Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly known as Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of the Transvaal Province in 1994 and was initially named the Northern Transvaal. The following year, it was renamed the Northern Province, which remained the official provincial name until June of 2003, when the name of the province was formally changed to Limpopo - the name of its most important river (which forms the border with both Zimbabwe and Botswana).

Due consideration for the new provincial name was also given to Mapungubwe - the site of an ancient, gold using civilization, which had been dis-covered in the province a few years earlier.

You have two primary options when flying to South Africa.

Option 1: Book your flight into O.R. Thambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg where you will be met by a representative of the outfitter. Then they will either take you to collect your rifles or head straight for the vehicle. The drive by vehicle to the camp takes approximately five hours and, if made during the daylight hours, is quite scenic.

Option 2: Book your flight to JNB and take a connecting flight to Polokwane. As above, you will be met by a representative of the outfitter at the airport upon your arrival and assisted as described above. The drive to camp from Polokwane takes approximately two hours.

Clients are transported from the airport to the lodge in either a Toyota station wagon or a Hyundai mini van.  All hunting is conducted from Toyota 4x4 land cruisers.

Accommodations include five (5) thatched roof, air-conditioned chalets.  Each chalet is equipped with hot and cold running water, en-suite toilets, 220v electricity and a rifle safe.  When purchasing a converter for your electrical accessories, please ensure that you obtain an adapter for the South African outlets.  A Jacuzzi and curio (souvenir) shop are also available for the convenience of our clients.

A visit by the Best Traveling Spa can also be arranged to come out and pamper not only the ladies, but the gentlemen as well.

Breakfast is served daily and ranges from cereals, fresh fruits or yogurts to a more traditional English breakfast based on your preferences.

Dinner is also served each day and includes a selection of breads, meats, fruits and vegetables based on availability and individual preference.  Meats served during your stay will include a sampling of the local wild game and will be expertly prepared for your dining pleasure.

On most days, the hunting party will return to camp for lunch and an opportunity to rest during the middle of the day when most of the game animals are laying down in the thick bush.  In those instances where the hunting party will stay out all day, packed lunches and drinks will be provided.

Alcoholic beverages will be provided and will include a limited selection of wines, domestic beer as well as distilled spirits.  Those individuals wishing to imbibe a specific brand of American, Canadian or Scottish spirits would be advised to purchase a bottle in the duty free shops in transit to ensure that your preferred brand is available. Mineral and soda waters are also available.

Fair chase hunting utilizing spot and stalk techniques early and late in the day.

Cat hunting will involve baiting – once a bait has been hit, a blind will be built and the hunter will typically spend the early morning and late afternoon hours in the blind waiting for the cat to return to the bait to feed. In South Africa, it is legal to hunt at night and cats are often taken after dark.

Elephant and buffalo hunting will be conducted almost entirely by tracking, with the early morning hours spent cruising local roads within the concession looking for fresh tracks.  Once a suitable track has been located, the hunting party will follow the track until the quarry has been located or the track become untenable.

Bow hunting is mostly conducted from blinds at waterholes.  Spot and stalk techniques represent another option for the more adventurous hunter, but this technique is not as successful as hunting from blinds.

Baboon, blue wildebeest, bushbuck (Limpopo), bushpig, duiker, eland, giraffe, impala, jackal, klipspringer, nyala, sable, southern greater kudu, warthog, waterbuck and zebra.  The big five are available on request.

The hunting season in South Africa generally runs from March through November, with the optimum season being late May through mid-September.

Any flat-shooting caliber from the .270 Winchester upwards should be sufficient for most of the plains game species; however, we recommend a .300 Winchester Magnum or equivalent if available – particularly for eland, gemsbok, wildebeest and zebra.  The bullet selected should be a premium bonded core soft point.  Specific recommendations can be made upon request.

We would also recommend a variable power scope with a low power setting somewhere around 3X to 4X and a high power setting somewhere around 10X to 12X.

Be advised that semi-automatic and/or military-style rifles are generally not allowed in Africa.

The bullet selected for plains game should be a premium, bonded core soft point.  Specific recommendations can be made upon request.

For dangerous game such as Cape buffalo, hippo, lion and rhino, the minimum acceptable caliber should be a .375, whether the .375 Ruger, .375 H & H Magnum or equivalent.  Again, specific recommendations for calibers and bullets can be made upon request.

Much of the shooting will be done while standing utilizing shooting sticks – as is standard practice throughout Africa.  We highly recommend that you obtain a pair of shooting sticks.

Shots on dangerous game will often be close (less than 100 yards), while shots on some plains game species may exceed 200 yards, so you need to know the ballistics of your rifle and be comfortable shooting out to 200 yards.  In other words, practice, practice, practice!

Lightweight camouflage or khaki clothing and comfortable, smooth soft-soled walking boots are recommended during the hunt.  Don’t over pack; you will need 3 to 4 pairs of clothing at the most including a pair of shorts and comfortable shoes after a long day of tracking.  For cold mornings and evenings, a sweater and windproof jacket is recommended.  Laundry is done on a daily basis.

During the day, we suggest sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat for your comfort.  Be sure to include a flashlight and reading materials and don’t forget binoculars, camera and sufficient memory.

South Africa experiences a subtropical climate subject to altitudinal influences.  As with the northern hemisphere, South Africa experiences four distinct seasons as follows:

• a summer season that is warm and wet, running from November to March;
• a fall (transitional) season that runs from April to May;
• a cool, dry winter season that runs from May to August; and
• a warm, dry spring season that runs from August through October.

Temperatures vary from high 40° F to low 50° F in the early mornings and late afternoons, with mid-day temperatures ranging from a low around 60° F to a high in the mid 70° F range.

Take a small digital camera that you can carry in your shirt or vest pocket for your trophy photos and learn how to use the camera before your trip. I would also recommend taking a slightly larger camera such as the Canon PowerShot SX-1 IS or the PowerShot SX-10 IS, both of which have a 20X optical zoom (equal to a 560 mm telephoto lens) for shots of wildlife while you are driving around the bush or sitting at the waterhole. After four trips to Africa, I assure you that you won’t regret the investment and you will bring home outstanding photos of the African wildlife that the smaller cameras just don’t have the optical zoom to capture.

On a fitness scale of one to ten (with one being very poor physical condition and ten being excellent physical condition), I would only rate the physical level of this hunt at a five.  So long as the hunter is able to walk reasonable distances with some climbing over or around the rocky kopjes or tracking through the rolling acacia/Mopane forests, there should not be a problem from a physical standpoint.

Keep in mind that your Professional Hunter will be very happy to gear the pace of the hunt to fit your particular physical abilities – so don’t hesitate to advise if he is moving too fast, walking too far, etc.  After all, it is your safari, so don’t be afraid to speak up and advise your PH of your expectations, physical abilities or physical limitations!