29/08/2026
My friend and very good client Andrea Quinton, her husband and teen son, has recently returned from a safari trip to Mabula Game Lodge in South Africa. She has written a fabulous day to day summary of her experiences there, highlighting the special times they had spotting wildlife, eating terrific food, enjoying the plush surroundings of the Lodge and getting out into the bush at all hours of the day (and night), and on one occasion on horse back. Andrea is a skilled photographer too and has made my job particularly difficult in choosing photogarphs to publish, they are all so good, and represent the diversity of the animals and birds she saw. I'm sure that you will agree that the brightly coloured Lilac-breasted Roller bird is just beautiful? See if you can spot it.
If you are interested in a trip like this or similar please get in touch with me.
07749 712992
Ginger Harps - all credits for words and photos to Andrea Quinton
"I have written a day by day reflection on the trip for anyone curious about what a safari at Mabula is really like, or considering a similar experience."
Step into nature and immerse yourself. Honestly, I almost cannot describe how much I loved this holiday. It was short, but incredibly sweet.
All of it was arranged by the outstanding Julie Gumbs, Travel Counsellor. For anyone thinking about a safari holiday, here is our week at Mabula Game Lodge in South Africa.
Days 1–2: The journey and first impressions
Our adventure started with an overnight flight from Heathrow to Johannesburg (we never sleep on those!), a short wait at the airport, then a 4 hour drive to Mabula Game Lodge. We arrived hot, exhausted, hungry and thirsty.
All of that disappeared the moment we stepped out of the minibus.
We were greeted by Tina, whose first words were: “I’ll have all those feelings sorted really quickly.” After a lovely hand washing ritual, we were led to a cool, air conditioned room with a huge buffet and drinks on ice, both alcoholic and soft. We were given a simple timetable for the week, our room keys, a quick orientation, and then our suitcases magically appeared at our door.
The rooms were incredible: thatched roofs, huge beds, large showers, cold drinking water. It finally felt like my holiday could truly start.
I decided to power through the lack of sleep and went for a walk around the lodge. Mabula is being “rewilded”, and the nature right outside our front door was beautiful. Dinner that first evening was in the outside restaurant. It was chilly, but the venue was gorgeous, with fires everywhere and an incredible array of food. The staff could not do enough for us. Nothing was too much trouble.
We were all shattered and due an early start for our first safari, so it was an early night.
Day 3: First safari day
Safari day! We were scheduled for a 6.30 am and a 3.30 pm game drive, which meant both sunrise and sunset in the bush.
Getting up was hard, but we were greeted with a hot brew and a biscuit, then met our guide and our group for the week. We climbed into the jeeps, complete with hot water bottles and blankets. Yes, it really is that cold first thing in winter in South Africa.
Our first safari did not disappoint. Our guide, Vincent, was incredible. I expected to see this many different animals over the course of a week, not in a single morning. The highlight was a black rhino (as opposed to the white rhino), an absolute privilege to see.
Out in the bush we stopped for a proper brew and snacks, and in the afternoon it was wine or beer. There is so much food on this holiday!
Day 4: Hornbills, horses and butterflies
This was a quieter day, starting with a Hornbill safari followed by a horseback safari.
I had barely heard of hornbills before this trip, beyond the red and yellow hornbills we had already seen. This time we went in search of a ground hornbill. I was blown away by the dedication of the guide working with these beautiful birds. He has already spent nine years with them and has another two to go before the Mabula birds have their own fledgling. At that point he will have to rescue one chick to be adopted elsewhere so it survives, then hope the remaining one makes it through all the unexpected dangers of life in the wild.
Of course, Vincent drove us there and, as always, never missed an opportunity to point out more amazing animals along the way.
Late morning, M and I headed off on a horseback safari. After 30+ years without riding, I had forgotten how huge horses are. My horse, Orion, carried me gently through the bush. The peace and quiet of riding through that landscape was magical.
In the afternoon, I relaxed by the pool and even braved a swim, which got a round of applause because it was so cold. The butterflies dancing around the water were incredible.
Day 5: Bush walk and stargazing
This was a day of two halves. We set out super early for a bush walk, heading down to a watering hole. The hippos had already returned to the water by the time we arrived and there were two crocodiles around. Apparently, while crocs can eat baby hippos and hippos can eat crocs, in these dams they tend to respect each other’s space and coexist peacefully.
We still saw other animals on the walk, but it was also a chance to learn about the plants and their healing properties (some of the methods sounded a little terrifying!), and to talk about apartheid and the terrible racism in South Africa’s past, which I first learned about on a visit 20 years ago.
The middle of the day was for chilling by the pool and at the lodge, sampling yet more of the delicious food.
In the evening we set off for a stargazing night safari. The stars were breathtaking, both in how different they looked and their clarity. The moon had not yet risen at that time of year, and we could see the planets clearly. Driving back into the bush we spotted a genet cat, a jackal, a white tailed mongoose that Vincent was especially excited about, lots of wildebeest and the sweetest little bird sitting right in the road. The photo does not do it justice, but when it flew the colours were stunning.
Day 6: Lions at last
Oh, you are in for a treat. This morning’s early safari was all about lions.
We were the first vehicle to find them, after “chatting” to a jackal on the way. It was the first time the entire pride had been seen together: three males, two females and three cubs. The reserve where the lions roam covers around 2,000 hectares, which is only enough space for a single pride. It really made me think differently about seeing lions in zoos, as important as zoos are.
The lions had clearly killed a zebra overnight; you could see the stripes in the grass. The adults lay sleeping while the cubs played. As we pulled up, they lifted their heads, decided we were no threat, and went back to snoozing. Occasionally one would stretch over and take another bite. They were simply beautiful.
On the way back to breakfast we still managed to see more wildlife, but the lions were the undeniable highlight.
That evening we chose another night safari. We saw another white tailed mongoose, a stunning porcupine (no photo, sadly) and caught a glimpse of a brown hyena.
Day 7: Painted dogs, cheetahs and buffalo
Two more safaris today, morning and afternoon.
We set off early again with our awesome guide, Vincent. We saw many more of the animals that had become familiar over the week: wildebeest and their babies, giraffes, guinea fowl, nyalas, red and yellow hornbills, rhino, zebra and jackal. Then came the real excitement.
Painted dogs had been spotted, so we raced across to the area. Two packs were joining together and they were darting around everywhere before eventually stopping and simply watching us, watching them. They are such stunning creatures.
It did not end there. We also saw a cheetah mum with her four cubs. They ran right in front of the vehicle and then bounced off through the bush.
In the afternoon we went back out for our second safari of the day. This time we again found the cheetah and her cubs with their impala kill, then later the male cheetahs out hunting. We also spotted an eland, and I cheekily asked if we could try to find buffalo. Along the way we enjoyed our best elephant sighting yet.
Vincent never disappoints.
By the time we found the buffalo it was growing dark and we came across a whole herd, including a pregnant female and a tiny baby.
The men rounded off the day with a quad bike safari, while I opted for a blissful massage instead. The perfect end to an unforgettable week.
This safari may have been short, but it was one of the richest, most memorable holidays I have ever had.
Andrea listed the wildlife she witnessed, this is just a summary - there was probably much more!
Great Galway bird
Buffalo
Hippo
Rhino
Blue Wildebeest
Crown lapwing
Klose bird
Elephants
Baboons
Yellow hornbill
Red hornbill
Giraffe
Marula tree
Zebra
Steen Bok
Warthog and cubs
Ground hornbill
Red hardebeest
Eland
Cheetah and 2 cubs
Antelope
Impala
Eagle
Buffalo
Warthog
Marmoset monkey
Crocodile
Baboons
Common genus cat
Jackal
While tailed mongoose
Wildebeest
Furry necked Niger bird
Pride of lions. 3 males. 2 females and 3 cubs
Magpie shrek
Jackal
Sable antelope
Lllac crested roller bird
Crown lapwing
