After check inn proceedures we made our way down to the camp of Pretoriuskop and after getting the guests into there accommodation and also giving the time to have lunch, we made our way out of the camp at 15h00 on our first game drive. We were making ouir way down to Skukuza in order for guests to utilise the automatic teller machines, and then we would come back to Pretoriuskop, getting back in time for gate closures at 18h30.
It was not long, after turning onto the Napi Road, that we encountered our first sighting of a male and female rhino, standing close to the road. and after getting some nice photos, we moved on. a short way further down, we came across a buffalo herd, standing close to the road and after this another buffalo herd was encountered. We passed "Transport Dam" which is the place where "Battle In Kruger" took place and about one kilometer further sa a leopard lying on the road. When we got closer, i saw it was my friend that we get quite often on the Napi Road. He stood close to the Open Safari Vehicle for quite a time, allowing photos to be taken of him, before slowly walking back down the road and then into the bush on the right hand side of the road. At this stage, we all knew this as going to be a good game drive.
We continued on towards Skukuza, getting good sightings of impala, kudu and giraffe. After everybody had finished using the ATM's, we took our leave of Skukuza as time was going and leaving us with less than two hours to get back t o the camp, before the gates of the camp were closed for the night.
We drove back down the Napi Road, and as we came to "Deleport waterhole", we watched as twelve lions had finished drinking and had started moving away from the waterhole. This was totally unexpected, and i still made the joke that e might see the cheetah and wild dogs, before we get back to camp.
We continued on, finding another herd of buffalo just past the "Transport Dam" turn off. While we were watching this sighting, another tourist stopped next to us, and told us that two cheetah were lying next to the road two hundred meters further on and that another one hundred meters past them, there was some wild dog lying on the road. After getting over the initial shock of being told this, we made our way hastilly in that direction. It turned out to be more than teo kilometers, before we came upon the two cheetah's lying next to the road, as as we looked further up the Napi Road, we could see the Wild Dogs, not more than fifty meters from where we were standing. This was one of the best sightings encountered this summer, as we spent more than half an hour with these cheetah right next to our vehicle and also having the sighting totally to ourselves as there was nobody around us. After the cheetah got up and had moved off into the bush, we drove onto the wild dogs that were still lying in the road. we had a great sighting of them as the dogs came up to smell the Open Safari Vehicle and proceeded to lie down next to it. Guests got the chance to take wonderful photos, before we continued on back to the camp of Pretoriuskop.
The first drive of this safari had turned out to be truly memorable and to think, i still had these people for another four days. Guests enjoyed an great meal in the camp restaurant, before going off to bed to get a good nights sleep, before the early start the next morning.
The next morning, it was up early and after enjoying tea and coffee, it was out on the road to see what we could find. We travelled down the napi road finding good sightings of rhino, buffalo and elephant, we then also found a good sighting of lions on the S112. We got a call over the radio of a leopard lying in the tree on Doispane, and as we ere going to the "Skukuza Golf Club" for breakfast, we decided to make our way in that direction to see if we could find it. About a half an hour later, we came onto the sighting, to see a male leopard lying in the tree about sixty meters from the road. After staying a while at the sighting, we decided to make our way onto breakfast.
After enjoying a great breakfast, we got back on the road and soon heard of another lion sighting near to the camp of Pretoriuskop. We decided to make our way in that direction as we were going to make our way back to camp for a middle of the day rest as temperatures had climbed into the early thirties. We encountered more rhino, buffalo and elephant sightings on the way to the lion sighting. We arrived on the lion sighting at about 11h45 and found them to be lying three meters off the road. after watching for a while, it was established that it was a mating pair (honeymoon Couple on the two way radio system). after a short while, the male got up and the female followed and soon there was a lot of love making in the the Kruger National Park. All was soon over, and the couple went back to doing what they do best, and that is "sleep". We stated on the sighting for a while longer, before leaving and making our way to camp. The afternoon game drive, saw us returning to the lion sighting to get some more photos of the mating pair. Guests got back to camp and enjoyed a great evening meal after which, it was off to bed.
Next morning, it as out early again after enjoying tea and coffee, great sightings were experienced through the day of rhino, elephant, buffalo and lion and many sightings of giraffe, impala, kudu, zebra and wildebeest. Guests had a great dinner, and then it as off to bed.
The next morning saw the guests having a sleep inn, as it was there honeymoon and were feeling quite tired from the previous early mornings. we left camp after a leisurely breakfast, but the day turned out to be quite with sightings of rhino, buffalo, elephant and wild dogs. Guests decided to take things easy for the afternoon, as they were going out on an evening game drive that evening. At 17h00, guests left on there game drive and returned at 20h30 having seen quite a bit to enjoy a great meal in the camps restaurant.
The next morning saw the guests again having a sleep inn as they had seen almost everything, and as they were going on to Thailand needed some extra rest. we left the park at about 10h00 and made our way back to Johannesburg, arriving mid afternoon in time for the guests to get some much needed washing done, before flying out on the next leg of there journey.
Feedback from the guests was that they had a wonderful time, saw more of the Kruger National Parks and African animals than they ever thought they would and enjoyed the experience immensely.
