I have officially been given my Sabi Sabi epilates! It has been a tough three and a half months of training but it all has been worth it in the end. I have officially started conducting safaris and I must say it hasn’t been anything short of spectacular.

My first guests that I drove were from Switzerland and they were blessed with a cheetah sighting to remember. We had not seen cheetah for about 3 weeks until this sighting. She had made an impala kill on one of our open areas and by the time we had arrived she was full and panting heavily. We stayed in the sighting for about twenty minutes until she moved into thick bush. Then not even twenty four hours later we saw our notorious dominate male leopard dragging a baby waterbuck up a tree. He then posed for a few photographs before starting to consume his prey. This was truly memorable.

I recently received two guests Jim and Susan who were from New York and it was their first time on safari in South Africa. My tracker Jack and I got on extremely well with this particular couple and we had eight amazing safari drives and two bush walks together. A few highlights that stood out for me and my guests; one such highlight was coming across three male lions feeding on an elephant that the Southern Pride and Sand River males had killed! This has only been documented twice (this being the third) within the Sabi Sands and the greater Kruger National Park. A very special sighting indeed!

My guest’s second major highlight was the bush picnic. Which was set up on a big granite dome situated in one of our river crossings which is well shaded by a massive Sycamore Fig tree. It was a surprise for my guests which my tracker Jack and I had organised with Little Bush Camp. My guests and I walked together from an open area to the crossing passing a thicket which lead to the crossing where we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast as seen below.

Early one morning during tea and coffee we heard a leopard call right in front of the lodge shortly after we hastily made our way to the safari vehicle and drove round the front of the lodge where we saw the Little Bush female and her cub sitting on the outside shower wall of room one! We positioned in the river bed by the crossing just left of room one hoping they would make their way down the river bed. The gamble paid off and we had both leopards walk right past the side of our safari vehicle at their own free will!

Sightings such as these coupled with great company and a fantastic dining experience are just a few of many reasons why I chose to become a ranger here at Sabi Sabi.