A Life-Changing Experience

A couple of months ago we had the huge pleasure of spending time at Buffalo Thorn lodge – what a treat!

The amazing lady that runs our home, Dikeledi, and her two teenage children are very much a part of our family and have been for the past 12 years. A couple of years ago we introduced them to the ocean when we surprised them with a weekend away in Durban. It was so special to enjoy their first plane trip, first taxi journey (the cab-style taxi that is!), their first nights in a hotel and of course the joys of an unlimited buffet breakfast! Something that started as a gift to them became equally as wonderful and memorable for us. On our return we promised ourselves we’d find the opportunity to create another joint adventure in the future.

Life happens, time passes and we didn’t get around to arranging anything until in July 2017 Dikeledi turned 50 years old and this presented the perfect opportunity to plan another surprise night away! It seemed such a travesty that someone born and bred in North West Province had never seen an elephant, lion or even an impala in the wild and, considering our love of the African bush, we went looking for an experience to fit the occasion. A friend mentioned Buffalo Thorn and we were sold!

 

 We visited the Lodge with Dikeledi, her daughter, Bonolo and Bonolo’s friend, Ruth… as well as our two daughters, Jess and Tasha. Our stay can only be described as life-changing, especially for Dikeledi. Buffalo Thorn Lodge is simplistically but beautifully equipped with everything we could possibly need. Despite the chilly weather we even had a dip in the plunge pool… because we could!

After settling in we headed out on a game drive followed by sundowners as we enjoyed the last of the late afternoon winter sun. Early the following morning we were treated to an hour of watching two young male lions ‘harassing’ a herd of buffalo, and shortly afterwards the wild dog made a guest appearance

We loved the exclusivity of the sightings compared to other reserves – at no point were there queues of cars waiting behind us. And to top it all off Jacques and Nerina were absolutely wonderful, caring for our every need. We spend a lot of time in the bush and weren’t interested in high-speed chases to find the Big Five so Jacques talked about birds, vegetation and all of the other wonders of the bush.

We left feeling restored and spoilt and vowed that the only change we’ll make next time is to stay a little longer. Thank you for a life experience we won’t forget.

Photos and Story by Jacqui Robus