Why Limpopo-Lipadi is different

Some weeks ago, co-owner Woody brought some dear friends along to Limpopo-Lipadi. Upon arrival he added a disclaimer to what the Reserve might or might not have to offer: “Whenever I bring guests to LL, I am always somewhere apprehensive about how the game viewing experience will be. “LL is not a zoo,” I forewarn them. “Unlike some of the commercial lodges where you are guaranteed to see the Big 5 on your first day, here you have to work for it.” And then I add: “That is what makes it fun.” Despite having delivered this caveat, I was still worried as to how our guests, Margaret and David, would react to long drives in the bush only to spot after an hour or so a tower of giraffes. Would they be disappointed? Our plane touched down on the airstrip where we were greeted by Keba (GM), Actor (guide) and Becky (Reservations), and a contingent of the Anti-Poaching Unit who had swept the strip to clear any wildlife before we landed. After a welcome drink, we mounted Actor’s Land Cruiser for the relatively short drive from the airstrip to our lodge. I did not expect that we would see much of anything. No sooner had we crossed the main road, however, then we ran into a group of impala. “Thank goodness,” I thought with relief. “At least we can count on them to show Margaret and David that we are in the African bush.” Then a bit further on, three zebra appeared, grazing happily by the side of the road. As we proceeded on, yellow-billed hornbills and grey lorries glided from tree to tree. Africa is not just about 4-legged creatures, I told our guest as we stopped to take a closer look through binoculars at our feathered friends. A little bit further in, as we got closer to camp, we spotted a giraffe browsing amongst the treetops. Then two more appeared. This was turning out to be like a mini-game drive. Satisfied that our guests had already seen enough to keep them happy, we passed through the office gate and headed down the road past the lodges. As we turned right on the road to our lodge, what did Actor spot in the bush ahead of us? Elephant. But not just one, there were no less than six of them. “These ones came down the river,” he said. “They have been hanging around camp for several days.” So much for our plans to get exercise walking down the road. But what a treat to see elephant within 20 minutes from landing. Our guests were needless to say as delighted as I was. And while this action-packed drive was not typical of all our drives over the next six days, I am pleased to report that we had plenty of good sightings. Some of the more memorable were the wild dog pack on a fresh impala kill, a new-born giraffe that was only a day old, several rhino sightings, including some of our new arrivals, the wildebeest grazing at night on the Southern Plain, the breeding herd having an evening drink at Pietie’s Dam, a clan of dwarf mongoose playing in the afternoon sun, and of course plenty of impala. As usual, for most of the sightings, we did have to work for them, but that again is part of the fun. At Limpopo-Lipadi, every day is an adventure. You never know what you will see, but whatever it is, it is always a pleasure just to be out, experiencing the African bush at your own pace.” Want to be a part of Limpopo-Lipadi’s adventures? For discreet information on share sales, contact generalmanager@limpopo-lipadi.org. To book a safari, request our rates via reservations@limpopo-lipadi.org or via WhatsApp: (+267) 76770191.