Driving around a park full of very wild animals in a green land rover with no sides or roof may sound a little risky but our three days there were the most thrilling we have ever had. The magnificent animals were totally unfazed no matter how close we got to them. And we got very close! We saw the Big 5 at least twice: lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo, plus a cheetah that was positively comatose in its disdain for the tourists gawping from 30 feet away.
Our driver guide was a fantastic bush navigator. For the big cats they are allowed to drive off road so off he went into the scrubby hollows and river beds to actually follow a hunting leopard stalking an antelope. The leopard eventually gave up but what an experience. One of the most amusing was the sight of three hyenas dozing under a tree containing a leopard kill in the lower branches, waiting for the cat the return and feed so that they could scavenge the falling leftovers! We were 20 feet away in our tiered elevated seats, with the perfect view...
The driver guide was assisted by his Spotter. He rode precariously on an open chair fitted over the nearside front mudguard, totally open to the wild world around us. His eyesight and perception were extraordinary. Time and again he stopped or directed us to wild life which we did not even know was there.
We had some long days because we had to rise early to catch the action before the heat drove everything to cover and we went home for breakfast. There were up to four excursions per day but it was worth the effort when we parked in the evening for our sundowners. We relaxed and chatted, awestruck at the African sunsets before driving back in the dark spotting the night-life. Unbelievable.
