Savonne and Alexis joined us on a safari to the Kruger National Park as it was there first visit to the continent of Africa. After arriving at the Kruger National Park after a pleasent drive from Johannesburg, the girls were booked into there accommodation in Pretoriuskop rest camp. We departed on our first game drive of the safari at 15h30. Just outside of the camp we came across a heard of kudu busy browsing on the new foliage that had become quite dense after the prior week of rain in the area. We carried on with our drive coming across a huge bull elephant in the road. We decided to wait and see if he would pass close by to us without any problems, but this was not to be as we had to soon take evasive action as he proceeded to mock charge us in order to get us out of the way. After a few short breaths from the girls, order was restored and we went on our way coming across a hyena den next to the Napi road with a juvenile hyena lying outside for some good photos. We also got to see it's mother that was lying close by.
The morning of the 24th saw us leaving camp at 05h00 after having tea and coffee and making our way down the Napi road in the direction of Skukuza. On the early morning drive we had good sightings of Elephant and rhino as well as lots of sightings of general game such as zebra, kudu, impala, wildebeest and warthog.
We made our way to Nkhulu picnic spot for breakfast and after a welcome break we proceeded down what is known as Eloff street to the camp of Lower Sabie. On the way to lower Sabie we had good sightings of elephant, buffalo, baboons, bushbuck and hippo in the sabie river. We stopped off at sunset dam to watch the four large pods of hippos as well as spoon billed storkes and some large crocodiles. After visiting the camp of Lowe Sabie we decided to start making our way back to Pretoriuskop in order for the girls to have a rest as the tempretures in the park have climbed significantly since the start of the rainy season. On route we came across a pride of lions lying close to the road. They were very uninterested in us as the temperatures had already started to climb and they just wanted to have a sleep, something lions do quite often and very well.
After a welcome rest we decided to take a drive to Shebeni Kopies to look for the pride of lions in the area of the koppies. Our search was abruptly brought to an end when we received a call of a leopard sighting some 10 Km's down the Napi road. We decided to try our luck and see if we couls see this guy. We drove down to the sighting of the leopard that had just killed a Banded Mongoose and lying in the shade. We made our way back in the direction of Pretoriuskop coming upon a sighting of nine Rhino's with a four month old calf. We carried on with our drive in the direction of the camp only to have us find more lions very close to the camp of Pretoriuskop at around 18h10. We proceeded to watch these lions before having to leave them there to get back to the camp before the gates closed.
On the morning of the 25th, the day started pretty much the same as the day before making our way for the picnic spot of Tshokwane for breakfast. While on route we encountered good sightings of elephant, buffalo and general game. After a welcome stop for breakfast we decided to take a drive down the H10 towards lower sabie, about 13Km's down the H10 we came across a large heard of Zebra and Wildebeest, upon closer investigation we saw that both of the herds were acting very strangely and all looking in the same direction. After a while the herds started running in our direction, we suddenly saw that there were two cheetahs walking in our direction right behind were the two herds of Zebra ans Wildebeest had been. we watched the two cheetahs make there way towards us and then started walking towards the junction of the S128. When they reached the junction, the cheetahs decided to mark there territory by climbing onto the road marker, the two girls aboard our open vehicle managed to get some really good photos as we were stsnding right next to them while they were doing this.
After we had finished at the sighting we carried on our way getting good sightings of Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino before reaching the camp of Lower Sabie.
After a break we made our way back to the camp of Pretoriuskop as the girls were going on a night drive that evening.
While on the night drive Savonne and Alexis managed to get good sightings of general game as well as two different sightings of lion close to the vehicle.
After breakfast on the 26th we took our leave of the camp of Pretoriuskop and the Kruger National Park and made our way up the Panorama route were we visited Gods Window, Berlin Falls and the Three Rondavels.
Both guests really enjoyed themselves and are hoping to return to South Africa if they win a competition running in the USA for tickets to the 2010 Football world Cup in June next year.
For more info on our 4 Day Budget Safari, please visit our 4 Day Budget safari itinerary
