When we talk about Kruger we always think about the huge national park, but one of the best experiences you can do is choose to stay in a private reserve bordering the Kruger, in this way you share the ecosystem, but you keep a privacy extreme and you have the opportunity to experience the contact with animals in a totally different way.
I was lucky enough to stay at the Ngala Safari Lodge and experience one of the best experiences of my life. Ngala, is part of the group & Beyond, a company that has founded his name on the care of his guests, I was only two days from them and I seemed to know them for some time, I had that feeling like when you went in "vacation" months and then the day of your departure you were sad and greeted all those you had met.
The Ngala Private Reserve borders the Kruger National Park, is easily accessible with a 4 × 4, passing through Timbavati Gate and then following the signs, another alternative is to take a small plane that will take you directly into the reserve.
He wonderful aspect of this place is that there are no barriers, the land is obviously privately owned, of the WWF to be exact, but their love for animals and their constant commitment to conservation projects has led not to use no type of fence or defense, in fact the borders with the national park are only outlined by dirt roads that the rangers are strongly committed to never cross. Another aspect I would say almost amusing is that the structure of the Lodge is obviously located in the middle of the reserve and there are no fences or high voltage cables, so the animals are free to circulate even in the lodge, in fact, in the pond near one of the outdoor salons, many animals often come to drink and no chemicals are used in the pool because elephants often prefer it to drink. After sunset it is forbidden to go around the lodge without being accompanied, Ngala has set up a group of young people who takes care of escorting all the guests for dinner so as not to be scared when they meet servant animals, I find a small detail that makes so much difference.
Nothing is left to chance, there are different types of rooms, I had a standard cottage, really very large, with a beautiful terrace and a huge bathroom with an outdoor shower, which I love. I had the opportunity to photograph the family suites that are nothing short of a dream, a small house with a well-kept furniture, private pool, possibility to have dinner in the room and private car so you can bring small children in the safaris , which is usually prohibited.
The day begins with a game drive at 5.30, the hour I prefer because the luca has wonderful pink hues, the rangers head where the fingerprints suggest, for us it was very easy to find the lions, we have also seen in groups of 5 women, I was also lucky to see a hunting scene between an adult lion and a herd of buffaloes, won the buffalo, but it was a magical moment. By 9 o'clock you go back to the lodge, after a coffee break in the savannah and we wait for the best breakfast ever, I admit that I will dream of their smoked ham as long as I live.
What do you do after you've seen lions, hyenas and leopards and woke up at 5? I sleep! I admit that the penny in Ngala's comfortable beds is something of a treat, but the day can continue with a massage overlooking the animals or pool overlooking the pond, let's say that there are so many ways to relax and fully enjoy this wonderful place. I spent most of my time taking pictures because every corner was really unique.
The second game drive starts at 16.30 and you can see how the savannah slowly goes to sleep, I was lucky enough to meet a leopard that hunted that totally careless of our cars we passed at 30 centimeters away, really stupendous. In one of the sunset game drives, we met a really big group of wild dogs, which thanks to your support on Facebook I discovered that they are called Lycaeon in Italian, is a wild dog, moves in groups and is very good at hunting, from what I understand are not very easy to meet, but it seems that here at Ngala is all magical. Even the landscape is really varied, there is a point where you walk on the sandy bed of an underground river that gives a very different cut to the horizon. We have also met several rhinos, families with white rhino puppies and a black rhino male, they are so funny and massive at the same time.
Dinner is the moment when everything lights up little flames of candles, usually one evening during the stay you participate in a boma dinner, which is usually all around the fire, but here in Ngala takes place in a beautiful outdoor room with a barbecue where you have dinner at the table with the people who share the jeep with you and the ranger, a nice way to know each other I would say.
A safari is not just about seeing animals, but about understanding love for nature
Ngala and conservation projects:
For us who live in the West, almost always in big cities, the wild nature is interesting, exotic, but at the same time a distant context. Most of us know very little about ethology, animal behavior, what scares them, what relaxes them, how to recognize the footprints or excrements, which plants to follow, for most of us to go on a safari is like immerse yourself in a new subject, like going back to school.
This is why it is very important to have a good ranger, because not only does it have the ability to bring you from the animal you want to see, but above all it has the task of showing you the way. In Ngala game drive vehicles there is always a driving ranger and a tracker that is a person capable of recognizing the tracks of animals and suggesting itineraries. Usually the tracker is a boy born on the spot, raised in the savannah accustomed to recognize every sign of nature, our name was Thom a very sweet boy born in a village next to the reserve, it was beautiful to observe, it is appropriate to say that not I understood absolutely nothing about what he was doing, but he always knew where to go.
Along with the recent interest in organic farming, which in many cases I believe is a marketing lever, traveling, especially in such extreme places, we need to pay close attention to conservation projects carried out by organizations or private bodies.
The Group & Beyond is very active in conservation in all its lodges around the world and even here in Ngala leaves its mark.
Earth Care:
- Ngala Lodge, is built according to a project of sustainable architecture and perfectly integrated into nature
- 43% of the energy used in the lodge is renewable, while 57% is produced by internal generators
- No chemicals are used in the waters of the lodge to protect the animals in case they drink it
- All drinking water is served in plastic bottles recycled in person by the & Beyond group
- The lodge has a gray water recovery plan that allows 57% re-use
Animal Care:
- Ngala Lodge actively participates in the anti-poaching projects of the rhinoceros. I do not know how many of you know this, but in South Africa there is a very important problem of poaching, especially in Kruger, many animals are killed, in 2017 only in Kruger, in order to sell the horn to the Chinese market as for their tradition seems to have a strong exciting power and is used instead of Viagra. The fight against poaching is really violent, every year many people die and the thing that surprises me most of every story is the cruelty and violence with which it is carried out. Ngala contributes in several aspects to conserving and protecting the rhinos population in South Africa because their extinction would represent a huge hole in the ecosystem. For example in Kruger you can not do night safari so you do not have the chance to confuse the poachers with tourists. Furthermore, & Beyond has participated in a project in which 100 rhinos have been transferred to Botswana in order to live with less risk of being killed.
During my stay in Nglala I had the great luck to meet, a type of black adult rhino, 3 meters from our car, it was wonderful, but the thing I remember most is that our ranger was moved. I love to see people who are passionate about their work and who are sensitive to being moved by nature.
- Conservation projects try to keep the development of the flora within the reserve under control, managing the spontaneous growth of infesting or easily burning plants
- inside the reserve there are some wells of water, so in case of a terrible drought you can flood the areas in order to allow the animals to hydrate without making them suffer-
- Every year the lodge staff participates in 50 conservation lessons, to keep up-to-date with developments
People Care:
- 50% of the costs of the lodges are for small local businesses
- 65% of the people working in Ngala are local staff, very often they hire people born in the surrounding communities, and the operational village of the lodge becomes a real small local housing center.
- Ngala also contributes to school projects of the families of the community involved in their lodges
- All staff are trained in a professional manner, on more than one aspect, in order to provide them with a wider cultural background
- & Beyond also contributes to public health projects in the areas where its lodges are located.
