Category: On the Safari

It is hard to believe that I have just spent my fourth Christmas at Vuyani Safari Lodge. It feels like it was yesterday when I first walked through the doors of the lodge, so excited to start my new adventure. Four years have passed and I have seen many staff members come and go – I have met some amazing people and the lodge itself has changed (for the better) in so many ways! There are still countless things to look forward to and we are everyday striving to improve.

 

 

 

 

 

This year it was by far the warmest Christmas that I have experienced in my twelve years of living in Hoedspruit. Myself, Craig and the team had a meeting and decided we were going to do a dinner on Christmas Eve and a beautiful cold buffet lunch (tapas style) for Christmas Lunch.

 

 

The whole team pitched in and the end result was spectacular, the food looked and tasted amazing! There are only so many words to describe a picture – but the proof is in the pudding, as you will see in all the photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a special little “selfie” of Christopher and I. We have worked four consecutive years on Christmas and every year we have had a new team. We have now decided to dub ourselves “Vuyani Lifers”

 

I hope that all our future, past and present guests had a magical Christmas with their loved ones.

Justine

 

It has been a HOT and DRY summer so far! The whole of the Country of South Africa has been experiencing some of the worst droughts in 20 years! We had just started to see the impact the drought has had over Hoedspruit and surrounds – on the reserve the water holes were drying up and parts of the Kruger National park is close to crisis situation regarding water supply.

 

 

And then…..the biggest, darkest clouds that I have seen in while started to build in the South – and this is usually where we get the majority of our Thunderstorms from in the summer. We were all a bit skeptical as the clouds have built up a couple of times now but no rain yet… It was a matter of minutes, the sun disappeared and all went dark and gloomy when the first hail stone fell! I, myself was in the town of Hoedspruit when the storm hit. Had some little hail stones hit my car – but luckily for me the storm was moving North and I was travelling South back into the direction of Vuyani Safari Lodge. The majority of Hoedspruit town and surrounds to the West, East and North had been hit quite badly by the hail. In the centre of town, photos have been circulating on social media with hail stones as big as Cricket balls! Some areas north of Hoedspruit experienced flash flooding…..it was bizarre!

 

Despite all the devastation caused to Citrus and Mango farmers in particular, the rain was an incredible welcoming factor. Everything cooled down immediately and I am most certain in less than a week it will be lush and green! We are truly hoping for some more rain – so that the dams and lakes can be filled, so that the Hippo and Crocs (not forgetting the fish) have somewhere to stay J

 

I managed to capture some clouds and a beautiful rainbow! If you are due to come on Safari at Vuyani or surrounds, make sure you pack at least one “Raincoat” We do provide ponchos on the vehicles – and most of our guests are loving the experience of a Drive in the “storm”

At Vuyani we have coffee in the morning before Safari (just to wake you up for drive) and then the Guides pack a hot box for Coffee stop mid safari. With the Coffee breaks we have the most delicious rusks to compliment your hot beverage. Our recipe has changed a little recently, as my Mother, Ruby, makes the most delicious rusks J I thought it would only be fair for me to share the recipe with Vuyani Safari Lodge and our guests. Many of our Guests have asked us what these dried biscuits are – so here is a little history on the Rusk.

What are Rusks?

Rusks is the anglicized term for (Afrikaans: beskuit) and is a traditional Afrikaner breakfast meal or snack. They have been dried in South Africa since the late 1690s as way of preserving bread, especially when travelling long distances without refrigeration. Rusks are typically dunked in coffee or tea before being eaten.

Rusks are essentially double-baked bread dough. Round balls of dough are closely packed in pans and baked like bread, after which long chunks are cut or broken off and slowly rebaked to a dry consistency. In addition to plain and buttermilk flavours, aniseed, whole-wheat, condensed milk, muesli, and lemon poppy seed variations are also available.

The recipe which I have given here is a VERY simple and easy way to make delicious rusks in an hour.

Ruby’s Safari Snacks

1kg Self Raising Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Cups Sugar (White or Brown)

2 Cups crushed All Bran Flakes or Cornflakes (Breakfast Cereal)

You may add any Seeds or Nuts to the mixture ie: Almonds, Pecan Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds. Also dried Berries are lovely like Goji Berries, Cranberries or Dried Apple.

500g Melted Butter

1 Cup Sour Milk (** Handy Tip** If you don’t have Sour Milk you can add a Tablespoon White Vinegar to a cup of Milk**)

Mix all of the ingredients together and place it on a baking tray.

Bake at 180 Degrees Celsius for 45 Minutes

Cut the Rusks into fingers when they are still warm and dry them in the oven.

 

Great tasting rusks, and we all know Mom’s food is best.

When I think back to when I started at Vuyani in 2012, so many things have changed, and are still changing on a daily basis. Craig is most definitely one of the most creative people I have had the pleasure to work with throughout my career in the Lodge industry. I have learnt to look at the finer details not with a magnifying glass but a microscope – he has taught me “It’s all about detail and standards”

Craig has done it again! Along with the team the boma has had a bit of a “Makeover” the space is now so much bigger and the guys have put lights in certain spots to add to the feel. Chefs Kalmay and Vusi have been treated to a brand new “Braai Grid” that Hannes built and also a space to place coals to keep the pots warm, not to mention the “Spotlight” that illuminates the buffet table – it looks amazing.

We also now have a very chic sign to welcome our Guests at the entrance of the lodge. This is spectacularly irradiated at night to give it that Vuyani touch.

The lodge has been constantly changing since my arrival and I am sure it will continue to do so. It has that certain something that I have become to know as “Carnaby Magic”

 

Under strict guidance from Chef Kalmay – Craig, Andries and Krest are starting the foundation for our new Veggie patch! How exciting 🙂 Kalmay is planning in the long run to self-sustain the lodge with specifics like Lettuce, Herbs, Chives and Spring Onion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was standing with the guys earlier on today and listening to their theories on how to keep the Monkeys out! This proves to be a challenge – but I am sure we will make a plan by the Spring time.

 

Keep watching this space to see how our Veggie Patch unfolds.

 

The Chefs here at the lodge are always presenting mouthwatering dishes – some of these are recipes passed on from Kitchen to Kitchen and Lodge to Lodge. This particular Salad was introduced a while ago when Janus was still with us here at Vuyani. It is simply delicious and there have been numerous enquires about it. So please try it out and let us know what you think.

Ingredients

1 head raw chopped Broccoli

½ head chopped Red Onion

50g cooked & chopped Crispy Bacon

50g Almond Flakes

½ Red Pepper (chopped)

125ml Mayonnaise

Method

Mix all ingredients together.

Chill in fridge and serve.

Enjoy your salad.

We often get asked via email what our Guests need to pack for their stay with us at Vuyani Safari Lodge. So I thought it would be a good idea to give you a general overview of what I think is necessary to pack.

The first item you should bring along is sunscreen – at least a factor 30, as the African sun is rather harsh all year round. A comfortable and well fitted hat (as it can easily get blown off on the drives) and sunglasses. A Camera (you do NOT want to miss that perfect shot) also ensure that you have plenty of space on your Memory Card, or even better bring two or three with you! Binoculars (not a requirement) but it is always nice to have your own pair.

I would also suggest in the clothing department to bring at least one warm outfit with you. A Jacket/Fleece or Jumper and some warm trousers. The weather is extremely unpredictable and can go from a toasty 30 Degrees to a chilly 20 Degrees Celsius overnight! Some comfortable shoes, if you are planning on doing any activities that involve walking then pack those hiking boots, otherwise Trainers or Sneakers are perfect. On both morning and afternoon Safari the guides pick a spot where you will stop for Tea/Coffee in the morning and then again for a G&T or some delicious South African Amarula whilst the sun sets behind the Drakensberg. So there will be no strenuous hiking involved. For the lazy days around the pool Flip Flops are the best, and don’t forget the bathing suit!

At Vuyani Safari Lodge we supply towels in your room, for the pool and amenities such as Shampoo, Conditioner and Hand & Body Wash/Lotion. These products are Eco Friendly and all Natural. Insect Repellant is provided, however you are welcome to pack your own.

Another handy item would be an International Adapter for your electronics. In South Africa we have the three prong round sockets. If you have any devices that require batteries – make sure you buy these before you arrive at the lodge (Adapters and batteries are readily available at the airport)

At Vuyani Safari Lodge we have a well-stocked First Aid Kit and most of our staff are trained in First Aid. However we cannot by law provide our Guests with any medication i.e. Headache Tablets, Anti Histamine or Malaria Medication. It is also recommended that you visit your GP before travelling to South Africa.

With all these items checked you will have an enhanced and trouble free Safari Experience.

We had a couple of building projects happening in 2014 and that was most definitely one of the highlights of the year.

We added a “Lower Deck” area where we now offer Beauty Treatments, we upgraded the entrance to the lodge and the parking area, and the biggest project of all was the building of the new office and storage areas. We are very happy in our new space and the storage areas have helped immensely.

We welcomed and bid farewell to some staff members at the lodge, we hosted a wedding and had some incredible sightings on Safari. We hosted guests for their second visits to the lodge and met some great new people too!

I cannot believe it has taken me until mid-January to post this blog, 2014 had passed way to quickly for my liking and I still have to get to terms with the fact that it is now 2015, maybe by the start of February I will be ready for the new year.

All in all 2014 was a great year for all of us here at Vuyani Safari Lodge. But as they say a picture speaks a thousand words, so I have decided to write less and show more. Please see a couple of photos that stood out for me in 2014. I has been a challenge trying to narrow it down to only a handful of photos – as we took millions in 2014. I wish everyone a prosperous 2015!

We had a very special and very exciting occasion at Vuyani Safari Lodge – a Wedding! We had been corresponding with our Bride for nearly a year in preparation for their big the perfect location for the ceremony to take place and in the end I decided on Porcupine dam, one of the many dams on Moditlo. The view was absolutely stunning with the Drakensberg in the background. And I knew this was the place! As the pastor called it when he saw it for the first time “the most perfect chapel in the world”
We had split into groups for the setup – Myself (Justine) Christopher and Janus were on the Porcupine committee and we were responsible for the setup at the dam itself.
Kim, Arno, Siyabi and Busi were on the Vuyani committee and were responsible for the Dinner setup at the Lodge.
Themba, Mike and Paul were on the Transport committee and were responsible for driving the guests, Bride and Groom and photographer to the destination.
On the big day we were a little worried as the weather forecast predicted 50% chance of rain! But we had a Backup plan for just such an event. And decided that should it rain out we would use the upper deck at the lodge. In the end it was up to the Bride and Groom, they had to decide whether they wanted to chance it at the beautiful bush setting, and they did!! We set out at around 14h00 to make sure everything was 100 % and to check for any wildlife of course! Would have been a rather exciting wedding if Mr. Elephant showed up.
The guests and Bridal party showed up not too long after and the ceremony was beautiful, where after the guests enjoyed some Sparkling Wine and delicious canapés in the heart of the Reserve. No dangerous game “crashed” the party, however we had a very brief visual of two Giraffe that kept our guests entertained. Thereafter the photographer swept the Happy Couple away for some “wild in the bush” wedding shots and the Guests returned to the Lodge to find an exquisitely set up Dinner table to await the Newlyweds arrival.
Dinner was scrumptious and the weather was perfect the whole evening! The deck area was lit by candles and lanterns and looked exquisite!
On behalf of Vuyani Safari Lodge we would like to congratulate the happy couple once again. And if you wish to have a wedding with a twist – Vuyani Safari Lodge should be the number one choice.

Never an uninteresting moment at Vuyani Safari Lodge. We are constantly busy with new projects and upgrades. The two most recent projects have now been completed and I thought I would share these amazing changes.

The entrance to Vuyani Safari Lodge has transformed rather dramatically since I first walked through the doors in 2012. Two curved walls have been added to either sides of the front door and Craig (being the creative designer that he is) added the masks with down lights to give it that signature look. It appears spectacular at night time, one cannot believe the change it has brought to the overall look of the lodge. You will notice the difference from night to day.

Very recently we also finished our new office building with ample storage space, this has been a tremendous improvement and change for all of us 🙂 and……..we have officially moved in!

After sorting and packing up close to 5 years of “Lodge Life” we have formally moved to our new office – and it is GREAT!

The store rooms have been set up and everything has its own little space. The Maintenance guys are particularly impressed with their new “Office” and they are running a tight ship, long gone are the days of “just quickly borrowing a screwdriver” Every item is now signed in and signed out. Happy Days 🙂

I wonder what Craig will have up his sleeve for the next project – whatever it might be, I can safely say the entire team is looking forward to it!