Meeting at sunrise to head out on your safari, not knowing what will reveal itself today is at the heart of safari excitement!

Zuka means dawn in many languages, and this is possibly the most beautiful time, as the new day awakens with birdsong, mist in the caldera, dew sparkling on the grass and a coolness in the air.

Driving through the varied ecosystems and topography of Zuka Private Game Reserve to view elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, rhino, cheetah, birds, reptiles, the big vistas and the little creatures is your morning safari.

When you feel its time for a pause, we’ve had fun engineering our coffee machine to run off the Landrover, so our safari guides turn barrister just when you need coffee with a view.

Walking is a different feel.

The pace allows you to notice every detail up close; tracks on the ground, from the night before or are they older with another story layered on top? Vegetation, scents, sounds and bird calls, this is the language of the bush and it communicates a full picture around you.

We all have a place in this picture and how we notice, interpret and respond to the language, initiates the next moment. Experiencing and interacting with the bush on foot, moves you to a place where nothing else matters or exists – you can only be here.

Then home, for breakfast, some tennis, swimming, the gym and relaxing, or to explore further?

A rest, or lunch on the lawn with some chilled rosé, a siesta, some reviving afternoon tea and then its time, camera in hand, for the evening game drive, a sunset and some more adventure following the activities of the wild in the nocturnal realm.