First off we would like to welcome Michelle and Justin
Leegsma who are on their sixth safari with us. It is always a pleasure seeing
this couple every year.
19 May 2014
We picked up Michelle and Justin at the Balalika hotel in
Sandton and made our way out of Johannesburg to Nelspruit were we changed into
one of the open safari vehicles and then made our way onto the Phabeni gate of
the Kruger National Park. After gate check in procedures we made our way down getting
good sightings of buffalo, impala, rhino, zebra and wildebeest. Upon arriving
at skukuza, everybody checked in and enjoyed some good drinks on the deck,
before having dinner.
20 May 2014
This morning we left camp at 06h00 and made our way down the
Napi road and then onto the H3 to quagga pan looking for some of the cat
species, with it been a bit quite we proceeded for about another five
kilometres before turning back and making our way in the direction of the
Skukuza golf club for breakfast. After enjoying a good breakfast we made our
way up the Tshokwane tar to the picnic spot getting good sightings of elephant,
numerous vultures as well as kudu, impala, zebra and wildebeest. After leaving
the Tshokwane picnic spot, we got to hear of lions lying near the road north of
maritime dam, we made our way in this direction and were not disappointed as we
arrived in the final stages of three lions trying to take down a zebra,
unfortunately they did not get it right and the zebra and lions made off in
different directions. We got to hear of more lions further up the road, lying
in the river line, and so we decided to go and find them. After a short ten
minute drive, we arrived at the sighting with one male and four females lying
sleeping. After a good sighting spent in the river line, we made our way back
to the tar road when a message came in that cheetah had been spotted where we
had passed earlier, we made our way back in that direction and found them
walking from the river line towards the road. The two mature females crossed
the road in front of the vehicle with one of the cubs coming across as well and
another cub crossing further down the road. After this great sighting, we made
our way onto Satara getting more impala, wildebeest, buffalo, elephant and baboon.
A great meal was enjoyed at the mug and bean, before retiring to bed.
21 May 2014
Today it was out early again and we made our way down the
notorious S100, this proved to be a quite morning with sightings of impala,
kudu, wildebeest, buffalo, zebra and black backed jackal. We turned onto the H6
and were contacted by the Singita Lebombo lodge rangers, who informed us of a
giraffe kill on the main Tshokwane - Satara road, we made our way in the
direction and a while later stopped next to three lionesses eating a huge male
giraffe. We enjoyed the sighting immensely, before turning around and making
our way to camp for a late breakfast. After an enjoyable breakfast, we took a
drive in the direction of Olifants camp, but with all the patch burning taking
place this was abandoned on the opposite side of the Olifants river, and we
returned back to camp for an early afternoon. Animals seen were impala,
numerous vultures, elephant, wildebeest, baboon, hyena and black backed jackal.
22 May 2014
This morning it was
out again at six o clock, in order to make our way back down south in order to
meet more guests coming in on safari. We made our way back down to the Giraffe
kill and were not disappointed again as we got to have a great sighting of
three young females eating on the giraffe. As we moved away from the sighting,
we encountered more lions lying about fifty meters from the carcass, after
watching them for a while, we moved on and then about a hundred meters further
down the road, we found more lions, this time two young males that had eaten
themselves so full that they could not move.
After enjoying the
sighting, we made our way further southwards encountering good sightings of
buffalo, elephant, impala, zebra and kudu. We made our way down to Skukuza for
a break, before travelling onto Numbi Gate to meet some new guests from Canada
that were arriving on safari.
After the guests
arrival, we made our way to Nkambeni Safari Lodge to check in, and enjoy lunch
before departing on an afternoon game drive. The afternoon game drive took us
up the Napi Road to Shithave Dam and then down the Voortrekker Road and then up
to Manungu and Pretoriuskop kopies, ending at Mentsel Dam. Animals seen in the
afternoon were elephant, rhino, impala,kudu and wildebeest. We returned to
Nkambeni Safari Camp for a well-deserved dinner, before retiring to bed for a
good rest.
23 May 2014
After enjoying an early breakfast we left
camp and made our way down the Napi Road, getting good sightings of impala and
kudu. We turned onto the Boulders loop and got eight wild dogs making their way
up the loop to Napi Road. After turning around, we followed them for a while
until they moved off the road and into the bush. We continued down the boulder
loop which turned out to be quite, and then returned to Napi Road. The drive
through to Skukuza was relatively quiet with a few sightings of impala,
elephant, wildebeest and kudu. After a good break, it was off to Lower Sabie
getting good sightings of hippo in the Sabie River, giraffe, impala, warthog,
kudu and buffalo. Upon reaching Sunset Dam, we came upon a dead hippo floating
in the dam with up to twelve crocodiles eating on it at times. This was a
really enjoyed sighting with us spending almost half an hour there watching
this unfold in front of us. We made our way to the camp of Lower Sabie for
lunch and then it was back on the road in the direction of Skukuza camp and
then onto Nkambeni Safari Lodge arriving back at about four thirty. Animals
seen on the return journey were hippo, elephant, buffalo, rhino, impala, kudu,
wildebeest, zebra, warthog and giraffe.
24 May
2014
Today was another
early morning with Justin and Michelle being on there last drive before leaving
us and returning to Toronto Canada, we made a turn at shithave dam, boulders
loop and also went down a few kilometres on the Voortrekker road. The morning
turned out to be quite, with just sighting of general game, before returning
them to the Numbi Gate for their return transfer with Verity to Johannesburg
International Airport. After Justin and Michelle had left for Johannesburg, we
carried on with a game drive around circle road, getting elephant, rhino,
impala and kudu. We made our way back to camp for lunch, after a good break, we
left on an afternoon game drive getting good sightings of general game as well
as a nice sighting of an elephant bull in Musth that gave us a bit of an eye
while crossing the road.
25 May 2014
Today saw us packing
the vehicle and enjoying an early breakfast before departing on Duncan and
Vincent’s last game drive. We made our way down Napi Road, before turning onto
the H3 down to Quagga Pan. Again it was a quite morning with only a very quick
sighting of two male lions close to Shithave Dam. After reaching Quagga Pan, we
turned around and made our way to the gate of the Kruger National Park for the
return journey to Johannesburg. Upon returning to Johannesburg, Duncan and
Vincent were dropped off at Sunrock Guesthouse. Feedback from the clients were
that they enjoyed there safari, and would be returning with the girlfriends and
family in the future.
More coming soon!!
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