‘Twere a rough night

In the words of MacBeth, “ ‘Twere a rough night”. At first I fell immediately to sleep after the exhilaration of the game drive and satisfying dinner. The bed here at Plains Tented Camp is so comfortable – the perfect softness, with white cotton linen and the cozy sense of being under canvas under African skies.

Glamping heaven at Plains Tented Camp

But no sooner had I fallen asleep when I woke with a “What the ….?” to the unmistakable sounds of lions mating right near the tent. Now lion stamina is legendary, so this continued every 20 minutes well into the night. At one point I swear another lion couple started up in tandem further across the plains! I was tempted to peek out with my torch, but was too scared, being unable to sense just how close they were in the dark.

Lion stamina is legendary

Just as the lion couples finally finished their show, a particularly musical hyena took over and enthralled me with his whooping howls. I took inventory of the other sounds, and heard a Night Jar, an owl and a suicidal antelope munching the grass along the side of my tent. Sleep is for the birds, I decide, this is all too exciting.

Hyena at dawn

This is no bland hotel with time-limited experiences of canned game – here you really are on safari in the most authentic way, closely connected to the immediate wilds of Africa 24 hours of the day. I think from here on I will be well disappointed with a good night’s sleep in a concrete box-shaped room.

Towards morning though, sleep finally claims me. I wake again at 5am to the sound of endangered Ground Hornbills’ haunting dawn lament as they move slowly across the plains, foraging for their breakfast. “Doo doo doo-doo” calls one. “Dow dow dow-dow-dow,” the other replies. I smile and snooze lightly, appreciating this gentle wake-up call. ‘ “Doo doo doo-doo,”…”Dow dow dow-dow-dow” I whisper.

What an experience to hear the gorgeous Ground Hornbill move across the Timbitene Plain at dawn

Review  by www.characterstay.blogspot.com

To listen to the recorded sound of Ground Hornbills, click on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDdfIUR0o_M&feature=youtu.be