Written by Safari Tartlet, Renate de Villiers.

Bossy (the Nokia Navigator GPS) was talking nicely to us giving us directions, because Carrie had forgotten the way to African Game Lodge in the Western Cape Mountains near Montagu. But Bossy was a little out of sorts because we were going into the middle of the mountains and she was not familiar with this off-the-beaten-path track to nowhere. I am Renate de Villiers, Carrie’s intern from Pretoria University, spending a week with Carrie to learn how to become a travel writer. I didn’t realize I would start my career being a Safari Tartlet! But up until now, I’ve enjoyed it so much that I don’t feel like leaving very soon.

 The name, African Game Lodge, made me think that this lodge would have lots of wild animals, but that’s not what you should expect here. It is more of a self-catering nature reserve than a game lodge, with six whitewashed and thatched cottages well spaced apart and all with stunning reserve views.

There are some cheetah in enclosures (because if they were free-roaming, they would inevitably escape and probably get shot by farmers). You can pay for a close-up big cat encounter with Duma, the tamest cheetah, and hear him purring in extra loud raptures at being stroked.

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As I galloped along the water’s edge of Oyster Bay Lodge’s own 3.5km beach, I couldn’t help letting out a “yeehaa”.

I was supposed to stay just one night at Oyster Bay Lodge, but arriving at dusk and leaving early morning on a media tour, just wasn’t enough. So, being a safari tart, I asked if they wouldn’t mind if I stayed another night. They thought I was a chancer, which I probably am, but a quick google search of yours truly showed that I am a real travel writer, and no novice. I’m so glad they agreed, because otherwise I would have missed my “yeehaa” and all the feelgood that is still running through my veins after a perfect beach ride. I would have also missed chatting to owner Hans Verstrate, who is a man that makes you search into your soul and question yourself.

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Aquila Private Game Reserve is just under two hours drive north-east of Cape Town and is probably the most visited safari destination within reach of the city. The terrain is completely different from the coast, because once you have passed over or through the mountains, you enter the Great Karoo. It’s dry and dusty with occasional pointy or flat-topped peaks and beautiful golden escarpments dipping into sandy valleys mottled with small aromatic bushes. Aquila is full of the game that used to roam this dry interior and out of all the reserves within reach of Cape Town, this is the one I enjoyed most.

It is owned by a handsome man with a large ego, who knows how to make big things happen. Aquila is his dream and every year he took one step closer to having the Big Five animals roaming his land. He finally achieved this and has lions in their own large patch of hillside, through which the safari vehicles drive.

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This is no ordinary horse ride, oh no, novice horse riders need not apply, as experience and a high level of in-the-saddle competence is a pre-requisite for this adventure with African Horseback Safaris. You have to handle horses that are fit and raring-to-go, as well possible encounters with Okavango Delta big game like leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo and wild dog. I was up for the challenge and riding fit and very excited about this trip.

It is my not-so-humble opinion, that the Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s greatest wilderness areas. It offers one of the best all round safari experiences and being on a horse here, is for me, the pinnacle of safari experiences. The potential dangers of the African bush are far less fearsome on horseback than say walking, as the horses play their fair share in warning of hazards. After all they don’t really want to be eaten by a lion either.

GALLOP THROUGH THE FLOODPLAINS.

I was last seen galloping joyfully through the Okavango’s seasonal floodplains, joining in a zebra stampede and trying to keep up with suprisingly speedy giraffe. We never met any lions, who would probably run away from this wild-west cowboy spectacle anway.

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