Monday morning began with another game drive. We then came back and after breakfast, had a presentation with reptiles and other creatures to prove that they aren’t so icky after all. After lunch and a bush survival course, we went out for our final night game drive. When we returned, we had our farewell dinner and entertainment.

Day 12—The Little Five

A vervet monkey came up on our deck at our morning tea & coffee venue before we head out. I was anxious to get going, because I had a hunch it would be another special day on safari.

The morning game drives began a little chilly, but my buff kept me warm while I was ready to spot wildlife like the black-backed jackal and our daily regiment of giraffe, including this male to the right (you can tell by the hairy horns). We also saw tiny duiker and various mongooses that were too elusive for the camera.

Then something magical happened. We got a call that our other group came upon a pride of lions, existing of one male and three females. We quickly drove through the bush to catch up with them and see for ourselves.

Although we probably could have sat and watched the lions for hours, it was time to move on to try to find the rest of the Big Five. The phrase Big Five game was coined by white hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The term is still used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African wildlife safaris. The collection consists of the lion, African elephant, cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size.  No sooner did we leave the lions when we found a herd of buffalo chewing their cud. Our favorite was the cute little one.

We took a little break at a watering hole, where we reflected on the day’s events so far, then continued the break back at the room

Reptile expert Donald Strydom taught me how to approach a snake. He showed us cobras, pythons, tarantulas, a bearded dragon, and even a lovely black scorpion.

Giraffe drinking, Caswell watching, another giraffe, tawny eagle, some sort of vulture and pretty bird, impala, hippos, a crocodile, and an intriguing tree

Teri and Ty

Whitney and Mike

Peter and Alice

Cheryl and Charles

Vicky and Greg

Tiffany and Duncan

It really didn’t take long at all, but certainly by this time in our trip we were quite close to the other six couples. We met only 8 days ago, but it felt like we were friends for a long time. I guess that’s what sharing an experience like this will do for you. We came from different states and different backgrounds. We had honeymooners and people who had been married for 30-some years. We had professionals and caregivers. We had DVC members and those that weren’t. But we all had two things in common: a love for Disney and a love for our adventure.

Our farewell dinner included entertainment, dancing, and one massive feast with friends.