Kwa-Mbili lodge
Amongst the dozens lodges available in the Lowfeld area, picking the ‘right’ one is always tricky. After a few phone calls, I was lucky to speak to Neil, the owner of the Kwa-Mbili lodge, in the Thornybush Game Reverse: they are happy to accommodate kids, and their prices are a bit more sensible (high-end lodges can charge over 10,000 rand per person per night (that about £700!). In less that 24 hours there and after two ‘game drives’, we have very close to the most amazing animals: lions, leopard, cheetah, elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, and more impalas and gnous (wildebeest) than you can shake a stick at ! 
In private reserves, customers are driven around on an open top 4x4, and the rangers do not hesitate to go off-piste to follow some tracks, or an animal. This is a substantial advantage over the huge Kruger national park, where it is forbidden to leave the neatly paved roads. On the other hands the Kruger is a great place to see huge herds and its sheer size means it stretches over different ecozones, i.e. the perfect complement to a private game reserve, dedicated to helping customers get close to the Big 5(*).
In private reserves, customers are driven around on an open top 4x4, and the rangers do not hesitate to go off-piste to follow some tracks, or an animal. This is a substantial advantage over the huge Kruger national park, where it is forbidden to leave the neatly paved roads. On the other hands the Kruger is a great place to see huge herds and its sheer size means it stretches over different ecozones, i.e. the perfect complement to a private game reserve, dedicated to helping customers get close to the Big 5(*).(*) Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo.
Thornybush Game Reserve
Friday, 23 February 2007
