After meeting each other and their new home, Nomad’s truck Marley, our latest dive tour group made their way out of Johannesburg and towards the beautiful Blyde River Canyon. The Three Rondavels and God’s Window were as spectacular as ever with views stretching down the 900m canyon walls and out towards Kruger National Park and Mozambique.

Our evening camp was the Private Game Reserve Timbavati Safari Lodge and after learning to put up the tents the group enthusiastically offered to help prepare a chicken stir fry dinner. It was during this time that the effervescent humours of our driver Thabani and cook Godfrey first started to show and the camp was filled with laughter as slowly the group started to get to know each other better. After a filling dinner and briefing for the following day the quiet night was shattered by the sound of tribal drums and chanting. The Shangaan had arrived to entertain the guests with traditional dancing and the beating of large animal skin drums. After a social beer at the open-air bar, tents were calling and the group disbanded and went to sleep.

A 5:30am start for a quick cup of coffee and then our first venture into the animal kingdom with a bush walk led by knowledgeable guides from the Timbavati team. This 2-hour morning walk heralded giraffe, zebra and kudu along with a variety of insects, birds and trees. A great way to start our game-viewing day!

Following breakfast and breaking of camp it was back into Marley for the drive to Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre. The tour around the centre was as fantastic as ever with cheetah stroking, vulture feeding and an introduction to their latest resident, 5 week old White Rhino, Danni. The work of this brilliant team is admired and enjoyed by all who visit and members of the dive tour were no exception. We now head towards Kruger National Park enthused to see these animals in their natural habitat.