Jungle Nook

Always dreamt of this perfect place that has no cell phones, no land lines, no fax machines or internet connections, no nagging secretaries, no demanding clients and no deadlines? Sheetal Wadhwa Munshaw has found just the place and it’s not called Utopia

Located in the heart of the world-famous Sabi Sands Game Reserve in South Africa, Exeter Game Lodge nestles amidst the shade of a grove of ebony trees, bordering the Kruger National Park (South Africa’s game viewing capital). Spectacular views of the 65,000 hectares of prime Big Five, the luxurious lodge offers the most holistic outdoor experience, making it an idyllic haven to indulge, ‘search your soul’, rejuvenate and simply master the art of doing nothing.

The private lodge comprises seven magnificent luxury rooms, three ultra luxury suites and provides comforts such as a swimming pool with stunning views of the Sand River. The area is celebrated for sightings of Africa’s great cats - lion, leopard and cheetah. The surroundings of the lodge are both calm and picturesque and it is not very uncommon, they say, to find a leopard striding past your room or relaxing by the poolside! In fact, a member of the Exeter team escorts you (with torch light) to your room after dusk for fear of encountering wildlife.

Rondavels (cottages) at The Exeter are very spacious and colonial in style. The suites even have private jacuzzis overlooking the Manyaleti River. Predominantly African colours, textures and shapes adorn the rooms and create an essentially African mood. From the luxury suites you can often see hippopotamus surfacing the waters as you sip your wine and dip into your private plunge pool. Adding to the rustic charm are the beautiful bathrooms with partially open-air showers. It’s a complete back to nature experience as you indulge in a relaxing shower under the glorious African sun. The bathtubs are gigantic, making it ideal to soak yourself, while the aromatic candles, essential natural oils and bath accessories exude a fresh, tangy perfume...the perfect moment of pure self indulgence.

To me, the most soothing experience was the unhurried pace of the stay, almost as if we were blending with the rhythm of nature. It’s a true bush experience when you wake up with the call of the birds and set out for an early morning game drive. For wildlife enthusiasts hoping to spot some real game, the morning game drive is the high point of the day. Mornings generally get quite nippy due to the wind chill so it’s a good idea to carry your woollens and beanies because in winter months it can dip to below two degree celsius. Although things start warming up with the pace of the hunt, by the time you make a stop for some hot coffee the sun is already up and shining. This is also an exit cue for the safari team and it’s time to make your way back to the lodge for some wholesome breakfast followed by a bush walk. Interesting tales of the wilderness narrated by our ranger Warren would keep us great company through the nature walk. Lunch was a large spread laid out at the viewing deck and the entire group would then eat together amidst the beautiful outdoors. But the highlight really was the delectable cuisine. And even more delectable was the manner in which the chef would come to our table and take us through a romantic depiction of “What’s Cooking” in a typically Brit accent. Everything he said sounded like music to my ears, needless to say the fare was simply divine! The desserts were to die for and the creme-de-la-creme was the chocolate trilogy. The chef, in my opinion, should feature on the lodge brochure as a USP. Under his reign, sumptuous fruits, appetising meals, melting moments and blazing firesides were all part of our sojourn. The grand finale of our ceremonious meals was usually a South African liquor, Amarula or a stiff Martini as we sat up chatting until late in the night although we were looking forward to the early morning hunt.

When it comes to safaris, apart from being in the right reserve, it’s important to be guided by the right ranger and in our case we sure did get lucky. Warren in his mid-’20s already knew a great deal, not only on wildlife but also plant- and bird-life. He told us some interesting facts about the relation between African myths and ecology which were really quite fascinating. And hats off to our tracker who managed to spot a hyena in the darkness which won us the pride of being the group to have had the rarest sighting in days! Among others, we sighted the black and white rhino, hippos, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, kudu, nyala, impala, rare jackal and drag marks of a kill! But to me, the paramount moment was when we laid eyes on that gorgeous leopard whose stride was more graceful than any beauty pageant participant alive! She was stunning and though not more than an arm’s length away from us, was unaffected by our presence as she kept moving along her path and we followed, completely mesmerised. It was amazing to see how indifferent a ferocious feline can be towards a bunch of humans but our mystification was all dispelled once Warren explained that till you remain seated in the vehicle you are seen as part of the whole, it’s only when you stand up and single yourself out that you can land in trouble.

Although we were quite content with our numerous sightings, it wasn’t uncommon to the team at Exeter. What’s also not uncommon, is for the team to practically preempt your every need, which to me seemed almost surreal. The service at lodges in general is so personalised that you make at least one friend at the end of a two-day stay. On the very second night of our stay we were seated on the dinner table like a bunch of old pals catching up on old times.

But like all good things, our stay at the Exeter had to come to an end and even that was special. On the last night of our stay, the team planned a surprise candle-lit sundowner in the midst of the bush. We were headed back to the lodge, or so we thought, and Warren said he needed to take a diversion. Quite frankly we’d never know the difference because if you don’t know the bush finding your way around can be quite tricky. Suddenly, in the ‘heart of darkness’ there was a candle-lit white linen table set up with a full spread ahead of us. Two smiling faces behind the counter were chilling bottles of wine and, of course, they were Sarah and Colleen from Exeter. In a word, it was fantastic - a night to remember - because it’s not very often that you find yourself in the serenity of the African Savannah sipping a warm Merlot under the chilly starry night. I have yet to see a more romantic setting but this will remain etched in my memory forever. Discovering the bush and rediscovering myself, the only thing I wished for at Exeter was more time!