There’s always the danger when you embark on an iconic adventure that the reality won’t match the buildup. That seeing the Big Five whilst on safari, roaming free in the wild, won’t be any more thrilling than seeing them safely confined in one of today’s modern, free range zoos. Let me put that fear to rest right here, right now.

It. Is. Not. The same.

But let’s not rush ahead, because there’s more to South Africa than just the, admittedly fabulous, wildlife experiences. When I travel I have a few basic essentials – immersive culture, one-of-a-kind accommodation, spectacular landscapes, friendly locals offering top notch service, meals to delight the taste buds, a cocktail or three and a great beach doesn’t go astray. South Africa didn’t disappoint.

After a night at the very conveniently located City Lodge O.R. Tambo International Airport (got to love an airport hotel you can walk to via a covered walkway from the terminal) we flew to Durban with SA Airlink who served what had to be one of the best inflight snacks I’ve ever encountered. Fresh Krispy Kreme donuts were the perfect option for morning tea and we gobbled them up.

Arriving at The Oyster Box hotel majestically located overlooking the Indian Ocean at Umhlanga we knew we were in for something special when our driver and guide pointed out the Zulu King’s car parked adjacent to the port cochere.

All thoughts of royalty fled when we stepped into the lovingly restored lobby redolent with the delicate scent of lemongrass. Every detail at The Oyster Box is perfection, from the elegant finishes and décor details, the guests only Clock Library and cinema, the warm and friendly service, the impressive and famous curry buffet down to the most minute of touches such as the embroidered slippers in our rooms and every aspect in between.

Whilst enjoying a Durban speciality curry, the intriguingly named Bunny Chow, and carefully curated cocktails under the jaunty red and white stripped umbrellas of the Ocean Terrace and sampling sundowners of local South African gins in the Lighthouse Bar were definite highlights, the opportunity to Travel with Purpose and donate to the Pack for a Purpose project which supports the LIV village in Durban was an emotionally satisfying moment of community connection. LIV Durban places vulnerable and orphaned children into a family environment where they receive unconditional love, care and nurturing.

As tempting as we would have found it to do nothing but enjoy the hospitality of The Oyster Box we found several other things in Umhlanga to lure us from its welcoming embrace. One being the fantastic Signature Restaurant at Oceans Mall (also a top spot for some high end shopping if that’s your thing) where we enjoyed an amazing meal. Signature with its diverse menu catering to a variety of tastes, elegant décor and ambience created by talented live musical performers is the perfect spot for a romantic meal for two or, as in our case, celebration dinner for twelve. A walk the following morning along the Umhlanga Rocks Promenade, not forgetting to take a photo or two of the iconic Umhlanga Lighthouse, was the perfect way to work off the excess calories after sampling all of the delicious food and drink options at both Signature and The Oyster Box.

It was with profound sadness that we bid farewell to The Oyster Box and its resident cat Skabenga, an elegant tabby gentleman, and piled into our transfer vehicle for trip north to our next stop. We were on our way to Thonga Beach Lodge in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

After transferring to a couple of four-wheel drive vehicles at Sodwana Bay we drove along dirt and sand roads through coastal forests and farmland along the edge of South Africa’s largest freshwater lake Lake Sibaya before eventually, upon reaching the crest of a hill, we gazed down at our destination perched at the edge of the dunes along an endless wide, sandy beach. Even through the not so perfect, rainy weather it looked like a wild paradise.

The lodge is a series of pavilions including a dining room, bar, lounge with board games and snacks and accommodation cabins linked via boardwalks through a lush forest setting including a spacious pool area and intimate fire pit. The rooms with their mosquito net swathed beds, natural décor, rush ceilings and walls, and double doors opening onto small decks welcoming in the sounds of the ocean were everything I’d expect from a beach lodge and more.

Thonga Beach Lodge offers a range of land and water based activities including fat bike rides to ride along the kilometres of beach, the Open Ocean Experience a ‘safari at sea’ and, at the right time of year, the Turtle Tracking Experience a chance to witness turtles laying their eggs early in the season or the emerging hatchlings later in the season and support turtle conservation. The weather was not our friend when it came to sampling some of these options.

We were lucky to visit to the local village, Mabibi, where we heard tales of the local Zulu culture and had the privilege of visiting the local primary school which receives support through donations from Thonga Beach Lodge and its guests via the Isibindi Foundation. On our way into the village we had a close encounter with some native wildlife, in our opinion a large Golden Orb spider dropped terrifyingly in our open safari truck, if you asked the spider he’d tell you that we very rudely drove into his web and nearly deafened him with our screams when all he wanted to do was escape.

Before our departure the sun broke through the clouds in time for us to enjoy an invigorating kayak paddle on Lake Sibaya before we were back on the road in our 4WD’s to Sodwana Bay to meet our mini-bus and continue on to our next destination, Sungalwane Private Game Lodge.

Sungalwane is situated in the North Western part of Zuka Private Game Reserve and forms part of the Mun-Ya-Wana Conservancy. This incredibly diverse conservation area boasts over 31,000 ha of unspoiled wilderness and borders the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

From the moment we passed through the Mun-Ya-Wana gate excitement was high. When would we see our first animals that weren’t cows (an animal we had already seen in great numbers and with a strong social significance in KwaZulu-Natal) and what would it be? FYI, it was a giraffe off in the far distance and I’ll be honest, I couldn’t pick it. The first recognisable animal we saw was a Warthog greeted by a chorus of “Pumba!” from inside the mini-bus as he trotted along the side of the road. He was absolutely not the last animal we saw and our next sighting came very shortly after our arrival at our lodge.

Driving through the lodge entrance it wasn’t hard to notice that there was no gate or fences between the lodge and the game reserve at large. The question begged to be asked, is it possible for wildlife to access the lodge and its grounds? The question was soon answered when, after being greeted by our safari guides and lodge staff, we passed through the double doors into the main lodge building and spotted Nyala (a type of antelope) grazing in the grassy area just beyond the pool. Yes, all the game can access the lodge except, probably, the elephants (and sometimes an elephant’s gotta do what an elephant’s gotta do).

The main lodge building is a stunning open-plan pavilion, and by open plan it is literally open on one side to landscape, decorated in what can be best described as African chic. After consuming the first of several superb meals, we followed the path up the hill behind the lodge to our rooms, each of them a private, individual cabin with an expansive floor plan, huge floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors and a large deck perfect for enjoying the natural surroundings. In the large bathroom the huge shower was bordered on two sides with glass – on one side a massive pane of glass overlooking the bush and on the other a sliding door to a secluded deck area with an outdoor area, safe from all prying eyes other than the occasional curious Nyala.

After a few minutes to soak up the atmosphere it was time to prepare for afternoon tea and our first game drive. Having never been on safari previously I had no idea what to expect – maybe a bit of a drive around where we might see some animals? After all, we’d just driven through the reserve all the way from the gates to the lodge and had really only seen animals from a distance. I was pretty certain that it would be a lovely afternoon but would it be amazing? I wasn’t so sure.

I’m a big enough person to admit when I’m wrong, and boy was I wrong! It wasn’t just lovely, it wasn’t just amazing, the entire experience was spectacular. On our three game drives overall not only did we drive through a landscape with some of the loveliest vistas I’ve ever seen but we had some of the most intimate and special wildlife encounters imaginable. The Big 5. We saw them - lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo and leopard, well, we didn’t see the elusive leopard but we tried.

How can you describe turning a corner to find a group of giraffes calmly plucking the leaves from trees, or a couple of zebras staring you down from the middle of the track? And the lions . . . I’ve seen lions in zoos but nothing can compare to the feeling of driving along a bush track in an open 4WD and arriving at a lakeside clearing to the sight of a lioness and her three cubs lounging in a fallen tree before they proceeded to feast on the carcass of their prey, not to mention the sight and sound of an irritated elephant strenuously objecting to the lion cubs’ noisy appreciation of their meal. As if our encounter with the lions wasn’t enough, at another location we were treated to the sight of three cheetah brothers enjoying their own meal in a far more delicate fashion only metres from our vehicle.

Aside from the spectacular landscapes, amazing game sightings and outstanding cuisine one of the best things about spending time at a game lodge is how relaxing it is. Between morning and afternoon game drives our time was free to watch, from either the pool or the several comfortable lodge seating areas, the game grazing and approaching the small waterhole. After our afternoon game drive evenings were spent in the lodge enjoying drinks around the fire pit before another top notch meal or we moved to the boma (traditionally used as a stock enclosure) for a fire and a wonderful braai (barbeque) meal.

Leaving Sungalwane was tough, particularly with the farewell guard of giraffes at the side of the road as we drove away from the lodge. The landscapes, wildlife and people of Sungalwane provided experiences that will live on my memories for a lifetime.

After a flight and another night in Johannesburg at the excellently located Peermont D’oreale Grand hotel with its excellent Reign bar and restaurant, we travelled down to Sun City Resort and our next hotel, The Palace of the Lost City.

Wow. When they call it a palace they mean a palace! I would not have been surprised to find King Jaffe Joffer, Queen Aoleon and Prince Akeem waiting inside to greet us. And if you’re not up on your 80’s film references (Coming to America) you may recognise the hotel from the movie Blended.

Sun City is a purpose built resort with multiple hotel options and a multitude of activities and facilities including shopping, the Valley of the Waves waterpark, two world class golf courses, nightlife and entertainment, outdoor adventure activities including quadbikes and Segway tours, a casino and several safari options in the Pilanesberg National Park including a hot air balloon experience. It’s a very popular destination with both international and local visitors for a fun filled family getaway.

After a couple of days exploring all that Sun City had to offer including cocktails by the pool, a game drive and another magnificent sunset we travelled the two hours back to Johannesburg and our final hotel of our stay, the DaVinci Hotel Sandton.

The DaVinci was the perfect spot to catch up on last minute souvenir shopping with its location right next to Nelson Mandela Square and the Sandton City shopping centre and only a short Uber ride to our farewell meal at Marble Restaurant in Rosebank.

Marble is a perfectly situated rooftop restaurant and bar with magnificent sunset views and an extensive menu of locally sourced produce and signature meat cuts accompanied by a wine list chock full of South African wine gems. Our evening of hand crafted cocktails at sunset followed by a meal exploring the food and wine options on offer was the perfect (and surprisingly affordable) way to end our trip.

How do I sum up our expedition into some South Africa’s lesser known gems and more well-known crowd pleasers?

Fantastic food and wine, jaw-dropping wildlife experiences, world class lodges and hotels, immersive culture and a people that were warm and welcoming.

And one memorable interaction with a spider.

South Africa I’ll be back, just try and keep me away.