28 Feb Big 5 Game Lodges
The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve’s Big 5 Luxury Game Lodge
Visitors to South African nature reserves invariably wish to include a stay at a bushveld game lodge in their itinerary, ideally in a reserve that is home to the Big 5. Mankind’s fascination with these 5 wild species is ceaseless; the desire to see more is never permanently satisfied.
Every animal encounter is unique. As long as there is game, there’s more to experience – perhaps just around the next corner, within the next half an hour or maybe tomorrow. Because two of the Big 5 are top predators, the chance of observing them hunting increases man’s appetite to see more of them.
Our Luxury Game Lodge
Our game lodge is named Fifty Seven Waterberg, since it’s located on portion 57 of the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve’s vast 35 000 hectare bushveld – a malaria-free, untamed wilderness, which just happens to be Big 5 territory.
We accommodate our limited number of guests in five private suites, because we believe that this number is ideal for the on-going provision of world-class personal service, top-hospitality standards and an optimal game lodge/game viewing experience.
Full board is provided, since luxury implies that guests can focus completely on relaxing and enjoying themselves. Our trained, friendly and professional game lodge personnel are discretely on hand to see to visitors’ every need.
Two game drives per day in the company of a knowledgeable guide are designed to take our guests to the best locations to see the Big 5 (and others).
The Big 5
- Elephant – It’s only fair to mention this Big 5 member first, since the African elephant is the biggest land mammal in existence. Their tusks are actually upper incisors, and their ears are larger than those of other elephant species. These ancient-looking beasts appear peaceful, but can become aggressive if calves are present, bulls are in musth, or they feel threatened.
- Lion – The African lion is a top predator, but will scavenge if the opportunity presents itself and the kill is relatively fresh. They’re the only big cats that live in prides. The females do most of the hunting (ambush style), but larger and heavier males will get involved if the prey is big and difficult to bring down.
- Rhino – South Africa has two rhino species – the black and the white. The former has a pointed, hook upper lip that enables it to browse and feed on tree leaves and foliage, while the latter rhino has a square, wide-lipped mouth, perfect for grazing. Both are threatened with extinction.
- Buffalo – Some game experts consider the Cape buffalo to be the most dangerous Big 5 animal. They’re known to double back on their tracks when followed, then launch an ambush attack.
- Leopard – These nocturnal big cats are solitary and difficult to spot. A sighting is a grand event.
Why These 5 are Big
While none of the game animals on the Big 5 list are small and the elephant is enormous, they’re not so named because of their size. Game hunters referred to these 5 species as big, because they are difficult and dangerous to hunt.
You know who the Big 5 are and you now know where and how to find them – at our 5-star, Big 5 game lodge in the heart of the malaria-free Waterberg.