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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAround 09:00, we head out for our first game drive. We spot a tower of giraffe grazing lazily en route, and I grin at their curious expressions. \u201cThose are males right there,\u201d Dumisani informs us. \u201cYou can tell by their cheezekops<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We encounter more eland and some kudu, gemsbok and springbok before we set out on our very daring excursion: tracking cheetah by foot. \u201cI\u2019m not going,\u201d I tell the group. Dumisani smiles. \u201cIt\u2019s safer with the group than sitting alone in the vehicle,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I gather as much courage as possible, all the while committing to staying very close to him. Justa, Samara\u2019s first female tracker, ushers us along. We find the cheetahs nonchalantly playing in the field: a mama and her five cubs. \u201cDon\u2019t be frightened when the cubs run up to you. They\u2019re just coming to say hello,\u201d Dumisani informs us. We stand in awe. \u201cWho wants a picture of themselves with a cheetah in the background?\u201d Dumisani asks. eagerly volunteer, all prior inhibitions forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We linger a little longer before we make our way back to the vehicle. Dumisani finds the perfect spot for us to have drinks and we take in the serene silence that can only be found in the bush before heading back to the lodge. After lunch, we have a few minutes to freshen up before we embark on our afternoon game drive where we see a few more buck and giraffe before venturing off to find the elephants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just a short way on, we spot a parked vehicle, the silence interrupted only by the clicking of cameras. There, to our right, are two majestic elephant bulls standing side by side, the younger one now playfully running away in the other direction. The older bull ventures off to find the young one, and off they disappear into the thicket. By now, the sun is setting and the sky is bursting into hues of pink and orange, the silhouettes of the hills visible in the distance. We head back to the lodge and for bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On our last day at Samara we embark on what feels like the groot trek up the mountains in hopes of encountering the reserve\u2019 s resident lions. The weather is gloomy, but our spirits are high. Dumisani takes us all the way to the top, where we are gifted with the most breathtaking sight: a herd of black wildebeest running freely across the plain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After driving around for a few minutes, we spot something on our way down from the mountain. Barely visible, there on a rock between the bushes, with eyes transfixed on our vehicle, is one of the most beautiful lionesses I have ever seen. We sit in dead silence, scared to even twitch. She looks straight at us before making her way to the little dirt road. We follow suit, keeping at a safe distance. Before we know it, she jumps off into the thicket, heeding the call of her partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We head back to the lodge, making a quick pit stop where we have our morning drinks. I breathe in the fresh Karoo air and wish that I didn\u2019t have to leave so soon. Back at the lodge, Lydia awaits with fresh warm towels and I eagerly warm my hands and wipe the cold from my face. We head to breakfast before checking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our experience at Samara was remarkable, matched only by the hospitality and friendliness of the staff. We bid the Great Karoo farewell and head back to the hustle and bustle of city life, forever changed by the experience of this exquisite place in all its untouched and unflitered glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n