Tanda Tula – Day 7 & 8
We departed from Johannesburg after a restful night at the Intercontinental. It is by far the best airport hotel I have stayed at. We then departed on our nine passenger plane to Tanda Tula which is a tented camp in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve that opens up to Kruger National Park.
The camp consists of just 12 secluded tents. Each are in an East African style with its own en-suite bathroom, victorian bathtub, outdoor shower and a deck overlooking the riverbed and African bush.
This was my my first experience in an African tented camp. Luckily the temperature dropped and I was able to get a restful night sleep listening to all of the animals surrounding me. When you leave your tent you have to make sure to lock the zipper so the monkeys don’t get in!
The game drives have been absolutely amazing. In just three drives I have seen the big five – Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Lion and Leopard. Our very first sighting was a Leopard feeding after a kill. She was stunning and spectacular. The lions are cousins who are off on their own and don’t belong to a larger pride. It was all so amazing but I have to say watching the giraffes come down to the water hole was one of the most serene moments of my life. Such a feeling of calm and serenity. 
Our group had the opportunity to visit another camp – Kings Camp which is an excellent four star great value lodge (and good for those who need their air conditioning!) Kings Camp also has a private villa for exclusive use only called Waterloo. Both properties are in a Colonial African decor which I found extremely authentic and appealing.