there! I was then instructed by Grant to lead the bush walk back to the lodge. This was quite a challenge which put my navigational skills to the test but it was amazing! There is something magical about walking through Big 5 country with just a pair of leather boots, short khaki pants and your rifle in your hand... this is something one has to experience for ones self to understand the magic of nature in its purest form.

It has been an amazing last few days and cannot wait for the shadowing to continue!