Londolozi Life

A Taste of South Africa

February 4, 2012

A Taste of South Africa A Sarasota group discovers wild beauty and sophisticated cuisine on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Deep in the African bush, more than wildlife is stirring. Safari camps like Londolozi in the Sabi Sand private game reserve are leading South Africa’s quest to become an international culinary destination. Chefs, like trackers and rangers, [...]

Enter the Good Work Foundation Raffle…and Win 2 Nights at Londolozi

February 1, 2012

The Good Work Foundation Raffle is commited to doing just that, Good Work, and now you can play your part in helping the GWF continue its mission. All you need to do is buy a raffle ticket…

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An Update on the Weather at Londolozi and Surrounds

January 18, 2012

Dear Friends, Over the last few days a large amount of bad weather has moved through from the Mozambican Coast covering much of the Kruger National Park in heavy rain. Certain parts of the Kruger have experienced flooding and here at Londolozi the river levels have risen substantially since the beginning of the week. This [...]

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Majingilane – The Story of Lion Warfare

January 16, 2012

Introducing: Majingilane – The Story of Lion Warfare A male lion takeover is a hard reality of the wilderness. Since the 8th June 2010, when the Majingilane Coalition arrived in the Sabi Sands and began to take control from the Mapogo coalition, the rangers, trackers and guests of Londolozi and its surrounding properties have witnessed [...]

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Camp Pan mates with Tamboti Female

January 14, 2012

The Camp Pan male was in full force this week as he mated with the Tamboti female. This young female has developed more and more of a territory for herself along the central eastern areas of Sparta, Londolozi. With the Dudley 5:5 Male Leopard infrequently visiting this area, there are no other competing male leopards [...]

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The Week in Pictures # 28

January 13, 2012

Sometimes when guests ask, ‘When is the best time of the year to come to Londolozi?’, my response is that if you are a photographer, and interested in the big mammals, then winter is preferable. The dry weather provides clear skies, excellent light, and less dense vegetation to block the view. This week, however, I [...]

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Introducing: The Electric Landrover

January 9, 2012

A brand new electric Land Rover arrived at Londolozi over Christmas. Courtesy of Barker Performance Products and Land Rover, the electric vehicle was sent here to be put through a rigorous and rough field test owing to the success and pioneering development of Londolozi’s first three prototype electric Land Rovers. Having unveiled this new product [...]

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A Once-in-a-Lifetime Sighting

January 5, 2012

Many people have a bucket list. Things to do and see or places to go before they die. Our sighting last week was something so rarely witnessed in the bush that nobody would sensibly put it on their list, knowing how remote their chances of seeing it to be: A lioness ferrying her newborn cubs [...]

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Rangers and Trackers Teambuilding

December 19, 2011

The Rangers and Trackers were randomly divided into two teams; these teams would compete against each other in the inaugural ‘Boerewors Week‘. A week set aside in the busy calendar year to strengthen partnerships, morale, improve skills, increase banter and have great fun amongst work colleagues. All done to shape this already superb field guiding [...]

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The Hyenas vs the Leopards

December 15, 2011

In mid December each year a Soccer match is played as a curtain raiser to the Staff Christmas Party. The well know Londolozi Leopards; our very own established football team consisting of butlers, gardeners, and trackers take on the make-shift team nicknamed the Londolozi Hyenas… to call the Hyenas a Soccer/Football team is a huge [...]

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African Relais & Châteaux Cookbook

December 3, 2011

32 Chefs inspire the first cook book featuring recipes from Relais & Châteaux member properties across Southern, East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Bringing together the styles and techniques of some of the most highly regarded chefs in Southern, East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, Relais & Châteaux, in conjunction with publisher Peter [...]

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Jerry Hambana gets into photography!

December 2, 2011

The photography bug really has taken hold of everyone here at Londolozi. Here we feature something a little bit different from pictures taken by our talented guiding team. Instead we show off some of the work taken by our newest up and coming photographer…one of our most talented trackers Jerry Hambana…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 5

November 28, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ‘3:4‘. In this the fifth of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks openly about 3:4′s life, behaviour and her phenomenal life as a Leopards of Londolozi…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 4

November 24, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ’3:4′. In this the second of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks about 3:4′s life as a cub and how leopards behave when raising cubs and dispersing their young at different stages of maturity…

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Behind the Scenes at Londolozi

November 23, 2011

Renowned photographer Ryan Graham recently spent some time with us at Londolozi capturing an assortment of images out on safari, throughout the lodges and behind the scenes. This blog post is dedicated to the staff of Londolozi whose lives are closely intertwined as a community and as a family living together out in the wilderness. The images below are a behind the scenes snapshot of what goes on when our cherished guests are out on drive or relaxing in the quiet of their rooms…

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Pioneering the New Frontier of a Social Enterprise

November 15, 2011

In a recent interview with CNN’s Marketplace Africa, Dave Varty talks to Robyn Curnow about balancing profit with conservation and how he is pioneering Londolozi’s organisational model towards a Social Enterprise…

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Jaguars, Macaws and the Pantanal

November 5, 2011

Shan and I have just returned from an inspiring expedition to Caiman Ecological Refuge situated in Southern Pantanel, South America. We were kindly hosted by Roberto Klabin, the owner of this remarkable property and although for the past 250 years cattle has been the primary land use practice for the area, Roberto Klabin is a leading conservationist in Brazil has afforded absolute protection of wildlife on this ranch for the past 30 years. Proving that nature is an enduring partner, the proof of Klabin’s visionary work was there for us to see…

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The Lodges of Londolozi by Ryan Graham

October 31, 2011

Renowned photographer Ryan Graham was recently at Londolozi taking pictures of everything from the rooms to the wildlife to the members of the Londolozi family. In this post, we showcase Ryan’s stunning images of the Londolozi Lodges, interior details and cuisine…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 3

October 27, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ‘3:4‘. In this the third of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks about how 3:4 responded to her cub being eaten by an African Rock Python…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 2

October 18, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ‘3:4‘. In this the second of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks openly about 3:4′s life, behaviour and her phenomenal life as a Leopards of Londolozi…

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Safari for the Soul

October 11, 2011

There’s a line from a poem by Mary Oliver that asks: ‘What is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’ Those words have a habit of hitting me in the gut, which is why I leapt at the opportunity to join the African STAR (Self-transformation Adventure Retreat) hosted by Londolozi in June each year. The retreat invites people to experience the healing power of nature during a week of intensive coaching…

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John Varty – A Life With Leopards # 1

October 6, 2011

John Varty (JV) is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker, conservationist, musician, author and one of the founders of Londolozi Game Reserve. He has dedicated his life to the conservation of Big Cats, most notably the leopard. During the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s JV’s wildlife films drew attention and awareness to the beauty, behaviour and lives of these phenomenal cats of which Londolozi is proudly home to. JV’s most recent film, Leopard Queen, is currently being screened on Nat Geo Wild and features two decades worth of footage of the famed Londolozi leopard ’3:4′. In this the first of a series of interviews with John Varty, he talks openly about his relationship with 3:4 and a life spent with the Leopards of Londolozi…

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The Good Work Foundation – Now LIVE

October 4, 2011

The Good Work Foundation is committed to doing just that, Good Work. For many of the travelers to Londolozi, you would have experienced first hand the amazing work that the GWF is doing by bringing positive educational interventions to the rural South African communities in and around Londolozi. Over the course of 2011, the GWF has continued to expand rapidly with the development of the Madlala Digital Learning Center as well as the newly acquired Hazyview Learning Centre…

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Meet the Blog Team: David

September 20, 2011

The bush is a long way from the world of finance and few men manage to bridge the gap successfully. David ‘Doyle’ Dampier is one of those men and with a knack for capturing spectacular photographs of Londolozi’s most renowned and elusive leopards, he is one of the secret weapons in the Londolozi blog team.

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Motherhood in the Wilderness

September 11, 2011

It’s not a hard and fast rule, but most guides leave Londolozi having made a connection with a specific animal and that invariably turns out to be a leopard. Stoff watched 3:4 from the moment she was born, Alex Van Den Heever loved the Tugwaan Female, Rich Ferrier is always hunting for the Nottens Female and Mike Miller is still carousing the north for the Manyeleti young Male… I love the leopards but truthfully I’d swop every leopard sighting I’ve ever had for the time I’ve spent with the Tsalala tailess lioness…

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The Tsalala Super Pride

September 5, 2011

The current low water level of the Sand River is allowing the Tsalala Pride to be a little more adventurous in their movements. Spending more time south of the river, they have increased their hunting grounds substantially. As spring envelops us the days are getting hotter and the river is a hive of activity, especially in the mid afternoon as animals come down for a refreshing drink. The Tsalala sisters are well aware of this and are using the river and it’s flood plain as a highway to speed up their movements and increase their chances of a successful hunt…

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Star in Your own Safari

September 2, 2011

Imagine being whisked away to Londolozi Game Reserve on a mission to write and present a multimedia travel story about your experience. Sound good? The reality is that all you need to do is enter the ‘Star in your own Safari’ competition proudly sponsored by Safari Interactive Magazine and Londolozi Game Reserve to stand a chance at winning this prize. Safari interactive Magazine and Londolozi Private Game Reserve are offering one subscriber and partner a two-night private photographic safari in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa. You’ll be sent off to Londolozi and met by a professional media crew so all you’ll need to do is enjoy it, tell us about it and become the star in a full feature about the experience in an upcoming issue of Safari…

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Meet the Blog Team: Talley

August 30, 2011

Talley Smith may be relatively new to Londolozi but she certainly is no novice to the guiding world! Talley has been guiding in the Sabi Sands for 4 years and has a great understanding of the ingredients needed to make a sublime safari. She is without doubt one of the hardest working and dedicated people you will ever meet and wildlife and the photography thereof is her greatest passion…

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Spotted Hyenas : Love them or Hate them

August 14, 2011

We all have our own opinions about hyenas…Some think that they are the most foul things in the world ; conniving, silly and dark (an image enhanced by their portrayal in the Lion King). Others are their biggest fans and preach about the good they do for the health of an ecosystem. Often operating in clans, it is thought that they developed this social behavior in response to increased pressure from rivals on carcasses, thus forcing them to operate in teams. At Londolozi we have a very healthy population of Spotted Hyena and whether you like them or not one can’t help but acknowledge their entertainment value!

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The Day I Nearly Died

August 2, 2011

We rode down the rapids in our life jackets miraculously avoiding a head-on collision with the many rocky outcrops that punctuated the rapids. One canoe snapped in two. One of the guys in it went missing for several hours: we thought he had drowned. It was to be the first of many close shaves with Africa. Eventually, bedraggled and shocked, we pulled ourselves out onto the north bank of the river, altogether forgetting about the Zambezi crocodiles and the fact that we had now illegally crossed an international boundary. More was to come…

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Safari in Syd Afrika!

August 1, 2011

Johanna Hagman visited Londolozi in January 2011 together with her family, including her grand parents and her cousins. This is an article she wrote for the WWF Panda Magazine in Sweden…

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My Friend Jerry

July 29, 2011

I’ve written before about Jerry’s specialness as a person and I frequently introduce him to guests as the nicest person on the planet. Spending as much time as I do with Jerry is a privilege and I’ve subconsciously added him to my shrinking list of close friends…

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The Emsagwen 6:4 Male Leopard

July 25, 2011

There is a battle brewing in the northern parts of Londolozi. The Emsagwen 6:4 Male Leopard is starting to extend his boundaries westwards into Marthly reaching out into the heart of the Marthly Male. We watch with interest as to whether anything will develop between these two brutes of the leopard world…

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Tutlwa Female’s New Leopard Cub

July 18, 2011

Last October the Tutlwa 4:3 female leopard gave birth to a single cub. Denned between large granite boulders in a thin tributary close to the Sand River, both cub and mother were elusive and infrequently seen. Months later, the details surrounding the demise of her cub are still a mystery. Spending much of her time [...]

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A Southern Boy in Southern Africa

July 7, 2011

I was a long way from home when I stepped out of the twin-engine prop plane that delivered me to Londolozi on the morning of Saturday, June 18. Trying to distinguish myself from the arriving guests, I skirted the ranger greeting line and approached a group of trackers, hoping someone would know where I was to be taken. Other than my name, I had no answer to who I was or what I was doing here. All I could tell the tracker was that the Varty’s were expecting me, and shortly after, Dave Varty, one of the few familiar faces in a very foreign place, pulled up to the airstrip to pick me up…

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The Week in Pictures # 2

June 24, 2011

The week in pictures at Londolozi Game Reserve from 18 to 24 June 2011…

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The African STAR Retreat 2011

June 23, 2011

We sit in absolute silence gazing into the hazel eyes of a 5 ton elephant cow as she carefully and methodically uses her trunk to pick up dead pieces of wood, placing them to one side. She then proceeds to eat the grass previously hidden to other grazers. Moist, soft and green, she rumbles in delight! The scene unfolds bit by bit. I glance down at my watch and realize we have been here for 45 minutes and still not one word has been spoken. I slowly start the engine and we roll away heading for a raft of hippo that are stirring in a watering hole not too far away. Words would have added nothing to the remarkable experience we had all just had.

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Best of the Best – Pioneer Camp 1926

June 20, 2011

Pioneer Camp 1926 Londolozi has been selected by Robb Report’s editors as a “Best of the Best” Resorts in our just-released signature June issue. This 23rd annual “Best of the Best” edition culminates an entire year’s search for the luxury world’s most exceptional new products and services and we are delighted that Pioneer Camp is in it…

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The Wacheche Leopard Cub – Photographs

June 16, 2011

The moments passed slowly as we waited for the cub to walk out on the road. Shy yet curious it eventually followed its mother, The Wacheche Female, onto the road and walked down the road behind here. With territory in the deep south of Londolozi, she is not frequently seen but when she is, her cub is usually with her and thus presents a truly memorable sighting…

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Male Leopard Hoists and Leaps with Impala

May 30, 2011

The Short Tail male needed to act quickly, hyenas were rife in his territory and his quarry needed to be hoisted. Dragging the carcass to the trunk of a big Marula tree, one swift jump sent him and the limp carcass clawing steadily up the tree. Spectacular to watch, quintessential in meaning and vibrant in excitement, Short tail proceeded to spend the next 5 minutes shifting the carcass around trying to find a suitable branch to begin feeding. Unsatisfied, he once again gripped the carcass in mouth, nearly dropping it, before leaping midway across the established tree to stash the kill on a more open branch. Here he settled down and began to feed…

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Ranger of the Year

May 18, 2011

“A true, professional ranger is not only a competent ornithologist, tracker, protector, botanist, behavioral specialist and inquisitive naturalist but also a patient, well groomed, kind, passionate, selfless and enthusiastic people’s person who dedicates 18 hours of his or her day to creating the perfect wildlife holiday experience for someone else.”

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How Wild Dogs Behave at a Kill

May 16, 2011

Despite the nature of the Wild Dog’s approach to hunting and killing, the dynamics at a kill make for interesting observation and much can be learned about the depth of this specie’s social structure. The below video gives you a good indication of how these dappled creatures truly behave around a kill…

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Just how exactly does a Giraffe Mate?

May 11, 2011

Have you ever wondered how Africa’s tallest terrestrial animal mates? With long gangly legs, an extremely long neck and the most innnocent of eyes, one could be forgiven that ‘the stork’ just drops off a baby giraffe and saves this elegant animal from an otherwise awkward process. Nature, however is sometimes cruel and the giraffe needs to mate just the same as every other mammal on this planet…

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Londolozi Winter Calendar

April 8, 2011

Londolozi is excited to announce the Winter Calendar. Now in its 6th year, the Winter Calendar is all about offering you extra activities on your safari, allowing you to maximise your experience at Londolozi and to enjoy the beautiful balmy days during the months of May, June and July…

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A Magical Experience

April 6, 2011

I did not know what to expect, I was nervous, I was shaken from the trip (literally). These feelings all vanished the instant I saw the security guard, Mr Humphrey Thiledi, armed with a big wave and a warm smile (not to mention other slightly more intimidating weapons). He greeted, signed me in, opened the boom gate and let me through. This was Londolozi…

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Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Means Business!

April 1, 2011

The Dudley Riverbank 5:5 Male is becoming a force to be reckoned with. We followed him for over an hour watching him scent mark, urinate, scrape and call numerous times as he proceeded to walk deep into the territory of the Camp Pan Male. By the time he reached Fluffies Pan he had worked himself into a frenzy. Calling for the Camp Pan Male Leopard to come and face his challenge. He was readied for combat…

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Remembering the Shaw’s Male

March 23, 2011

Remembering the past often helps to explain current events. Hence, I feel it useful to wind back the clock a few years and write about a great lion of the past: The Shaw’s Male, aka The Rollercoaster Male….

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Update: Tsalala Pride Cubs

March 16, 2011

A few weeks ago we published the first ever footage that taken of the four new Tsalala pride cubs. Spending much of their time up on the rocks at Marthly Pools, the new pride have continued to use this area as a den site and now, more aptly, a play site…

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NOW LIVE: The Leopards of Londolozi

March 14, 2011

The Londolozi Leopard dynasty has been chronicled over the past 31 years by the many guides and trackers, past and present, who have worked here. From this documentation we are proud to announce an online platform entitled ‘The Leopards of Londolozi’. It is a documentation that is the result of their combined efforts and of yours, the reader. It is a record of the family lineages, identities, photographs, videos and stories of the various offspring and independent leopards that have been part of Londolozi over the past three decades…

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A True Wilderness Experience

March 4, 2011

The lions had just finished roaring when we began walking. In the soft light of dawn, a chorus of birds marched along with us as we began the epic journey up the artery of the Sabi Sands Wildtuin. Our destination was the western fenceline of the reserve, the exact point where the Sand River would enter the reserve before beginning its mighty charge down into the untamed wilderness below. It was 45 kilometers away and as the dust settled in the wake of each new track, the Sand River hummed softly to our right. This river was to be our guide, our teacher and the lifeblood of a true wilderness experience…

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