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South Africa and Lesotho Day 10: Safari, Part 2

4 March 2026 • 397 km / 247 mi (map)

  • Added to Eric Scouten :: Travel on 5 April 2026
  • South Africa 10

As if one game-watching tour was not enough, we were invited back to the jeeps at 6am sharp for a morning excursion. Of course I went!

(Lisa opted for a bit more sleep this morning …)

A winding brick footpath lined with stones leads through a desert garden filled with cacti, succulents, and shrubs, lit by small glowing path lights at dawn. White buildings and a tall tree are silhouetted against a clear sky glowing orange and yellow on the horizon below deep blue.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa
A dirt track lined with white stones curves across a flat semi-arid plain at dusk, with low scrubland on either side and silhouetted hills and a distinctive flat-topped koppie on the horizon beneath a glowing orange-to-blue sunset sky.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa
A flat, scrubby plain stretches toward a low mountain range silhouetted on the horizon as the sun rises, casting a band of orange light beneath a clear blue sky at Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve. Dark bushes and a small fence post in the foreground are in shadow, and a faint point of light sits high in the sky to the right.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa

We were on the road again around 6:30, just in time for this silhouette of our truck with the moon in the background:

A full moon rises in a pale blue sky over a low mountain range glowing in warm light at dusk, above a wide expanse of dry, scrubby semi-desert vegetation in the foreground.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa

Only a little later, we found the happy couple out for a morning walk.

A lioness and a young male lion walk side by side along a sandy track in early morning light, their pale coats glowing golden as they move past green and tan scrubland.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa
A male lion shown in profile, its full mane backlit by low golden sunlight, gazing across a landscape of low green and grey scrub at Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa

OK, maybe not such a happy couple …

Two lions face off on dry, reddish-brown sandy ground, both with mouths open and teeth bared, showing their canines and tongues. One lion’s lowered head and snarling muzzle fills the upper left, while a second snarling lion looks up toward it from the lower right.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa

“Again? Now? Really?” 😂 (They did. Again. Right then.)

A lioness lies on reddish dry earth, looking up toward the camera with a slightly open mouth and a weary expression, her tawny fur catching warm light against a sparse, scrubby background.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa

Meanwhile, the other lioness is completely ignored during this part of mating season. She tracks the active couple, but at a discreet distance. We found her about 150 m (a tenth of a mile) away.

A lioness lying in tall golden scrubland yawns with her mouth wide open, tongue curled and teeth visible, her head tilted upward in warm morning light. Dry grasses and bushes surround and partly conceal her body.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa
A lioness walks toward the camera through dry golden scrubland, her head lowered and gaze fixed forward, with backlit fur catching the warm low sunlight and her muzzle scarred and flecked with dirt.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa

After that, we (and the other jeeps, as pictured below) wandered about the reserve looking for other animals.

An open-sided safari vehicle carrying passengers drives along a dusty track through scrubland at Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, kicking up a cloud of dust, with hazy hills and a pale sky in the background at golden hour.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa
A rhinoceros lies resting behind a low sandy bank, its grey body and ears partly hidden among dense green thornbushes dappled with sunlight at a game reserve.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa
Four ostriches walking across scrubby green grassland, with rugged rocky mountains rising in the hazy background at Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa
An African elephant with white tusks stands in dry scrubland alongside two eland antelope, with hazy mountains and leafless trees in the background at a game reserve.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa
The skeletal remains of a large horned antelope lying on dry, sandy ground, with the skull and spiraling horns still attached, the rib cage exposed, and patches of dried hide clinging to the bones. A few tufts of sparse green grass and scattered stones dot the surrounding parched earth at Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve.
Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve, northeast of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa

We headed back to Cape Town starting in the late morning, where we’ll spend the remainder of our time in South Africa.

We saw lots of baboons along the roadway, but there was never a safe place to stop for pictures. So the warning sign will have to do.

east of Ceres, Western Cape, South Africa · by Lisa Rozmyn
A panoramic view from a hillside over the Keisie Valley near Montagu, with scrub-covered slopes in the foreground giving way to a patchwork of green cultivated fields, farm buildings and a winding road on the valley floor, all framed by layered mountain ranges under a clear blue sky.
Keisie Valley View Point, west of Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa
Rugged, folded rock formations with sharp jagged peaks and tilted strata rise against a clear deep-blue sky, their slopes covered in low scrub and scattered boulders, at the Kogmanskloof Mountain Pass near Montagu in the Western Cape.
Kogmanskloof Mountain Pass, southwest of Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa

We’ve treated ourselves to a luxury hotel on the waterfront for our last few days here. Looking forward to more exploring soon!

A young palm-like plant in a faceted black geometric pot sits on a red-brick promenade beside two black bollards, one fitted with a small illuminated round light. Beyond the seawall lies calm seawater dotted with kelp, with a hazy coastline and hills under a clear blue sky at the Waterfront in Cape Town.
Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Several seagulls rest at the edge of a tidal seawater pool at golden hour, some standing on the wet rim and others floating in the calm water, with a kelp-strewn ocean and a hazy horizon stretching out behind. A pier structure with posts and a ‘No Walking’ sign stands at left, catching the warm low light.
Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Ceres to Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa · 397 km / 247 mi
(Mouse over or tap on the markers to see the photos there. Use the button to adjust the map’s position and zoom.)

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