We started our day with a complete loss of Internet – a little bit like like losing a limb, or so it felt. We had to find our way to our next destination – little known Lion Centre somewhere near to Brits & we had to book accommodation for our next adventure into Kruger National Park.
What did we do before the worldwide web? We packed up, hit the road and headed in the right direction trying to find an Internet cafe somewhere on the highway. At the same time looking for a cup of decent coffee!
It’s never long before you find somewhere & we managed to secure printed maps to our next destination & book an apartment in the wisely named ‘Hazyview’ district of Kruger where we are looking forward to some magnificent natural sights and the third biggest canyon in the world!
We set off for the Ukatula Lion Centre but the journey wasn’t as straightforward as we had imagined. We killed a bird who flew unwittingly into our windscreen and then we hit a Grand Canyon of a pot hole, sending a car hire wheel trim into the African bush & bending the wheel rim out of shape! We stopped on a lonely road & inspected the damage – it could have been worse…
I loved the changing landscape the further we ventured into the country, the red soil, the hills starting to undulate under a big sky, and we trundled up a dirt track in our battered Suzuki Swift to the Ukutala Lion Centre.
We got a really warm welcome & checked in to an amazing bungalow equipped with swishing fan and zebra print fabrics. It was straight out onto the interactive tour of the centre, getting the chance to pet lion cubs and viewing lions, tigers and hyenas in their natural environment. We had seen giraffes on the drive into the centre but it was nothing compared to getting up close & personal to wildlife that we had only previously seen in zoos and wildlife centres.
Then I went walking with the lions – and on a small, compact group tour we took four lions on a trot through the bush!
Amazing experience to watch them tumble and play and trot alongside us in their natural environment. What a privilege being so close to such magnificent creatures.
We were treated then to a wonderful meal – a thick juicy steak washed down with local wine and then sat on our balcony listening to the crickets and wildlife in the darkness of the bush under the stars of a big, open sky!
How I walked with the lions … & avoided the pot holes of the day.
Mags Winthrop Blog 