…loomed in the background keeping the landscape cool and green for the first part of our journey. We even saw some wild animals before arriving at the Lemala Mpingo Ridge Camp for lunch and a game drive afterward. This would be our home base for the next couple of days.

I was really impressed with the camp, our hosts there who welcomed us with cool eucalyptus scented cloths and passionfruit drinks. My ‘tent’ was beautiful. The trek over the boardwalks and boulders to get there was a little worrisome, especially considering that we were offered all the free drinks we wanted, but it was worth it to see how they worked with the landscape. The tents were scattered around the camp, the views from high on the ridge were amazing.

My tent was spacious and very comfortable. I loved the porch with sunken couches, open air tub and indoor/outdoor shower to watch the clouds float over the unbroken spread of scrubland below. It was wild to watch an incoming thunderstorm make it’s way toward our camp. Brand new, I wondered if it would withstand the high winds and pelting rain. No worries, tho the outside couch cushions did get a little damp.

My kingsize bed was just right- not too hard, not too soft- and plenty of big fluffy pillows to prop yourself up on. The tent had comfy terry cloth robes to lounge around in and a well stocked fridge.

The only thing I wasn’t real sure about was the rule that you had to have someone escort you to/from the tents while it was dark. It takes a little bit of planning for the early morning game drives. I guess it’s best to have trained warriors to protect you in case you meet up with a leopard.

That was one of the things I really loved about the camp. It was completely open to everything. There were no fences, no barriers. I loved the idea that the animals could just come right up to your tents. I didn’t see any myself, but we did hear the ‘grunting’ very close at night and the rustling in the weeds outside. It was so cool! The camp workers told us they found tracks and bones close to one of the tents- sounded like a leopard. I sure wish I got to see it too!

We spent our time at Mpingo Ridge camp relaxing, eating fabulous meals, going on game drives and doing photo reviews. I’m not a morning person, so it wasn’t easy for me to get up in time for our 6 am departures. The sunrise out in the wild and the animals we saw in the early mornings made it worth it.

I’ll continue on with this safari story in a couple more posts- don’t want to run on forever here and bore you! Here’s a few pictures in the meantime…