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Walking the Extra Mile

By Matthew Brink on August 4, 2020

Our family at Chitwa Chitwa thought to share one particular story of our lodge in appreciation and gratitude for all of our 10,000 Instagram and nearly 12,500 Facebook followers and supporters, as wel...

Safari Guests On Game Drive — A group of guests is enjoying a game drive in an open vehicle at Chitwa Chitwa, surrounded by the lush greenery of the Sabi Sand area. The scene captures the essence of safari adventure amidst the beautiful landscape.

The Legacy of Chitwa Chitwa’s Founder

Charl, back in those day’s used to guide and do a variety of other duties to get the lodge started and eventually build it up. One evening he was out on safari with guests, whilst seeing the greatest of sightings, like the famous leopard ‘One Eye’ whom probably has a lot of his bloodline still in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve to this day and who was so big he looked similar in size to a female lion, as well as seeing lions that had uncommon skin conditions similar to that of the modern-day ‘Styx pride’, which could potentially point to them have been closely related, or of the same bloodline.

Lioness And Cub Sabi Sand — A lioness lies on the ground with her cub snuggled close to her, surrounded by dry branches and an arid landscape typical of the Sabi Sand region.

Nonetheless, they were quite a distance away from the lodge until something went wrong with their vehicle. Now after several valiant attempts at fixing the issue on the spot and with no cellphone’s or radio’s, the inevitable question between the guide and tracker was of course who was going to walk all the way back to camp for help. With only the full moon as the light for the long walk into the darkness…

Sunset Silhouette at Sabi Sand — The image captures the silhouette of a person holding a rifle against a stunning sunset backdrop, featuring a leafless tree and a gradient of deep blues and oranges in the sky. This scene evokes the thrilling experience of wildlife observation in the Sabi Sand region.

We laugh to this day at the funny response the tracker gave Charl our founder, he simply said, “no thanks I’m staying right here with the guests, you can go”. Nonetheless, Phinias our tracker stayed put with the guests whilst off our founder went into the darkness with only his experience and bush knowledge to guide him and with the slight help of the full moon’s light for the roughly 45-minute walk back to camp. The good thing about this story is that he eventually made it to the lodge and managed to fetch everyone and bring them back safely.

Chitwa Chitwa Lodge Entrance — The entrance of Chitwa Chitwa Lodge is illuminated at dusk, showcasing its thatched roof and welcoming atmosphere. A safari vehicle is parked in front, hinting at the wildlife experiences awaiting guests.

However, the determination and guts it took to do that in the night and darkness of the bush with all the imminent dangers about, and with only mere moonlight as his way forward, speaks volumes on the distances he went and will go for what he desired to offer for his guests and his lodge in future. This is a trait that we today at Chitwa Chitwa have inherited and we will carry on going the extra mile for our guests, continuing the dream that he had and that he worked for, particularly in this story ‘walked’ for.

We appreciate and thank you, our beloved guests, our beloved supporters, our beloved family and our beloved founder. Chitwa Chitwa.

Aerial View of Chitwa Chitwa Lodge — This aerial image showcases the stunning layout of Chitwa Chitwa Lodge, nestled among lush greenery and overlooking a tranquil water body. The blend of natural surroundings and luxurious accommodations highlights the lodge's unique environment within Sabi Sand.

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