WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE TO GO ON SAFARI IN SOUTH AFRICA | OUR STAY AT HIPPO LAKES
Going on an African safari had been on my bucket list forever, but before actually doing it, I don't think I fully understood what the experience would be like. I had so many questions. Would we spend all day driving around looking for animals? Would we actually see anything? What do you wear? What are the accommodations like? And exactly how close do you get to the wildlife?
Our stay at Hippo Lakes Luxury Safari Lodge in South Africa answered all of those questions and ended up being one of the most memorable travel experiences I've ever had.
Located in South Africa's beautiful Waterberg region, Hippo Lakes is a private, malaria-free safari reserve where almost everything is taken care of from the moment you arrive. You stay in luxury tented suites surrounded by the bush, head out on game drives with experienced rangers, enjoy incredible meals back at the lodge and spend the downtime in between watching wildlife from the property.
And yes, there really are hippos in the lake!
If you're considering your first safari in South Africa, here's what staying at Hippo Lakes is actually like, along with everything I wish I'd known before going.
Where Is Hippo Lakes?
Hippo Lakes is located near Vaalwater in South Africa's Waterberg region, several hours north of Johannesburg. The Waterberg feels completely different from Cape Town and the coastal areas of South Africa. This is the South African bush, with wide-open landscapes, mountains, watering holes and wildlife surrounding you.
One of the biggest advantages of choosing the Waterberg for a safari is that the region is malaria-free, which may be an important consideration when deciding where to go on safari in South Africa.
Hippo Lakes is located within a private game reserve that is home to more than 100 species of wildlife. Once you arrive at the lodge, you really don't need to worry about much, which was one of my favorite things about the experience. Instead of spending the trip coordinating transportation, activities and meals, you can settle into the rhythm of safari and actually enjoy being there.
Getting to Hippo Lakes
Our South Africa trip combined safari with time in Cape Town and the surrounding wine country, but the safari portion of our trip began by traveling from Johannesburg into the Waterberg.
The drive itself gives you your first glimpse at a completely different side of South Africa. As you get farther away from Johannesburg, the scenery slowly begins to change and the landscape becomes more open and wild.
Eventually, you reach that moment when it finally sinks in: you're actually about to go on safari in Africa.
Hippo Lakes has a concierge team that works with guests before arrival to help coordinate the details of their stay, which makes the entire experience feel much less intimidating, especially if this is your first safari.
Staying in a Luxury Safari Tent
Before we talk about the accommodations, let's clarify the word "tent."
This is absolutely not camping.
The accommodations at Hippo Lakes are luxury tented suites that give you the experience of sleeping in the African bush without giving up the comforts you'd expect from a luxury vacation. The tents are climate-controlled and include private en-suite bathrooms, Wi-Fi and outdoor areas overlooking the surrounding reserve.
What I loved most was that the accommodations still make you feel completely connected to the environment. You wake up hearing birds, sit outside and watch the landscape around you, and fall asleep to the sounds of the bush at night.
Instead of your room simply being somewhere you sleep between game drives, it becomes part of the safari experience itself.
Yes, There Really Are Hippos
The name isn't just cute branding. There really are hippos at Hippo Lakes, and they were our alarm clock every morning!
One of the most surreal parts about staying on a private game reserve is realizing that your wildlife experience isn't limited to the hours you're out on a game drive. You're surrounded by animals throughout the entire stay.
You might be sitting around the lodge and hear hippos in the distance, spot animals moving through the landscape or find yourself watching the water to see what appears next. Birds are everywhere, and even the quieter moments between activities feel completely different from a normal resort vacation.
That's one of the things I loved most about safari. You don't necessarily have to go somewhere to experience something. Sometimes the best thing you can do is sit still, look around and see what happens.
What Does a Typical Day on Safari Look Like?
This was probably my biggest question before the trip. I knew we would be going on game drives, but I didn't really understand what an entire safari day would look like.
Your schedule revolves around the times when wildlife is most active, which means you're going to have some early mornings. While waking up before sunrise on vacation might not initially sound appealing, trust me when I say it's worth it.
A typical morning begins with an early wake-up and coffee before heading out into the reserve for your first game drive of the day. You'll spend the morning exploring with your ranger before returning to the lodge for breakfast and some downtime.
The middle of the day is intentionally slower. You can relax at the lodge, go fishing, take a nap, spend time by the pool or simply sit outside and watch the wildlife. After lunch and a little more downtime, you'll head back out for an afternoon game drive.
Some evenings include sundowners in the bush before returning to the lodge for dinner, drinks and time around the fire.
It's a really nice rhythm of adventure, rest, adventure and then dinner. After a few days, you completely settle into it.
What Are the Game Drives Like?
The game drives were obviously one of the biggest highlights of staying at Hippo Lakes.
You head out into the reserve in an open safari vehicle with an experienced ranger who knows the landscape and understands how to track wildlife. One of the things I wondered before the trip was whether going on multiple game drives would start to feel repetitive, but every drive ended up being completely different.
You can drive through an area one morning and barely see anything, then return later and suddenly find giraffes, zebras or antelope everywhere. The animals are constantly moving, which means you never really know what you're going to find.
The rangers also notice things that I never would have spotted on my own. They look for tracks, listen for specific sounds, notice movement in the distance and recognize signs that an animal has recently passed through an area.
After a while, safari starts to feel a little like a treasure hunt, except the treasure might be a giraffe walking across the road directly in front of you.
The Wildlife at Hippo Lakes
Of course, seeing wildlife is the reason most people dream about going on safari, but seeing these animals in Africa feels completely different from seeing them anywhere else.
There isn't a zoo enclosure between you and the landscape. You're watching animals live in the environment where they actually belong.
We saw giraffes moving through the bush, zebras grazing together, warthogs running around, antelope throughout the reserve and, of course, hippos disappearing beneath the water. There are also so many species that I didn't know much about before visiting.
Hippo Lakes is home to more than 100 species of wildlife, so every drive gives you another opportunity to see something new.
One of my favorite parts of spending several days on safari was that you eventually stop thinking only about getting the perfect photo. You begin recognizing different animals, learning about their behavior and understanding how everything in the reserve is connected.
The Big Game Drive
One thing that's helpful to understand when planning your stay is that different safari experiences can take place across different reserves.
Hippo Lakes offers a Big Game Drive experience that gives guests the opportunity to explore another reserve environment, with increased chances of seeing some of the iconic African wildlife that might be high on your safari wish list, including animals such as lions and elephants.
If seeing those animals is especially important to you, I would talk with the Hippo Lakes concierge team before your trip about adding a Big Game Drive to your itinerary.
It's also important to remember that safari isn't a checklist. These are wild animals, and there are never guarantees about exactly what you'll see or when you'll see it. That unpredictability is part of what makes each sighting so exciting.
Sundowners in the Bush
One safari tradition I would happily bring home with me is the sundowner.
A sundowner is exactly what it sounds like. Toward the end of an afternoon game drive, you stop somewhere beautiful, have a drink and watch the sun go down over the African landscape.
At Hippo Lakes, one of the experiences offered is a Tabletop Mountain Sundowner, where you head to an elevated viewpoint overlooking the Waterberg.
There are drinks, snacks and an African sunset happening in front of you. It's one of those moments when you stop talking, look around and fully realize where you are.
If you're staying at Hippo Lakes, this is absolutely something I would put on your itinerary.
Dinner in the Bush
Another experience that feels completely different on safari is a traditional bush braai.
A braai is essentially a South African barbecue, but eating dinner outside in the bush makes it so much more than a barbecue. After spending the afternoon looking for wildlife, you get to sit outside under the African night sky, eat around the fire and listen to the sounds of the reserve around you.
It's one of those experiences that sounds relatively simple when you describe it afterward but feels incredibly special when you're actually there.
Going on a Bush Walk
Not every safari experience has to happen from inside a vehicle. Hippo Lakes also offers guided bush walks, which give you a completely different perspective on the environment.
When you're driving through the reserve, you're naturally focused on spotting larger animals. Walking forces you to slow down and notice all of the smaller details you might otherwise miss.
You start paying attention to animal tracks, plants, birds, insects and the sounds around you. Your guide can explain how to identify tracks and signs of wildlife, as well as how different parts of the ecosystem work together.
It was a great reminder that safari is about much more than seeing the biggest animal possible.
Fishing at Hippo Lakes
Another activity I hadn't necessarily associated with an African safari before visiting was fishing.
Hippo Lakes has several fishing decks around the property and offers catch-and-release fishing, making it an easy activity to do during the downtime between game drives.
This is especially great if you're traveling with someone who loves to fish, but even if you don't, the fishing decks are another beautiful place to spend some quiet time around the water.
That's something I really appreciated about Hippo Lakes. The middle of the day doesn't feel like you're simply waiting around for the next game drive. There are things to do if you want them, but there's also absolutely nothing wrong with doing nothing.
The Food at Hippo Lakes
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the food before arriving, but meals ended up being another memorable part of our stay.
Meals are prepared by the Hippo Lakes culinary team and are included as part of the safari packages. The food incorporates South African influences alongside more familiar dishes, and because you're eating most of your meals at the lodge, they naturally become part of the daily safari experience.
After getting up early and spending several hours on a morning game drive, sitting down to breakfast back at the lodge feels especially good.
The same goes for dinner. After an afternoon exploring the reserve, there's something really nice about coming back, having a drink and sitting down to dinner without having to make another decision about where you're going or what you're doing next.
What Do You Do Between Game Drives?
Honestly? Not much.
And I mean that in the best possible way.
This isn't the kind of trip where I think you should try to fill every hour of every day. Safari naturally forces you to slow down between activities.
Go back to your tent and sit outside. Watch the lake. Have lunch. Take a nap. Go fishing. Book a spa treatment. Have a drink. Talk to the people you're traveling with or just watch to see what wildlife appears.
Eventually, it'll be time for another game drive and you'll be excited to head back out all over again.
I loved the balance between adventure and downtime. It made the entire trip feel exciting without being exhausting.
How Many Nights Should You Stay at Hippo Lakes?
Hippo Lakes offers a standard five-night safari stay, and after experiencing safari for myself, I understand why you'd want several nights.
I wouldn't recommend flying all the way to South Africa and trying to squeeze safari into one or two nights if you have the time to stay longer.
Wildlife sightings aren't scheduled. Weather changes. Animals move around the reserve. Some game drives are quiet, while others suddenly give you one of the most memorable moments of your entire trip.
Staying several nights gives you more opportunities to experience those moments and, just as importantly, enough time to settle into the rhythm of safari rather than feeling like you're racing through it.
What Should You Pack for a South African Safari?
I definitely overthought what I needed to wear before this trip.
You don't need to show up dressed like you're starring in an old safari movie. Comfort and layers are much more important than having the perfect safari outfit.
I'd bring lightweight, neutral clothing that you can layer throughout the day. Even when the afternoons are warm, mornings in an open safari vehicle can be surprisingly chilly, so a fleece or lightweight jacket is essential.
Comfortable sneakers or boots, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray are also good things to have with you. I'd bring a small bag for game drives along with binoculars, a portable charger and extra camera batteries.
If photography is important to you, bring a camera with a decent zoom lens. Your phone is perfect for landscapes and videos, but there will inevitably be an animal just far enough away that you'll wish you had a longer lens.
Is Hippo Lakes Good for a First Safari?
I think this is one of the biggest reasons I would recommend Hippo Lakes.
Planning your first African safari can feel overwhelming. There are different countries, reserves, national parks, private reserves, lodges, transfer options and safari styles to choose from. Then you start researching wildlife, malaria areas and game drives, and suddenly your bucket-list vacation starts to feel like a full-time research project.
Hippo Lakes makes the experience much more approachable because so much is coordinated for you.
You arrive, settle in and let the lodge take care of the safari experience.
For someone who wants a sense of adventure but also appreciates comfortable accommodations, good food and a little luxury, it strikes a really nice balance.
What I Wish I Knew Before Going on Safari
If I could go back and tell myself one thing before this trip, it would be to worry less about the details.
Before leaving, I had so many questions about logistics, what to wear, whether we'd actually see wildlife and what the experience would be like.
Once you're there, it all makes sense very quickly.
The rangers tell you when it's time to leave. The lodge takes care of your meals. You climb into the safari vehicle, start driving through the bush and let the experience unfold.
The only things I would make sure to have are enough warm layers for early game drives and the right camera equipment if taking photos is important to you.
Everything else is part of the adventure.
Should You Combine a Safari With Cape Town?
Absolutely.
If you're flying all the way to South Africa, I would highly recommend combining a safari with several days in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
The two experiences couldn't feel more different, which is exactly what makes the combination so good.
Safari gives you wildlife, open landscapes, early mornings, quiet afternoons and evenings under the stars. Cape Town gives you incredible restaurants, beaches, mountains, wine country and dramatic coastal scenery.
During our trip, we also explored the Cape Peninsula and spent time in Franschhoek, including riding the Franschhoek Wine Tram. Adding those experiences after our safari made it feel like we had taken several completely different vacations within one trip.
If you have the time, I would absolutely do both.
Is Hippo Lakes Worth It?
For me, safari was one of those rare travel experiences that actually lived up to the version I'd imagined in my head.
Maybe even more.
It's easy to look at photos of giraffes, zebras and African sunsets and think you understand what the experience is going to feel like. You don't.
You have to experience waking up before sunrise, climbing into a safari vehicle with coffee in hand and having absolutely no idea what you're going to see that morning.
You have to hear the hippos from the lodge, watch a giraffe slowly move through the bush and stop for a drink while the sun disappears over the Waterberg.
Then you wake up the next morning and get to do it all over again.
If an African safari has been sitting somewhere on your bucket list, this is one of those trips that is worth finally taking.
Quick Guide to Hippo Lakes
Where: Waterberg region, South Africa
Style: Luxury tented safari lodge and private game reserve
Standard Stay: Five nights
Best For: First-time safari travelers, couples, families, photographers and bucket-list trips
Wildlife: More than 100 species within the reserve
Experiences: Game drives, bush walks, sundowners, fishing, Big Game drives, bush braais, spa treatments and more
Good to Know: The Waterberg is a malaria-free safari destination
Don't Miss: A sundowner overlooking the bush
Pair It With: Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula and Franschhoek
Planning a South Africa Trip?
Safari was one of the highlights of our South Africa trip, but figuring out how to combine a safari with Cape Town, wine country and the coast can feel overwhelming, especially if it's your first time visiting.
I can help plan it for you.
As a travel advisor, I can help you choose accommodations, plan your safari, book experiences and create a personalized South Africa itinerary based around the way you actually want to travel.
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