2 June 2014
My guests arrived at the KMIA airport and we took a slow
drive up to the Kruger Park through all the plantations. Upon arrival guests had some time to relax before they went
on their Sundowner safari.
They went to Mashawu Dam where they unfortunately just missed
the sunset because they had stopped for giraffes along the way. But the sky was
still a lovely red colour so it gave some nice photos. They saw the hippos
playing in the dam. On the way back it was a quiet drive with just a sighting
of a scrub hare.
3 June 2014
Today my guests were not feeling well so we decided to take
it easy and relax around our camp for the day.
4 June 2014
Today we left after breakfast to go on game drive. On camp
road we spotted a small herd of waterbucks with two very nice adult males. Just
before reaching the tar road a tree trunk seemed to move, but it turned out to
be covered in dwarf mongooses. When we stopped the car however they all seemed
to disappear quickly.
Then we took a slow drive around Shabeni where we saw impalas, kudus, a young tree squirrel and a crested barbet. Continuing on we saw some fresh tracks of rhinos and elephant but the animals making them were hiding in the bush. On Albassini we spotted a buffalo herd in the high grass. However the herd was slowly moving our way so we patiently waited a bit for them to show themselves for better pictures. They came close to the vehicle and then the first brave bulls started crossing in front of our vehicle. Their followers got spooked by a private vehicle though so they turned around. Most of the herd ended up crossing behind us. We estimated the herd was about 60 buffalos strong, but the stream seemed never-ending in the high grass.
Further up the road we spotted some zebras. The first lot was hiding very well in the bush and had no interest in coming closer. So after a couple of pictures we continued and then spotted a nice zebra on the side of the road. He walked around the bush and we were hoping he would cross. Then 5 zebras came out of hiding and one by one started crossing the road in front of us. They posed nicely in the middle of the road, except for the baby that took the crossing at a trot. Close to the end of the road we spotted even more zebras.
Down Doispane we saw a warthog, many impalas, vervet monkeys and lilac breasted rollers. We then stopped at Skukuza for an early lunch, where a crocodile was lying in the riverbed.
On the way back we drove to Transport Dam. Just before the turn off a hyena youngster was lying outside the den. He wasn't feeling very well as he puked while we were watching him. We weren't very keen on watching him eat what he had just thrown up though so we continued our drive. At Transport Dam we spotted a nice crocodile with his mouth open on the island close to the shore. In the far end there were hippos. On either side there were large herds of waterbucks. We also spotted an African jacana male with two chicks and a malachite kingfisher. On the way back to Napi road we spotted some giraffes, one a very young one drinking from its Mum, but they were mostly hiding in the bushes.
Down Napi we saw more kudus with a very nice bull, bateleurs and yellow billed hornbills. We ended our drive with a herd of elephants in the distance close to Shitlhave Dam and a lone giraffe close to Numbi Reception.
Then we took a slow drive around Shabeni where we saw impalas, kudus, a young tree squirrel and a crested barbet. Continuing on we saw some fresh tracks of rhinos and elephant but the animals making them were hiding in the bush. On Albassini we spotted a buffalo herd in the high grass. However the herd was slowly moving our way so we patiently waited a bit for them to show themselves for better pictures. They came close to the vehicle and then the first brave bulls started crossing in front of our vehicle. Their followers got spooked by a private vehicle though so they turned around. Most of the herd ended up crossing behind us. We estimated the herd was about 60 buffalos strong, but the stream seemed never-ending in the high grass.
Further up the road we spotted some zebras. The first lot was hiding very well in the bush and had no interest in coming closer. So after a couple of pictures we continued and then spotted a nice zebra on the side of the road. He walked around the bush and we were hoping he would cross. Then 5 zebras came out of hiding and one by one started crossing the road in front of us. They posed nicely in the middle of the road, except for the baby that took the crossing at a trot. Close to the end of the road we spotted even more zebras.
Down Doispane we saw a warthog, many impalas, vervet monkeys and lilac breasted rollers. We then stopped at Skukuza for an early lunch, where a crocodile was lying in the riverbed.
On the way back we drove to Transport Dam. Just before the turn off a hyena youngster was lying outside the den. He wasn't feeling very well as he puked while we were watching him. We weren't very keen on watching him eat what he had just thrown up though so we continued our drive. At Transport Dam we spotted a nice crocodile with his mouth open on the island close to the shore. In the far end there were hippos. On either side there were large herds of waterbucks. We also spotted an African jacana male with two chicks and a malachite kingfisher. On the way back to Napi road we spotted some giraffes, one a very young one drinking from its Mum, but they were mostly hiding in the bushes.
Down Napi we saw more kudus with a very nice bull, bateleurs and yellow billed hornbills. We ended our drive with a herd of elephants in the distance close to Shitlhave Dam and a lone giraffe close to Numbi Reception.
5 June 2014
Today we set off after breakfast for a full day game drive.
On Camp road we spotted our first animal already: a duiker, showing why it
is named as such. We then headed down Napi which was littered with buffalo
dung. It was hard to slalom around and felt like it was going for kilometres on
and on but then we finally saw the herd of mess makers! The entire herd was on
a little hill on our left just before Shithave Dam. On the right side however,
elephants were walking not that far from the road so a great opportunity for
pictures.
We continued on Napi spotting impalas, kudus, lilac breasted rollers, a red crested korhaan, yellow billed hornbills and then just before Transport Dam a bull in must was standing on the side of the road. He was massive! And the smell very pungent! We watched how he came onto the road, had a good long look at us and decided we weren't worth the effort. He turned and walked away from us in the opposite direction.
We then turned onto the H3 soon seeing a wildebeest all by himself and shortly after a large journey of giraffes. We counted about 9 of them in the bush, spread out. Most were feeding but two were arguing about a tasty tree or, more likely, a lovely female and had a good fight. We saw warthogs being chased off the road by another vehicle and when while on the S112 we saw some more. We had heard about a wild dog sighting and drove in that direction on the S114. We found them surrounded by cars on the side of the road. It took some manoeuvring skills of all to make way for others, but when it was our turn we got treated to a great sighting! The alpha female seemed heavily pregnant and the alpha male stayed close to her. The rest of the pack was playing around, which was a good watch.
We left the sighting more than happy with what we saw driving towards Skukuza. We reached the tar road and just around the corner a leopard was busy crossing the road about 50m in front of us. He looked at us but didn't change his route or speed. We continued to drive closer trying not to spook him, but when we got close he had disappeared into the bush. We searched and searched but gone.
After a break at Skukuza we continued on a drive around the river area. We started with a lovely sighting of a couple of marabou storks accompanied by bateleurs and two tawny eagles in the air as well as in trees nearby. At our first sight of the river we saw three hippos lying on the shore sunning themselves. We also spotted a hamerkop, a hoopoe that almost got run over by an oncoming car, a great kudu bull and more hippos out of the water when we reached the bridge over the Sabie river.
On the other side of the Sabie river we continued on Marula tar where we were treated to multiple elephant herds crossing the road towards the river. At one sighting a mother with her 5 month old baby was about to cross when she noticed our vehicle and got a bit scared. She was immediately accompanied by two sisters to protect her baby. One of them so serious she came very close to the vehicle to give us the evil eye! We also saw zebras along this road.
Crossing the Sand river bridge we saw some hippos popping up and while driving over the Sabie river bridge A buffalo herd, crocodiles, hippos and a fish eagle. Back on the road to Skukuza we saw a cluster of cars and before we could ask them what they saw, a leopard appeared out of the trees and plopped down in the shade under a bush. We were just at the right spot to see him raise his head a couple of times, but he decided it was time for a nap.
After lunch at, once again, Skukuza we took a drive around River road and River link to see if anything was thirsty. We did see a small terrapin, a large herd of waterbucks with a very large-horned male and lots of pretty birds but no drinking animals on the riverside. On Doispane however elephant bulls were having an elephant mud bath. They were spraying it all over themselves and then rubbing the trees. We had great fun watching and listening to all the splashing of elephant feet in the mud! Then we came across a small buffalo herd in an open area. We also spotted two white rhinos together on our drive. Our first rhinos of this tour!
At a sighting of a couple of steenbokkies we were told about wild dogs close to Phabeni Gate. We took a little detour on our way back to camp to see two dogs lying in the grass on the side of the road. This was a different pack as the ones we saw this morning. It is rare to see two separate leopards in one day, but even more rare to see two packs of wild dogs! We left when they got up to lie in the grass almost completely obscured, like the rest of their pack.
A last stretch on Albassini added zebras and two crested barbets to our long list of animals we saw today! At Mestel Dam we even saw some hippo heads, but as my guests said, we were kinda hippoed out after all of the ones we had already seen. It was a long day, but an awesome one!!
We continued on Napi spotting impalas, kudus, lilac breasted rollers, a red crested korhaan, yellow billed hornbills and then just before Transport Dam a bull in must was standing on the side of the road. He was massive! And the smell very pungent! We watched how he came onto the road, had a good long look at us and decided we weren't worth the effort. He turned and walked away from us in the opposite direction.
We then turned onto the H3 soon seeing a wildebeest all by himself and shortly after a large journey of giraffes. We counted about 9 of them in the bush, spread out. Most were feeding but two were arguing about a tasty tree or, more likely, a lovely female and had a good fight. We saw warthogs being chased off the road by another vehicle and when while on the S112 we saw some more. We had heard about a wild dog sighting and drove in that direction on the S114. We found them surrounded by cars on the side of the road. It took some manoeuvring skills of all to make way for others, but when it was our turn we got treated to a great sighting! The alpha female seemed heavily pregnant and the alpha male stayed close to her. The rest of the pack was playing around, which was a good watch.
We left the sighting more than happy with what we saw driving towards Skukuza. We reached the tar road and just around the corner a leopard was busy crossing the road about 50m in front of us. He looked at us but didn't change his route or speed. We continued to drive closer trying not to spook him, but when we got close he had disappeared into the bush. We searched and searched but gone.
After a break at Skukuza we continued on a drive around the river area. We started with a lovely sighting of a couple of marabou storks accompanied by bateleurs and two tawny eagles in the air as well as in trees nearby. At our first sight of the river we saw three hippos lying on the shore sunning themselves. We also spotted a hamerkop, a hoopoe that almost got run over by an oncoming car, a great kudu bull and more hippos out of the water when we reached the bridge over the Sabie river.
On the other side of the Sabie river we continued on Marula tar where we were treated to multiple elephant herds crossing the road towards the river. At one sighting a mother with her 5 month old baby was about to cross when she noticed our vehicle and got a bit scared. She was immediately accompanied by two sisters to protect her baby. One of them so serious she came very close to the vehicle to give us the evil eye! We also saw zebras along this road.
Crossing the Sand river bridge we saw some hippos popping up and while driving over the Sabie river bridge A buffalo herd, crocodiles, hippos and a fish eagle. Back on the road to Skukuza we saw a cluster of cars and before we could ask them what they saw, a leopard appeared out of the trees and plopped down in the shade under a bush. We were just at the right spot to see him raise his head a couple of times, but he decided it was time for a nap.
After lunch at, once again, Skukuza we took a drive around River road and River link to see if anything was thirsty. We did see a small terrapin, a large herd of waterbucks with a very large-horned male and lots of pretty birds but no drinking animals on the riverside. On Doispane however elephant bulls were having an elephant mud bath. They were spraying it all over themselves and then rubbing the trees. We had great fun watching and listening to all the splashing of elephant feet in the mud! Then we came across a small buffalo herd in an open area. We also spotted two white rhinos together on our drive. Our first rhinos of this tour!
At a sighting of a couple of steenbokkies we were told about wild dogs close to Phabeni Gate. We took a little detour on our way back to camp to see two dogs lying in the grass on the side of the road. This was a different pack as the ones we saw this morning. It is rare to see two separate leopards in one day, but even more rare to see two packs of wild dogs! We left when they got up to lie in the grass almost completely obscured, like the rest of their pack.
A last stretch on Albassini added zebras and two crested barbets to our long list of animals we saw today! At Mestel Dam we even saw some hippo heads, but as my guests said, we were kinda hippoed out after all of the ones we had already seen. It was a long day, but an awesome one!!
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