African Safari
About the Trip & How We Did It
As part of my trip to South Africa, I did a safari in the greater Kruger area with my 23-year-old daughter. We stayed at Sausage Tree Safari Camp and it was a highlight of my life. The lodge has 5 “tents” that can hold a maximum of 3 people each (currently renovating one to accommodate 4). They were very comfortable, well equipped and clean.
We spent an exhilarating 72 hours at the Safari Camp. We followed this schedule each day: game drives 6am-9am, breakfast 9am, break with optional activities, lunch at 2pm, second game drive 4pm – 7pm, and dinner at 7:30. We did an optional panoramic day tour on our second full day so that day we only did the evening game drive.
The staff at Sausage tree were incredible – they made us feel very comfortable and met our every need. The guide and tracker did everything they could to give us an incredible experience on our game drives. We did see the big 5 – Elephants, Rhino, African Buffalo, Leopard and Lions – along with many other animals. It’s hard to describe how exhilarating it was when our guides would get word on their radio about an animal sighting and immediately, we would take off to find it. It was the best scavenger hunt ever! I did see both a black and white Rhino but won’t be posting photos as we were asked not to since poachers look on social media to find locations.
The delicious meals – all included – were made by a Chef and kitchen staff. They can meet dietary needs and preferences. Our evening meal was in a beautiful setting and two staff members joined us each evening. They even made a special birthday cake for one of our fellow guests!
This part of the trip I paid for – including flights from Cape Town direct to Hoedspruitt for $400 Roundtrip each and our 3-night safari for 2 was $2,700 total including accommodations, food, alcohol, transport from airport, Park fees and tips. We planned our safari in the middle of our trip while my younger daughter was in class. You could save some transportation costs doing it at beginning or end. See the South Africa travel redemption to see how I used points for our main flights and our hotels in Cape Town.
-Erin
