Members of this spiffily-marked herd are referred to as “zeb-bra” in South Africa, not the Americanized “zee-bra.” Baboons, the author learned, are not to be trifled with. "Never trust a simian," she says.The full-throated roar of a lion in the wild is something you’ll never forget, the author says.The big cats, including the cheetah, above, are almost always on the move for prey.

MCT

SANBONA WILDLIFE RESERVE, South Africa — “Urrrrr-runh! Urrrr-rah-runh! Urrrr-rah-runhh! Huh-huh-huh!”

These curious sounds, unidentifiable at first, had risen from the utter stillness of the afternoon heat, slicing the silence like a saber. Bolting around in the Land Rover, I searched the South African bush for the source, finally resting my eyes on a big male and two female lions just yards away from where the guide and I sat in the vehicle.

After a few seconds, the sound came again, its intensity increasing with each passing moment: “Urrrrrr! Urrra-rah! Urrra-rah-UNH! Urrr-UNH! Urrr-UNHHH! UNHHH! UNHHH!”

The adrenaline factor was high as I realized I was about to witness and hear something relatively few humans will ever hear outside of a zoo: the full-throated roar of a lion, very close by and very much on the prowl for its next meal. I just hoped it didn’t have a sweet tooth for blondes with Southern accents.

The deeply guttural echoes coming from Leo’s belly absolutely commanded dignity and respect from all other creatures within earshot, including animals, man, and especially in that moment, me. This was no itty bitty kitty, and when the lion’s roar came its acoustical entirety was thunderous and mighty and like nothing I had ever heard.

Then something beyond extraordinary occurred. The two lionesses joined in perfect harmony with the male, creating a din that was almost deafening. For perhaps a full minute, they roared, a feline hallelujah choir in the bush. So great were their voices that the ground actually vibrated with sound waves.

“Wow,” both my guide and I whispered in unison as the trio quieted in exhaustion.

Hearing the tantalizing roar of a lion on a South Africa savanna at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve is an experience that becomes permanently etched in your mind, and you realize that you will never forget that sound for as long as you draw breath. While it’s completely bone-chilling (even now I get shivers just thinking about it), it is also exhilarating. You feel that, in an instant, you have been anointed with all that is Africa.

South Africa. The mere words evoke images of a faraway land near the bottom of the Earth, of exotic safaris complete with pipe-smoking gentlemen in pith helmets and khaki shirts and women in long flowing skirts, of a place where the men are as strong as Nelson Mandela and the ladies as pretty as Charlize Theron. Of uninterrupted acres of sugarcane fields, banana groves, and vineyards of the Cape Winelands.

South Africa is huge, about the size of the entire Southeast United States. And it is diverse, ranging from the Bantu culture of the Zulu, Shangaan or Tsonga, Tswana, and Swazi to the Afrikaners of Dutch and British descent to the Indians of the coastal towns. With all that it is otherwise, my best guess still is that most tourists will go for the same reason I did, which is to see wildlife. Mind you, not the nightlife wild life of Cape Town and Johannesburg (and there’s plenty of that), but the animals and nature.

My favorite wild game is the big cats: the golden-eyed lion whose name is translated to “ngala” in Shangaan and the spiffily spotted cheetah and leopard. Whether you take a safari at night or early morning, the big cats are almost always on the move for prey, sending the smaller, weaker animals like steenbok and impala into a frenzy to escape their powerful, hungry jaws.

Chances are pretty good that you’ll see a kill while on safari. But this is Africa. Expect it, as it is simply the way of nature here.

The warthogs and wildebeests are so ugly that they’re cute, as are the rhino, hippo and buffalo. I’m in awe of also-spiffily-spotted giraffes and the zebra, pronounced in South Africa as zeb-bra and not the Americanized zee-bra. Although you’ll see plenty of them, I’m not bananas about baboons and monkeys, as I witnessed a group of baboons attack a car with a family inside. While everyone escaped with everything but their nerves intact, it was then I learned a hard, fast rule of all of Africa: Never trust a simian. They are not to be reckoned with lightly.

For me, one of the most stirringly dramatic spectacles of the South African savannas is that of a herd of elephants moving through the bush, the mama elephants staunchly protecting their babies, the daddies ready to charge if they think their family is in danger. During the long, languid days on safari in South Africa, you’ll more than likely see several herds in their natural setting as they continuously munch on the leaves and bark of mopane, yellow fever acacia, marula, and sausage trees. You can hear them before you see them, with their low moans and tummies always eerily rumbling in contentment.

South Africa is a place that utterly intoxicates with its rare and uncommon beauty, intriguing history that changes daily and is not very far removed from apartheid, and that wonderful multicultural society so diverse that Archbishop Desmond Tutu gave it the designation of “Rainbow Nation.”

South Africa also is known for its hot-air balloon safaris, which most lodges will arrange for you and which give a unique perspective of the landscape. As the balloon ascends above hippo-filled streams, you might glimpse herds of giraffe or zeb-bra racing along underneath you, their spots and stripes perfectly blending in with the cinnabar-hued earth, as Mother Nature intended.

As the balloon drifts quietly and gently with the wind over this incredible landscape spackled with hills, valleys, extinct volcanoes, and the bluest of skies, you’ll wonder if you can ever leave such a place as this.If you go

If you want a close encounter with ngala (though not too close!), you might splurge on one of the private game lodges and preserves:

—Singita Private Game Reserves ( www.singita.com): Consistently ranked among the most luxurious private reserves in the world, Singita lodges at Sabi Sands and Kruger National Park. A friend honeymooned at Singita, declaring it the “most amazing place” she’s ever been.

—Camp Jabulani ( www.campjabulani.com): Offering elephant-back safaris on elephants rescued from Zimbabwe, the five-star Camp Jabulani is ideal for honeymooners and romantic getaways. Past guests have included Brooke Shields, John Cusack and Uma Thurman.

—Sanbona ( www.sanbona.com): In the heart of the Little Karoo, Sanbona is home to the only pride of free-roaming white lions in the world.

—Shamwari Game Reserve ( www.shamwari.com): On the Eastern Cape, Shamwari includes six extravagant lodges and plenty of game.

—Londolozi ( www.londolozi.com): In Zulu, Londolozi means “protector of all things”; the extremely eco-friendly reserve has several stunning lodges.

—Ulusaba ( www.ulusaba.com): Owned by Sir Richard Branson, the reserve’s Rock Lodge and Safari Lodge are ultra-stylish and elegant and no detail is left to the imagination.

—Sabi Sabi ( www.sabisabi.com): An opulent reserve with four lodges, the specialty here is up-close encounters with wildlife and world-class cuisine.

—Thornybush ( www.thornybush.co.za): Wonderfully remote and near Kruger Park, Thornybush, overlooking the Monwana River, is ideal for families. Another friend said she was enjoying her outdoor shower at Thornybush when a giraffe came crashing through the trees right beside her. (At least it wasn’t a baboon!)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Visit the Web site of South African Tourism at www.southafrica.net or call (800) 593-1318. South African Airways ( www.flysaa.com) flies nonstop (or one stop in Dakar, Senegal) from New York and Washington-Dulles into Johannesburg. Delta ( www.delta.com) has nonstop or one-stop service to Johannesburg from Atlanta. For more details on South Africa’s national parks, visit:

—Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: www.sanparks.org

—Pilansberg National Park: http://www.pilanesbergnationalpark.co.za/

—Addo Elephant National Park: www.addoelephantpark.com

—For Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, Ithala Game Reserve and Mkuze Game Reserve: kznwildlife.com

—Tembe Elephant Park: www.tembe.co.za

—The Waterberg: www.waterbergtourism.co.za

—The Lowveld: www.lowveldnet.co.za