Day 5 we were up early and bid farewell to Capetown, taking a short flight to Johannesburg and then a connecting flight on a small private plane to the private airstrip of our SabiSabi Safari lodge.
Our three nights on safari was everything we dreamed of. In the first few hours we were privileged to see what folks call the Big five. On our way from the airstrip to the lodge we saw rhinos and elephants (first and second of the big five).
As we relaxed at the lodge a herd of about fifty water buffalo (third of the big five) came to the watering hold near the lodge.
It was an amazing site but became even more breathtaking when we spotted two large male lions (fourth of the big five) watching the Buffalo. We were eager to get into the vehicles to get a closer look.
Later that day we watched the lions twice stalk and run into the pack of water buffalo trying to cut a weaker animal off from the larger herd . They were unable to surprise the Water Buffalo which would stampede and then corral the younger, weaker ones into the middle protecting them with a blockade of horns. At one point we had fifty buffalo stampeding towards our vehicle. The only thing that stopped me from sheer panic was the look on the guide's face. Our vehicle was safe because it was on a small incline.
These two lions were great buddies and between runs with the buffalo they played around together.
The evening had just started and we had already seen four of the big five. The commotions of the lion hunting buffalo quickly brought a leopard down to the site and we were able tick off the final member of the big five for our sightings.
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