Nkorho Bush Lodge, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa

When the djembe drum sounds at Nkorho Bush Lodge, you know it is dinner time. The rhythm of Africa vibrates in your very soul and places you firmly here in the bush of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in the north-eastern safari region bordering Kruger National Park.

Arrive a stranger and leave as a friend is Nkorho’s motto, and to that end you are allocated a ranger to look after you during your stay. It is he or she who makes sure your favourite beverage is on the vehicle, ready for when you stop for sundowner drinks on the late-afternoon game drive. It is your ranger who says it is safe to get out of the vehicle to stretch your legs and tuck into snacks while watching the sun go down.

Your ranger becomes your best friend and protector, the person who carries the rifle on the morning game walk to ensure your safety. Less obvious but equally important is the tracker. This is the person who sniffs the air, listens to the telltale noises of the bush and reads the spoor to locate the animals you so desire to see.

A good day of game viewing can build quite an appetite and there is nothing better than to arrive home to Nkorho’s famous ‘bush cuisine’. The bush element comes from both the fare on offer, such as tender fillet of venison, and the dining ambience created by an open fire around which yarns are spun and adventure stories swopped. All this, while knowing that wild animals are just a heartbeat away.