On Safari With Curtis From 5 November 2015

5 November 2015

The first day of a new tour and we welcomed Andre, Danielle and returning guest James into the Kruger.

The first activity a sunset drive and it was a lovely warm clear evening so a great sight.

6 November 2015

Setting out early we found plenty of general game early on and then , thanks to a great spot, we found a honey badger.

It was busy digging in the dirt and it was certainly excited by what it was looking for as the mud was flying in all directions.

Not sure what it caught in the end but by the sound of all the crunching it certainly enjoyed it.

Our second highlight was two lion sighting we had each sighting containing about ten felines. The second sighting was perfect though as we had a large male sitting in the sand while four females sat with five young Cubs, just a few months old, all sitting up and looking straight at us.

Throughout the day we found plenty of Impala, kudu, zebra, giraffe and waterbuck as well as warthog, elephants, white rhino, Cape buffalo, leopard, hyena, three wild dog sightings, hippo, steenbok and baboons.

7 November 2015

The final morning for two of our guests and we set out on a final drive for them.

We missed a leopard by seconds but then we hit the jackpot!!!

Responding to a sighting we turned up to find a lone cheetah walking away from us in the dense thicket.

It looked like we had just made it in time as it was walking quick. Then the walk turned into a full blown chase.

Watching a cheetah at full speed with its long tail, symmetrical to its body, acting as a balance turning this way and that way was incredible.

After only half a minute it turned one final time and caught its quarry, an unfortunate scrub hare. It then turned, with prey in mouth, and walked out of sight.

No doubt to enjoy its meal in privacy!!!

The whole sighting lasted less than a minute but it's one which myself and the pax will forever remember!!!

A great final sighting to what has been a very successful trip for Andre and Danielle who head onto the Seychelles.

In the afternoon we followed a tip off and found a pair of mating lions lying right next to the road. As it was a quiet road we got to enjoy the sightings for over an hour watching their mating routines which involved a bit of flirting, a bit of snarling and growling with a few seconds of mating thrown in.

The female even decided to go for a bit of a stroll, at times a run, with a very unfit male trying to keep up with her.

A great sighting to end the day!!!

Throughout the rest of the day we had sightings of slender tailed mongoose and sable, Impala, zebra, giraffe, kudu, elephants, Cape buffalo, waterbuck, klipspringer, warthog, white rhino, hippo and crocodile.

8 November 2015

No amazing feline sightings today but that doesn't mean you can't have a great day!!!

We enjoyed sitting with three white rhino who gradually edged their way towards us finally stopping about ten meters from us.

One by one they came to a stop and then decided to lay down. Which by the way they don't do with much elegance!!!

We even had another great sighting of them in the Afternoon which by this time they had managed to walk about three hundred meters!!!

We also spotted Impala, kudu, warthog, giraffe, waterbuck, zebra, elephant, Cape buffalo, hippo, crocodile and sable.

On Safari With Mark 7 November 2015

7 November 2015

After collecting my clients from white River, it was us and Kruger.

Great start to the safari and many different animals sighting thought the afternoon.

Highlights was definitely finding a pair of mating lions within 20min of entering the park.

What was unique is that after a while of lying sleeping these two got up and walked straight over to our car and started mating 2m from our front door. What an amazing experience for new guests on safari.

Other animals spotted for the afternoon include:

Impala, buffalo, elephant, rhino, giraffe, zebra, rheedbuck, kudu, warthog, waterbuck and common duiker.

As we move north let's see what nature has to offer.

On Safari With Karen From 6 November 2015

6 November 2015

Back to a regular safari at Nkambeni Safari Camp we were spoiled with animals on camp road upon arrival. We came across buffalos, a common grey duiker, impalas and waterbucks before we arrived at the lodge for checking in. 

Then we started with a sundowner safari. Here the guests took a drive with Israel who took them down to Mashawu Dam. Here it is always full of hippos and this time it wasn't any different. They saw many hippo heads but also two hippos coming out of the water entirely. 

Other animals seen on drive were a scrub hare, white rhinos, elephants, buffalos, zebras, impalas, giraffes and kudus. 

7 November 2015

An early start proved fruitful as it wasn't that hit just yet. As the day went by it got hotter and hotter and the animal sightings grew less and less.

Our highlight was seeing a leopard. Well, not just the leopard on her own. At first she was lying in a tree, but a bit restless. Moving her head left and right, yawning occasionally. But suddenly something to her left caught her attention. So much so it got her out of her lounging position and standing up on her branch. After a while she decided to jump down and hide in a bush. Then a baboon appeared in the riverbed she was hiding close by. And another one. And another one. If she had though it to be safe hidden in the bush she was wrong as the moment the big male baboons spotted her, the chase was on! The baboons chased her quite a while down the riverbed until she was out of sight. Then the baboons returned to forage with the rest of the family. 

Our highlight of today was scary as well as pretty and very intense. At one point we were surrounded by buffalos. A large herd of them crossing in front and behind us and on both sides they were staring at us and wanting us to go away. However, with buffalos on all sides moving away was a bit tricky. So we waited for all of the ones in front to have crossed before we drove off. Then the emotions came loose as being surrounded by big buffalos is not something that happens in New York. It was scary, intense and wonderful at the same time and the guests' highlight of today. 

Other animals seen: white rhinos, herds of elephants, buffalos, lions sleeping right next to the road, as well as a mating pair of lions not far from the road later that day, a sable antelope, pretty kudu bulls, waterbucks, steenboks, impalas, zebras, blue wildebeests, a lone giraffe, a very big leopard tortoise, hippos, more baboons, dwarf mongooses and vervet monkeys. 

Birds included yellow-billed hornbills, Cape glossy starling, ground hornbills, two male paradise flycatchers chasing each other, a blacksmith lapwing mum and tiny chick, african jacana, a nice bateleur sitting in a tree, lilac breasted rollers, red crested korhaan and egyptian geese. 

8 November 2015

This morning the guests embarked on a bushwalk, which was a highlight in itself.

Being from New York, the bush is the complete opposite to what they are used to, and sometimes even a little out of their comfort zone. This is mostly because of the unknown, so the moments of uneasiness pass quickly. But a bushwalk of course loses the safety blanket by means of no car. But the two armed field guides were well up to their job and the nerves were put aside quickly into their walk. 

They learned lots about different herbivore poo and tracks and signs, but also came across hippos in a dam watching them, two sleeping buffalos which were too lazy to get up, impalas, zebras and a zebra carcass, old remnants of a giraffe and a new animal, a couple of young warthogs that kept on coming closer to them. 

In the afternoon we set off on a good old game drive, where our highlight was visiting the elephant spa. A big bull was first testing the water upon arrival and apparently was not satisfied at first. He checked different points along the dam until he found a good spot to shower. Spraying himself down with water he cooled down and washed away the dust of a long day foraging. 

Then it was time for a little drink break. Not being served anything special he made do with some water from the deeper end of the dam, which was cooler than the shallow water that had been in the boiling sun all day. Then he had an appointment at the mud bath. He strode across and first made the mud pool a bit bigger and messier by digging with its feet. Let the fun begin as he sucked up the mud and sprayed himself everywhere he could reach. He did quite a good job as he covered himself in thick layers of dark wet mud, as only a little patch on his bum stayed dry. Unfortunately after all the mud spraying he had gotten some in his eye and ear, so that needed cleaning. 

To finish off his spa day he had a little snack before contemplating a dust bath to top it off. Deciding the dust wasn't good enough and/or the snack had made him hungry he decided it was over and he walked away from the dam. He crossed the road in front of us without a backward glance and walked purposefully off into the bush. 

Other interesting sightings: zebras, vervet monkeys, herd of elephants, giraffes, impalas, kudus, waterbucks, common grey duiker, white rhinos snoozing, a sable bull resting, a herd of buffalos, hippo, crocodile, a lizard buzzard, a saddle-billed stork and a sighting with elephants at a waterhole as well as a white rhino bull and a large pride of lions finishing off a kill they had made earlier in the day. To top off a good day we all saw a shooting star when we were doing a little stargazing after dinner. 

On Safari With Gert From 6 November 2015

6 November 2015

Today was another one filled with special and some new sightings.

On our morning drive we started off along the river and had our first encounter with a troop of baboons, including many youngsters, never failing to entertain with their antics!

After breakfast we stopped at a nearby waterhole, where we watched a herd of Impala cautiously approaching the crocodile infested water. There was a few nervous moments, but eventually all the Impala had their drink and wandered off unscathed.

After many more amazing sightings, including the half-eaten Impala remains of a leopard-kill in a tree and dozing lions, we stopped back at camp for lunch and an afternoon break.

Our late-afternoon drive truly was one to remember as we had our first sighting of Wild dogs and although they were mostly sleeping, every now and then one would lift a head and some did get up to move to a more comfortable spot. The highlight of the day, however was when a young Spotted hyena came out from their den under the road! I was pleasantly surprised to see that den active. 2 Adult females came walking out of the bush and 5 more young, 3-4 months old came out the den! We watched them playing, scent marking and suckling until it was time for us to go - leaving them to their nocturnal adventures...

7 November 2015

Rising bright and early on our final morning on safari, we loaded up and set off on the last drive.

Early morning is when the birds are at their most vocal and we watched (and heard) a Red-crested Korhaan making his very loud call right next to our vehicle.

We then stopped at a waterhole with a congregation of several herds of Impala coming to drink simultaneously together with Waterbuck, Zebra and White Rhino.

Shortly before breakfast, we encountered a lone Spotted hyena on the side of the road, sniffing the air and looking around very excitedly, looking unsure about where it needed to go but eventually choosing a direction and setting off into the bush.

A leisurely breakfast spent recapping a memorable week concluded our Safari.