Back to Gomo Gomo - two years later

Gomo Gomo Game Lodge is a private and intimate camp situated in the prestigious Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, giving you best traverse viewing. We can vouch for this because we are about to make our third visit to this little "lowveld paradise."  We began making plans for this trip last November. Here are the steps to take when planning a safari like this.

Step 1: Always check the South African School Calendar to make sure you are visiting while the local kids are in school.

Step 2: Consider the weather. In 2012 we went in late July and it was very cold.  Temperatures across South Africa that year were at record lows.  The evening game drives were frigid, requiring many layers of clothing. This time we decide to go in early June, so the weather should be really nice. 

Step 3: The season is important.  I enjoy going during the rainy season, from November through March.  The bush foliage is dense and the bird life is amazing. Hundreds of migratory bird species take up residence in southern Africa, and the big herds of buffalo and elephant move around in the lush environment. But Jan prefers the winter months, June through August, when the leaves have fallen and wildlife (at least the mammals) are easier to spot. Water sources shrink, forcing the animals to congregate around the areas water holes, and remaining river pools. 

So - we decided on June, when temperatures are still relatively mild and the bush has lost most of it foliage. The best of both worlds.

Step 4: Choose the location. We have been to the lowveld area around the Kruger National Park a number of times.  In fact, it is a place I visited twice as a teenager in 1959 and 1961. So we know we will get our moneys worth. We first visited the Klaserie Wildlife area, west of Kruger Park in 2001 and had a wonderful three days at Kings Camp.  Then we returned to stay at Gomo Gomo, in their old location, in 2006. It was a fabulous trip and we regretted spending only three days there. In 2012 we spent four nights at the new Gomo Gomo Camp with some of our kids and our eleven year-old granddaughter Avery.  We all had a blast for four full days and even saw a white lion cub -  a big highlight.

Step 5: Consider the cost!  Gomo Gomo will cost us under US$200 per night per person.  This includes all Game Drives, all meals and accommodations.  Nearby, upscale lodges might charge up to $880 to $1,000 pp per night.  Hey, they all have the same wildlife to view so why pay more? As we are returning guests, Gomo Gomo has offered a discount as well. 

This time we have booked a full five nights at the camp.  After we leave, we will rent a car and spend five nights in the Kruger National Park. For a self-drive safari KNP can't be beat. Accommodations will set us back about $100 per night for both of us and restaurant fare is good and inexpensive, by American standards.

Step 6: Once the game camp and KNP bookings were made, we booked our plane tickets. It is important to book and pay as far in advance as possible.  The return airfare from Denver to Johannesburg was just a bit over $2,000 each. Then there is a short flight from Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo Airport, by South African Airways Express commuter flight, to the Gateway airport near Hoedspruit.  Cost, about $160 each. We are picked up by Gomo Gomo staff at the airport for a 30 minute drive to the lodge.

With less than three weeks to go we keep saying "Three weeks from now we will be over the Atlantic.." or "In three weeks we will be arriving at Gomo Gomo!"  They say that we become more patient as we grow older, but that is not true in this case. We are like two kids waiting for Christmas Eve. 

We will be posting more news as our trip begins and hope to share photos along the way. Join us on Facebook.

From Kruger Park to Johannesburg

A cheetah at the HESC.

On our way up Abel Erasmus Pass. Stunning scenery.

Leaving then Kruger National Park, our destination was the Manor Guest House in Lydenburg.  We stopped for a tour of the Cheetah Sanctuary, or the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center (HESC) where Joe had booked an 11:00 a.m. tour several months before. When we arrived the staff had no record of our booking. We were shown a 25 minutes National Geographic video and taken on a 30 minute drive in a Land Rover.  We drove between numerous, spacious fenced enclosures and were disappointed that we couldn’t see any of the animals close-up without a fence between us. The lunch was good however, salvaging some of the disappointment. An African Grey parrot kept Avery amused. The HESC is a worthy project but when you have spent ten days seeing wildlife roaming free in the open bush it is a disappointment.

The scenery along the highway to Lydenburg was ever changing as we left the bush and drove westward to Abel Erasmus Pass, past the Blyde River Canyon turnoff and up the mountain to the J. G Strijdom Tunnel.  We stopped to look at the crafts and visit a bit with the women who sat there all day with their small children enticing tourists to buy their wares. We drove on and detoured to Blyde River Canyon overlook and took photos of the Three Rondavels on the opposite the edge of the gorge. Regrettably we had not allowed ourselves time to explore this region which is very picturesque and has many interesting stops. It was late in the day when we arrived in Lydenburg and city traffic was just like rush hour at home.  The streets were filled with people walking in all directions as it was the end of the workday.  It took a while to find our B&B (Manor Guesthouse) and it was a little difficult to park the large van in the small gated area. 

The Manor Guest House - Lydenburg

The accommodations were spacious and lovely, however, very cold.  The hostess turned on our electric blankets and the wall space heater.  CJ and Joe and Jan had free standing fireplaces in their rooms—but J&J couldn’t light the fire because they had no matches.  We took the van and went in search of something to eat and found a pizza-fish place, fast food that was filling and satisfying.  Michelle caught the attention of the girls behind the counter, they noticed she was American, and soon they all left their posts and were asking all sorts of questions about the US.  Pictures were taken, the food was delicious and we were on our way to Spar (store) for more provisions.  Biscuits disappeared quickly and we had another day on the road tomorrow.  The beds were warm and comfortable, but the wi-fi was tricky.  We had been without email for a several days and we needed to check in.

It was nice to have coffee and tea service in our room, so we enjoyed a cup before packing up and having breakfast at 7:30 Wednesday in the sun-room in the main house.  We again had typical African fare, a choice of cereals, fruit, yogurt and cooked breakfast of eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon or sausage and toast.

The N4 to Pretoria

Our drive was mostly on a toll highway to Pretoria.  We had a standing PBJ (peanut butter and jelly – for those who are not familiar with this staple) picnic at a rest stop on the way.  Pretoria (Tswhana) is a bustling capitol city to the north of Johannesburg.  We stopped at the historic Union Buildings where the administrative government for South Africa has its offices.  The lovely gardens were not in bloom, as it was wintertime, but the vista was impressive and there were crafts to browse.  Michelle and Avery picked up small gifts for Avery’s friends. 

Joe phoned Barry Blair (old friend from Rhodes University and Rhodesia) and got directions to his home.  Of course, we missed a turn on the busy confusing highways but Kevin used his GPS and rescued us.  Barry welcomed us and served tea before Hilary arrived home from teaching her Pilates class and reminded him of the milk tart (melktert), so we each had a slice of the wonderful pudding.  Joe and Jan wanted to visit with their long-time friends and the kids were eager to move around so Barry and Joe took them to nearby MonteCasino where they toured the Bird Sanctuary and shops.  Jan stayed to visit with Hilary and then we made plans to have dinner at our airport hotel that night.  J&J then met the kids at Monte- Casino.  Before entering, we had to pass through a security check, opening our bags and being frisked—they were looking for handguns.  We sat with the kids while they had an Italian dinner and heard tales of the birds attacking them in the aviary.  They laughed so hard telling us about their experience there.

 

Historic Union Buildings - Administrative Capitol of SA.

We encountered rush-hour traffic on the drive to the Garden Court Hotel at O.R. Tambo  Airport.  An accident brought traffic to a halt—no matter what country one may be in, highway traffic can be a pain.  Thankfully Kevin used his GPS to get us on the right highway.  As we neared the airport, we could see the hotel, but couldn’t find an exit to get to it, so we went in circles until Kevin found the exit we needed on his GPS.  We were all a bit stir-crazy by the time we unloaded our luggage.  Joe needed to return the rental car but decided to call the agency and asked them to pick it up at the hotel—the road maze was too much to deal with a second time.  Advice to anyone visiting O. R. Tambo airport in Johannesburg for the first time (or tenth time!) - call for help.

We put our luggage in our room just as Barry and Hilary arrived.  It was so much fun sitting down for a relaxing buffet dinner and catching up, laughing like we always do together.  The dinner was delicious and the puddings plentiful.  We had long ago given in to the delicious fare.  
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And so ended our adventures in the northern provinces.  Tomorrow we would fly to the coast at Port Elizabeth and bring Joe back to the familiar Eastern Cape where he had attended High School and University in the 50s and 60s.

Gomo Gomo to Kruger National Park

A stop at PicknPay in Hoedspruit

After renting our eight-seater Hyundai (a very comfortable vehicle!) in Hoedspruit, our first stop was at the Standard Bank to convert US dollars into Rand.  Then we made the first of many visits to the PicknPay to buy travel essentials:  biscuits (cookies) and snack food, water (although we could drink tap water), a Coke Light and naartjies (tangerines).  It was interesting to mix with the African people and note the differences in customs and cultures.  For instance, check-out clerks sit down as they scan groceries and there is a charge for the plastic bags to carry the purchases. We found many examples of recycling and conservation conscious policies during our trip.

We drove north from Hoedspruit on the highway to the Phalaborwa Gate and the entrance to Kruger National Park (KNP).  

One of the first animals we saw in KNP - a baboon

The Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers 19,485 square kilometres (7,523 sq miles) and extends 360 kilometres (220 mi) from north to south and 65 kilometres (40 mi) from east to west, not including the Private Reserves which adjoin it on the west side. To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique. Gomo Gomo, where we had spent four wonderful days is in the Klaserie Private Reserve which is now part of the Greater Kruger Park Wildlife Management area.  The objective in spending three nights in the Kruger Park was to be able to see what a unique conservation area it is and to experience its wildlife while self-driving.

A Ground Hornbill

One of the oldest in the world, Kruger National Park (KNP) was first designated a Government Wildlife Park in 1898 before being expanded and named the Sabi Game Reserve.  It officially became the Kruger National Park in 1926. It receives over a million visitors a year now and is a favorite vacation destination for most South Africans, offering a wide range of affordable accommodation from basic camping, to RV’s, cottages and luxury lodges. It is important to plan any visit to Kruger Park outside of school holidays!

On our drive through KNP to Letaba Rest Camp we again saw wildlife; ground hornbills, giraffe, rhino, buffalo, elephants and a baboon sitting high on a rock.  We didn’t stop too long for photographs as we had to reach camp before the gates closed at sunset.

We had a bungalow with two bedrooms and two baths for two nights.  Each bedroom had three single beds.  KNP thatched camps are set up for self-catering and each unit has a fully furnished kitchen, dining table and sitting area as well as a covered porch.  There is also a filling station, restaurant, gift shop/grocery store, camping area, ablutions, and washer/dryers.  Guests are cautioned that monkeys, baboons and honey badgers are problematic in the camp so food should be securely stored and doors to bungalows should be kept closed at all times.  Resident bushbucks were wandering around the camp.  We walked along the river path to the restaurant for some dinner and bats flew overhead.   The air was filled with the smell of outdoor cooking from the many self-catering residents and campers.  The seating was outdoors and the night air was quite chilly; our bungalow wasn’t much warmer.  The service was slow—something we noticed everywhere on this trip—and the menu limited.

We rose at 6:00 a.m. Sunday, July 22, and went for a short game drive to the bridge over the Letaba River.  It was cold and we were grateful to be in an enclosed vehicle.  We returned to camp and had breakfast at the restaurant and although we ate indoors, we were still very cold.  Most foreign visitors would not think of Africa being a cold place but if we visit again in July we would bring more suitable, warmer, clothing instead of trying to wear multiple layers to ward off the chill. We decided to buy some bread, peanut butter, jam, cheese and other provisions at the store and we needed to stock up on biscuits before returning to the bungalow.

Carol, Kevin, Jan and Joe once again left camp for a game drive.  Michelle and Avery stayed behind to relax and have a swim.  The day warmed up nicely once the sun came up.  Kevin took the wheel and he too turned on the windshield wipers when he meant to signal a turn and we all laughed. 

Hippo in the Olifants River

We drove the dusty back-roads to Olifants Camp and stopped often to photograph giraffe, elephant, and baboons. Olifants is one of the most picturesque camps in the Kruger National Park.  Joe had visited here in 1958 and, although the camp had been enlarged and modernized somewhat, the spectacular panoramic views over the Olifants River had not changed at all.  CJ became the crocodile and hippo spotter with the aid of binoculars.  They blend in so well with the landscape they are difficult to see with the naked eye.  We stopped for lunch on the veranda at Olifants and enjoyed the beautiful view of the river while we patiently waited for our Greek salads.  On the return to Letaba we spotted a fish eagle and a jacana (lily trotter) as well as many other birds and antelope—yes, more impala.

Little Bee-eater

The bird-life in Kruger Park is quite remarkable and we extended the checks on our list almost hourly.  Some of the bird photos are shown with this narrative.

Pearl Spotted Owl at Satara Camp

Joe and Jan had made plans to meet old friends at Letaba.  They had visited their lovely home in Tzaneen (a two hour drive west of the Park) on a previous trip and they came to KNP to spend a night so they could see us.  We enjoyed a short visit and Joe and Mike toured the elephant museum at Letaba in the afternoon.  The four of us met later for very enjoyable dinner and the hake was delicious.  The family stayed in and had sandwiches and Michelle made a trip to the laundromat.

Everyone packed up early Monday as we left Letaba for Satara Rest Camp.  We stopped again at Olifants Camp for breakfast and enjoyed the game drive along the way.  Again we saw ground hornbills, which are endangered, ho-hums, hippo and crocs, thanks to CJ.  There were a large number of cars parked on and beside the road at one point which indicated something worth seeing.  We followed the lenses and finger pointing and saw a fresh impala kill in a tree in the distance, which meant a leopard was in the area.  We wove our way through the maze of cars and drove on.  We checked into Satara and had to wait for our bungalow which gave us time to explore the gift shop and have a bite of lunch.  A sign pointed out the “most photographed Scops Owl in Africa” sitting in a bush.  The photographers kept up the tradition but then a Pearl Spotted Owl was spotted in a tree near the shop.  A monitor lizard peeked over the roof of the lodge as he slept in the sunshine.

Once we were in our bungalow, similar to the one at Letaba, we went different directions.  CJ, Kevin and Joe went on a game drive, Jan read while she did the laundry and Michelle and Avery visited the swimming pool.  A large herd of waterbuck was seen, a new antelope to check off the list, as well as zebra, impala, elephant, and giraffe.  Kevin was keeping track of game and birds spotted.

We ate in our room for dinner and breakfast the next day.  We had purchased staples and were already a bit tired of “eating out” and spending an hour or more waiting for a meal.  Fruit, PBJ, pasta with butter for Avery, cereal (Wheatbix) and toast filled our tummies.

After breakfast Tuesday we loaded the car and did our final game drive on our way out of KNP through Orpen Gate.  Someone mentioned we hadn’t seen buffalo as we neared the exit and, wouldn't you know, there was a herd just off of the road just a few yards from the gate.  More photos.  We stopped again at the gate shop for a leg stretch and a cup of coffee as we had a long drive ahead.

Gomo Gomo Days 2 & 3

Thursday - we were awake when HJ knocked on our door at 5:30 a.m.  We dressed in our chilly room and enjoyed coffee at the main lodge before leaving on the game drive.  The sun was just brightening the sky each day as we climbed in the Land Rover and as the sun rose the sky was flame colored.  We saw a variety of game this morning:  kudu, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, rhino and saw vultures circling the lion kill.  But the lions were still there and the carcass odor was becoming more noticeable.
 

We had more delicious meals before the afternoon game drive and welcomed Neil and Lisa Vigars, honeymooners from the UK, to our vehicle.   Our first stop was a visit to the lion kill where the lions were still working on the diminished carcass.  We encountered a herd of elephants, saw hyena, a civet, giant eagle owl, and the ever present impala.  That night we heard lions roar and hyena laugh—the hyena were getting impatient for their turn at the kill.

Friday – In the early morning, while we were having coffee before the game drive we noticed something across the water hole in the dim light.  HJ told us it was the mother of the white lion cub.  She had a drink and then walked along the dam past Avery and Carol’s chalet.  We got in our Land Rover and followed her through the bush.  The second land rover was also following so we went a different direction so we wouldn’t spook her.  We saw a jackal, hyena and a tawny eagle.  We parked at the dam and watched a herd of elephants come down the bank to drink.  It was quite a large herd and we watched them until they turned around and left.  The lions were still at the kill and had dragged the remaining carcass, which was quite fragrant, around the tree where the vultures still waited.  A couple of jackals were prancing back and forth in the distance.

The white lion cub (center and its sibling (left)

Ewan radioed HJ that they had followed the mother lion to the den and had seen the white lion cub.  We raced to the sandy river bed and we too saw the tiny white lion and the tawny sibling staggering around the well hidden den.  Joe was only able to two two unfocused photos.  White lions are very rare in the wild and only occur naturally in this area of the Timbavati and Klaserie Reserves.  They are not albino but have blue eyes.  Joe and Jan saw a lion in 2001 that carried the recessive white lion gene and had read on the Gomo Gomo website that the cub had been born about four weeks ago.  HJ discovered it but the mother had moved the cubs and they hadn’t been seen again until that morning.  (Since then there were regular updates and pictures of the cubs on the Gomo Gomo website http://www.gomogomo.co.za.)

The monkey and steenbok and impala seemed so ordinary after that.  We were all chattering about the amazing white cub sighting sight when we returned to camp.  Michelle had decided to sleep in that morning so she missed seeing it. 

Michelle and Kevin went on the bush walk that morning.  Avery would have liked to go along but the minimum age for the walk was 12.  She had no trouble entertaining herself in camp with a book or swim or just watching the wildlife come to the water hole.  She took many photos with her camera every day.

On the afternoon drive we stopped first at the den in hopes of seeing the white lion cub again.  The mother was sleeping in the sandy river bed but the cubs must have been in the den as we did not see them.  We commented how fortunate we were to have seen it that morning.  Jeffrey left his seat on the fender and walked into the bush to track leopard again and somehow he found it, so we had another sighting.

We had seen four of the “big five,” lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, but so far had not encountered buffalo.  HJ and Jeffrey were on a mission to complete the list.  We drove through the bush and spotted a hyena, but we only paused for a few clicks of the shutter because HJ said he had a better sighting for us to see.  He told us to hold on and sped through the bush.  We bounced on the seats and ducked and swayed to avoid thorny trees and bushes.  We watched as another vehicle navigated a deep narrow ravine and then we followed.  The reward was a big herd of Cape Buffalo (estimated 400 +) coming to a water hole.  They stirred up the dust as they rushed to drink, bellowing and pushing the leaders further and further into the water.  In the fading light the animals continued to come out of the bush and bats flew overhead.

It was near dusk when we parked for “moon-uppers,” rather than sundowners.  The sky glowed with shades of pinks and purples as we chatted around the table and enjoyed cold drinks and snacks.  We stopped once again at the lion kill on the return to camp.  The lions had moved on and jackals and hyena were sharing the remains of the giraffe.  Hyenas have very strong jaws and feast on the bones.

All too soon our final day at Gomo Gomo arrived.  Once again we left camp early Saturday for our last game drive.  We went to the white lion den but there was no sign of the mother or the cubs so HJ said she must have moved them.  But we saw rhino, a herd of about 20 kudu, monkeys, steenbok, impala, a squirrel and even a nocturnal bush baby in the daylight.  Jeffrey spotted a leopard in a distant tree, but it jumped down before we all saw it—a disappointment for Jan who has never seen a leopard in a tree.  We stopped for a long while to watch four hyena casually walking by.  HJ said they were leaving the giraffe kill, dinner over. 

After another hearty breakfast, we shared our Colorado Places photo book with our servers.  They were so curious about the snow and a red barn and asked, “Is that your house?”  Michelle passed out Colorado t-shirts to everyone who had served and cooked for us and Carol had gifts for them as well.  We finished packing and were once again transferred back to Hoedspruit by Barney Smith.  He took us to pick up our rental vehicle, an eight-seater Hyundai van.  The luggage snugly fitted into the cargo space but we each had a window.  Joe took the wheel and managed to drive on the left side of the road, although he switched on the windshield wipers when he meant to use the turn signals.  It took a while to adjust.  

Now we were looking forward to spending three days in the Kruger National Park.  The entire Gomo Gomo experience was fantastic.  Jan and I have been to southern Africa numerous times over the years but the game-viewing experience on this trip was about the best we have had. 

Back to Gomo Gomo - Day Two

White Rhino

Wednesday morning we had time for a quick cup of coffee or tea and rusks before we left the lodge on our game drive.  We were fortunate that we had the Land Rover to ourselves until later in the week.  We saw three white rhino first thing.  White rhino have a square mouth and are grazers, black rhino have pointed lips and are browsers; their coloring is the same.  There were nine lions at the kill when we returned there.  The tree above was filled with vultures patiently waiting their turn.  We noticed the four month old cub and he (or she) was so cute!

A Red-billed hornbill.   Bird life here, even in winter was amazing

We drove on and a majestic male giraffe was nibbling new growth from a thorny tree.  His coloring was very dark.  We dropped Jeffrey off alone in the bush, armed only with a radio, to track leopard and picked him up later.  When the sun was high, we took a break and H.J. served coffee and tea and fresh baked muffins.  Back on the road Jan spotted a honey badger scampering through the bush; not sure if anyone got a picture.  H.J. and Jeffrey both left the vehicle to follow leopard spoor (tracks) — never mind the tourists sitting in the vehicle in the middle of the road…  H.J. took his .458 cal. game rifle from the case resting on the flat windshield, not for shooting, but he is not allowed to leave it in the vehicle.  He said the rifle could bring down an elephant.  They had no luck spotting the leopard.

Four month-old lion cub at the kill

We returned to camp and had breakfast.  Cold cereals, yogurt and fruit juice was followed by a cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast.  With full tummies, we had a choice of the morning game walk, enjoyed by Kevin and Carol, relaxing by the water hole, checking email or a nap, which was chosen by a couple of us.  It was wonderful to wander around the lodge, sit by the pool, read a book, write post cards or just watch the wildlife come out of the bush to drink at the water hole.  The sound of the drum gathered everyone for lunch around 2:00 p.m.  Lamb curry was served.  It was warm in the daytime but very cold for the game drives.  We purchased Gomo Gomo warm scarves and hats and wished we had brought heavier coats, so we layered all we had.

A "business" of Dwarf Mongoose

Rulani (the "calm") female leopard

The afternoon game drive rewarded us with truly amazing sightings.  A herd of kudu was our first opportunity to take photos of these majestic antelope.  The stately bulls’ horns spiral and their sides have vertical white stripes.  A “business” of dwarf mongoose was fun to watch and Henry the hippo peaked out of the pond at us.  But “Rulani” the leopard was tracked and we had a wild off-road ride through the bush to see her.  (Rulani is a Shangaan word meaning calm) She was posing in the fading sun on an old termite mound.  So gorgeous!  She got up and we followed her as she slowly walked through the bush.  She stopped and posed again between the two land rovers, turning one way and then the other and opened her mouth in a big yawn.  She walked on and we followed her a while longer with cameras clicking away.  Then we saw hyena. 

Sunset - time for the traditional "Sundowners."

Of course we had Sundowners and then followed a lion walking down the road toward the dam to drink.  We drove to the other side of dam and waited for her to appear, which she did.  We returned to the kill and were surprised to hear the cub “meow” between the snarling adult lions tearing and chewing on the carcass.

Joe took time to download his photos to the laptop before dinner was served.  We again chose our seats in the boma and began with sweet potato soup.  The menu included steak, Avery was delighted, chicken pie, squash, salad and lemon meringue pie served in a hollowed out lemon.  Delicious!

By now we felt right at home at Gomo Gomo.   We enjoyed visiting with the staff, knew the schedule for breakfast at about 10:00 a.m. after the game drive, lunch at 2:00 p.m. and dinner around 8:00 p.m.  Game drives left camp at 6:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.  We gave them our laundry which was returned neatly folded the same day.  H.J., our Ranger, entertained us with his stories, happily answered hundreds of questions and put up with our banter and silly “tree” riddles.  (Eg: What do you call a small tree? – an Infantry) He served us drinks at every meal.  Each night when we returned to our bungalow there was a delightful hand written and illustrated traditional story about a wild dog, hippo, warthog or rhino and sweets on our turned down bed.

Rulani kept us mesmerized for about 45 minutes

Back to Gomo Gomo - Day One

This is the first in a series of stories and recollections from our 25 day tour of South Africa starting in July 2012.

Since our visit to Gomo Gomo in March 2006 the lodge has changed locations from the Timbavati to the adjacent Klaserie Private Game Reserve.  The newly constructed lodge overlooks a good-size dam and the brick and thatched chalets spread out on either side of the main lodge giving visitors nice views of the game that visits constantly.

The main lodge at Gomo Gomo

We flew from Dulles International Airport in Washington DC on a South Africa Airways (SAA) flight to Johannesburg that took 17 hours, including a one-hour stop to refuel in Dakar, Senegal. Total distance, as the crow flies, is 13,200 kilometers (or 8,184 miles) Dakar is almost exactly halfway. This is a long time to be sitting on a plane but we had many movies and other video programs to keep us entertained. Our group of six checked in to the Holiday Inn Garden Court Hotel adjacent to the O.R. Tambo International Airport (formerly Jan Smuts) after a 5:30 p.m. arrival for a good night’s sleep. After a hearty breakfast we returned to the airport to board an SAA Express plane for the 45 minute flight to Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport. Eastgate is the arrival point for most of the Game Lodges in the Timbavati, Klaserie, area, adjoining the Kruger National Park.

Arriving in the “lowveld” is always a special feeling. You are surrounded by the African “bush” and the temperature is warmer at about 1,000 feet above sea level. The seasonally dry acacia and grassy vegetation has a smell and feel that is unique. Stepping off of the plane you find yourself in a different world. We were picked up by Barney Smith of Fun Time Tours (www.funtimetours.co.za) and set out on the 45 minute drive to the lodge. Barney regularly provides this shuttle service for Gomo Gomo and other lodges in the area. Although the road was paved for most of the way the speed limit was 50km/hr (30mph) and it is easy to see why as we began to see wildlife immediately, with impala, giraffe, wildebeest, warthog etc. along the roadside. Turning on to a dirt road we reached the lodge after another ten minutes.  As we pulled up, the staff directed us through the main building onto the expansive deck overlooking the dam.  There to greet us was a small herd of elephant drinking. What a way to start our four day visit to Gomo Gomo!

Elephants welcome us to the lodge

Arriving at about noon, we were greeted by Linda and Ewan, and shown to our respective chalets.  A delicious lunch soon followed (the meals were consistently excellent!) and we had a few hours to explore our surroundings before setting out on an afternoon game-drive at 4:30 p.m. We met H.J. (short for Hendrik Johannes Esterhuizen) who was to be our ranger for the week and Jeffrey, the most excellent tracker, who we had met six years ago. Both of these gentlemen are highly trained wildlife professionals and we would learn a lot from them. They were also experts in finding game for us to observe and photograph. In fact, we came away with the certainty that they are passionate about wildlife and dedicated to providing the best possible “bush experience” for their guests.

The main bedroom in our chalet.

Our chalet was a brick and thatch structure overlooking the dam with really first class facilities.  Full length sliding glass doors opened onto a spacious verandah. There were two bedrooms, one with a queen size bed and the other with twin beds.

The open Land Rover seats up to ten passengers.

We assembled for the afternoon game drive at 4:15 p.m. The six of us, Jan, me, Carol, Kevin, Michelle and Avery (11), had a Land Rover to ourselves.  Ranger HJ drove, while tracker Jeffrey sat on the little seat over the front left headlight. We had been cautioned to dress warmly because; even though the days were warm the nights would be chilly, especially seating in the open vehicle with a breeze in our faces much of the time. Within about ten minutes we were parked beside the carcass of a full grown male giraffe that had been killed the day before. Nine lions were either feeding or resting next to the kill. We were to return to this site each day and watch the carcass shrink and other scavengers arrive to take their turns to feed. As the lions are accustomed to the vehicles, we were able to get very close without disturbing them.  As long as we remained seated, we would not be considered a threat or as a potential meal!

Lions feed on a giraffe kill

Jeffrey gets close to the wildlife

After spending half an hour watching the lion activities we drove on to search for other game and soon came across several elephant, the ever-present impala and the tiny steenbok antelope. As night fell we watched one of the lionesses from the kill come down to a water hole to drink. After refreshments we returned to the giraffe kill to watch the lions snarl and growl over their meal before eventually making our way back to the lodge at about 7:30 p.m.

A welcomed fire and dinner in the boma ends the day

Our first day in the bush would end with an enjoyable dinner served around a huge fire in the adjoining “boma,” an open air area enclosed by hand-cut wood poles lashed together to form a circular fence. We met and chatted with other guests about our day’s experiences.

Retiring for the night we thought it couldn’t get any better than this. Until day two.

Gomo Gomo and the white lions of Timbavati

The way to Gomo Gomo.

Gomo Gomo is one of seven privately operated game lodges in the Timbavati Nature Reserve, a 206 square mile unfenced area of the African bush adjacent to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The Timbavati area and the surrounding region comprised of other private properties (Sabi Sands, Klaserie, Thornybush, etc.) were, until the 1950’s, privately owned and operated as cattle ranches or big game safari destinations.  A large group of conservation minded landowners came together to develop a plan for conservation and to protect the immense amount of wildlife species that thrived in this sometimes harsh environment. 

Since its formation in 1956, the Timbavati Association has increased its conservation minded landowners to 50 members. Over the years, this group has worked toward a common goal, to overcome degradation within this previously pristine area, redirect insensitive land use and reclaim it for the benefit of all.

In the 1990’s, in recognition of the importance of the area, the fences between Timbavati Reserve and the Kruger National Park were removed to encourage natural species migration. A vast stretch of wild land was opened up for the free movement of wildlife through what is now effectively, a single conservation area also known as the Greater Kruger Park.

This arrangement is beneficial for both wildlife and tourists. Wildlife has access to more resources in order to meet their permanent, seasonal, and episodic needs, and tourists are offered a wider range of eco-tourism facilities. Plans are in place to have the Timbavati Reserve declared as part of the Kruger National Park, which will secure its future as a valuable piece of South African heritage. These wildlife-rich lands are now an integral part of the Kruger Park system, and are managed in cooperation with the Kruger National Park itself.

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Lions at Gomo Gomo - March 2006

March 2006 - Buffalo are plentiful in the Timbavati.

We first visited the area in August 2001, staying for three nights at Kings Camp, one of the more upscale, and expensive, private Game Lodges in the Timbavati. It was during this visit that, while viewing a small lion pride feeding on a full grown giraffe they had killed, the ranger leading us on an afternoon bush drive pointed out a powerful two year old male lion and told us that he carried the recessive “white lion” gene that was unique in the area and also in Africa. From time to time white lion cubs would be born to the prides here, we were told. In March 2006 we were fortunate to have several good lion sightings but we did not hear of any recent occurrences of white lions.

Search for “White Lions” on the internet and one will find a great deal of information. White lions are not a separate subspecies and they have been said to be indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest recorded sighting in this region was 1938. Regarded as divine by some locals, white lions first came to public attention in the 1970s in Chris McBride's book The White Lions of Timbavati. (1977). McBride’s father had become a landowner in the Timbavati area in 1948 and Chris was raised there. As a student at the University of California, Humboldt, he returned to the area to research his Masters thesis on lions. (See a YouTube video interview with Chris McBride here - http://www.youtube.com/v/TQYZbUW5Jw8)

In early 2011 we began to plan a visit to South Africa which would include a four-night stay at Gomo Gomo in July 2012. Several months in advance of our trip we began to follow Gomo Gomo’s interesting Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gomo-Gomo-Game-Lodge/334330557799) where rangers frequently provided activity updates and photographs, described animal sightings and commented on local events.  

With just two weeks to go before we left the United States to visit South Africa several photos of a new white lion cub was posted to the Facebook page. As excited as we have been at the prospect of returning to the Timbavati Reserve, the arrival of a new white lion cub to coincide with our visit has offered us a unique opportunity to see a truly rare and special animal. Our eleven year-old granddaughter and her parents will be traveling with us and there is no doubt that they will long remember this, their first, trip to Africa and their remarkable good fortune to be able to see a rare white lion. 

July 2, 2012 - a new white cub is found.
Photo from Gomo Gomo Facebook Page

White lions are not albinos.  They have a genetic condition called leucism – a glitch in the genetic coding for color which causes either a reduction in or complete lack of pigmentation cells thanks to a recessive allele. Leucism does not produce the typical pink or reddish eyes associated with albinos. In fact, eye colour is hardly affected with leucism. And in the case of the white lions, their eyes are a startling blue. 

We’ll see. 

The words "Gomo Gomo" mean "little hills."

Sources: Gomo Gomo Facebook page.  White Lions in the Timbavati by Sharon van Wyk, Jan. 13, 2011 (Global White Lion Protection Trust) Kruger National Park (Sanparks) website.