The daily schedule was a wake-up call at 5 a.m.; 5:15 we would meet for coffee, tea and biscuits and then load up the Range Rovers for our safari drive through the Sabi Sands Reserve in South Africa. Such was the life during our three-night stay at the Savannah Lodge, and for me it was special as I celebrated my birthday the first night to a full regalia of singing by the locals! After your morning ride, guests return to the lodge for a full and complete breakfast, after which you could nap, read, plunge in your private pool and relax. Rest would be needed as again, we would all meet for lunch at 3:30 p.m. and off to the Rovers for the afternoon and evening drive. I saw a wide array of animals from the most concentrated number of leopards imaginable to lions, rhinos, giraffes, elephants, buffalos and zebras. All the Big Five can be seen when you stay at Savannah. The staff at Savannah, including our guide, David Wilson, could not have been more friendly and helpful; and David was determined to track all of the Big Five during our visit, which he did successfully.

Evening dinners were spectacular, and our tracker, Nordic, made a mean gin and tonic during the evening drive when we stopped for a break. — Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO