Our rains usually begin during October and November, but this year we did not have much in October at all, and we thought that we might be in for a dry season. The first few weeks of November also did not look very promising, but a cold front came through in the third week and it rained almost constantly for eight days, providing some much-needed water to jump start the growing season! Sadly, for those who were here at the time, it meant that the scarcest sighting for the week was the sun! But what rain brings is life, and the results are showing quickly! As this is the time of plenty, most ..read more

There’s a change in the air at Savanna. We are currently in the transition period between summer and winter, where we still have the yellow and brown winter palette across the concession, which is sometimes interrupted with a small flash of new and bright green or the distant calls signalling the arrival of the migratory birds. While sightings have been fast-paced, exciting and constantly moving, it has been amazing to witness the slow transition from winter to summer.  While on the topic of birds, the guiding team here at Savanna has enrolled in a national competition called the Kruger ..read more

It seems that, as a result of the chaos we find ourselves in across the globe, time just seems to fly by. I cannot believe that two months have passed since our last blog, and I know that there are many of you who have been missing our updates from the Wild. I sincerely apologise for the long wait, but hopefully this bumper issue will make up for it. I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage you to follow us on our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube if you are not already doing so.  Lions So much has been happening since our last update, especiall ..read more

Time… it is such a strange concept and sometimes it really seems to fly, while in different circumstances one feels that it stands still. I cannot believe that we are halfway through August already, and that Spring is just around the corner! But it has also crept very slowly when we consider where the world finds itself and wonder when we will finally see the end of this global pandemic. From our side, however, there is a glimmer of hope and it feels as if the sun is slowly rising on a new dawn. The vaccine rollout in South Africa is picking up speed, and the majority of our staff have now ..read more

As we step into our Savanna winter and the change of seasons, we bring you a brief update of what we have been busy with in the community during the past six months. With constant changes due to Covid, we have had to adapt and change many of the ways in which we used to do things. But change brings many good things, too, and we have grown and learnt and built stronger relationships along the way. Tiyimiseleni Home-Based Care Centre This wonderful project in the heart of Mabarhule is always a hub of activity, with the children arriving to enjoy their meals and get help with their homework. Eac ..read more

It was hoped that 2021 would be a better year for all, but it seems that the chaos of 2020 has followed through into this year. In many ways, it has been slightly better and we continue to have a steady flow of local guests, with some hints at things improving for our international travellers. But time also just seems to fly by in these crazy times, and it is with some embarrassment that I realised that we missed the April and May editions. For those die-hard supporters, we apologise, but hope to make up for it with a bumper issue in June. Lions Many of you have been following our social ..read more

March finally saw us enjoy some drier weather, with much less rain, and weeks on end without any rain at all. We only had around two inches of rain in total for March, which meant that we were able to start enjoying some more off-road driving, giving us more access to sightings. It also meant that we were not getting stuck as often! Fortunately, the rivers and the dams are still very full, and we have been enjoying the constant hippo activity at Georgie’s Dam at the beginning and end of every game drive. With all the food and water available, they seem to be in a great mood, with lots of disp ..read more

The good rains continued through February, and after Cyclone Eloise in January had filled the water table, this deluge (228 mm in total) took all the dam levels to the maximum! For the first time in probably eight years, Georgie’s Dam in front of the lodge has overflowed! Incredibly, the hippo responded immediately, and we have counted over 20 hippo on some days. We now have a constant cacophony of hippo calls resonating up the valley to the lodge in the early mornings and evenings. We also look forward to it attracting many interesting birds again. The bush has continued to thicken u ..read more

It was with great excitement that we entered into 2021, after an extremely testing, frustrating and scary 2020. When we look back, it still seems completely unbelievable that anything of this magnitude could happen. The world effectively shut down and the safari industry was no different. Savanna shut its doors towards the end of March and only started a slow reopening in September, when some of the restrictions started to be lifted. Savanna had to reinvent itself to allow the safari operations to continue within the Covid-19 regulations, and it was a very tough and weird way for us to do bu ..read more

As we step out of our Covid lockdown and open up the borders to South Africa, we look back on the last six months with many mixed feelings.  It has been a tough time for all, but we are grateful for the help and support of so many people throughout this time. In our last newsletter, we were just starting our lockdown journey. Below are some updates of what we have achieved during this time and our plans going forward. Thank you to all of the wonderful people who made these things possible, from blankets to ice cream days, food runs to maintenance support around the centres and much more ..read more