On Safari With Robbie From 23 September 2016

23 September 2016

Amongst other surprisingly great sightings on a temperature variance of 28 degrees, the highlight was undoubtedly the tiny Hyena cubs we spotted with their Mom near Numbi gate! Although she was very protective of them we managed to get great visuals!

24 September 2016

With classic sightings occurring regularly due to weather conditions our best sighting of the day was 2 Rhinos having a serious mud bath!!

A great pleasure to see!

25 September 2016

On a day where the best sighting was most definitely the rain that fell all day, there were a few sightings that tied for second place:

1) Female Bateleur with a Mozambique spitting cobra kill in tree!!

2) Female Leopard drinking fresh puddles of water on rocky outcrops and then her 2 cubs joining her!

3) 2 Lioness literally next to us on the road!!

Tomorrow is our last morning drive of a fantastic trip!!!

On Safari With Gert 20 September 2016

20 September 2016

Today we started a new Safari with 5 guests. After checking in at camp and having lunch, we departed on our afternoon game drive. As it was fairly hot and sunny, we decided to make our way to a nearby waterhole. Here we found 2 Elephant bulls, one on his way to the water and one drinking. The latter made his way around the waterhole towards us and moved off.

Further on, on a small dirt road,  we found a herd of Zebra walking down the road towards us. We stopped to watch as they diverted into the bush around us and back onto the road behind the vehicle.

We ended the day on a high note when we found a group of at least 10 Giraffe, consisting of adult females and their respective calves, including a very small baby that was probably no more than 2 months old.

A good drive to set the tone for the rest of the Safari!

On Safari With Gert From 27 August 2016

27 August 2016

Today we started a new safari with 3 Spanish guests. After checking in and lunch at camp we headed out for an afternoon drive which started off on a high note as just outside the camp gates, we were greeted by 9 very large, old Buffalo Bulls for which we patiently had to wait, as they were in no hurry and took up most of the road! Not long after we encountered a whole herd of Buffalo, a good few hundred strong, also crossing the road, consisting largely of cows and calves of various ages, with some large Bulls around the fringes.

Very shortly before closing time, while heading back to camp we very lucky to find 2 African Wild dogs, trotting down the road, stopping to scent mark along the way and also clearly on the lookout for something to eat. We watched as they sniffed around the entrance of a Warthog burrow and followed them for a short while until they veered off the road on a pathway and disappeared in the tall grass! A great find and perfect way to kick off the safari!

28 August 2016

We packed up at first light this morning and loaded luggage after an early breakfast as today we also moved to a different camp. The first hour or so was fairly quiet, but then we got lucky with a large, solitary bull White Rhino! We watched him graze next to the road for a little while. He then stood, taking in the surroundings, smelling and listening until he was sure that the coast was clear, before crossing the road right in front of us! We could not have asked for a better Rhino sighting to kick-start the day, as these magnificent creatures are becoming harder to find each day.

It turned out to be a day for the males as we also encountered 5 bull Elephant, feeding next to the road and also walking down the road, a couple of really impressive bulls in their midst.

Next up was a lazy male Lion, resting on the edge of a shady spot provided by a pushed-over Acacia tree. It was a fairly distant view, but open and he had his head up for the majority of our time at the sighting, providing a few photo opportunities. We waited around for a bit in the hope that he might get up and look for more shade, however, he eventually rolled over and got comfortable, apparently enjoying the late morning sun and going back to sleep!

After lunch and some siesta time went for a short drive in the late afternoon. Here we were very lucky to spot a beautiful male Leopard, in the act of stalking some Impala! The Leopard was very nervous though and gave up the challenge, walking back into the bush and out of sight, but we still got a brilliant view! The Impala also picked up its scent as they started alarm calling, but they soon relaxed and we eventually moved off. Another very successful day on Safari!

29 August 2016

This morning we left camp at sunrise, hoping to catch some predator action and were not disappointed! The first highlight of the morning was when we came across a lone Spotted Hyena, feeding on the remains of a Buffalo carcass. It tugged and nibbled at various parts of the leftovers, before managing to detach a substantial portion of the spine and carrying it off, allowing the Hooded Vulture which was patiently waiting to move in and feed on the scraps!

Next up we found a beautiful female Leopard in a large Jackalberry tree on the riverbank! She appeared to have fed recently as she was quite full, fast asleep and stomach bulging over the branch she lay on!

We were also lucky enough to witness a young male Lion's inexperienced attempt at hunting Impala, out in the open in broad daylight and hot conditions! The herd of Impala saw it coming from quite a long way off and ran up onto some higher ground to keep an eye on him and make sure they keep their distance!

A stop at a hide overlooking a waterhole afforded us the opportunity to see mating Crocodiles! A very rare sighting and a great way to top off the day!

On Safari With Amanda 7 March 2016

7 March 2016

Incredible day today!!!

Incredibly Hot.

Incredible sightings

Incredible Guests.

Expected temperature today was 40°+ so we headed out with no expectations! 

Driving through numbi gate gave us great photo opportunities as a low mist covered the sun and as we drove gave us a lovely cool breeze. 

A report of lions lying off the road and we headed off as the sun was burning through the clouds and I knew that they would move as soon as it got too hot.

We arrived to a see a few cars but no one could see the lions we drove up and down for 20 minutes very slowly scanning the area and then luck was on our side and one of the 2 magnificent males lifted it's head. We sat for 2 hours watching them move up and down and then head off into the shade.

A cool off was needed so we headed back to camp for a siesta. 

At 3:30 we left for an afternoon drive. ...we were not disappointed lying in a fig tree was a beautiful female leopard. We watched her for over an hour as she looked around and eventually leapt down from the tree.. amazing.

Incredibly hot as we headed home. Along the road we saw a beautiful giraffe browsing an acacia tree and to our amazement was the brother of the female leopard stalking the giraffe!! Fantastic sighting!

Another beautiful day in the Kruger with very hot but happy guests.

On Safari With Amanda From 26 December 2015

26 December 2015

Christmas in the Kruger, there's no better place to spend the festivities!

Two lovely new guests travelling all the way from Korea arrived full of excitement and ready for the Kruger.

After a short breakfast we headed out towards skukuza. Fantastic elephants greeted us slowly crossing the road eating along the way. Lots of beautiful birds enjoying the coolness of the morning, levailants cookoo, lilac breasted rollers, bee eaters, white storks and a few tawny eagles.

We drove towards delaporte waterhole as news came in of wild dogs, so we were expecting to see them and 1km before then out came a leopard crossing the road and walking into the bush...expect the unexpected as the saying goes!

On arrival at delaporte there must have been 15 wild dogs lazing watching impalas come to drink, a half attempt at hunting took place but it looked like the dogs had already eaten. 

We drove to skukuza and had a quick coffee and then straight to the 114 for 2 very handsome male lions. After sitting with them for half an hour we decided to turn back to see the wild dogs,1 was still visible patiently watching the impalas then, out of nowhere the whole pack charged out and charged at the impalas who quickly dispersed, another unsuccessful hunt but I'm sure they will be rewarded later today!

Lunch was calling so we headed back to camp as we got close lots of cars were in the road so I knew it could only be leopard....we slowly approached I saw him so did a quick u turn and we were the only car following him for 10 mins.. lucky us...patience is a virtue in the Kruger and anticipation of the animals behavior will help with the best of sightings!

Another fantastic day in the park. 

27 December 2015

Exciting start to the day for my guests they decided to do a bush walk early morning.

I watched them leave and not more than half an hour later I heard elephants trumpeting loudly close by camp.. I watched them and saw 3 of them running fast downhill and then heading towards the same tree over and over bashing it and calling loudly. After half and hour they disappeared at great speed! I greeted my guests when they returned full of excitement telling me how they were close to the elephants on foot whilst they were bashing the trees, they mentioned that they saw fresh leopard tracks just before the elephants so we all wondered if there was a leopard around bothering the elephants? !

After breakfast we did a very relaxing drive and went to mestle dam where we sat for over an hour watching elephants in the water Cooling off.

Again we had lovely bee eaters lilac breasted rollers and red billed oxpeckers along the way.

Our afternoon drive was filled with spectacular scenery as the sun was setting changing everything to a lovely golden colour...beautiful. 

As we head off to bed there's a report of a leopard that has been spotted close to camp...maybe tomorrow we can find another elusive leopard!