An early morning wake-up call starts the day, followed by a freshly brewed cup of tea or coffee and rusks before setting off on a morning game drive.

The varied habitats on Mabula Private Game Reserve provide ideal conditions for a stunning selection of large mammals, including the Big Five, other predators such as hyenas and jackals, and various antelope from red hartebeest to eland, gemsbok to blesbok. Not to mention the elusive cheetah, cheeky honey badger, and omnipresent crèches of warthogs that flit across one’s path during your safari at Mabula Game Lodge.

For panoramic views of the beautiful Mabula Private Game Reserve, nothing is more special than heading up Dicks Hill. See impala, zebra, giraffe, eland, and ostrich all graze together on the vast open grassland plains. Watch a herd of elephants crashing through thick bush to get to the succulent leaves and a shy hippo pair hiding everything but their protruding nostrils under the water. Admire the resident lion pride lazing under an African thorn tree after a tiring hunt, or watch silently as the beautiful, yet terrifying, golden orb spider spins her thick web across two silver cluster leaf trees.

Mabula offers a phenomenal array of activities, including hot air balloon rides, quad biking, bush walks, and horseback safaris. There is always an adventure awaiting.

Later in the afternoon, you will head out on your afternoon game drive, which may continue beyond dusk, returning to the lodge to enjoy dinner and some reminiscing about the day’s sightings.

Accommodation: Mabula Game Lodge