Late afternoon on the third day of our 2024 Manyeleti Magic photo-safari we were driving through a most beautiful spot of towering trees lining a stream and waterhole, with the most glorious golden light illuminating the scene. It was a little slice of paradise filled with various animals and birds and it is hard to describe just how blessed we felt to be there in the moment.
Our guide Beckson was the first to notice an enormous Southern African Rock Python slithering across the two-track road we were on. It was a magnificent specimen and must’ve only very recently shed its old skin as it was now resplendent with shiny new scales amplified by the golden light of the afternoon sun. With pythons, especially this size, being a rare sighting we all got off the vehicle and our guests had a chance to photograph the enormous snake from all angles before it moved underneath an old leadwood stump and disappeared from view. A most memorable encounter; the kind of which we’ve learned is pretty much par for the course in the magical place that is Manyeleti!
We’re already taking bookings for our 2025 Manyeleti Magic Photographic Safari and Workshop, to be conducted out of Buffelshoek Camp again in June of next year in conjunction with Hannes Rossouw Photography. Contact us if you’d like to join this one, or if you and a group of family and friends are keen to do something similar on other dates we’d be very glad to accommodate you!
DeWetsWild 
Ah, that glorious winter light, Dries. Pure magic!
Such a serenity that descends on Africa at that time of the day, Tish. Balm for the soul.
Die goue lig van Afrika … Vandat my kind my vertel het dat ‘n luislang soos ‘n hond byt, is ek baaaie lugtig vir hulle!
Hulle tande is verseker baie gedugte wapens, Tannie Frannie! En dan gee hulle nog sulke stywe drukkies daarby! 😉
Dis die een drukkie waarvoor ek nee dankie gaan sê.
I love pythons! We used to temporarily house one every now and then to take round to schools in the then Bophuthatswana. My first close encounter with one was on our farm when I was about eight or nine: it was crossing the dirt road and I could see neither the head nor the tail, yet was fascinated by the beautiful patterns on its skin.
I really enjoy seeing them too, Anne! Housing such a large snake must come with some challenges at feeding time?
We only kept them for a few days at a time and they had been fed beforehand 🙂
That python is huge, but it is beautiful. What a wonderful place!
Dis ‘n mooi fris pofadder! Waar ek groot geword het net buite Pretoria het ons gereeld ‘n pofadder gehad wat kom inloer het. Selfs eendag in die huis ook ingeseil. My ma was alleen tuis. Sy het op ‘n stoel geklim en hom soetjies laat omdraai uit die huis uit. Sy blaas gee hom ook weg as hy onder iets lê en mens kom verby!
Hierdie is n luislang, Ineke – gelukkig nie giftig soos n pofadder nie maar ek sal nie daardie reusagtige lyf om my wil he nie!
Jy is reg oor die pofadder se gesis wat hom dikwels weggee nog voor mens hom sien – rede om mens se ore gespits te hou as jy in die veld stap!
Ek kan my jou Ma se ontsteltenis voorstel met die pofadder in die huis!
Sorry man oor die pofadder wat eintlik ‘n luislang is. Dit het sommer dadelik opgekom oor die pofadder.