Exploring East Africa with Singita – Part 2

Into the wild…

[Have you read Part 1? Do it!]

After a hearty breakfast it was onwards to our next port of call – Sabora Tented Camp – that we headed, via a game drive en route. Again I emphasise the scenery is unmatched elsewhere and I can now fully understand and appreciate why movies like “Out of Africa” et al did so much for East Africa travel.

Driving up to Singita‘s Sabora, with beige canvas tents dotted in a line out across the plains, we realised this was going to be a completely different experience to that of Sasakwa – read the blog here.

Where at Sasakwa you looked down to the rest of the wildlife below, at Sabora you are one with it all. The terrain is flat, vast and interspersed with a few trees, frequented by buffalo and zebra who call Sabora home. The tents, reminiscent of a bygone era, are filed with antique chests, artefacts, Persian rugs and are very comforting. Even though the entire camp is made with canvas tents on slightly raised wooden platforms, they still offer the creature comforts of a gym, shop, spa (which I thoroughly enjoyed thanks to the fluid hands of the resident spa therapist Judy) and even their own tennis court, which was enjoyed one evening during a particular resplendent sundown as a drinks stop after a game drive.

We were here for two nights, so were able to fully enjoy the surrounds and relax in between meals and game drives (and spa treatments). Sadik and Rachel were our hosts here and did a fine job, but were, perhaps, overshadowed by our supremely efficient butler Moses. What a wonderful man, who grew to know each and every person’s specific foibles and how they liked their eggs, and he pre-empted their tipples of choice before dinner. He was so friendly and smiley… he personified the ubiquitous “Karibu” completely.

We dined in splendour here too. One of the nights we enjoyed dinner under the stars outside on the plains after a superb performance of drumming, singing and dancing by the lodge’s staff, while another we had a formal affair with starched white table cloths, crystal and finery coming into its own.

Other than being woken in the middle of the night by a resident buffalo scratching his back on my room’s decking, the stay was incredibly peaceful and our minds had now fully wound down enough to take in all that was on offer. There is a little feature of Sabora that I grew to love above all others… They have antique styled wrought iron beds and mattresses set up under an umbrella a few metres out on the plains outside each tent. There is no better place in this world to have an afternoon snooze after a great lunch. Zebras all around, the quietness of the Serengeti, the slow breeze cooling you down during the heat of the day… Sheer bliss!

Whilst staying at Sabora we were able to enjoy a trip a little off the beaten track to see what Singita does behind the scenes for its local communities. We were especially moved when visiting their Environmental Educational Centre. This is a non profit centre aimed at educating the most promising students from the neighbouring communities in environmental impact, recycling, and everything eco-centred. These bright little stars then take this knowledge back to their respective communities and teach it to their elders. From what we saw and heard, it is working incredibly well and to have seen first-hand how proud and enthusiastic the young students were gives us hope for tomorrow.

We then visited the local community market, which was initially started by Singita by training the locals how to grow a vast number of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. The community members are now able to enjoy the produce themselves and, even better, sell it back to Singita, who uses it at their various lodges. A full circle indeed.

Up next was a visit to a Waisenye tribal village. It was very interesting and we were treated to examples of local customs, rituals, incredibly spirited dancing and singing, bow and arrow shooting as well as fire-starting done quite proficiently with two sticks – quicker than when one has to struggle with a lighter.

Our stay at Sabora also featured a stop at the stables, where Singita proudly houses 19 horses from around the world and that are all in immaculate condition. The horses are available to experienced riders during their stay on the reserve as a way to experience a safari with a difference. On a game drive we actually came across three horse riders in the wild enjoying a sighting of giraffe and cantering across the plains. If I were a rider I would have been jealous, for sure!

Look out for Part 3 of this Singita safari. To go on your own East African adventure and stay at Singita’s incredible properties, contact us and we’ll help you plan a trip of a lifetime!