South Africa

I absolutely 100% fell in love with South Africa. During my family's trip to Africa, we were based in Gabarone, the capital of Botswana, where my mom was working. We actually only did a safari in South Africa, in the Madikwe game reserve. Our trip was in August, an ideal time to do a safari in southern Africa. It's the dry season, so the animals spend more time gathering at watering holes, thus greatly increasing your odds of seeing more species. Additionally, there are less snakes during the dry season, and after talking to locals, I am terrified of the black mamba!


We stayed at the Tau game lodge in Madikwe and it was a fantasy. The lodge is set up with private bungalows abutting one of the reserve's watering holes, so the animals literally come up to your doorstep! Yes, I had to share a romantic cabana with my brother, but we still had fun.





Our game drives in Madikwe were amazing. We managed to see the Big Five! A highlight of what we saw is below.

Elephants

Birds

Giraffes

Zebra

Rhinos

Lions

Doing the safari by jeep as opposed to on foot was ideal. We were able to get much closer to the animals and also make a quick getaway if need by (ie- from angry mama elephants or rhinos). Our guide was very knowledgeable and did an incredible job tracking the animals.

The meals at Tau were also great. We enjoyed delicious and traditional African cooking, both in the lodge and out in the bush. During our evening game drives, Tau also provided 'happy hour' in the bush.

More Africa pics here