A Day On Safari With Private Wildeness 06:00h As the dawn chorus starts to rise with Laughing Doves, Robin Chats and Tropical Boubous punctuated by the odd whooping hyena staggering home to its den, early morning tea is brought to your room and if in camp, a basin of hot water, to reinvigorate you for the day's adventures ahead. 06:30h Your guide and vehicles are all ready to leave camp in search of excitement on the plains or in the forests and along the rivers. Early morning is perfect for predators out hunting their wary prey and as the sun rises awe-inspiring panoramas often reveal animals on the move to their feeding grounds.Mornings in the bush are often cool and crisp, before the sun starts to warm the savannah. 09:00-10:00h More often than not a bush breakfast is taken outside on the morning's safari. The crew will have set up delicious sizzling bacon, eggs, fresh fruit, cereals and piping hot coffee and tea, which is often enjoyed in the view of passing wildlife. This is a real experience to savour and everyone agrees is a must on safari. On cool days, the same mouth-watering breakfast is taken back at the camp/lodge having worked up a healthy appetite on the morning's journey. 10:30h - 12:30h Occasionally a mid-morning visit to the river is a perfect time to get close-up and personal with hippos and crocodiles wallowing in the cool, muddy waters. Safety is always paramount, but cautious approach and sensible viewing always make for great photo opportunities. Guests may prefer to relax back at the lodge/camp, read a variety of reference books in the ‘lounge library' or even paint dramatic landscapes as the light changes from shadow to sun and back again. 12:45h Lunch at the camp/lodge usually comprises of soup, a salad buffet, hot pasta, cold meats, freshly baked breads, sometimes made on a ‘charcoal camp-oven', a dessert selection washed down with chilled wines and cold juices. 14:00h With the heat rising and the cicadas chirping it is time to take a well-earned siesta. Most guests prefer to take a rest in the privacy of their rooms until later in the afternoon. 16:00h A discreet wake-up call disturbs your post-prandial slumber. Tea and cakes are served in the lounge/mess tent. Guests may choose to take a hot safari shower or just refresh their hands and face before the evening game drive. 16:30h An evening game drive or a walk with an armed ranger/guide is the order of the day. It is a chance to catch up with animals seen earlier-maybe a lion pride with their supper or a cheetah on the look out. On the way back to the camp/lodge, a scenic viewpoint is often a charming place to take a sundowner and reflect on the day's happenings. 19:00h Return to the camp/lodge. Time to freshen up, take a hot shower and rinse away the safari dust. Dinner is usually candle-lit, al-fresco or within an open-sided dining area. A small selection of wines and aperitifs is always on hand. Three courses with cheese, fruit and dessert is just a selection of the fine cuisine specially prepared by our trained chefs. Special requests are cared for, provided your guide/manager can be informed in advance. 21:30h After dinner, guests often retire to the campfire for 'digestives' and regale tales of bravado and excitement through the mesmerizing flicker of the flames. With unobstructed views and clear dark skies, recognizing star constellations and planets is an absorbing way to enjoy the still, unpolluted atmosphere of the never-ending African sky. Our lodge/camp staff will escort you by lantern back to your room for your well earned slumber on soft pillows and spacious beds.