Numzaan review
So here is my review of Numzaan Safari, from initial to leaving...this is just my opinion and take what you will.
Since my buddy booked this safari and winning it at an NRA auction, I didn't know a thing about them. Their website is very good and up front on costs on everything. Their trophy fees might be a little higher than other outfitters, but im assuming this is because they do a lot of these auction hunts and have to offset some of the costs. I don't feel my Impala or Blesbuck were overpriced and am happy with both. The office in Thabazimbi is where you go at beginning and end of trip to do paperwork and finalize everything. We met the owner and his wife while at our camp and all the staff were very nice and easy to talk with.
The Camp itself:
We stayed at the Leadwood lodge, about an hour or so from Thabazimbi or 4 hours from Johannesburg in the Limpopo region. The lodge did not have a pool, we didn't miss it. From the photos ill post later, it does have an incredible balcony that we took advantage of to watch game in the open field across from lodge. The entire facility has thatched roof and just screams African architecture. Trophy mounts were everywhere and helped a newbie to put a name to the animals we would be seeing. Giraffe, waterbuck, kudu, gemsbuck, eland, bushbuck, impala, warthog, blesbuck, wildebeest, honey badger, and cats were everywhere. Our room was simple and nice, nothing too fancy or over the top. 2 twin beds with a large window that was open most of the time. It had a large tiled shower, toilet, and sink. They did offer daily laundry service and housekeeping made sure the room looked nice daily even if we scatted stuff around while getting ready for the morning hunt. All of our meals were served outside under the large thatched covered patio that also housed a large concrete and brick fire pit with comfy camp chairs. A big fridge like one would find at a gas station held 2 liter bottles of soda, bottles of water, cans of fruit juice, and a variety of South African beers...all of which were available at any time to guest. The bar also had decent selection of liquor. The big thing I enjoyed was the hot water pot was always on and a good selection of Rooibos tea, Ricoffy South African coffee, cocoa, tea, and chocolate malt drink mixes all available 24/7. The Ricoffy was great, a coffee and chicory blend that went down great regardless of time of day. A tip I would recommend is mix a little Amarula in the coffee for a South African style coffee....similar to Baileys and coffee. most of our time was spent around the fire and it was quite relaxing, even during a huge rainstorm that dropped 150ml one evening. The property itself was over 3000 acres with another 700 or more across the road. Game was plentiful and always a treat to see the variety while out in the truck or walking and stalking.
The Staff:
Phyllis was our head cook and her husband Pieter ran the camp. Phyllis was a saint of a woman and her staff were available whenever we needed anything. The food was amazing and never had a bad meal there, even though she claimed she was no chef but a mere home cook. We ate Gemsbuck, Impala, Sable, Warthog, Blesbuck, Kudu, Eland, Red Hartlebeest, and a few other non-game meat meals. Her food was almost a blend of American comfort with a south African flair...all great.
PH:
Poena was our guy and even though he was 21, he knew his stuff. When I asked him how he became a PH he said it normally takes 2 years apprenticeship, but he finished his early...by completing 20 buffalo hunts in his first year. The only South African game he had yet to guide for was Leopard but was hoping to do that this year. A former Rugby player, he had no issue speaking in Afrikan or English, and once he got to know both of us, he got even better. We would sit around and joke with one another, share stories, and just have a great time. His Toyota Hilux was great for hunting or traveling. He was training a new dog, a 6 month old fox terrier named Milley, who was already showing great promise at a young age. Each animal we had down, she immediately located and starting circling the downed game and barking to alert us of its location. Poena was also great at knowing our budget and our hunting goals, not putting much pressure on us to shoot something we didn't want, or giving us a bad shot. Being Bowman's first hunting trip, he worked very well getting him comfortable behind the rifle and taking each game.
Overall I would recommend Numzaan Safari for anyone going on a first hunt in South Africa. The staff was great, each PH we met were genuinely nice people who took care of each client regardless of if it was their client or not. The Dip/Pack agent was easy to work with and I did truly enjoy their VIP treatment at JoBerg airport...in that they had someone meet me at the gate, walk me through customers ahead of almost everyone else on the plane, and through baggage claim quickly before being handed off to our PH to begin. Their entire office staff was easy to get ahold of through email, as long as you allow for the time zone difference, and any request we made was covered with little to no issue. Instead of shopping at the normal place, I requested to shop at Cambanos in Midrand after being advised to by others on the forum here...and they made the request easy and painless. Im glad other members suggested Cambanos, as it was everything and more than I expected with much better prices than other places I had seen as well as a much great selection.
