In August of 2026 we traveled to South Africa and Botswana for a fantastic photo safari. Although we have been to Kenya and Tanzania before (in 1997), this was our first time in South Africa and Botswana.

We wanted to visit reserves with different landscapes and wildlife, so we chose to stay at Euphorbia in Matashu Game Reserve (Botswana), Rattray’s in Mala Mala Reserve (South Africa) and Loapi in Tswalu Kalahari Reserve (South Africa).

But first, we had to get across the world to South Africa!

We flew from Denver to New Jersey, then took a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. It was a very long flight, but we were able to fly first class, which made it much more comfortable. Here is a picture of our two seats. They look awkward in the picture, but they opened up into a bed (very small, but still a flat bed).

Here’s Jeff, ready for takeoff…

You can watch the plane’s progress on the flight tracker. Here you see the white line which starts in New Jersey and ends in Johannesburg. Whew! That’s a long way!

We left our house at 8am on Monday and arrived in Johannesburg at 6pm Tuesday. That’s a looonnngggg trip!

In Johannesburg, South Africa, we stayed overnight at the Intercontinental Hotel (right next to the airport). We needed to take another flight up to Matashu Game Reserve in Botswana. Since we didn’t arrive in Johannesburg until the evening, we took that smaller flight the next morning. It was nice to get a good night’s sleep before “officially” starting our safari.

Jeff had waffles for breakfast… Mmmm…

The plane that flew us north into Botswana was much smaller than the one that flew us across the Atlantic.

It was actually quite comfortable for a small plane. We shared the plane with another group of four. Luckily, the seats directly in front of us were empty.

Once we landed and took care of customs and immigration, we met our guide for the week – Tips. It took us about 40 minutes to get to our lodge. We soon got used to this view of the back of Tips’ head. 😉

Although this wasn’t technically a “game drive,” it was still an exciting ride back. We saw our first Impala of the trip. The male (with the horns) was checking us out as we drove by.

Once we got closer to the Lodge, there were cement tracks for the Land Cruiser to drive on. That was much better than bumping over the rocks. Here, a Leopard Tortoise was trundling along in front of us.

Eventually, he decided to get off the track. But then, he pulled in his legs and head, so that was that. We had to go around him.

Around the lodge, there is a discreet electric fence to help keep the elephants out. There was even a gate we passed through each time we entered and exited.

Finally, we reached our destination — Euphorbia Lodge. What a beautiful place! It really blends in with the surrounding landscape. This is the main lodge building. Each of the guest rooms were separate “villas” along a gully with a great view.

After our arrival, Tips showed us to our “room” – a standalone villa. On to the next post for more Euphorbia pictures!