An hour away from Durban, Tala Game reserve is a wild and wonderful conservancy spanning over 3000 hectares, with a diverse range of game and bird species. Our visit today was a pre-birthday celebration for my niece so, as a special treat, I ordered their gourmet picnic basket to supplement the snacks we had taken from home for our picnic. At R220 for 2, it needs to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance. From a menu of 16 items, I selected 8 savoury items and then added 3 sweet items at an additional cost of R30 each. This is a great way to sample the restaurant food while enjoying the great outdoors.
On entering the reserve, we were greeted with the magnificent sight of a family of antelope grazing while partially submerged hippos caught our eye in the dam nearby. After a 90 minute self-game drive, where we viewed kudu, eland, nyala, warthog, giraffe, wildebeest, ostrich as well as a variety of birds, we made our way to the picnic site. With braai facilities, swings and both adult's and kiddie's pools, it was an idyllic spot to stretch our legs, cool down and fill our tummies, revelling in the pleasant warmth of the African sun.
I couldn't wait to tuck into the picnic basket. The goodies were all well packaged and portions were ample, more suited to 4 people rather than 2. There was so much food for the 5 of us that we hardly touched the snacks I had brought from home. BBQ chicken wings, mini chicken pies, tender calamari tubes and crispy tentacles, snoek patè with crackers and chicken with onion marmalade on ciabatta were all hungrily devoured. Made with fresh, quality ingredients, it was all flavourful and well prepared. My dad enjoyed his vegetarian selection of cheese and jalapeno rissoles, cheese and tomato on health bread and roasted vegetable wrap. I didn't like the custard puffs as it lacked sweetness. The chocolate brownies were heavenly, crumbly, chewy and chocolately. The fruit skewers were a fresh, zesty ending to an amazing picnic.
It is hard to believe that this incredible space teeming with wildlife lies just 70km from the city centre. It feels like a million miles away, deep in the African bush. Service from every staff member, from the moment we entered until we left, was friendly and welcoming. A day trip to Tala is a perfect treat for the family and with their affordable and delicious picnic basket option, you don't have to spend hours preparing beforehand. Entrance is R80 per vehicle plus R70 per adult and R50 per child.
