We obviously looked like a couple of city slickers. When the rangers warned us not to leave our tents at night, my partner was amused. "Just because we're urban types in the middle of the African wild, it doesn't mean they can scare us with their fireside stories," he told me.

That night, snug in our king-size bed, cocooned in down-doona luxury, our dreams were disturbed by a mighty roar. I opened my eyes and willed them to get accustomed to the dark so I could see what evil monster had come to eat me. Yet again the roar reverberated around the room. My partner was equally startled, his earlier bravado seeping away. It looked like the ranger's caution was not unfounded. The lions had come to visit.

Thank goodness, the king of the jungle was making a racket outside our sturdy tent. We were quite safe. But let me not underestimate the thrill of being so close to mighty nature. It was definitely a lot more exciting than getting woken up by traffic noises.

Lots of ellies and other animals
Gorah Elephant Camp in South Africa is all about close encounters with the wild. This opulent safari is situated in the Addo Elephant National Park, which boasts the densest ellie population in the world. But it's not all about jumbo's. The Parks Board has been working on rehabilitating the area and introducing back animals that roamed the plains here many years ago. This now means that visitors to Gorah can get to meet the Big Five (elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino) as well as an abundance of grazing zebras, antelope, warthogs and ostriches.

What makes Gorah so special is that it is a concession within the National Park. This means that guests are exposed to exclusive terrain. Regular visitors to Addo are confined to the tar roads. We could roam on private gravel paths and go off-road to get more intimate with the game.

Gorah is a tented camp. But this is no dingy caravan park and there is not a tent hook to be seen. The wooden frames may be covered in canvas but inside, the interior is pure five-star. The style is lavish 1900's colonial with a four-poster bed, plush arm chairs and a spacious verandah. There's no having to face the cold night to stumble to the toilet. The huge bathroom is within the tent and features stand-alone basins, a lovely shower and pamper products.

When we arrived at the camp, we were greeted with warm smiles, which continued to beam throughout our stay. Despite the sumptuousness of the décor, the atmosphere is laid-back and warm. There are no pretensions or formalities and you can definitely leave your suit at home.

Brekkie in bed
The morning started with our ranger, Gareth bringing us freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee and biscuits in bed. Unlike most other safari experiences, which haul guests out of bed before sun-rise, Gorah's custom is to allow us to sleep in. This also gives us time for a leisurely brekkie feast before climbing into our open-top 4X4 vehicle for the first game viewing of the day.

Gareth's passion for tracking animals was catchy. Soon we were all scouring the brush for signs of the wild and examining footprints and dung for its freshness (well, we let Gareth take care of that task). The search started off slowly as we ooh'ed and aah'ed at the herds of zebra, hartebees (antelope) and the cutest baby warthogs. We bumped into a humongous elephant nicknamed "Mr Roadblock" for his inclination of standing in the middle of the path when guests drive into Gorah.

The King of the Wild
Excitement picked up a notch when we spied some lion tracks. We followed the footprints and came across two handsome male lions. The one looked directly into my eyes. I checked carefully for any signs of him licking his lips. But they seemed quite disinterested in us. They looked more like fierce pussycats then dangerous canines.

After about three hours of magnificent animal sightings, we returned to the camp for lunch. The meal was served on the verandah which provided a perfect view of the nearby waterhole. Who needs TV when we can munch on scrumptious food while watching a herd of ellies drink and frollick at the water.

We spent the afternoons at Gorah relaxing in our tents or sunning ourselves at the pool. We were still full from lunch when high tea was served in the manor house. But the dense chocolate brownies and berry tarts looked too delicious to resist. I found I never had a chance to get hungry at Gorah yet I couldn't stop eating as the food was just so enticing.

Sandwiched by elephants
Back on the safari truck, Gareth was pointing out some wondrous birds. He knew the name and fascinating facts about every creature that we passed. We were inspecting a dung beetle's torso, when we noticed something large and grey coming out of the bushes ahead. The elephant stood in the middle of the path, twisting his trunk and grabbing leaves to munch on. We were mesmerised to have a animal so large within a couple of metres of the vehicle. While Gareth didn't look in the least bit fazed, he did start crumpling a plastic bottle to encourage the ellie to clear the road.

"This is our only weapon," Gareth tells us. "We don't carry guns with us".

That's all very well with one jumbo in our midst. But then another giant lumbered towards us from behind. We were about to become the filling of an elephant sandwich. I could feel a tiny coil of panic in the pit of my stomach. Still Gareth remained relaxed, watching the two animals intently. The elephant kept on coming from behind and then just at the last moment veered off into the bushes. Pshew, close call.

After sunset, we returned to the camp and were welcomed with a roaring fire and a warm sherry. Dinner, served in the elegant dining room, was roasted onion soup, followed by an authentic chicken curry with popadums and sambals. Dessert was a traditional brandy pudding. It felt as if we had gone back in time to a more regal era as every element, from the service to the food was enriched with old-fashioned hospitality.

After two days of safari, it was time for us to leave this wild animal paradise. Before taking off, we chatted to a few guests about their experience here.

What the visitors said
Many guests we spoke to actually preferred Gorah to the more conventional Kruger National Park. The animals here are concentrated in a smaller area so you don't have to drive around vast distances to get good sightings. Another major drawcard of Gorah is that it is malaria-free, so no popping bitter pills with side-effects. Also, the camp is conveniently situated at the one end of the Garden Route, so you could hire a car in Cape Town and drive along the magnificent coastline, stopping at the quaint towns along the way. It's very much like a Great Ocean Road experience and it's one of my favourite parts of South Africa. Alternatively, you can hop on a short flight to Port Elizabeth, from where the camp is a 40-minute drive away.

Gorah is one special place. How many other places in the world can you be lulled to sleep by the roar of lions. One visit is just not enough.

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