HOW far are you prepared to travel to see the "big five" in their natural habitat and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the bush?
Bakubung Bush Lodge offers all this and more, and is about a two-hour drive from both Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Named after the local clan of the Bakubung - the Hippo People - the lodge is located in the Pilanesberg National Park, a 10-minute drive from Sun City near Rustenburg.
Pilanesberg is surrounded by several luxury holiday hideouts, including the famous Sun City.
Bakubung's fame has also reached overseas markets. As I was going through the reception area, I noticed a young German family and a travelling group from India.
"The lull during the local off-season has been offset by such groups from abroad, including the Indians who in recent times have taken a keen liking for our lodge," says rooms division manager Elma Labuschagne.
"We are happy for them, just as we are happy making a visit by anyone the most enjoyable experience."
Enjoyable is an understatement, considering the hospitality and waking up to a herd of wildebeest grazing just outside the bedroom.
The modest traveller in me would have got by with standard facilities and services, but I must admit that the luxurious room I was offered was just too uplifting.
On arrival, a visitor is welcomed with a pack of tidbits, including a mini bottle of Amarula cream. But if tea is your thing, like me, you will never want to leave your room with all the cosy cushions, colonial-style armchairs and soft pillows.
It's hot in this part of the country, and even though the 76 studio rooms here are air-conditioned, the thatched roofing provides natural climate control.
The row of rooms and additional 66 chalets add to the homely, intimate feel of the lodge.
But the beauty of a bush lodge is the game drive, and here it means hours in the massive natural bush with its large mixture of wildlife.
The park's largest water body, Mankwe Lake, is a major attraction for animals and birds which come to feed, drink and be seen, and that includes for mating.
The lake is named after the leopard, which we did not see, typical for the secretive loner. But other members of the big five, including the under-siege rhino, were there.
And, as if man's cruelty against the rhino was not enough, a male lion killing a white rhino calf was a show-stopper. Though sad, it was a scene to behold in appreciation of the rules of the bush.
It was a surprise to see a springbok among other antelopes, but our knowledgable ranger and driver Zach Moeketsi explained that the boks were imported from their natural home in Northern Cape.
Bakubung also offers conferencing and banqueting services with all the modern equipment and technology. It is also child-friendly, offering fun activities like board games, table tennis, outdoor chess and an adventure playground.
All kinds of modern services are available in and around the lodge but, for me, meeting the Hippo People in Ledig, a village adjacent to the lodge, was also fulfilling.
The apparent peace at the village is burst by car wash owner Japie.
He says Ledig is threatened by a culture of sitting around by young people. Pointing at the open gaps in the Bakubung cemetery, he says: "Steel frames have been stolen, which shows how evil lawlessness has become, stealing from graves."
His worry is captured by the name Ledig, Dutch for vacant, by extension "we are doing nothing".
Tumo Mokone was hosted by Legacy Hotels
mokonetu@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Paradise just down the road from city hustle and bustle
HOW far are you prepared to travel to see the "big five" in their natural habitat and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the bush?
Bakubung Bush Lodge offers all this and more, and is about a two-hour drive from both Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Named after the local clan of the Bakubung - the Hippo People - the lodge is located in the Pilanesberg National Park, a 10-minute drive from Sun City near Rustenburg.
Pilanesberg is surrounded by several luxury holiday hideouts, including the famous Sun City.
Bakubung's fame has also reached overseas markets. As I was going through the reception area, I noticed a young German family and a travelling group from India.
"The lull during the local off-season has been offset by such groups from abroad, including the Indians who in recent times have taken a keen liking for our lodge," says rooms division manager Elma Labuschagne.
"We are happy for them, just as we are happy making a visit by anyone the most enjoyable experience."
Enjoyable is an understatement, considering the hospitality and waking up to a herd of wildebeest grazing just outside the bedroom.
The modest traveller in me would have got by with standard facilities and services, but I must admit that the luxurious room I was offered was just too uplifting.
On arrival, a visitor is welcomed with a pack of tidbits, including a mini bottle of Amarula cream. But if tea is your thing, like me, you will never want to leave your room with all the cosy cushions, colonial-style armchairs and soft pillows.
It's hot in this part of the country, and even though the 76 studio rooms here are air-conditioned, the thatched roofing provides natural climate control.
The row of rooms and additional 66 chalets add to the homely, intimate feel of the lodge.
But the beauty of a bush lodge is the game drive, and here it means hours in the massive natural bush with its large mixture of wildlife.
The park's largest water body, Mankwe Lake, is a major attraction for animals and birds which come to feed, drink and be seen, and that includes for mating.
The lake is named after the leopard, which we did not see, typical for the secretive loner. But other members of the big five, including the under-siege rhino, were there.
And, as if man's cruelty against the rhino was not enough, a male lion killing a white rhino calf was a show-stopper. Though sad, it was a scene to behold in appreciation of the rules of the bush.
It was a surprise to see a springbok among other antelopes, but our knowledgable ranger and driver Zach Moeketsi explained that the boks were imported from their natural home in Northern Cape.
Bakubung also offers conferencing and banqueting services with all the modern equipment and technology. It is also child-friendly, offering fun activities like board games, table tennis, outdoor chess and an adventure playground.
All kinds of modern services are available in and around the lodge but, for me, meeting the Hippo People in Ledig, a village adjacent to the lodge, was also fulfilling.
The apparent peace at the village is burst by car wash owner Japie.
He says Ledig is threatened by a culture of sitting around by young people. Pointing at the open gaps in the Bakubung cemetery, he says: "Steel frames have been stolen, which shows how evil lawlessness has become, stealing from graves."
His worry is captured by the name Ledig, Dutch for vacant, by extension "we are doing nothing".
Tumo Mokone was hosted by Legacy Hotels
mokonetu@sowetan.co.za
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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