There are so many things to consider when planning a safari trip (especially if it's your first, as this was for me) that it can be overwhelming. How long do I stay? What should I bring? What will the weather be like? How do I get from point A to point B? Here's one thing to make your planning easier: stay at Ulusaba.
I've just returned from a stay at Ulusaba and have to say that it's likely the best hotel I've ever stayed at. But then again, "hotel" is a bit of an understatement - this falls more under the category of an "experience" - and an amazing one at that.
Undecided on which lodge to pick, we opted to split our time between both the Rock Lodge and the Safari Lodge - 2 nights at each. As the Rock Lodge was our first stop, we were taken there upon landing at the Ulusaba airstrip and being refreshed with a nice glass of champagne - into the safari vehicle and up the hill to the lodge, the adventure had begun. Upon arriving, we were taken on a tour of the central lodge areas and then to our room (to our surprise, we had been upgraded to the Makwela Dawn suite -- an incredible split-level accomodation with private deck and plunge pool). The views from Rock Lodge were amazing. And the room was so nice that we actually then requested to spend all 4 nights there. However, new guests were coming in, so we had to move to Safari Lodge two days later. I'm glad we did it this way - they are two very different lodges, but with the same emphasis on both making guests feel at home and catering to their every need. At the Safari Lodge, we were surprised with another upgrade -- to a River Room...another gorgeous accomodation - a little smaller than the one we had at Rock Lodge, but also beautifully appointed and complete with private deck and plunge pool. While Rock Lodge is a teeny bit more refined and elegant, Safari Lodge feels like more of an adventure in the heart of the bush.
Food at both was excellent -- and plentiful. The day starts at 5:30am with your wake-up call. After getting ready, you call to be escorted from your room to the lodge, where you'll find tea, coffee, scones, shortbread, and cookies. Halfway through the drive is a rest stop for more of the same. When you get back around 9:00am, it's time for a full breakfast. Breakfast is the same every day (except for the day we had it served in the bush) - with cooked-to-order omelettes, pancakes, etc. As a person whose breakfast usually consists of a coffee, I actually found myself quite hungry after the game drives. Well - about 3 hours later, lunch is served. Again, the menu is the same every day, but there are plenty of options - ranging from a Kudu burger to a butternut/goat's cheese pizza. At 3pm, tea is served (we only managed this the first day) - sweet snacks and tea and then you are off on your drive. Halfway through - it's time for sundowners! Drinks and more snacks. And at 8pm, dinner is served at communal tables. The chef introduces the menu options - 3 each for appetizers and entree (1 of each is always vegetarian). Great, innovative, and tast selections.
But I haven't even gotten to the highlight yet - and that's the game drives. They are, in a word, fantastic. Yes, waking up at 5am is hard. Yes, they can be cold (they provide fleece cover-ups, blankets, and hot water bottles, but if you are going in their winter, bring a fleece jacket and hat). But they are absolutely great. With the trusted guidance of Jobe (our ranger) and Powlie (our tracker), we saw all Big 5 by our second day. We also saw mating leopards, baby elephants and hippos, a leopard chasing impala, and a lion about to feast on a wildebeast. The animals come very, very close to the vehicle sometimes and our adrenaline definitely got pumping, but we never feared for our safety. We also went off-road quite a bit, which was exciting! This is the type of thing that words won't do justice for, you just have to experience it for yourself.
So, how long should you go on safari? It depends. For us, 4 days was the perfect amount of time. We got into the routine, saw everything, but were not too exhausted by the early wake-up times or jaded by the amazine wildlife encounters.
But however long you choose to go for and whenever you choose to go, stay at Ulusaba. You won't be disappointed.