By the side of the road a couple of impala quietly grazed, seemingly impervious to our stationary safari truck. Although a simple sight compared with others lurking in Kruger National Park, it was still special to me – it’s always a treat when nature jumps out and surprises you.

I was so transfixed by these graceful creatures that I failed to notice that no one else was looking at them. That was until a fellow safari-goer called my name and I looked round to the other side of the vehicle. Greeting me were the watchful eyes of a languorous tusker. He scooped up vegetation with his trunk, pounded the earth with his large feet, and kept us steadily in his glare. The range of emotions I felt as he stepped ever closer will live with me forever.

Coming eye to eye with the elephant was just one of many memorable Kruger moments. I travelled with the accessible safari company Epic Enabled, which was founded by tour guide Alfie Smith. Having spotted a gap in the tourism industry, he set up his business to enable wheelchair users to go on safari in the Kruger. While seeking out accessible accommodation in Kruger National Park and the surrounding private reserves, he had a truck custom-made to include a foldable wheelchair lift.

In these credit-crunch times, his budget trips are also popular with people who don’t need the accessible facilities – they are simply attracted by
the price and quality of his tour experience. In our group of 14, only a few of us were wheelchair users. Importantly, Alfie ensured that the entire trip felt equal to all.

I was attracted to the tour by the fact that it was advertised in a mainstream UK-based tour operator’s travel brochure – it was the first time I’d seen an accessible safari offered in such a way.

Whilst Alfie’s guides don’t have formal training in dealing with people with physical disabilities, they have plenty of experience in doing so. Inside the truck there is ample viewing room for all, and seats can be taken out if wheelchair users wish to stay in their chair; one member of our group did just that, positioning his chair so he could look straight out of the window. Straps are used to secure wheelchairs in place – particularly useful on the bumpy roads around Kruger, and especially so  when emergency breaking is needed to avoid animals darting onto the road.

On wildlife drives we all enjoyed playing the spotting game, each of us exclaiming, “Lion!”, “Kudu!” or “Giraffe!” when we were the first to catch a glimpse of these natural treasures. Following the successful shouts, the truck would stop and we’d all raise our binoculars in tandem. Thankfully I wasn’t the one who hollered, “Elephant!” only to be confronted with a buffalo.

Our journey began at the southernmost public camp, Crocodile Bridge, from where we then moved on to Skukuza for the three subsequent nights. The largest public camp, Skukuza is almost a village in itself, complete with a post office, supermarket, internet cafe and several restaurants.
Crocodile Bridge and Skukuza camps both have wheelchair ramp access to their rondavels.

With mini kitchens, these accommodations are also great for those on self-catering holidays. The large en suite bathrooms have a ‘roll-in’ shower, which also
has a pull-down seat for people with walking difficulties. Alfie was always on hand to change the static showerhead to a hand-held one if needed.

With steps nowhere to be found, either in the rondavels or on the paths around the site, the national park has clearly placed a strong emphasis on accessibility. In some places, however, the shop aisles were narrow and difficult to navigate in a wheelchair.

As one of the world’s newer democracies, South Africa’s progressive constitution enshrines many rights for disabled people, in theory if not fully in practice. Outside the national parks and big city centres, many areas of the country aren’t so accessible to wheelchair users. This trip, however, had been carefully thought out to avoid any access problems.

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Our last stop in Kruger was at the Tshukudu Game Lodge, which is north of Skukuza. Alfie has worked with its owners to create wheelchair-accessible accommodation, with path and ramp access throughout. The bungalows here also have roll-in showers. Their private outdoor seating areas are just the place to relax between the morning and late-afternoon wildlife drives – and also proved a good spot from which to watch the local monkeys.

Unlike Kruger National Park’s camps, Tshukudu lodge is not fenced, and on one occasion I discovered a buffalo calf outside my bungalow – I was later told it was only two days old! Huge porcupines are also known to come out at night and, as the story goes, some previous guests couldn’t come to dinner because of a lion lounging outside their room door.

I have to say that I’ve never wheeled so fast in my life as when we heard something scuffling in the bushes during my torchlight jaunt back to my room after dinner.

Like the accommodation, wildlife drives at Tshukudu are a little more intimate. For starters we used the reserve’s smaller 4WDs, which Alfie transferred us into using his truck’s cleverly designed wheelchair lift. Our ranger did his best to give us an extra-close view of the many elephant, rhino, jackal and giraffe who roam the 5000ha reserve – at times even driving over bushes and small trees! Tshukudu’s rangers also carry radios so that they can tip off each other as to where various animals have recently been spotted.

Marvellous as it was witnessing lions from the truck in the national park, it didn’t come close to our experience with these fantastic cats in Tshukudu. The reserve has rescued several injured lions – some of which have subsequently bred – and, as their cubs are used to the presence of the rangers, we could wheel (or walk) with them on the reserve. The rangers are incredibly respectful towards these animals, who ranged in age up to two years old, and are alert to any potential signs of danger.  We were told to stay together as a group and to avoid any loud noises or sudden movements. Faced with these cute but deadly cats, behaving ourselves wasn’t a problem. And in return, they didn’t seem fazed in the slightest by our wheelchairs. It was a privilege to share their space in this way, and although I must admit to being reassured by the size of the ranger’s rifle, I imagine it was carried only for our peace of mind!

Tshukudu also runs a cheetah-breeding programme, and so we also had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the cheetahs, including one very playful youngster. Being in a wheelchair actually proved a bit of an advantage as we were closer to the ground and could easily reach out to touch them. Through it all though, I kept one eye on mum, who in turn was keeping a protective eye on her cub.

The continual excitement of the safari experience, combined with nervous energy generated from close encounters of the furry kind, always generated a healthy appetite, and thankfully, Alfie and his assistant were always there to whip up meals when the time was right, often over an open fire. His truck’s compartments seemed to be veritable treasure troves of the culinary variety, producing tables, chairs, cooking equipment and heaps of healthy food. The one thing I won’t miss is the impala stew – not because it wasn’t tasty, but rather because I’ve held this species dear since I first set eyes on it in the Kruger.

Now back in the UK, the greatest hunger I feel is the desire to return to the wilds of Africa.

* Penny Batchelor travelled with Epic Enabled (www.epic-enabled.com). The tour was booked through Virgin Holidays (www.virginholidays.co.uk).