Nkombe Camp - every guide’s rite of passage to joining the ranks of the guiding team at Sabi Sabi. It’s a tradition that has been held with pride for decades and a lifetime experience for many aspiring guides. This year’s camp was a special one as we got to spend the new year doing what we all love - spending time in the African wilderness.

Whether it be from a bush walk or from a game drive, this charred kettle was always there on the fireplace as if to welcome us back to camp. Many a gathering over tea and coffee was held around this kettle as we traded stories and reflected on the day’s events. It reminded me of my childhood days when we would visit our grandmother in the village during school holidays and all the grandchildren would gather around the fire to listen to African folklore.

All work and no play make Greg and Keegan dull boys... I left my camera unattended and our two aspiring models took the opportunity to use it for their photoshoot. Judging from the pics and the poses, I would suggest they keep their day jobs and leaving the modelling to the pros... our beloved wildlife.

At first glance, the Lilac-breasted Roller looks very similar to its non-breeding visitor, the European Roller. A closer look will reveal the absence of the lilac throat and breast in the European Roller. Both species perch hunt as we witnessed on one of our drives with the trainees.

We watched the world’s smallest Bee-eater hunt from its perch. What I found interesting was how it would always come back to the same perch. It’s a pity I couldn’t catch this pretty little bird in flight.

On my last drive with our trainees, we saw a tower of giraffe that seem to be fixated on something. We went offroad to take a closer look and found this lioness and her cub feeding on a freshly killed warthog. The giraffe seemed in awe just as much as we were.

Not a bad few days of sightings from right in the middle of the bush at Nkombe Camp!