A South African safari to soothe the soul

As we wake before dawn breaks, millions of stars shine above the netted mosquito bed.

We stare at them as we lie on a platform elevated in the canopy, in what feels like a treehouse for adults.

Just west of Kruger National Park in South Africa, the sun begins to rise. Hues of yellow and pink kiss the sky above the 22,000-hectare Makalali Private Nature Reserve, which is home to Garonga Safari Camp's sleep-out platform.

Together with three other ladies, I drink hot coffee and tea while soaking up the vastness of the reserve.

Our driver Derrick Nyathi and spotter Kaizer Mathebula arrive in the leather-seated, open-air Jeep.

Today we are on the hunt for cheetahs.

We climb up the sides of the truck and take our seats in the hope of seeing the fastest land animal on Earth.

There's never a promise of seeing the big five game animals - lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard.

"It is only Mother Nature, only she knows what she will give us," driver and tracker Jaffeth Malapane had warned when we first arrived at the camp two days before.

I pull the heavy mink blanket just under my nose and down to my toes, a shield from the icy morning wind, as we bounce along the redden earth track on our cheetah search.

Our experts have heard there is one close, so we wait in an open plain for instruction on its location.

Word comes over the radio and Mr Mathebula jumps off the front of the Jeep to follow the cheetah's tracks, before we lose sight of him as he heads into the bush.

With our hands firmly on the backs of the seats in front, we tear along the track, veering down steep slopes and over trees, which spring back, until we meet our tracker with some good news.

Mr Mathebula saw zebras race past him, heard a "grr" and saw four cheetahs on the chase.

We follow the tracks only to arrive at a pride of lions.

"They were chasing cheetahs because they think they might have killed something," Mr Nyathi says.

"They are big scavengers."

The king lies with lionesses and two cubs, about three-months-old, as we stop less than 10 metres away. The adults stare at the jaw-dropped humans before resting their heads on the ground.

But the inquisitive cubs stare intently before they tumble with each other and one lays its head on its mother's back and the other licks her face and neck.

We sit mesmerised; the king of the jungle appears just as tame as a domestic cat licking its paws and saving its energy for the real catch.

It's time to get moving again; two microlight planes from Leading Edge Flight School are waiting to take us up for an aerial display of the reserve and the animals.

We soar above hippopotami, giraffes, zebras and even crocodiles with a stomach-curdling rollercoaster twirl just for good measure during the ride.

Once back on land, breakfast calls and we are met with a lavish bush feast with the other five guests.

We head back to camp with the option of a massage, a bush bath or a swim in the pool.

Afternoon high tea is served on the deck as elephants wander to the main camp's watering hole.

"I always wanted a safari experience after having experienced it as a kid in Kenya and that stuck with me ever since," Garonga Safari Camp owner Bernie Smith tells me in his office.

"Every day is a surprise, no drive is the same. That's the beauty of safari."

We soon jump back on the Jeep for the afternoon game drive.

A loud crunch rings out as a lion's jaws crack the head of an impala, unwilling to share it with two cubs who unsuccessfully go in for a taste.

We've now ticked off lions, hyenas, impala, zebra, elephants and giraffes - some towering at least five metres tall.

As night falls, we are treated to an astrology lesson before tucking into a traditional South African barbecue dinner back at the lodge.

With our stomachs full and our souls soothed, it's time to go back to our villas.

The tent-like front door is unzipped before I slip under the thick doona of the mosquito netted-bed.

Tomorrow we will go in search of hippopotami.

OTHERS LISTS OF FIVE ANIMALS TO SEE IN AFRICA (as shared by Garonga Safari Camp staff):

The ugly five: Vulture, Hyenas, Wildebeest, Marabou Stalk, Warthog

The small five: Antlion, Rhino beetle, Buffalo weaver, Leopard Tortoise, Elephant shrew

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE: South African Airlines flies from Australia's east coast with codeshare partner Virgin Australia with fares starting from about $A1370 return in economy during September, and from $A5414 in business to Johannesburg or $A5536 to Cape Town, as part of a special fare offer. Go to flysaa.com for prices on specific dates.

STAYING THERE: Garonga Safari Camp offers luxury tented villas that can house two people. Prices start from $A603 a night which includes all meals, tea, coffee, house alcoholic drinks, game drives, bushwalks, the sleep-out, a bush bath, laundry and wifi. Check out, garonga.com.

BE SURE TO PACK: A warm jacket for the game drives, a beanie, a torch, a camera, bathers, a hat and sunscreen.

To mark their 50th anniversary, award-winning Africa travel specialist Bench Africa has launched a 13-day Luxury Signature Safari Special, featuring four nights in Cape Town, three nights in Franschhoek and five nights on a luxury safari in a private game reserve near Kruger National Park. Prices start from $A4995 per person, twin share - a saving of $A1610 per person - including deluxe accommodations throughout, breakfast daily, all meals and local drinks on safari, tours in Cape Town, road transfers, game viewing and other extras. Internal flights are not included. Conditions apply. For more information or to book, call 1300 AFRICA (237 422) or visit benchafrica.com.

Register for a free copy of Bench Africa's newly released 2018/19 AFRICA brochure by email: info@benchafrica.com.au

The writer travelled to South Africa as a guest of Bench Africa, which organised all activities, accommodations and transport.

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