When it comes to experiences from behind the lens of a camera, I’ve always been the first to say: “Put down that camera and be in the moment!” My recent experience with Too Wild at Amaya Lodge might have altered my opinion slightly, though… In fact, it proved that experiencing the African bush from behind the lens of a camera, is an experience that must be had. If you ever get the chance to experience a safari from a wildlife videographer’s perspective, prepare to return home changed.
In the heart of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, a special piece of South African Lowveld that forms part of the Greater Kruger, a brand-new lodge has emerged, offering those keen on a quiet luxury type of safari the perfect opportunity to experience the bush in the most wonderful way. Amaya Lodge is home to Too Wild’s wildlife film course and Wikus and I got to experience a glimpse of it firsthand.
About the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
It was in the early ‘50s that like-minded landowners realised that the inappropriate use of land could lead to the degradation of habitat and the loss of wildlife. To protect and preserve this for future generations, they formed the Timbavati Association in 1956 and since then, the reserve has grown to 53,396ha with 47 landowners. (timbavati.co.za). The non-profit association is primarily committed to preserving the fauna and flora of the area, which means the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is probably one of the most spectacular places to experience what the South African bush has to offer, including, of course, the Big Five.
What you might also find interesting is that in 1993, the fences between the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, the Kruger National Park and other adjoining privately owned conservation areas were dropped. Initially, this included Timbavati, Klaserie and Umbabat Private Game Reserve and later also the Balule Nature Reserve. Today, this addition of 184 000ha is known as the Greater Kruger National Park.
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Amaya Lodge
Similar to the feeling you get when out on a game drive, Amaya Lodge immerses you in nature with its natural, unpretentious, yet luxurious offering. The lodge, which can host a maximum of eight guests at a time, is the perfect place to slow down, get grounded in nature and rediscover the art of enjoying the important things in life. Things like space, silence and meaningful connection.
The Bushtech tented suites are intimate and beautifully designed, effortlessly offering both general lodge guests and focused wildlife film students the perfect space to relax or be creative respectively. Huge beds look out into the wild, natural thicket outside, with mosquito nets keeping those pesky mozzies at bay. The suite walks out onto a small deck with beautiful chairs, perfect for that first cup of coffee as you watch the sun come up. A spacious bathroom with both an indoor and outdoor shower and a study area with a desk and a comfortable reading chair add to the room’s luxurious feel.
Of course, there is much more to the lodge than just the tented suites where you’re tempted to lock yourself up in your very own comfy bushveld cocoon. The restaurant and lounge area are just as beautifully designed and homey, with various stunning seating options underneath impressive ceiling installations that echo the swinging savannah outside. Small details like bird-inspired light stands and specially textured throws and cushions make one look twice and the beautiful bar area invites guests to mingle as they watch the bushveld hues change from one colour to the next.
There is also the pool, hidden behind large trees and tall grass – a true summer’s dream in the heart of the Lowveld where one can spend hours reading a book and listening to the sounds of the bush.
Experiences at Amaya Lodge
Like other safari lodges if its calibre, Amaya Lodge also offers the habitual morning and afternoon game drives, giving guests the opportunity to tick the Big Five and more off on their Africa bucket lists. For the more adventurous, they also offer exciting, guided bush walks and if you’re there to celebrate something special, be sure to ask about their Private Riverbed Picnics.
But, our visit revolved around something completely different…
Too Wild
Launched by videographer, David Eastaugh and biologist, Lauren (Arthur) Eastaugh (whom you might remember from Wild TV), Too Wild is a 3-week wildlife videography course offered at Amaya Lodge. David is an experienced wildlife filmmaker who has worked on television shows with BBC, Disney+, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild and even conservation stories for WWF. Lauren, a Zoologist and Marine Biologist by degree, has presented live for WildEarth across Africa and beyond, and she’s been featured on various channels, including Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, SABC, CGTN and Disney+.
Their all-inclusive course (yes, even as student you get to stay in their luxurious tented suites and enjoy their delightful meals) allows aspiring filmmakers to learn from expert mentors. They get to connect with industry professionals like naturalists, trackers, impact producers, cinematographers and natural history editors, while simultaneously creating their own story. Over the course of the three weeks, the immersive training takes one into Timbavati’s Big Five territory on two daily safaris, with a properly set-up vehicle with industry-standard film equipment. It offers dedicated one-to-one mentoring with the core team, panoramic teaching styles with expert mentors, basic tracking skills and insights into animal behaviour. At the end of a super busy and hardworking 3 weeks, students walk away with hundreds of hours of wildlife exposure, editing proficiency and a 2-minute showreel – the must-have CV for anyone serious about landing a job in the wildlife filmmaking industry.
For more about Amaya and Too Wild, listen to the podcast in which I interviewed David and Lauren here or see the YouTube video below:
Whether you’re visiting as a lodge guest or whether you’re investing in learning to film wildlife, an experience at Amaya Lodge is different in the best possible way. It’s real. It’s raw. It’s African bush as it should be. More than that, it’s through Too Wild – from behind the lens – where you are forced to experience nature at a slower pace. Much slower.
Where one would normally stop for sightings and then move on while on safari, the Too Wild experience allowed us to look at nature and wildlife for longer stretches of time and with more depth. At one point, we sat with an elephant bull for probably an hour. The film students played around with the cameras and the late afternoon light, taking the most spectacular footage of this magnificent creature. From his long lashes glistening in the sun, to his incredibly strong trunk, pulling grass from the earth, shaking off the dust and then placing it in his mouth. During another sighting, we paused at a group of Impala, watching them from a whole new perspective. We’d never noticed how their wiggly, white tails can play with sunrays as the sun dips. From behind the cameras’ lenses, we were able to spot the smaller things – those emotive things that have the biggest impact. Even watching the sun rise from a videographer’s perspective was a whole new experience, forcing us to be in the moment for much longer than the usual in-the-drive, sunrise snap. As we waited for the sun to emerge from the horizon, we were given the most wonderful gift: Time. Time to smell the bush; to hear every early morning bird song, every rustling leaf. It was magic.
Of course, experiencing all of this and more in the spectacular Timbavati Private Game Reserve and the Greater Kruger, is priceless.
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