A new beginning at Amani

Date : Dec 2024 - Apr 2025

The old prado is packed to the brim - what all will we need? Boxes of clothes, kitchen utensils, crockery, tools, mats, lamps and books pretty much occupy all available space. The garage is rammed and so is the car. We have a rental in the flat and need to be out by the 28th. There is so much to do, so much to pack and we really don’t know what to expect. We leave on our adventure - a road trip through to Schoemanskloof to rest before we start our new jobs - lodge managers at Amani Lodge in the Klasserie Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

The first few weeks is a massive learning curve - How to manage a lodge, what the systems are, how to manage staff, how to make sure the guest experience is WOW! My major challenge is learning the roads of the properties we traverse on. Our vehicles need a service and the lodge needs a fair bit of maintenance!

Learning the roads had its perks. I got to spend time out in the field looking for birds and BIG 5! My love for leopards has been reignited. At Amani we are spoilt for choice with these beautiful cats. They are so photogenic and we are also priveledged to have some very relaxed leopards that like to pose.

The birdlife is great here too. I just cant help to take images of our feathered inhabitants.

Editing Suite

Right: My workstation with a view. A lot of furniture that we moved up! Its starting to look almost professional.

We came across a pride of lions with these 2 young cubs. After patiently waiting, they crept out of the long grass and onto the road where they started sharpening up their skills needed for one day when they grow up.

I hope you enjoy my first efforts at a blog and my first few months at Amani. As we ease towards winter I am hoping to get more photographic opportunities.