Travelling to Tuningi

As the morning dawned cold and wet and the noise of traffic jarred my senses, the idea of getting away to a luxury bush lodge to celebrate our anniversary spurred on the last-minute packing. The drive there offered time to talk and to anticipate the delights of peace and seclusion promised by the lodge brochure. The only snag was that my five-year old son, Luke, was coming with us, so the idea of re-creating a honeymoon scenario or boasting about a dirty weekend to my friends would probably be dampened by more than the rain, but hey, being predominantly optimistic, I lived in hope. Tuningi is one of the few luxury game lodges that accommodates children and caring babysitters abound, so I was fairly certain that my wicked negligee wouldn’t go to waste....

The welcoming committee consisted of gracious staff offering refreshing drinks and an elephant noisily slurping at the waterhole, which is overlooked by a wooden deck under the ancient fig tree that lends its name to Tuningi. A light lunch of smoked salmon salad enjoyed outside in the warm sun was enhanced by yet another elephant joining the first in a majestic stride up the hill. Just as we thought that it couldn’t get any better, we were gently reminded of an afternoon game drive, so grabbing some jackets and cameras, we made our way to the waiting Landover.

Luke had been briefed on behaviour by us, his anxious parents, but we relaxed when we were joined by Sarah, Caroline and ten-year old Zack, from the UK, and they were to become our most welcome companions for the next two days. Zack became a role model/hero for Luke and a firm friendship was established.

Our intrepid tracker and expert game ranger, Christo, who was to be our guide for the duration of our stay, was a man with a mission. Obviously passionate about wildlife and highly knowledgeable, tirelessly answering the children’s endless questions with encyclopaedic detail, his excitement at sightings fuelled ours and any request was tirelessly fulfilled. We saw an abundance of zebra, giraffe, elephant, kudu and a whole spectrum of birdlife before coming across a rather grumpy looking lion with a terrifyingly generous mane marking his territory on the side of the track. As the sun descended languorously towards the horizon, we stopped for sundowners beside some grazing zebras, who looked up curiously before resuming their evening snack...we were treated to some delectable snacks of our own as we toasted to life, Africa and anniversaries.

Back at the lodge, the two- way fireplace glowed invitingly in both bedroom and bathroom and a sumptuous bath filled with bubbles and salts courtesy of Molton Brown was just the ticket to soothe travel-tired muscles and wash away the last recollection of city blues. The romantic, colonial decor of our spacious room complemented the surrounding bush in an unassuming and elegant manner and the private wooden deck was a sanctuary for the enjoyment of the sights and sounds around us. Luke’s dinner was brought to our chalet and after a story he was fast asleep, lulled by the frog songs and bush sighs. We left him under the watchful eyes of the promised babysitter and made our way to the secluded restaurant. A beautifully thought out three-course dinner which was a delight to both palate and eyes made our evening perfect: a Tempura vegetable starter, followed by a choice of succulent lamb shank or pan-fried sole accompanied by gorgeous veggies grown on site and a scrumptious Rooibos Crème Brulée, savoured in the stylish dining room overlooking the rim flow pool. As if on cue, the full moon came out from behind a wayward cloud as we celebrated our most special day.

At daybreak, the wake-up call was received rather grudgingly, but as we made our way to the softly-lit main lodge, the smell of freshly-brewed coffee and homemade rusks enticed our senses. The cheerful Christo was at the ready, thoughtfully packing warm blankets to ward off the morning chill as well as a variety of hot drinks and baked goodies, a much needed necessity in order to restore the energy depleted by The Early Morning Game Drive. As we made our way out of the gate and into thick bushveld surrounded by misty air, we came across a most welcome African road block: two male lion cubs sitting side by side on the well-trodden path, without the slightest intention of moving out of the way, rather disdainfully giving a slow blink now and then, as cats do, and posing elegantly for our feverishly snapping cameras. Our ensuing game drives were a real-life version of National Geographic scenes: a herd of buffalo, one of which reminded me of a sulky schoolteacher in my past, three nosy elephants sniffing the mudguard and one of them trumpeting noisily as he left, a hair-raising escapade into rocky terrain in pursuit of an elusive leopard with its kill and an elegant giraffe sitting in the moonlight.

African adventures are active affairs to say the least, but Tuningi has a way of balancing the scales, I thought, as I relaxed in the comfort of my room, enjoying a lavish massage to ease my aching muscles, after a hard morning’s work of watching a pair of honeymoon lions coupling in the veld. Luke was off on a treasure hunt, organised by the staff, to see what the animals had left behind, and was to come back full of excitement at his finds: warthog horns, the jaw of a giraffe, a dung beetle’s ball and a guinea fowl’s feather. There was another activity planned for that afternoon, so maybe a chance for an afternoon “nap” in my negligee... Aaaaaah....just another day in Africa.

5-star Tuningi Safari Lodge, part of The Madikwe Collection, is set in a valley in the world-renowned 75000 hectare, malaria-free Big 5 Madikwe Game Reserve. It is a conservation success story, as the reserve has been restored from arid, cattle grazing land to its rich, natural environment.

It has received the international Fair Trade stamp of approval, which rewards fair and responsible business practice by South African tourism establishments.

Tuningi is one of the few 5 star lodges in South Africa that accommodates children. Children over 5 years can enjoy the daily game drive with parents and younger ones are looked after by professional child-minders and kept busy with interesting programmes.

For reservations please contact reservations@madikwecollection.comor phone 011 805 9995, or their website www.madikwecollection.com.