The chandeliers cast a soft glow over the room.

In previous trips to Africa, our shelter had been somewhat primitive – think 60’s Boy Scout camping and less Four Seasons Resorts.

Past accommodations were Army-style cots inside an 8’x10’ canvas tent with a matching canvas floor. We could barely stand up straight without bumping our heads into a canvas ceiling. Illumination was provided by a 12-volt car battery crudely wired to a lightbulb. Heating and cooling was controlled by opening or closing the tent flap. Bathroom facilities were either in a tin can or at a separate canvas tent, well away from our own. The dining area was an open canvas canopy.

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Driving from the airport today under cloudless skies, we arrived at our pied-à-terre, the Kambaku River Sands, located inside a private game reserve within Kruger National Park, one of South Africa's largest game reserves. Stepping from the vehicle, we’re greeted by one of the staff who gives us a refreshing drink followed by a tour of our thatched roof chalet.

Gone is the heavy tarpaulin and bunking on military surplus cots. We have hot/cold water, real electrical lighting, HVAC, and a flush toilet.  Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of the bush but are situated in such a way that provides privacy. The glass-walled shower is roughly the size of our entire bathroom at home.

Despite having facilities to accommodate up to ten couples, Mary and I are fortunate to be the only other couple in camp.

After lunch and some time to settle in, we head for an afternoon game drive. Within an hour of being in the bush, we just needed a lion sighting to have seen the Big 5 game animals - lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo. Had we seen a Marabou stork, one of the world's largest birds, we would have seen all of the less popular, but still significant, Ugly 5 – wildebeest, vulture, warthog, hyena, and Marabou stork. We also had numerous sightings of giraffes, impalas, and, numerous species of birds.

We sat for a while and watched a hyena on high alert as it devoured the remains of a kill, and understood why the hyena was so vigilant; two leopards were concealed in the grass just a few yards away. Chances are, one or both of the leopards made the kill and the hyena stole it from them.

With dusk coming to an end as we arrive back at camp, we are once again greeted by the staff, but this time they're handing out warm wet towels to freshen up, and a short glass of rum and Coke. After dropping our cameras in the room, we head to the dining area.

As we enter, the chandeliers cast a soft glow over the room, and a small fire in the fireplace provides warmth and ambiance. The room includes a bar and deck that look out over the small watering hole and the open veld. Although we haven’t seen any yet, elephants frequently stop by to use the watering hole.