Entabeni Game Reserve for Easter

View from our cabin porch. Those are warthogs in the photo.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday. Here in SA Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays so Jon and I both had a long weekend to enjoy some time together.  We spent the weekend at a place called Entabeni Game Reserve, a private game reserve about 2 1/2 hours north of Jo'burg.  It is a beautiful place in the mountains with incredible views and amazing animals.  We were lucky enough to see three of the Big 5 animals - lions, elephants and rhinos - along with a host of others. The lodge was romantic and secluded. Our stay included 2 game drives per day with a ranger, one at 6:30 in the morning and one at 4 each afternoon. It has begun to cool off with typical fall temps, cool each morning and night.  We would return to the lodge in the mornings to a fire and big breakfast. Evening drives ended with hot cider or sherry and then a 3-course dinner.  It was a perfect getaway.

A crocodile sunning himself in the middle of the track. We
had to back up several hundred yards to go around him.

A mother and her calf take a stand against unwanted
advances from a male rhino.  Right after this photo they got
in a fight. The baby even tried getting between them to defend his mom.

The female won this round. The male ran right past our
vehicle with a wound to his head and some blood
dripping down his face. The ranger says the male will try
again next month to win the female's affections.

We could hear the elephants before we saw them.  They make
incredible noise tromping through the bush.

Lion cubs (about 8 months old)

The cubs play and dad yawns. They woke him up and he let them know
he wasn't happy with a growl and a swat of his paw.

We drove to the upper escarpment (the top of the mountain)
with our ranger one morning and saw giraffes among other animals.

The cabins

The lodge at dinner time