Ok, so today we had originally booked a ship’s tour to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game preserve which is considered to be one of the premier game reserves in South Africa.  We booked it while on the Pursuit last year so we got all sorts of discounts and were really looking forward to it. But then we read The Elephant Whisperer, a book all about Thula Thula and the owners, Lawrence and Francoise Anthony, how they gave up everything to buy this reserve, then after only 1 year there with little to no experience took in this rogue herd of elephants and how Lawrence basically talked to them and became their friend and confident over the years.  Yeah, we’re completely sold.  Well, Quest has a tour to Thula Thula, and after talking to one of the excursion staff who had been there, we switched tours (thus losing all our discounts and paying a whole lot more to go to Thula Thula).  We also learn that Lawrence died a few years ago and Frankie has taken over running the preserve.  Wow!

The tour starts off pretty well, there are only 18 of us, including Tine, the Cruise Next/Loyalty program manager, so a nice intimate group. Our guide, Colin, is very nice and tells us stories about the area and a history on Thula Thula (we are, by the way, the only 2 on the bus who have read the book!) on our hour drive to the preserve.  We drive right through the Zulu village surrounding Thula Thula, which provides some perspective on the neighboring community, how close they are to the preserve as well as how closely Lawrence Anthony had to work with them to keep them from poaching, and from harming the elephants (because they were afraid of them).

Once there, we sign our waivers in the office (which I think is actually where Frankie lives) then we hop in our safari vehicles, with our ranger guide, to go to the lodge for refreshments.  The lodge is absolutely gorgeous, all open air with a pool and patio with tables set for our lunch after the bush drive.  It’s everything we thought it would be – and so cool to be here. 

After bathroom breaks we are back in the safari vehicle and off on our safari drive.  The ride alone is amazing, bumpy, rocky, up and down hills, being thrown back and forth in the jeep, holding on for dear life as we rush down a steep embankment that reminds us all of a roller coaster (I try to raise my arms, but end up holding onto the railings after approximately 2 seconds)! Tine is right next to me, laughing at my antics, but much to smart to try to it for herself! To be honest, the animal sightings aren’t that great.  We can’t really find anything much besides Kudu, impala and a bunch of cool zebras grazing in the scrub. The countryside is gorgeous though, rolling green hills and beautiful puffy cloud skies.  But of course, the main attraction are the elephants and we finally spot one way out in the distance, so we turn that way and bounce off.

The elephant is Mabula, one of Franki’s son’s (Franki so named after Francoise), who is grazing in the scrub all alone.  The ranger tells us he isn’t usually alone, but that the other elephants must be down in the valley sleeping under the trees.  But hey, at least we have one here.  Mabula is huge and just happily munching on the trees as we get closer and closer in the jeep. Because he knows the rangers, he’ll normally come close to see the ranger, but we have to be quiet because he doesn’t know us and can get frightened.  So we sit quietly, listening to him munch and watching as he inches closer and closer to the jeep, then finally crosses behind us, so close we could actually reach out and touch him (of course we don’t!).

Turning the jeep around, we follow Mabula down the track a bit until he stops at a small little watering hole and begins to give himself a mud bath.  We watch him for a while until we decide it might be best to leave before he gives us a mud bath. 

Taking off back out into the reserve, we search for the other elephants but can’t find them, so we head off where the ranger thinks the giraffes are and pass this fenced in complex with a house and tents, then fording a river (seriously driving the jeep right through the water) to get to another area of the reserve where we pass kudus, zebras  and monkeys strolling across the track and preening at us from the tops of trees.  And then, there they are:  giraffes. Two grown giraffes and 2 babies, grazing by a small watering hole, one adult peeking out above the trees at us.  Love those creatures. They are so cool.

But we must forge on, looking for hippos, which we soon find in a large watering hole, swimming with just the tips of their heads out of the water.  We’re allowed to get out here to stretch our legs (but really only because the ranger has to take a “rest” stop) while we watch the hippos for a bit.  And then we’re back in the jeep, past the giraffes again, who actually pose quite nicely for us, standing parallel to each other, as we wave goodbye.  One last pass at a watering hole finds a group of Cape Buffalo wallowing in the mud.  One big bull is standing up, staring ominously at us.  To be honest, it is the first time I ever felt afraid on these safaris, he just looks like he’s ready to charge us – and to make matters even more tense, the ranger tells us that buffalo are the only animal that never gives you any indication that they will charge – they just do it.  Hmmmm, I vote for snapping pictures and then getting the heck out of dodge!  Which is essentially what we do!

Back we go, fording the river again, this time Tine and I both take a video, then up over the escarpment, along the fence line, past the abandoned house and tents (the story there is that they had white rhinos there and were trying to introduce them into the park, they need licenses for everything, so in order to move them, they went to the government and applied for the licenses, and 1 week later, a bunch of poachers came into the compound, beat up the guards, and killed the rhinos for their horns.  They were only 4 years old!  A total tragedy, and as the ranger said, obviously an inside job.  The corruption continues all these many years later).  Soon we are riding the roller coaster hill and turning into the lodge compound.  It was a great ride, totally out in the bush, but a little lacking in wildlife sighting to be honest – and one disturbing thing, no walk in the bush, which was another big selling point of this tour.  Hmmmm…..

Back in the lodge, we all go freshen up a bit then sit down to a large buffet lunch. Tons of food, fresh fruit, beef stew, chicken, etc.  It’s a decent spread. We order drinks, and sit around chatting with our fellow tour mates.  At the end of the meal, we go to leave and the waitress comes up and tells me that my wine costs 55 Rand.  What?  No one told us wine was extra, and besides, with the amount of money we paid for this we should get a whole freaking bottle of wine, not have to pay for one lousy glass!  We’re starting to get a little annoyed here, but I accept the charges and we go back to the entry office to pay and get on the bus.

A huge bonus while we are there though is that Francoise is now there and we get to meet her, which is a wonderful surprise.  She is amazing, taking over the preserve after Anthony died and we are really honored to meet her.  We get a picture with her, as does Tine, and then it is back on the bus for our hour-long ride back to Richard’s Bay. 

As we roll along toward the city, we really start to think about the tour and are more and more annoyed with the whole set up.  It was by far the most expensive tour they had, and really, for the money, we got a lot less than we expected.  No bush walk, which was clearly advertised, pay extra for a lousy glass of wine, and the kicker? We found flyers in the office advertising private tours, exactly what we did for a fraction of the cost.  While the experience was enjoyable, it was definitely not worth the cost and we are not very happy campers and now will have to take it up with the shore excursion people. Sigh.  You know, we should know better!

On that slightly downer of a note, we get back to the ship and jump on the shuttle to the mall where we hope to find a money exchange to get rid of our Rand. Unfortunately the banks are all closed, but we do find a grocery store and stock up on supplies for the cabin, which is nice.

Back on the ship, we clean up and head for our normal routine, gym, dinner, then to the local show with Mama Africa’s Gospel choir, who were excellent.  Next it is up on the deck as we sail through the Indian Ocean, watching Mandela. The Long Walk To Freedom movie under the stars.  Nice way to end our visit to Africa….On we go to Madagascar.