Where Kingfishers Call

Limpopo lodge encourages reflection and interaction with nature

- Gillian McLaren

There is something irresistible about an elegant game lodge set on a seasonally flowing river. The newly launched Abelana River Lodge – In Abelana Game Reserve, near Phalaborwa – has 20 thatched suites along the Selati River. From my outside shower, I spot a bushbuck male treading past the deck with hesitant movements, a low-flying malachite kingfisher and, on the opposite bank, a giraffe near a throng of baboons. Being this close to the river, sounds seem to be magnified off the water, so, at night, when I hear splashing, I can’t tell if it’s a fish, a crocodile, or perhaps a hippo.

My suite is dwarfed by riverine trees – a sycamore fig and mature jackalberry – where a black-headed oriole sprinkles its liquid notes during the day and, by night, a pair of African scops owls duet under the moon.

It’s always thrilling to see the famed Big Five, all of which are found in this reserve, but when I casually mention to game guide Sasha-Lee Maggs that I am keen to focus on birds, learn more about the biome and stop for reptiles or even ants, she suggests a leisurely early morning excursion. Grateful that I will not tire fellow guests while I photograph birds or termite mounds, I rise just before dawn, when we head off into the wilderness. The first glow of sunlight casts a pinkish shadow on the fading moon, as we navigate the river road. It rained the night before, so the earth has a lush scent. At one point, a delicately sweet fragrance envelops us, so we stop to try to discern its source. And when we find that we can’t see any flowers, I decide that it is simply morning magic!