On Safari With Amanda 3 December 2015

3 December 2015

What an amazing morning drive...! my lovely guests were reluctantly leaving today, but not before one last drive.

After a filling breakfast we headed off. A few kms down the road we heard an update of a leopard, possibly two lying relaxing approximately 7kms from nkambeni camp.

As we drove I was hoping to myself that they would still be there as my guests had missed out on the elusive leopard! We arrived and there they were ,my guests were ecstatic, we watched as they wandered around oblivious to our excitement! 

We made a decision to leave the sighting as the vehicles We're building up so we headed to pk to get a coffee. We heard from other guides that there were no other vehicles at the sighting so we decided to try our luck again...we weren't disappointed. As we drove down we saw one of the leopards lying on the rocks and then there literally 2 meters from the road lay the other one under a marula tree.

There's no words to describe how amazing it is to spend time with a leopard  ,quality time, normally you are lucky to have a quick visual or 5 mins at a distance but today we were the luckiest people in the world we sat for nearly 2 hours with the most elusive of cats! It was an incredible unforgettable experience and I was lucky to share it with awesome people. 

Reluctantly we left the leopard but the memory will stay with us.

Another fantastic day in the best place on earth.

On Safari With Amanda 2 December 2015

2 December 2015

Another boiling hot day in the park!! Guests had a great bush walk encountered buffalo, zebra impalas and learnt a lot about the trees and smaller things the bush has to offer.

After breakfast we headed out for a slow drive encountered a small breeding herd of elephants that slowly crossed the road in front of us including a couple of babies that tried to keep up with their mum's! 

We came across a huge herd of buffalo we estimated at least 200 of them.. most chewing on the grass whilst others tried to keep cool under the marula trees.

Lunchtime and the guests enjoyed a cooling swim and we left shortly after as the clouds were gathering on the horizon hopefully bringing much needed rain.

We headed towards shithave dam and there mingling amongst the water buck and 4 sable antelope were 2 litchensteins hartebeest. incredible sighting we sat watching as they drank from the dam ever cautious. 

General plains game came to greet us along the journey back to camp and we stopped to take beautiful sunset pictures, all in all a hot but successful day in the Kruger and the guests enjoying an ice cold beer in the boma.

On Safari With Amanda 1 December 2015

1 December 2015

Hot! Hot and hotter! Fantastic day in the park. Heading off from camp we were greeted by a big herd of buffalo crossing the road lots of young ones too.

We received an update of a possible sighting of cheetah a few kms down the road so we drove calmly hoping they would still be there...alas they had moved into the bush and there was no visual of them. Following my gut I decided to go to shithave dam to see if they hadn't header that way, on reaching the dam I realized it was too far for them to have travelled so we decided to go to where they were originally Spotted.

Far in the distance we saw 2 sable antelope watching them I realized they were totally static and staring at the same spot, one of them moved closer, as it did out came the cheetah to chase it away that was the only sighting we got ,but, considering there only just over 400 in the park we were very lucky.

The day just got better and better with visual at renosterkoppies of 2 male lions lying in the shade  occasionally lifting their heads only to flop back down again!

After a quick stop at skukuza we decided it was very hot so let's head back to camp and the guests can cool off in the pool...this soon changed when we heard of a leopard lying in a marula tree not far from us so off we headed there quite far in the distance lay a very handsome leopard, after all the other cars had gone we sat watching him on our own for at least one hour.. very lucky.

The journey to camp produced tawny eagles, bataleur eagles, giraffe, zebra, elephant, buffalo and the most beautiful baby impalas. 

Another successful day in the Kruger and very happy, but hot guests!

Prince Harry Flies Into Skukuza Kruger National Park

His Royal Highness Prince Harry flies into Skukuza Airport for an update on the poaching. He was met by Glenn Phillips (General Manager Kruger National Park), General Jooste ( Head of Anti Poaching Kruger National Park), William Mabasa ( General Manager communications and Marketing Kruger National Park) and CEO Mr Fundisile Mketeni.

On Safari With Robbie 30 November 2015

30 November 2015

These 3 couples were now really starting to get into the " safari groove " and on last nights night drive they were truly rewarded with incredible sightings of Leopard, Civet Cat, Chameleon, Scops Owl, a Serval cat and many more!!!

Todays early set off at 4-30 am was rather quiet until things changed and we literally got 4 predators in a row as in 1) Spotted Hyena ... 2) Lions ...3)Cheetah and 4)Caracal !!!

The Cheetah sighting took the mornings best as we had 3 adults interacting with 2 sub adults when suddenly the youngsters got up and sprinted for about 150 meters!!!

Its not often that this cat known for its speed actually displays it!!!

This fact and bearing in mind that the early dawn light was perfect ... Allowed for some legendary pics!!!!

We wish the crew a great time down south and hope to see them on their " reunion safari " one day soon!!!!

On Safari With Mark 29-30 November 2015

29 November 2015

It was an early rise for us, with a departure for a pre breakfast drive starting at 04:30. Great to be out with Nature so early in the morning.

Amazing to bump ourselves into 9 rhino before breakfast all lying close to the road.

After breakfast we headed for Skukuza where we overnight on our last night of the safari. On our way down we found Wild dogs lying right next to the road, but very counseled in the thicket of some gwari bushes.

On our approach to skukuza we got word of lions in the riverbed and went in search of them. We found all 8 lying and after taking some photos we checked into our camp.

30 November 2015

The last morning, delivered yet again with a beautiful big Black Rhino Male walking out in front of us. To fast for photos though but some sightings just need to be remembered and not shown on a digital screen.

Further down the road we bumped into once again a pack of 9 wild dogs just lying in the road enjoying the fresh African sun. With this as one of the last sighting, we set out to send my lovely safari warriors back home.

Turn around for me as we await our new safari warriors.

On Safari With Mark From 27 November 2015

27 November 2015

3rd timers Szil and Vannesa joined me in Nelspruit for what we had planned to be a great Safari.

After a quick lunch at Pretoriuskop, we headed out and about.

Great General animals spotted thought the afternoon.

On our return loop towards our first camp, we spotted a leopardess, walking away from us. She eventually stopped and still in sight, she lay down with not a care in the world. We spent a lot of time with her and as we were about to leave so she got up and walked right across the road in front of us. As we were the only car with her, it was incredibly special and will stay as one of the highlights for the safari.

28 November 2015

Today we set out for Satara and on route had some spectacular, elephant, rhino and buffalo sightings. This together with general animals turned out to be a great day despite the cool temperatures.

On route we got to spot a causal cheetah walking and calling for his brothers. No luck on spotting them but fantastic to see how other animals around him respond to his presence.

Further highlight was the ostriches, that were spotted closer to the end of the drive.

These been special for my clients as they had assisted me in the rehabilitation of these birds in the past.

The last highlight that kept us out of camp till the gates closed was a female Impala giving birth. Amazing to sit and watch for an hour and half the process she is in and what she does to bring a little life into this world.

Good luck little guy, girl

On Safari With Amanda 27 November 2015

27 November 2015

The elusive leopard still avoiding us after three days...today we were hoping for luck in finding her!

We decided to have breakfast at skukuza this morning the drive there gave us beautiful sightings of rhinos standing in the middle of the road checking us checking them out!

After a tip off we headed straight to the 114 and low and behold 2 kms down the dirt road lay 2 handsome male lions.. lifting their heads every now and then. It was refreshingly cool and they were obviously enjoying the coolness.

On our return to camp we watched a chameleon painstakingly cross the road we guarded him all the way until he reached his destination.

The afternoon started of with a sighting of reedbuck, zebras and the most adorable baby impalas. Heading on the road we received word from Mark that he had a visual of a leopard so we went a km to the sighting and there so well hidden lay a young female leopard! We had visual of her lifting her head every now and then but she was in no rush to move also enjoying the cool air if she didn't lift her head there's no way she would be visible so it's a wonder we get to see these beautiful creatures at all..

Another successful day in the best place on earth.

On safari With Robbie From 28 November 2015

28 November 2015

Our safari started in the most bizarre weather ever with temperatures not going above 11 degrees!!

This however did not deter any enthusiasm amongst our 3 Indian couples and we saw some superb general game sightings as well as magnificent Buffalo and Elephant herds!!

29 November 2015

Today was special in many ways as the weather worsened but before we knew it we had ticked off the big 5 with ease!!

However agreed and concurrently decided on a 3 way tie as follows were our highlights!!! ...:

... A Nyala bull with huge horns walks casually passed us and the hide entrance at Lake Panic !

... A clan of 9 Spotted Hyena came sprinting at us after being disturbed by a Leopard!

... A herd of Sable meandering through dense Terminalia thickets with good visual on occasions!!

.... Our bird sightings also reached 50 and generally it was a fantastic day ( excepting the weather ..)

The : 3 couples are on a night safari as we speak so will update tomorrow...

Signing off from a rather chilly Pretoriouskop camp