or – How I bagged a future wife – Part II
After a fantastic start to our safari at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge and a not so fantastic start to my bid to bag a future wife (read why in Part I), I was determined that I would get it right, sooner rather than later. Although there were still four nights left on our safari the stress and nerves were starting to get to me, I was even dropping things… and by now the burning sensation from the ring had me patting my pocket repeatedly. She was sure to catch on if I didn’t get this right, soon!
So on arriving at Singita Ebony Lodge for the second part of our safari, meeting Monique, our host, and Shadrack, our smiling Butler, and being suitably blown away by our accommodation, I took Monique aside for a private word. Enthusiasm was catching and she simply said; “leave it to me”.
Top Safari Tip:
Dress warmly. Seriously, it gets cold in the mornings and evenings and the wind chill factor on an open safari vehicle is hectic. No matter the time of year, take enough warm clothes for game drives and no, it doesn’t matter if your look like an eskimo, the animals won’t mind.
Opulence and Great Game Viewing
Singita Ebony is a colourful lodge in a colonial style; warm reds abound and that’s not just the colour of the décor, there’s also a wine list several feet long. The best bits by far are the rotating fire place, which is lit to warm your suite before you return from your evening game drive, and the heated pool with a view of the river. We spent several hours one afternoon swimming and watching a breeding herd of elephant feeding in the river below. Africa doesn’t get much better than that. Although a full body massage was also a highlight 🙂
The afternoon of our arrival we met Marc, our ranger, a great character who is quick to share his love of the bush with his guests, and Mish our tracker who could find a needle in a haystack. I would recommend these two to anyone visiting Singita Sabi Sand. While we didn’t see any leopard at Singita, we did track down some animals that I had always wanted to see. Amongst those a pack of wild dogs and their pups was the highlight. These rare dogs are endangered and because of their constant movement are particularly hard to find, it took us three game drives but we eventually found them – and what a sighting!
On one late night game drive a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl turned up with its distinctive pink eyelids, Spotted Eagle Owl, Genet, White Tailed Mongoose, Side Striped Jackal, two male Lion and best of all the elusive Civet. The sunset drinks breaks were proving a hit with safari-virgin Tessa and our drink of choice – that notable safari tipple, the gin and tonic had by now become a tradition. Sunsets over the Blyde River Canyon in the distance were simply breathtaking.
Top Safari Tip:
While we won’t emphatically say you shouldn’t drink anything else, round here we hold the gin and tonic to be the ultimate safari drink with its roots in colonial explorer days.
Did you know:
The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world!
The Moment Comes!
Our first evening we were escorted to our dinner venue by Shadrack and what a venue, it was perfect. A small boma alongside the main pool had been cleared out for our exclusive use. The trees around the pool were sprouting oil lamps like glowing fruit; there must have been thirty of them. Two outdoor heaters kept the inside of the boma toasty and there were enough tea-light candles scattered about to be a definite fire risk. My pocket too was aflame, the ring wanted to come out.
Our meal was fantastic, I thought my nerves would spoil the taste of the food… but Singita’s food is on a par with the top restaurants in Cape Town. Champagne flowed and each course was paired with a wine, I’m not ashamed to admit, I needed the Dutch courage!
Between mains and dessert I panicked a bit. You see, I had told Shadrack to allow for a break somewhere around dessert, but in my nervous state I had forgotten whether I had asked for the break before or after dessert… and was it just my imagination or was dessert taking an age to arrive. There was nothing for it but to take the plunge!
So there I was down on one knee, ring in hand, asking the question I had planned for so very long and her answer?
“Shadrack, oh!”
You see I had made a small error. Shadrack walked around the corner with a delicious chocolate fondant in his hands at that very moment. His sheepish smile and shade of red was something to behold and the two of us will always hold a special place in our hearts for him. Recovering from her nerves and when our giggling had subsided, she gave me the answer I was looking for and made me the happiest man in the Sabi Sand.
Our safari wasn’t done yet, but now with my nerves settled and ecstatic happiness and romance fueling the trip; it was only getting better and better. Our second night at Singita followed in the traditions of the first, another private dinner and yet another foam and rose filled bath. Singita certainly knows how to do romantic.
If you missed it read Part I here and Part III.
Marc, Monique, Tom, Shadrack, Mish and Co. You guys made our stay amazing. Thank you very much!
Some Useful Links:
Part I of this story and Part III.Find more Photographs of Part II on Facebook and on Flickr
Watch the Singita video on our Youtube channel
Read all about Singita Ebony Lodge on our website
Read more about the Sabi Sand Game Reserve