Discovering New Spots
I
love nature and I love the beauty that exists in the wilderness. My only
reservation about being in the bush is the constant possibility of having an
encounter with creepy crawlies, from the small sneaky ones that you can simply
brush off to the ones that have a serious potential to harm and require you to
have been trained on how to maneuver your way around them, you know which ones
I’m talking about? When my husband told me we would be staying at Ivory Tree
Game lodge for a weekend, I was excited because we have never been to this
particular property before and I love discovering new spots. As I usually do
with any new place we visit, I browsed the net for images of the property so I
could see what kind of a place it was. I’m not a big fan of buildings with
thatch roof. For starters, I don’t particularly find them pleasing to the eye.
I know they carry a significant African theme and they also create a seamless
flow from the nature of their surroundings but I just don’t find them
aesthetically exciting. When I saw pictures of Ivory Tree Game Lodge, I was
mildly disappointed to see the thatch roof but upon looking closely into the
pictures, I realised that there was a lot I liked about the place. I liked the décor and the overall layout of
the common areas such as the lounge and the outdoor bar. I loved how open it
was and how beautifully the outdoors compliments the décor of the place.
When
our check in date finally came, we arrived very early as we were joining a
group of other guests for a morning game drive. There was a great sense of
warmth in the welcome we received from the staff at reception. It seemed as
though every member of their staff stopped whatever they were doing and came
around to ‘welcome us home’. It’s impossible not feel at home when you’re
greeted with friendly smiles from everyone.
After
check-in, the game ranger was eagerly waiting outside, ready to take us on our
morning game drive. We were handed keys to our rooms while the concierge
team proceeded to dispatch luggage to the rooms accordingly. We were scheduled
to leave for the game drive at 8am but it was almost 9 O’clock as we had to
wait for guests who were running late. Once the check-in process was done, we
excitedly hopped onto the ranger’s
truck. The sun was already piercing at this time but we waited patiently for
the rest of the guests to join us. We had each received a little breakfast pack
to break the fast as we went out into the wilderness and perhaps the
goodies inside the packs are what helped us to ‘while away time’. It wasn’t too
long until the rest of the guests arrived and we were ready to hit the road. The
Pilanesberg national park is adjacent to the lodge we were booked in and it was a
brief 3-minute drive from our reception area to the entrance into the park. We had
a pleasant and leisurely drive through the game reserve and within a short
space of time we had managed to see 3 of the Big 5. We saw elephants, buffalos
and Rhinos. We also spotted a number of zebras, giraffes, hippos, jackals,
impalas and many other smaller inhabitants of the park. So all-in-all, the
drive was quite fruitful. I was sad that we didn’t get to see the rest of the
big 5 – lions and leopards. I believe this game reserve has about 65 lions but
sadly, game rangers can never predict when and where to find these mighty
creatures. I had to make peace with it so I decided to appreciate the ones
we did see. We even spotted a tiny little tortoise casually crossing the road.
Everyone else on the truck seemed to have spotted a bush baby too but I missed
it. Quite sad for me because I have actually never seen one before! As a matter
of fact, I didn’t even know there were any in South Africa's parks. I guess
I’ll have better luck next time.
When
the time finally came for us to get to our rooms, I was pleased with what we
found. Our room was a short walk from the reception area and even though we had
the option to hop onto a golf cart to take us there, we chose to walk instead.
We stepped into a generous room with a bathroom that was so big it even had a
huge partially-enclosed outdoor shower. If we could test it out without being
weird, I’m pretty sure the bath could fit 4 people at a time. The décor
elements and fittings in the room had the earthy look and feel. The walls are
made of stone, giving the room that oneness with nature. The rooms
are further away from each other, which gives guests a decent level
of privacy. Even the patio overlooks what feels like an exclusive part of the
bush because that’s all you see when you sit out there. No neighbours in sight.
Just us and the different species of birds chirping in the trees. Walking into
the room I immediately noticed the net covering the bed, which is a sure sign
of mosquitoes. Not surprising, but the room is well kitted with insect repellent
lotion and other useful items for those tiny irritations. You’re guaranteed a
peaceful. There’s plenty of storage space and it’s great that they chose not to
fit TV’s in the rooms. Not having a TV in the room is a sure way to get you to
enjoy the peace and quiet of this place, spend time out on the patio and just enjoy a little R and R
(Rest and relaxation). The serenity will captivate you.
We were fortunate
to experience boma dinners on both nights that we stayed on this property. The
food was just amazing. Firstly, the selection of African
dishes was endless and secondly, everything looked so incredibly
delicious it was nearly impossible to not want to try out every single one of them.
Being a game reserve, it was not surprising to have options of game meat on the
braai stand. They had a braai master on site who gave us options of lamb chops
and kudu portions. I tried both. The lamb was outstanding! Tender, juicy and
tasty. The kudu was tough, which I suppose is typical of game meat but it was
palatable nonetheless. There were plenty of options on the drinks menu too.
Being outdoor, I noticed what a great spot this place would be for star gazing!
There weren’t an incredible amount of stars on the nights that we were there
but it was dark enough for a special experience.
When
the boma dinner was done, we would congregate in the lounge area for some drinks, crazy
chats and great laughs about life, way beyond midnight. What happened from here
on will not make it to these pages. I think the term is: Privileged
information. Other than that, I give you my word that you will not find it easy
to check from this property.
Absolutely love the personal review👌. Will keep in mind
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