Samara Game Lodge
Samara Safari
It was pitch dark outside and freezing, but the excitement was palpable. We were off to see a new lodge called Samara and had no idea what we were in for.
The drive from Cape Town to Samara is 8 hours and one would usually combine Samara with the Garden Route or a lodge in the Eastern Cape, but we were short of time. And since we were taking the beautiful Route 62, with a quick stop at the infamous watering hole, Ronnies Sex Shop, it didn’t seem like a hardship.
As we approached Samara our tiredness evaporated and we saw the staff, headed up by Elaine the manageress, coming out to greet us with hot cloths and cold drinks. We were just in time for afternoon tea, which was a stack of sandwiches and decedent cakes (I was in heaven). After stuffing ourselves with food, we heaved ourselves onto the game drive vehicle and we were off to spot some animals.
Les, the head ranger at Samara, has eagle eyes and within seconds he was pointing out kudu and vervet monkeys to us. His enthusiasm was infectious and soon we were outdoing each other with sightings of field mice and the rare aardtvark. It was wonderful to have a ranger who enjoyed the drive and had so much to tell us about everything he saw. As the sun went down we stopped for a glass of gin and tonic and a handful of biltong while we listened to the call of the hyenas in the distance.
I must point out that we visited Samara in the middle of winter and temperatures were around zero degrees which brought out the sense of humour in all of us. We wrapped up tight in jackets and blankets, with hot water bottles and beanies. But I will never forget the one tiny Thai lady who wore her slippers on game drive in her effort to keep warm!
Back at the lodge, we enjoyed a sip of sherry while thawing at the fireplace. If we had known then what a feast we were about to be served, we would have put on larger pants! The food at Samara is outstanding. Gwen, the chef, prepares everything herself and we were served four delectable courses. I will even admit, for the record, that I ate a whole plate of chocolate fondant without feeling any guilt whatsoever!
Les woke us up at the crack of dawn the next day. We were off to track the famous Samara cheetah! I am happy to report that we definitely made space for our next meal on the trek up the side of a mountain. The cheetah had tried to hide from us in the dense bush, but we found them and managed to sneak right up to them. For the first time in my life, I was less than 8 meters from a cheetah, with no vehicle to protect me. I am not ashamed to say that I was scared out of my mind. But Les chatted away to them and the cheetahs weren’t bothered by our presence at all.
After our full day of cheetah tracking we were more than ready for a nap in our plush chalets before dinner. The rooms are decorated in a colonial farm style with a four poster bed and an outside veranda. The rooms all have fire places, a mini bar, air-con and enough space to invite your friends over for drinks.
When we left Samara the next morning we were thrilled to have spent time at such a professional and exciting lodge and met such lovely and friendly people. Hopefully we will be able to visit Samara again in the near future and check up on the progress of the cheetah.
