An Unexpected MalaMala Safari in April

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that a trip to Mala Mala Game Reserve wasn’t the plan.

Which really was perfect, considering everything that had led up to this point.

After unexpectedly disembarking in Cape Town, we checked into the Victoria & Alfred Hotel and had a lovely evening exploring the waterfront. After weeks on the ship, being able to simply walk out the door and decide where we wanted to go felt strangely liberating.

V&A Waterfront marina in Cape Town with Table Mountain rising behind the harbour at sunset.

From Cape Town to MalaMala

We were returning to the same hotel after MalaMala, so we left most of our luggage behind and took only what we refer to as a side quest bag.

 

Pro tip: always pack a side quest bag when you’re doing long-ish travel. There is absolutely no point schlepping a parka to the bush.

 

The flight from Cape Town to Skukuza took less than two and a half hours, making our completely unplanned detour to MalaMala Game Reserve surprisingly easy.

We hadn’t been in Africa since 2019. In the years since, Antarctica had completely distracted us and Africa had somehow become a little out of sight, out of mind.

Then we climbed into the MalaMala transfer vehicle and got our first whiff of the landscape.

Driving a safari vehicle along a dirt track through the bush at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Oh. Right.

We remembered immediately why this is one of our favourite places in the world.

I did feel like I was cheating on the penguins a bit.

Mostly, though, we were just happy to be off that ship.

Our rather unconventional arrival also made for some fantastically awkward conversations whenever someone asked where we’d come from.

“Australia.”

“Oh, long flight!”

“Well, actually, we came by ship from South America.”

Cue quizzical look.

Back at MalaMala Game Reserve

Not much had changed at MalaMala since our previous visits, so rather than repeat all the practical details here, I’ll link to those earlier posts (2019, 2018, 2017, the other ones are around here somewhere.

In fact, we ended up in the same room we’d stayed in before!

Spacious guest suite at MalaMala Game Reserve with a thatched roof, bedroom and sitting area overlooking the bush.

Bathroom at MalaMala Game Reserve with twin basins, a freestanding bathtub and walk-in shower.

There was one significant difference for us. This was the first time we’d ever shared a safari vehicle at MalaMala. And we completely lucked out. The other guests were our literal doppelgängers. We had the same interests, approached safari in much the same way, and genuinely enjoyed being together. If we had to share a vehicle, we couldn’t have asked for better company.

MalaMala in April

What did feel different was the landscape.

Evening light over the bush at MalaMala Game Reserve, with dramatic clouds glowing on the horizon.

We normally visit MalaMala later in the year, so seeing the Sabi Sand landscape this green was slightly disorienting. The area had experienced substantial flooding about a month earlier, and some of the tracks around the reserve were still closed during our April visit.

The wildlife, however, was very much MalaMala.

True to form, we saw the Big Five in a single game drive several times during our three-day stay.

Two male lions resting together in tall grass at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Leopard resting in the fork of a tree at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Cape buffalo standing among tall reeds in warm morning light at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

White rhinoceros with a red-billed oxpecker perched on its back at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

African elephants blocking a dirt track in front of a safari vehicle at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

And of course, hippo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, and warthog.

Hippopotamus partially submerged in water with its face reflected on the surface at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Close-up of a giraffe’s patterned coat with a red-billed oxpecker peeking over its back at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Close-up detail of the black-and-white stripes and mane of a zebra at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Blue wildebeest facing the camera in warm light at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Warthog standing in wet grass after wallowing in mud at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

And lots of birds.

Woodland kingfisher perched on a branch at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Southern yellow-billed hornbill perched in a tree with an insect in its beak at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

African fish eagle flying with nesting material in its talons at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Tawny eagle perched on a dead tree against a clear blue sky at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

White-fronted bee-eater perched on a dead branch at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Lilac-breasted roller perched on a branch at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Lilac-breasted roller perched on a dead tree stump, with a white-fronted bee-eater blurred in the background at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Verreaux’s eagle-owl perched on a tree branch at MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa.

Memorable Sightings

The most memorable sighting was probably a lion that we found just after sunset. The way he just emerged from the darkness and walked so close that we could smell him.


One More Change of Plans

Our final morning at MalaMala was slow, which suited us perfectly. There’s always something slightly melancholy about that last game drive, knowing that every sighting might be the last one.

Afterwards, we transferred back to Skukuza Airport for our 1:30pm flight to Johannesburg, where we were connecting onward to Cape Town.

Except our flight was delayed until 3:00.

By that point, we were going to miss our connection in Johannesburg. The airline moved us onto a later flight, but that wouldn’t get us into Cape Town until after 9 p.m. We still had to collect a rental car and drive another hour or so to Simon’s Town.

Airlink passenger plane on the tarmac as passengers board at Hoedspruit Airport, South Africa.

After everything that had happened over the past few weeks, we really didn’t need another stressful travel day.

So we changed the plan. Again.

Instead of racing through Johannesburg and arriving in Simon’s Town late at night, we booked a hotel near the airport, moved our Cape Town flight to the following morning, and called it a day.

Our completely unplanned three days at MalaMala had reminded us how much we loved being back in Africa. They’d also had a much bigger impact on our future travel plans than we realised at the time.

But more on that later.

First, apparently, we had to figure out how to get to Simon’s Town.

Andy and Jennifer Martin

We’re Andy and Jennifer—two former corporate executives who chose long ago to prioritise experiences over stuff while pursuing our passions for travel and photography. From the Arctic to Antarctica, and most places in between, we’ve captured the world through our lenses and love sharing those stories. Our careers gave us the means, but our purpose is inspiring others to explore and helping people create images they’re proud of.

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