Scotsman Magazine – Close Encounters
From Hippos to cheetahs and white lions a safari in South Africa’s Eastern Cape proves an unforgettable experience – by Jessica Kiddle.
With its pin struck so firmly on the tourist map, South Africa will forever be associated with certain postcard shots in our minds: the iconic silhouette of Table Mountain set against a cloudless sky; the swathes of white sand and fashionable Camps Bay or the wilder beaches along the Garden Route. Then there are, of course, the animals – the famous Big Five at Kruger National Park.
Most mainstream holidays to the country are made of such stuff and deservedly so. Those looking to use their imagination, however, and cast their net a little wider are being increasingly rewarded. The Eastern Cape is one area that tourists are starting to look at, especially this year as the pound continues to hold steady against the rand, making the country an affordable long-haul option.
Despite being the birthplace of Nelson Mandela, this historic and naturally biodiverse province is often overlooked. It’s the homeland of the Xhosa people, but as many have now deserted these rural pastures for the city, its vast countryside is waiting to be explored by visitors.
With its 19th-century towns plus forests, mountains, arid Karoo plains, wild windswept beaches and game-rich bush it is a microcosm of the entire nation, offering visitors the quintessential South African experience of sun, sea and safari all in one, and with minimal internal travel. It is even being touted as the only destination in the country where you can see “the big seven” – elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard, wale and shark (although you’d have to be very luck to tick all of these off your list in just one trip). There’s also the added bonus that it’s malaria-free so there is no need for dreaded prophylactic medicines.
One of the province’s main points of access. Port Elizabeth (or PE as it is known), is around an hour’s flight from the mother city and is fast becoming a major gateway for the region. Although its urban sprawl is largely industrial with little to attract tourist, this is an ideal place from which to begin a trip to the Eastern Cape as the major beaches are within easy reach of a hire car. To the north, game-laden reserves lie waiting just over an hour away.
This is how my journey started, and having easily navigated the outskirts of PE I was soon on the N2 (the relentlessly long interior artery connecting Cape Town to Durban and everything in between). This might be just a motorway, but it is scenic with vast stretches of green and scarcely populated land gently undulating as far as the eye can see. Leaving any traces of city life behind, the feeling is one of splendid isolation as you encounter nothing but mile after mile of bush.
This feeling ended shortly after I took the turnoff to Pumba Private Game Reserve, however, and drove down into the dense valley thicket. Very quickly smooth Tarmac gave way to a red, gravel road, and as the signs jutting out of the bush warn In large letters, you are, in fact, anything but alone.
It should have come as no surprise then that, as I pulled up outside the main lodge, a large male nyala (a rather prehistoric-looking antelope complete with shaggy coat and large horns) was there to greet me. It was actually feeding in the flowerbed beside the entrance to the lodge, and I must admit to having to be coaxed out of the car by a two-legged Pumba representative offering a drink and a facecloth.
One of the most beautifully situated game reserves in the area, it’s no wonder the animals are frequently caught wandering through the site, as the main lodge and its 12 stone and thatched cottages with expansive decks and plunge pools, all overlook Lake Cariega where the calls of happy hippos wallowing can be heard throughout the day. Pumba is one of the two lodges on the 6,500-hectare, privately owned property (the other being the equally comfortable Msenge Lodge, deep in the bush). The emphasis is firmly on the boutique safari experience – intimate, relaxed and personal.
The big five once roamed here undisturbed until white farmers encroached on the land and they were pushed out in the 1800’s when European settlers arrived. The forward-thinking and eco-minded forcers behind Pumba (wildlife enthusiast Dale Howarth and business partner Trevor Lombard, an hotelier) however, realized the worth in rehabilitating the landscape. That was five years ago and such is the commitment to restoring the area to its natural state that the painstaking job of rooting out all non-indigenous fauna is still ongoing today.
As the major visitor draw, animals were also reintroduced to the area and a rare white lion breeding programme was started which means that today the big five are back, alongside one of only two known free-ranging white lion populations in the world. The reserve is home to endangered species such as the wild dog, spotted hyena and cheetah as well as a myriad of antelope species, blue wildebeest, giraffe, zebra as well as a staggering 300 species of bird.
The park is admittedly smaller than most of the well-known African game reserves but what the property lacks in size it makes up for in diversity (Pumba is home to five of South Africa’s seven biomes – geographically defined zones similar in climatic and ecological conditions) which is why so many animals live here. It also means that you are less likely to drive around for an entire morning and see nothing more than thorn bush. However, as there are no fences spoiling the view, and the majority of the game driving is off track the exhilarating feeling of being in the wild is ever-present.
Pumba has some the most knowledgeable and passionate rangers I have ever had the pleasure to learn from. They can turn a seemingly unremarkable heap of animal dung into a biology lesson, and spot an intricately woven spider’s web whilst driving through the bush and serving up sundowners. The rangers are also in constant contact with each other so not only are they aware of any animal sightings (and thus know where they might be hanging out for the day), they also know how to avoid each other so you get your own private safari experience. Cups of tea served on the bonnet of the game viewing vehicle with not another soul in sight are almost as thrilling as a close encounter with two lion brothers stretching in the mid-morning sun, or a herd of elephants on the move – a two month-old baby keeping up by running underneath its mother’s legs.
Having never considered myself much of a ‘twitcher’, the morning spent bird watching was a surprising high point thanks to an iPod loaded with bird sounds to call the real creatures, and the expert eye of the Pumba’s conservation manager who identified each and every one of the colourful visitors he attracted to the trees surrounding our vehicle. Then there was the experience of meeting a rhino on foot and being so aware of my intrusion into the bush that I thought the beating of my heart alone would alert her to our presence, despite my guide’s assurances that we were perfectly safe.
Even having to consider leaving was a wrench, but the blow was softened when, instead of returning to reality, I enjoyed another scenic drive to the resort of St Francis – an exclusive enclave of dunes, deserted beaches and white thatched houses.
Only a few hours’ drive from Pumba, yet a world away scenically, this rugged coastline is prime surfing territory and the perfect spot to experience the warm waters and sunny climate the Eastern Cape is blessed with. I stayed in The Sands, a small and cosy guest house right on the beach – you can see dolphins swimming in the water below from the glass-filled hexagonal dining room at breakfast.
Images of deserted beaches, private encounters with Africa’s most beautiful animals and the shadow my horse made as she galloped along the sand fill my mind as I recall my South African adventure, along with the sound of silence, crashing waves and hippo calls.
I can’t wait to return.
