There are no typical days at MalaMala – each is different based on the wild animals and their movements and no return time to camp is the same. Rangers will take full advantage of cheetah hunting or a leopard feeding in a tree and obviously the guest’s requirements are considered.
A 5:30 am wake-up call by your ranger heralds the dawn. Meet your ranger and safari companions at 6:00 am on the safari deck as the sun rises over the bushveld. Hot and cold beverages and a light snack are available. The early morning game drive follows. Game drives are conducted in open 4-wheel drive safari vehicles in the 40,000 acre private reserve. The rangers are in constant radio communication with one another to keep each other informed about the location of wildlife. Headsets are used for this purpose so as not to interrupt the sounds of the African bush. The 4-wheel drive safari vehicles enable the rangers to leave the road and provide guests with close up game viewing and fantastic photographic opportunities. Night drives, with the aid of powerful spotlights, bring the bush to life at night. Not only are you sure to see the Big Five, but you will also leave with a deep understanding of the complex ecology that envelopes this great landscape.
At approximately 9:30 am, you will return to camp where a hearty breakfast awaits you in the air-conditioned dining room or on the expansive safari deck. For the more energetic, join the bush walk after breakfast. Alternatively relax around the pool, browse through the safari boutique, work out in the small gym or perhaps take a siesta to make up for that early morning wake-up call. Feel free to explore the camp but please do not walk beyond the camp perimeters unless accompanied by a ranger. A buffet lunch is served from 1:30 pm, though some prefer to sleep through after their later breakfast.
Once again meet at 4:00 pm for hot and cold beverages and a light snack on the expansive safari deck before departing on another unforgettable safari. A cooler box with the veritable sundowners are carried on the landrover and a consensus amongst your fellow safari-ites will determine whether the G & T is worth more than the leopard sighting! An African sunset is memorable and oft emotional sight. As darkness approaches, your ranger will scan the bush with a powerful spotlight and will point out the elusive nocturnal wildlife – a highlight of the day’s safari. As darkness settles over the bush, look out for the Milky Way – a truly spectacular sight – or try to find the Southern Cross.
Return to camp at approximately 8:00 pm, allowing time for you to freshen up before meeting your friends and rangers for pre-dinner drinks in the cozy Safari Bar. Dinner is served at 9:00 pm in the reed enclosed “boma” under an ancient Jackalberry tree. Alternatively, when the weather is suitable, a candlelit dinner is served on the safari deck overlooking the Sand River. While seated around a log fire under the starry African sky, enjoy the superb food and excellent wines – yet another highlight of the Mala Mala experience.