Tembe Elephant Park

It's one of those special places where you feel alone with the African wildlife.

I didn't just go on safari at Tembe, I actually worked there for over a year, and it became a home away from home. Of all the parks I've visited, no other makes you feel this intimate with the African bush. Although wildlife is a bit harder to find here thant other places, the sightings you will get are often very up close and personal. Elephants are a given, and there is no better place to go see them. They are amongst the largest on the continent and the bulls grow amazing tusks. The buffaloes are also very impressive compared to other parks, and even the lions seems larger here. During a stay at the lodge you'll get excellent guides, and most of the time you'll get 4 of the big 5 over a couple of days, although rhinos are a bit shy here. Leopards are very rare, but if anyone can find them, it is the lodge.

Scenery is dense but beautiful throughout most of the park, and the sand forest makes this park unique in terms of scenery, feel and look. The huge swamp spanning the east side of the park is the park's most open area, and the best place to find herds of elephants and buffaloes. In the dry season, May-September, the sawmp is also a good spot to find lions hunting. The prey base is massive here, and the numbers of the beautiful nyala antelope are staggering, so the carnivores are not lacking in any way.

My favorite time of year here is October, which is very early in the rainy season. Climate is warm, but not extremely hot, as it can be in summer, November-March. The scenery is becoming greener, but the vegetation is still low after the dry season so the animals are still easy to see. The dry season will, of course, give you a bit more action as wildlife stick around the few water sources, but the scenery is not as nice.

I never stayed at the lodge overnight myself, as I stayed at the research camp, but the people working there are very serviceminded and the lodge is very accomodating.

If you go here, be sure to spend a day at the nearby Ndumo Game Reserve for some fantastic scenery and birding! And a massive population of crocodiles!

Intimate experience

Tembe is a small park in Kwa-zulu Natal not many people have heard about. The park is managed and run by members of the local community. The nice thing about the park is that one can choose to be driven by a local guide or self-drive it with your own 4x4. Having done both we recommend starting with a drive from one of the local guides to get an idea of the park and then if you're up for some adventure to do it yourself. A 4x4 is a must though.

We have had some of the most amazing sightings there, male lions fighting over territory, lion and elephant confrontations, amazing birdlife. One can also sit at a number of waterholes and just wait for the animals to come to you. The scenery is the quintessential South African bush experience, it is thick in the summer months and more traversable during the winter months which increase the chances of spotting wildlife.

The tents are very comfortable and give you the feeling of camping in the wild while enjoying luxury. The staff are very friendly, something that I particularly enjoy is at dinner time the flags of the guests nationalities are placed on the tables to show who is staying and the menu is read by the "menu-teller". Something a very experienced person does this and other times something who is a first timer.

Home of the big tuskers

Love Tembe. The elephant sightings are fantastic. Mahlasela Hide is a real highlight. The lodge si tented and community owned and run by a great team under Ernest. Love it!