11 February 2014
After a night full of sounds of the African bush (frogs,
bushbabies, hyenas) we left early to go on a long game drive. It was a bit
chilly in the morning but soon enough we spotted marabou storks and a bushbuck.
A little further on we saw our first crocodile bobbing in the river.
This morning we were very lucky to come across 4 hyenas lying right next to the road. They were however not very impressed with the car so more than a slight raise of the head wasn't in it, but we enjoyed it very much. Up ahead we already saw the wild dogs playing so we continued to park in their midst. While watching them play and pass us by we counted 17 wild dogs in this pack! The first day of this safari we saw some ears twitch and tails wave at us, this was an awesome wild dog sighting!
While the cavalry passed us by we were told to hurry up as there was a lioness further up ahead walking on the road. We were lucky to catch up and had an amazing sighting when she decided to walk right next to the vehicle, so close that we could see exactly how many ticks she had on her back. I leaned inside the car as to not to upset her but if I had stuck out my hand it would have stroked her (or she would have taken it as a snack).
Before we stopped to have breakfast we also saw some kudus, an elephant herd with youngsters, impalas, plenty of golden orb spiders and a slender mongoose.
After breakfast at Tshokwane we continued our journey southwards toward Lower Sabie. At the view points we had excellent view of the Kruger park and spotted 2 different rhino sightings, 2 different giraffe sightings, wildebeest and ostrich!
This morning we were very lucky to come across 4 hyenas lying right next to the road. They were however not very impressed with the car so more than a slight raise of the head wasn't in it, but we enjoyed it very much. Up ahead we already saw the wild dogs playing so we continued to park in their midst. While watching them play and pass us by we counted 17 wild dogs in this pack! The first day of this safari we saw some ears twitch and tails wave at us, this was an awesome wild dog sighting!
While the cavalry passed us by we were told to hurry up as there was a lioness further up ahead walking on the road. We were lucky to catch up and had an amazing sighting when she decided to walk right next to the vehicle, so close that we could see exactly how many ticks she had on her back. I leaned inside the car as to not to upset her but if I had stuck out my hand it would have stroked her (or she would have taken it as a snack).
Before we stopped to have breakfast we also saw some kudus, an elephant herd with youngsters, impalas, plenty of golden orb spiders and a slender mongoose.
After breakfast at Tshokwane we continued our journey southwards toward Lower Sabie. At the view points we had excellent view of the Kruger park and spotted 2 different rhino sightings, 2 different giraffe sightings, wildebeest and ostrich!
A slow drive down the H10 we stopped for beautiful birds as
well as other small things of the bush like millipedes. We saw a reedbuck, more
wildebeest, 2 herds of elephants, kudu bulls as well as females, baboons, more
white rhinos, including a mother and a young calf of which we could see the
ears stick out of the long grass, a steenbok and surprisingly no impalas on
this stretch!
After a short break at Lower Sabie we drove slowly back to Skukuza. We encountered more baboons as well as vervet monkeys with small fluffy babies, hippos playing in the water and at 1 sighting even grazing out of the water, buffalo, warthog and this last bit we saw once again lots of impalas!
It has been a glorious but hot day. Let's see what tomorrow will bring!
After a short break at Lower Sabie we drove slowly back to Skukuza. We encountered more baboons as well as vervet monkeys with small fluffy babies, hippos playing in the water and at 1 sighting even grazing out of the water, buffalo, warthog and this last bit we saw once again lots of impalas!
It has been a glorious but hot day. Let's see what tomorrow will bring!
12 February 2014
The past couple of days were scorching hot so we decided to
have the earliest possible start today and beat the heat. We loaded our bags
and set off to follow in Marks tracks who had spotted some lions on the road.
We showed up just in time to get a glimpse of them while they were walking into
the bush. They scared some rhinos that were close-by which in turn ran off.
Continuing down the road to Paul Kruger gate we spotted the ever present impalas, zebras, giraffe, kudus, leopard tortoises and a steenbok.
We turned onto the dirt road Riverlink and it turned quiet for a while until we spotted a couple of big bull elephants. The smallest one hadn't had his coffee yet and was grumpy because in the time we were watching we saw him engaging in 4 scuffles. The first one he definitely picked the fight, challenging his opponent. After a couple of pushes and shoves he packed up and they started feeding again. Until a new elephant arrived on the seen. He instantly went for him and picked a fight with this elephant that was just a bit smaller. The first opponent notice and decided to end it by taking over the fight himself again. And last but not least then both opponents teamed up against him and pushed him backwards down the road. It was an excellent sighting!
We then got a tip about cheetahs that were walking down a road nearby so we decided to give it a try. We were again just in time ( very lucky) to see a cheetah mother with her two cubs walking through the medium high grass not far from the road.
By then we started getting hungry so slowly made our way to the golfclub for breakfast. We had to stop a couple of times for small leopard tortoises crossing the road, waiting for them to reach safety on the other side. While chewing we saw the hippos play and warthogs interfering with golfers.
Then it was time for our drive down on Napi towards Numbi gate and Nkambeni Safari Camp, our new home for the rest of this safari. As the temperature had risen a lot it was a pretty quiet drive with impalas, zebras, wildebeest, kudus, a very fat warthog, vervet monkeys playing in trees, and a small family of elephants of a mother with her young calf and a new baby that crossed the road just in front of us. When we almost were at the end of our drive we were lucky to see a rhino lying in the shade close to the road!
After a long break which consists of trying out the pool and the bar, the guests will go on their sunset safari. Let's hope they keep on being lucky!
Continuing down the road to Paul Kruger gate we spotted the ever present impalas, zebras, giraffe, kudus, leopard tortoises and a steenbok.
We turned onto the dirt road Riverlink and it turned quiet for a while until we spotted a couple of big bull elephants. The smallest one hadn't had his coffee yet and was grumpy because in the time we were watching we saw him engaging in 4 scuffles. The first one he definitely picked the fight, challenging his opponent. After a couple of pushes and shoves he packed up and they started feeding again. Until a new elephant arrived on the seen. He instantly went for him and picked a fight with this elephant that was just a bit smaller. The first opponent notice and decided to end it by taking over the fight himself again. And last but not least then both opponents teamed up against him and pushed him backwards down the road. It was an excellent sighting!
We then got a tip about cheetahs that were walking down a road nearby so we decided to give it a try. We were again just in time ( very lucky) to see a cheetah mother with her two cubs walking through the medium high grass not far from the road.
By then we started getting hungry so slowly made our way to the golfclub for breakfast. We had to stop a couple of times for small leopard tortoises crossing the road, waiting for them to reach safety on the other side. While chewing we saw the hippos play and warthogs interfering with golfers.
Then it was time for our drive down on Napi towards Numbi gate and Nkambeni Safari Camp, our new home for the rest of this safari. As the temperature had risen a lot it was a pretty quiet drive with impalas, zebras, wildebeest, kudus, a very fat warthog, vervet monkeys playing in trees, and a small family of elephants of a mother with her young calf and a new baby that crossed the road just in front of us. When we almost were at the end of our drive we were lucky to see a rhino lying in the shade close to the road!
After a long break which consists of trying out the pool and the bar, the guests will go on their sunset safari. Let's hope they keep on being lucky!
Keep watching for more!!
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