We came looking for lions, but an extraordinary encounter with a herd of elephants made me realise that experiences are life’s true luxuries.
When I daydream about taking a break or going on holiday, 99.9% of the time I dream of going to the beach. An island getaway is my ideal vacation fantasy and I do my best to stay out of the bush because I don’t like bugs and things that go bump in the night. That is until a recent trip to a premium game lodge nestled in the Pilanesberg National Park…
While safari holidays have always attracted international tourists, the Pilanesberg National Park is a gem for local travellers. Its accessibility and ecological richness are what sets it apart from other national parks. Situated just three hours outside of Johannesburg, it’s the perfect destination for quick weekend getaways, which have become increasingly popular as the local travel market surges amid the global pandemic.
Worth noting is that the Pilanesberg offers a variety of accommodation options for all tastes. If roughing it in a tent is your idea of a good time, you’ll find something you love. I, on the other hand, am partial to luxury lodges and the comfort it offers. I prefer to enjoy the bush and then close my door and leave it outside when lay my head down at night.
Located in a natural amphitheatre surrounded by mountains and immersed in riverine woodlands dissected by ancient elephant trails, Ivory Tree Game Lodge is an oasis of luxury and it’s easy to see why it has long been a favourite with international visitors. Safaris are the primary reason for visits to South Africa and Ivory Tree offers premium safari experiences.
The guides are knowledgeable, and the service is outstanding but it’s the animal encounters that cemented this lodge as a firm favourite for me. Because the Pilanesberg exists in a transition zone between the dryness of the Kalahari and the wet Lowveld vegetation, it attracts a variety of game animals – and you can find all animal species native to South Africa here.
I knew this beforehand, but what I wasn’t expecting was an unforgettable encounter with a herd of elephants in the wild.
An encounter to remember
Our primary objective on this game drive (and our trip in general) was to see lions in their natural habitat. As we went zipping through the park hot on the trail of a few lions, we encountered a variety of other animals. The usual suspects were present and even though they make an appearance at almost every safari, seeing giraffes, zebras and buck never grows old.
We were treated to two different types of hyenas and arrived at a big body of water just in time to watch a bloat of hippos splashing about. From the safety of our vehicle, we watched what looked like a bath time routine between a mother hippo and several babies.
As we debated what the collective noun for a group of hippos was, we started up our vehicle and headed further down the path where we were met by one elephant. Slowly but surely, we encountered more and more elephants as if they were dropping out the sky onto the landscape like breadcrumbs, until our path was completely blocked by elephants.
I felt as though it was high noon in the wild West, and I was in a standoff in the middle of town. As much as we wanted to see these majestic animals in their natural habitat, we were keenly aware of our mortality when facing a herd of elephants, with babies, head on.
We parked our vehicle and sat in stillness as our guide explained that they have no problems with elephants in the park. “We only have two or three big bulls that give a little bit of a problem but the rest of them are all very relaxed. They’re very relaxed animals.”
At that point everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. We’ve all seen videos of safaris gone wrong and our guide’s reassurance at this time helped ease the tension as the elephants slowly began to walk around our vehicle. “Hallo, groot seun,” she said to one of the younger animals in the herd as he took a liking to some sticks on the side of our vehicle.
We were now completely surrounded by elephants, and I immediately started to regret my decision to sit right at the back of the vehicle as two small elephants came in a little closer. Not one to miss an opportunity, I flipped my phone’s camera and snapped a selfie. Honestly, I’m glad I did because no one else I know can say they took a selfie with elephants in the wild and lived to tell the tale.
Somewhere in the distance one of the members of the herd let out a loud blood curdling sound that almost sounded like a roar. It certainly wasn’t anything we had ever heard before and not what we expected an elephant to sound like, but our guide explained that was their way of communicating. “Possibly, someone went too close to the baby and the mom is warning them to back off.”
We sat in awe and watched the herd as move past us, then promptly started up our vehicle and continued our quest.
Discovering true luxury
After an exciting safari day and a quick outdoor shower to freshen up, we were treated to a 5-star dining experience in the great outdoors. We laughed and joked about our day and the many special moments we experienced. We came looking for lions, and while we did find them, along with the ever-elusive leopard, and a rhino, it was our encounter with the herd of elephants that made my day (and possibly the trip) truly magical.
We retired to the comfort of our luxury rooms and as I closed the door and lay my head down on the pillow leaving the bush outside, I never thought once about bugs or things that go bump in the night. My head was filled only with thoughts of elephants and how magical moments like these are life’s true luxuries.
This article was first published in Destiny Issue 1 2021.
