Pretoria May 2019

of the Big Five.
If you are lucky, you will have
ranger and tracker duo Eric and
Foster, who could well star as a
comedy duo in a show if they ever
give up their day jobs.
As exciting as rounding a corner
to encounter a rhino may be, is
rounding one and coming across
the Welcome to Bush Drinks sign ...
an opening in the veld where
drinks and snacks are spread out
for a pre-dinner treat.
The next morning, the same area
is transformed into an outdoor
breakfast venue ... mimosas
and eggs with a soundtrack of
birdsong.
Dinner could be on the verandah
or in the dry river bed in front of
the lodge; and trust us, it is a dinner
that is sensational.
Sensational, too, are the
rooms ... from the grand
two-bedroom Grant and
Baines presidential
suites to the smaller
but no less desirable Explorer
Suites. All have private plunge
pools and wooden decks, woodburning
fireplaces and baths with a
view! So romantic.
With just six suites, the lodge is
never overcrowded ... and if you
are looking fo total privacy for you
and your family, you can book the
Manor House – an exclusive-use
villa with five en-suite bedrooms,
its own chef, butler and game
vehicle.
The rates include all meals, house
wines and soft drinks, two game
drives a day, a 15-minute back and
neck massage as well as everything
else you would expect from a
luxury lodge ... Wi-Fi and mini bars,
free laundry and the like.
Children under 12 are not allowed
at the main lodge, but those aged
nine and older are welcome in
the presidential suites, where
personalised itineraries and kids’
programmes can be arranged.
Rates are from R11 905, but vary
depending on suites, seasons and
specials, so it is worth visiting their
website. Details: tintswalo.com
An African savannah elephant is killed,
on average, every 15 to 20 minutes.
Let that sink in a little. These gentle,
magnificent creatures are a species
in crisis. The authors of The Last
Elephants, Don Pinnock and Colin Bell,
hope their book will fulfil two wishes
... that at CITES 2019, elephants will
be upgraded to Appendix I (banning
trade of elephants or their parts across
international borders) and secondly
that those countries that receive and
use legal and poached ivory (mainly
China, Vietnam, Laos and Japan) will
ban and police its trade and use. In
the book, the story of our continent’s
elephants and the dangers they face
is told through the eyes of more
than 40 researchers, conservationists,
poets, activists and rangers. With
a foreword by HRH Prince William,
Duke of Cambridge, the book is also
a tribute to the people who work for
the welfare of elephants, particularly
those who risk their lives for them,
often for little or no pay. Exceptional
photographs and an exceptional
book. Penguin, R490
This month we are drinking Indlovu
Gin ... made from elephant dung
(yes, really!). Elephants eat all day,
consuming vast amounts of fruit and
plants that often are not digested
... and it is this lovely savannah
vegetation that gives Indlovu Gin
its unique, woody, earthy flavours.
Perfect for an African sundowner.
R615 from Yuppie Chef, with 15%
of the profits going to the African
Foundation to support their
conservation work through the
Phinda Wildlife Project.
Text & Photos: Kym Argo / Canon
May 2019 Get It Pretoria 27