Lalibela Game Reserve - a photo essay

There are some truly awesome game reserves around Port Elizabeth ranging from the epic Addo Elephant National Park to excellent private game reserves with top class lodges.  Playing right in that space is Lalibela Game Reserve between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown.  Lalibela is home to the Big 5 as well as other predators like cheetah, hyena, jackal & lynx on 7500 hectares with visitors staying in one of three excellent lodges.  I spent a night with the Damselfly in late 2012 and did a couple of posts on PE Daily Photo but for some reason uploaded this and forgot about it.  While going through the drafts folder to look for something to post today I found it right at the bottom and just can't let the opportunity go by to show you this beautiful place.  My apologies.  So here is Lalibela in a photo essay.  

 

Mark's Camp is Lalibela's family friendly camp with four twin rooms on one side of the lodge and 4 family rooms on the other.  My favourite part of the lodge is the walkway leading down to the swimming pool and deck next to the waterhole.

 

 A different view of the walkway, this time looking towards the pool deck from the lodge.  The waterhole is on the left of the deck.  Do you now get why I like this so much?

One of the very S P A C I O U S rooms at Mark's Camp

 

High tea before the afternoon game drive.  Just the temptation is an absolute sin but its a case of have food, will eat.  Plus how can you say no to a spread like this? Absolutely divine.

Watching elephants close by with the full moon rising over the horizon.  Game drives is always a highlight for me and I will go on each and every one on offer while at a game reserve. 

Returning to the lodge after the afternoon / evening game drive with a crackling fire welcoming you to the lodge.  The decor around the lodge is authentically African and not plastic Africa like I've seen at some lodges before.  Just what every international visitor wants.

Good food and friendly people, essential components of a good game reserve along with knowledgeable rangers, memorable animal sightings and a comfortable lodge.  This was lodge manager Charmaine waiting for us with dinner us on our return from the game reserve.  Any close up pictures of this would be deemed food porn. 

Ranger Terry was excellent on both game drives finding the animals and getting us in the best possible position for prime game viewing. 

 

Disclosure:  We were invited to Lalibela Game Reserve and stayed on a complimentary basis while our transport was for our own account.  I received no additional remuneration to write this post and all views expressed are my own.

Hippo at Lalibela

Some people get real excited by seeing lions and elephants or even something rare like an aardwolf in real life on a game drive.  The Damselfly had her moment when she saw real live hippos for the first time at Lalibela Game Reserve near Port Elizabeth. What made the sighting even better was that there were a number of this huge semi-aquatic mammals in the dam when we got there and the one then proceeded to get up so that we could get a better look.

The word hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse".   They are found in sub-Saharan Africa and inhabits rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps.  The hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal (weighing between 1½ and 3 tonnes) after the elephant and white rhinoceros.  The Big 5 was named so as they were the five most dangerous animals to hunt and the hippo doesn't get included in this exclusive club as it is quite easy to shoot hippos where they live in the water.  Don't let their calmness fool you though.  The hippo is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.  Even with its short legs and big body it can reach a speed of 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances and thus easily outrun a human.

Female hippos is sexually maturity at five to six years of age and have a gestation period of 8 months.  Mating occurs in the water with the female submerged for most of the encounter, her head only emerging every now and then to draw breath.  Baby hippos are born underwater at a weight between 25 and 45 kg and must swim to the surface to take their first breath.  Young hippos often rest on their mothers' backs when the water that is too deep for them and they swim underwater to suckle.

 

There is a ton of information on Wikipedia for those wanting to know more.