Recent Big 5 Sightings
Weekly Big Five Sightings 18 May – 24 May 2026
Monday, 18 May 2026 (27°C) Tortoise Pan, the male leopard, mobile south on Sawmill The Kambula breakaway pride consisting of two lionesses and six subadults, stationary south of Marula Bult South/Arathusa Cutline. A pack of two African Wild Dogs, mobile north from...
Weekly Big Five Sightings 11-17 May 2026
Monday, 11 May 2026 (31°C) Two Ndzhenga male lions stationary with the Kambula breakaway pride, consisting of two females and six subadults, stationary at the northern end of Arathusa airstrip. Xidulu, the female leopard, with her two cubs on an impala kill, west of...
Weekly Big Five Sightings 04 – 10 May 2026
Weekly Big Five Sightings 04 May – 10 May 2026 Monday, 04 May 2026 (26°C) The Nkuhuma pride, consisting of five lionesses and two cubs, feeding on a buffalo kill east of Baobab Dam. Xidulu, the female leopard, mobile west on Simbambili/Elephant Plains cutline....
Weekly Big Five Sightings 27 April-03 May
Monday, 27 April 2026 (26°C) A breeding herd of ten elephants, mobile North from Rampan. The two Plains Camp Males lions feeding on a buffalo east of Wet Patch open. Two Nkuhuma lioness and ten cubs, resting around One Eye Pan. A breeding herd of seventy...
Weekly Big Five Sighting 20-26 April 2026
Monday, 20 April 2026 (26°C) Tiyani, the female leopard, feeding on an impala kill on Rampan link road. Tortoise Pan, the male leopard, mobile east from Kimbeon’s crossing. A breeding herd of approximately twenty-five elephants feeding around Leeukuil. Two cubs of...
Weekly Big Five Sightings 13-16 April 2026
Monday, 13 April 2026 (31°C) Xidulu, the female leopard, with her two cubs on a kudu calf kill on Simbambili/Arathusa Safari Cutline, west of Xigodi Pan. Two buffalo bulls feeding east of Pungwe Pan. A breeding herd of approximately 20 elephants drinking at...
Weekly Big Five Sightings 6 April – 12 April 2026
Monday, 6 April 2026 (33°C) Xidulu, the female leopard, stationary in a tree with her two cubs west of 2nd Windmill Road’s mud wallows. A breeding herd of elephants feeding along Big Dam link north. One elephant bull feeding in a thicket at the southern end of...
Weekly Big Five Sightings 30 March – 5 April 2026
Monday, 30 March 2026 (31°C) The Toulon pack of African Wild Dogs (15) stationary on the northern end of Arathusa Airstrip. The Ntsevu Pride of lions, consisting of six members, mobile south east from Arathusa Main Road/Leopard drift. Approximately 10 members of The...
Weekly Big Five Sightings 23rd – 29th March 2026
Monday, 23 March 2026 (34°C) Some members of the EP Hyena clan on an impala kill on Tamboti Thicket/Guarri Central. Five members of the Nkuhuma Pride of lions, with six cubs and one Ndzhenga male feeding on a waterbuck kill, north of Tambotie Dam. Tortoise Pan, the...
Weekly Big Five Sightings 16th – 22nd March 2026
Monday, 16th March 2026 (29°C) Tortoise Pan, the male leopard, mating with Tlalamba, the female leopard, in the block between Central and Cutline. Makhomsava, the female leopard, mobile South from the Rocks. Xidulu, the female leopard and her two cubs, mobile West on...
Weekly Big Five Sightings 09 -15 March 2026
Monday, 9th March 2026 (27°C) One Ndzenga male lion with four Nkuhuma lioness and six cubs, resting at Twin Dams. A breeding herd of ten elephants, feeding on Arathusa airstrip. Tiyanis, female leopard cub resting in a Marula tree on Eastern Bank Manyeleti....
Weekly Big Five Sightings 2nd – 8th March 2026
Monday, 2nd March 2026 (34°C) Xidulu, the female leopard and her two cubs, mobile from Saffron towards 2nd Windmill Pan. Tiyani, the female leopard and her cub, mobile East on Ep/Shirley’s Cutline Towards Madash. Five Nkuhuma Females and six cubs, resting in the...
Latest News
The first two years of a leopard’s life
AuthorThe first two years of a Leopard’s lifeSeeing a wild leopard in its natural habitat in Southern Africa must be on top of anyone’s safari bucket list! Their magical look and elegant movements are enough to send chills down your spine. Have you ever stopped and...
March Trumpet 2022
Photo above by Kayleigh-Rose Humphries Wow! Our first Newsletter of 2022 and the year is already well on its way! We hope that our previous and future guests alike, all enjoyed a well-deserved Christmas holiday break, together with family and friends. Elephant Plains...
September Trumpet 2021
Photo by Joshua Venter Spring is in the air. With it comes the promise of new life, new growth, new beginnings… As I sit here typing, contemplating what to write today, I scroll back to the previous newsletter, to read what I wrote back then and the first paragraph...
March Trumpet 2021
Sometimes, when a crisis arises, all you can do is to wait it out. To go with the flow, to tell yourself that “this too shall pass.
End of 2020 Trumpet
Life is unpredictable. That’s a given. But if anyone predicted the chaos that Covid-19 would cause during the past year, no one would have believed it. Still, the year 2020 threw a curveball to all of us, not only in tourism but worldwide, in every possible industry....
Oct & Nov 2020 Specials
Tired of sitting at home? Make a domestic arrival at Elephant Plains Game Lodge and come and enjoy nature in its purest form!
From the Kitchen
Lamb Curry
The smell of curry will hang in the air and make all your neighbors wish they had dinner with you
Pan Fried Sole
Ready in a mere 20 minutes, this pan fried sole recipe highlights the fish’s delicate texture and flavor without overpowering them.
Mushroom and Sundried Tomato Phyllo Cups with Basil Pesto
Good advice for all recipes – all the ingredients used in a dish should enhance the flavour of the dish. If it doesn’t, TAKE IT OUT!
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Make your children’s day with a warm hearty meal like spaghetti bolognaise, and I am positive the grown ups will come back for seconds
Crunchies
You will have the smell of freshly baked cookies hang around the house, and the cinnamon smell will attract the whole neighborhood. Enjoy! – Chef Yolandi Grobler
Grilled Honey and Garlic Salmon
Adding some fish to your dinner menu, will not only bring happy faces but also healthier feelings. Spoil your guest or family with this flavorful fish. You might even start cutting back on some meat, who knows?
Rooibos Milk Tarts
One usually enjoys the tea and the milk tart (melktert) separately, but with this recipe you get to experience the best of both in one bite, melting in your mouth and allowing the cinnamon to round this dessert off – Chef Yolandi Grobler
Peppermint Crisp Tart from Heaven
This recipe is my favourite sweet treat, and everyone I have made this for couldn’t stop talking about it. So it must be a winner! Please enjoy this recipe and may it bring you comfort and joy.
Beef Wraps
For a meal on its own or as a snack, these cheese and flavour-filled wraps will wrap everyone around your dining table