4 Days on South Africa's Most EXCLUSIVE Safari 🇿🇦 & it was WILD!

It's about 6am in the morning and I am up really early, having woken up in one of the most beautiful places in South Africa I have ever seen. Right there, right in front of us is the Mother Cheetah. I'm at Kwanwang, a private game reserve located in South Africa's stunning eastern Cape. We are about to have a once in a lifetime moment. Incredible, they are incredible. It covers some 30,000 hectares of pristine wilderness, offering a safari experience like no other. With a huge focus on conservation and sustainability, an abundance of wildlife and only 26 rooms spread across the entire landscape, it is luxurious, exclusive and totally different from any safari I have ever experienced. I kid you not, it's one of the most delicious I have ever had in my life. Whoa, he's so cute. Now my whole time here in South Africa is thanks to the absolutely amazing team at VR2 and we'll talk about them in a minute. But right now, let me show you where I'm staying at Kwanway's stunning Eka Lodge. So when you walk inside, you come into this really big, open, beautiful space. We have a seating area here and then behind me we have this great little mini bar. So they had, well, there were five mandarins, but we've eaten some and some fudge. And then you have tea, coffee, drinks, snacks, wine, absolutely beautiful. They can bring you ice if you wanted to. These two super cozy lounge chairs behind me and no TV. Don't worry, you don't need it because you are looking out here onto this deck. Now we have a beautiful little plunge pool and then these incredible views of the bush all around me. It is so beautiful out here. We also have two pool chairs so we can just sit there, relax and enjoy all the colors of the day. But that isn't even the best part. The bedroom is so cozy and comfortable with these big windows in front of us. We have two twin beds, but of course you can push those together and have a nice, romantic, big, cozy bed. And I love the huge ceilings in here. But wait until you see this bathroom. We have a big, beautiful bathtub with this huge mirror and all of this space with two basins and then this absolutely gigantic shower. The shower alone is bigger than my first apartment. Honestly, this whole room is just gorgeous. It doesn't just feel like a hotel room. It feels like your very own house, like you get to live here. And it is so cozy and so elegant and so beautiful. So while I'm here, all my meals and drinks are included. That is breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as coffee and snacks in the morning and afternoon and a refreshment break during our twice daily game drives as well. It is a lot of food and there is nowhere else to eat out here. So it needs to be good. And we'll talk about that a little bit later because right now it is time to pick up where we left off. And we are getting in this car right now because we are on safari and it's time for a game drive. Guys, we've been driving for just a couple of minutes and we have already rolled up on some lions. There are three female lions and one male lion and they are incredible. They are incredible. I don't know what it is about the lions. Every time I see them, they just get so emotional. Bring something out of you. It's unbelievable. I don't even know what to say. So Alex is our amazing ranger guide here and she was saying that it looks like they're walking with pace. It's like they have somewhere in mind that they're trying to go. And as they're going along, they're scent marking. So they have these amazing scent glands on them and they're kind of rubbing up on things and then scent marking with their urine as they go. Just marking their territory on their way to whatever lion business they have to deal with today. And we're just stalking them. This is amazing. There is a beautiful lion there. She's just a couple of meters away from us. And she is so beautiful. It's scary. Like she's so beautiful. It's hypnotic. Like I'm just lost in the way that she looks. Straight up murder kitty. It's amazing how much they act like a normal cat. Yeah, just a massive normal cat. I just want to get out there and give her a little kiss and a cuddle. And some part of me thinks that she'd like it. It'd be an amazing couple of seconds. I have to introduce you to two really important people and two of the coolest people on the planet. This is our amazing guide, Alex. And this is our incredible tracker, Sibo. And they are taking care of us. They are spotting all the animals. They are sorting absolutely everything out. And honestly, if you are lucky enough to come here and get these guys looking after you, trust me, you'll be very, very happy. So this is a plant called the speckworm bush, which actually means pork tree. So we saw those buffalo a little bit earlier, but the elephants, the kudus, they actually feed off of this tree here. So it sort of looks really succulent-y. And you can actually eat off the leaves. And it sort of tastes like a sour apple. There's so much nutrients and so much water in here that lots of the animals feed off of it. And then they don't really need to go to water as often. Okay, let's... It does really like a sour apple? Oh my god, it tastes exactly like a sour apple. That's delicious. It's really good. I cannot put into words how special that whole experience was. I think we had about, I don't know, an hour or two, sat there just moving with those lions and watching them and seeing if they were going to hunt. And you may be wondering, is this safe? Did you not just see lions? And now you're out walking around. Yeah, it's safe, don't worry. We've got some pretty great people looking after us. Good morning! Oh, thank you. Refreshing towel. Oh my god, this food looks so good. You roll in hot after safari, they're waiting for you with a warm towel. Then you come inside and everyone's like, here, we've prepared this incredible breakfast buffet for you. Can we get you a tea or coffee? And here's the whole breakfast menu. Order what you like. Stop, the whole thing is a dream. Thank you. Let's eat. Oh my god, this looks so good. Yes. Hamish Brown holiday smoked trout. Oh my god, it's really good. The food here is top tier. Top tier. This adventure through South Africa has been made entirely possible thanks to the amazing team at Viatu. Now they have taken care of absolutely everything. My itinerary from the moment I arrived to my stay here at Konway and everything in between. They are incredible. So Viatu specializes in sustainable travel across Africa. Now they are B-Corp certified so every trip is designed to leave a positive impact on the communities and the environment. You can either get inspired by one of their trip templates or design your own dream trip from scratch. You can even book my exact trip and you will have the help of a dedicated travel expert who speaks multiple languages. With a dedicated travel expert and concierge available whenever you need them, all you have to do is show up and have an amazing time which is exactly what I have been able to do here. It's been so nice to just switch off and be present and enjoy this trip knowing everything else is taken care of. So if you want a way to experience Africa that is sustainable, meaningful and truly unforgettable, I'll leave a link in the video description for you to Viatu. There's also a QR code on screen right now so you can start planning your very own dream journey. You guys, that room is so comfortable. I had the most relaxing day just enjoying myself in there, sitting by the pool, taking it easy and just when I thought my blood pressure couldn't get any lower and I couldn't be any happier, they told us to meet them at 3 p.m for cake and homemade tea and iced coffee and fresh fruit. And that cheesecake, I kid you not, is one of the most delicious I have ever had in my life. It was so good. Now we're saddled back up in the car and we are out on the track again exploring this truly beautiful wilderness. I have to tell you guys, I know, that was insane. Okay, wait, I'm so excited to tell you guys. So Alex just pulled up and she was like, oh, we're right along the fence line. It's a really good spot for cheetah. There's fence on one side so she knows it's safe and then the other side, whatever. And then Simo was like, just stop. I just want to check something and I think his like incredible tracker spidey senses were going off because he was looking one way and then he turned around and right there, right in front of us is the mother cheetah. And you guys, she has cheetah cubs and we're about to get closer to them. Is that possible? Oh my, okay. So one of the most amazing things about this place is they can off-road. So we can get up there right now. There's nobody else around. We are about to have a once in a lifetime moment and I'm not going to be cool about it. So we have actually just found the Sabona cheetah. So she originally came from Sabona. We think she's around two years old and also this is her second ever litter that we're aware of her having. She had her first litter here on Kwanre. I think just because she was new mom, she wasn't too sure how to look after them. So yeah, this is now her second ever litter and now she's got three cubs, which is amazing. And if you have a look at them now, see how they've got like little dark pyjama pants on with that white back. So they're sort of still at the stage where they look like honey badgers. So if anybody's seen a honey badger before, I can show you a picture a little bit later. We think they sort of adapted to look like this because honey badgers are so aggressive that if any other animals see them, they go, oh, okay, that's a honey badger. Let's not mess with them. Exactly. So we think they're about three months old at the moment. Three or four months old. I have no words. They are so cute. She has three. I'm thinking if we just create a distraction, jump out and scoop one up, she may not notice. I really want one. Wow. I don't really know what else to say, but I've always loved the cats when I come on a safari. I've never had this much time with cheetah before and they are becoming my favorites. They're so beautiful and elegant. Her markings are perfection. The way she moves and those three little babies. I mean, I'm gonna try my best. It's a hard thing for me to film, but I'm trying to film through the binoculars for you guys so you can see them. They're so fuzzy and cute and lovable and just adorable. And just what a privilege to be able to get this close to them and there's nobody else around. It's just us. I think we are in the middle of something very special. I think we're in the middle of the best safari I've ever had in my life. Wow. If there is one thing I want you to take away from this video, it's that the food here is unreal. I don't know who the chef is. I'd like to say my compliments to the chef. That's not enough. I want to write the chef a heartfelt card that says thank you a hundred times and maybe propose marriage to the chef. Everything's come out and it looks absolutely delicious. We've got a gorgeous pasta, nice fat rigatoni with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, some grilled vegetables on the side and then some prawns as well. Here they have a menu that you get to choose from. It's a la carte, start up main dessert. We've just gone all in on mains and sides because the food here is so good. There's so much of it. I just can't fit it all in. I'm really excited to try all of this. Okay. Who is this person cooking this food? Who are you? Show yourself to me. Really? Oh my gosh. Okay, my sister's raving about the sweet potato. Wow. We're gonna need more of those. Absolutely. And then let's try a prawn as well. Oh my goodness. I know you guys are just watching and I do my best to try and tell you when something is really good. This food is exceptional. We rewind. It feels so nice. I can't help. This morning, we're looking for leopards. Watching these two work is incredible. I feel like I'm watching Sherlock Holmes. Like, he's Ventura, Pet Detective. They're incredible. I had to come out here and try to find the leopard. I wouldn't even know where to start. It's fun guessing. They are using so much knowledge and experience. I mean, Simo was born on the property and he's been working here for the last 25 years as a tracker. And Alex's knowledge is incredibly deep. They're talking about things like this leopard spent her last two litters in this area. But there's baboons there today and there's these kinds of monkeys in the trees. So we would know if she was there. And then the wind temperature today is like this. So she's most likely gone this way. And then they're analyzing every footprint in the sand. And it's just an attention to detail that is just blowing my mind. Blowing my mind. I know that's maybe a weird thing to say but I'm kind of enjoying just watching them work. So Simo's just got off the vehicle now. He's checking the tracks on the ground. There's some baboons calling in the background. Matt, our head ranger, is further back there. He's checking that side. Byron's actually coming around this side to check if she maybe went up and over. But we'll check a little bit further forward. So we're just looking for a female leopard with her two cubs. She's actually called Inconquese. So Inconquese means star. So if we do get to see her, have a look on her face, she's got a little like freckle that looks exactly like a star on her face. Or a spot, shall I say, not a freckle. Everyone has their head on the swivel. All four of us in this car are just dialed in looking at every little detail we can see in the bush. Trying to keep our eyes open for anything that seems a little out of place. Maybe a flash of light, a spot, some movement. Just anything so we can find this leopard and her cubs. We may not have been able to see the leopard this morning, but we have rolled back up on the cheetah and her two cubs. They're a little bit older. Now the rumors going around on the radio that the staff have is that these guys were hunting or did hunt. So maybe they had something. We were trying to get here in time to like watch them eat a little bit. I don't know if you guys think that's morbid or not, you'll have to let me know in the comments below. But I was curious to see. It looks like they have finished their meal. Now Alex was saying that cheetahs are susceptible to overheating. It's a really warm, windy day here today. The wind is really hot. It's kind of starting to heat up in general. They've got bellies full of food. So they are laid out underneath the shade there just trying to cool themselves down and get comfortable. But they do look a little uncomfortable with big full bellies. It is the most beautiful, moody, rainy afternoon here. It's not even sunny. If you guys could smell it, it smells so good. It's time for lunch. So we decided to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air and watch the rain and the lightning a little bit. Food has come out and I just, I don't know what to say anymore. I can't keep talking about how good it is, but it's so good. This is some of the best food I've eaten all year. Now for lunch, I've got this beautiful cauliflower salad. Let's try that. I don't know how she does it. It's so good. There's crispy chickpeas in there, dates, beautiful roast cauliflower. That is so good. I wasn't even that hungry. I was like, oh, maybe I'll have something. I'm about to eat this whole bowl. So this plan this afternoon is hopefully avoid the rain. It seems to be coming down now. But we're going to go towards the central areas of the reserve and see if we can find an elephant herd. This rain is treacherous. I'm going to put the camera away. This might be a job for iPhone 13. He always gets sacrificed. It's. Because they look like they're playing the world's worst game of hide and seek. They look like little kids. We can see you. Got you. So things just pop off out of nowhere on the game drive. We were just hurtling along and then I saw something move and I yelled out mongoose, which was completely wrong because it's a meerkat. It's a meerkat and it's so freaking cute. Now, there's no it's so far away and so small. I'm going to try and film through the binoculars for you guys so you can see it. It's going to be some dodgy footage. I apologize in advance, but at least we'll all get to see him on footage. Wow. He's so cute. We saw tomorrow and Amber today and we saw Simba. We've seen them all. And Nala. Forget the big five. It's the Lion King for you really want to see. Seems the absolute legend has spotted a singular elephant off in the distance and we are rolling up hard. I'm going to see if he wants to be on the blog. Hi, do you want to be on my blog? Perfect. So it looks like we've got a single elephant bull here. We had initially reports of the herd also being in this area. So we think this elephant bull is slowly trailing the herd a little bit. So maybe we can follow him for a bit and then we can get onto the tracks of the other herd and see if we can follow him. Guys, I have to confess something. I did something rotten yesterday. I did something really spoiled. I asked the staff how hard it would be to request malva pudding from the chef here. I'm obsessed with malva pudding in South Africa. I'm obsessed with it. Anyways, I asked the staff and they said, yes, we can definitely do that for you. It's off menu, but it's on my plate. I'm really excited about that. It's come out. It looks so good. It's the perfect size portion. Is it good? Is it so good? It's so good, right? Immediately good. I can't keep telling you how good the food is. I just can't keep saying it. But I have nothing else to say. I have nothing else to talk about. Every fibre of my being is consumed in this moment. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, some of the best food I have had all year slash ever in my life. I'm all cosy in my delicious Kwandwe robe. In my toasty Kwandwe bed. I feel like I don't want to leave here, you guys. I just want Kwandwe to take me in. I just want to live here forever. This place is incredible. And honestly, I have had the most amazing last few days. I think what makes this place so special for me is a few things. One, it really is so exclusive. And I mean that. It's not just a buzzword. It is such a really special experience. You get to connect with everything and everybody on such a deep level. There's no rushing, no crowding. It's just beautifully paced in a beautiful part of the world. It's such a special experience. I have seen so many animals that I have never seen before. This whole thing has been so stimulating is the best way I can explain it. I have loved it. Seeing a meerkat today. Whoa, cheetah cubs, ostrich. Like so many cute little animals. Just a million little details that I would never be able to film or capture. And things that you have to come out here and experience for yourself. And then lastly, I cannot rave about the hospitality highly enough. Our incredible guide, Alex. Our amazing tracker, Sibo. All of the girls who work here in the restaurants. You know, PK is amazing. The chef is a genius. Do I even need to go there? The whole thing from start to finish has been perfection. Hand on heart. 10 out of 10. Would recommend. If you want to do a safari, this is the one you should do. And I will have some links in the video description for you to VR2. Contact them. Get them to help you organize this. Do the exact same itinerary that I'm doing. Something like this would pair beautifully with a trip to Cape Town as well. You know, you could spend a couple of days there. And then come out here and just have the time of your life. And like me, never leave. All right, you guys. And with that, that brings this week's episode. And very sadly, my time here at Conway and the delicious food to an end. Now, if you don't already, be sure to subscribe right now. So you never miss a single episode. And say hello in the comments below. I hope you have a great weekend. And I will see you in a brand new episode next week. Love ya.