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More than 15,000 buffaloes live in the Kruger National Park and often large herds of a hundred animals can be observed. To avoid the heat, they prefer to graze in the cool hours of the morning or evening and even at night. They very much like to wallow in the mud and so build up a protective layer against mosquitoes and other insects on their skin. Leave a Comment
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THEY HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF WILD LIFE ON THE GAME FARM , WITH THE AID OF A RANGER ONE CAN ACTUALLY HIKE THROUGH THE CAMP THERE ARE LOTS OF FLOWERS AND PLANTS FOR ONETOO SEE AND ALSO LOTS OF BIRDLIFE ON THE GAME FARM .................... Leave a Comment Address: HOEDSPRIUT AT THE LOWER PART OF THE KRUGER PARKPhone: +27 15 793 2784Website: WWW.HONGONYI.CO.ZA Other Contact: FAX +27 15 793 3941
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The big five got their name from the era when we were killing animals for "sport" (fun) and paying big bucks for the experience. The "big 5" were the 5 most sought after trophies by these hunters.
Personally I do not agree with this and I feel the name that these magnificent creatures are refered to should be changed to reflect a tourism view point. Leave a Comment
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Immediately upon entering Kruger at 12:30 PM, we were overwhelmed by the number and species of wild game that presented themselves for viewing! One of the first ones was this Giraffe - it was so close that I had to veer over to the 'wrong' side of the road to get a decent shot (although, in hindsight, it is not all that 'decent'). A summary of what we saw (thanks to the time recorded on our video camera):
12:44 Impala feeding at the side of the road
1:26 Giraffe feeding on trees
1:55 Duikers and Elephants
1:58 Hippos in a water pool
2:11 Baboon on the road trying to stop cars
2:19 Elephant walking down the road - traffic had to go at his pace
2:27 Zebras at the side of the road, near Sabie River
2:41 Zebra and Wildebeest grazing and crossing the road
2:48 Giraffe crossing the road - had to stop Leave a Comment Directions: Kruger National Park - close to Orpen Gate.
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On our first full day in Kruger, we had a very interesting sighting at just after 1 PM, not long since we had left our lunchtime stopover at Oliphants Camp. As we continued our drive north, we noticed a lion and two females sleeping in the bush at the side of the road. We pulled the car over and switched the engine off to see what, if anything, would happen. We were totally surprised when, a few minutes later, the lion roused himself up and approached one of the lioness' with amorous intentions! As soon as he stirred, I clicked the video camera on to catch this possibly award-winning sequence! Alas, the battery immediately conked out - the photo that you see of the lion staring after her is all that we have. He was rejected and the lioness strolled off into the bush! Leave a Comment Directions: Between Olifants and Letara Camps
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Big game hunters in Africa are always after one of the 'Big Five' - Lion, Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Rhino or Leopard. Although I am always shooting only with a camera, it was a great thrill to come across a herd of Cape Buffalo north of Mopani, on our last hot afternoon in the Park. Here, the herd is not bothered at all as they forage beside the road. We were so close to these ones that we did not need a telephoto lens! Leave a Comment Directions: Park roads north of Mopani Camp
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Their camoflage is so good that they are actually difficult to distinguish from the surrounding rocks. Yes, those are partially submerged hippos in the center of the photo. We spotted these ones only an hour and a half after entering Kruger. The next day, on our way to Oliphants Camp, we had a really great look at another bunch of hippos, some of them came out onto land and it is amazing to listen to their grunting as it echoes along the river!! Leave a Comment Directions: In the Sabie River of Kruger National Park, south of Satara Camp.
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At Lower Sabie rest camp, we opted for an organized morning walk rather than a game drive. We figured we'd stay warmer by walking rather than sitting on the open bus in the chilly breeze. Well, before we started walking, they loaded us onto an open-air bus to take us to the walk site. So again we froze for 30 minutes until we unloaded onto the open bush.
Unfortunately, we were engulfed in a thick fog. Our armed guides asked us to wait for a while until the fog cleared. The idea was that they needed to be able to see anything we might be approaching or anything that might be approaching us. However, the fog only got thicker as we waited. So the guides suggested that we drive for a while and hope the fog cleared. After another 45 minutes or so of chilly driving, it finally did.
It was interesting to actually walk out in the bush, rather than drive by it. But we didn't actually see anything extraordinary. We saw a few elephants, but the guides understandably kept us a very safe distance away (as in far away). And of course we saw impala, waterbuck and some giraffe. They fed us some snacks, which you don't get on the drives and I think you get more opportunity to talk to your fellow travelers on the walk than you might on the drive.
So if you're not sure if you want to drive or walk, I say try both. Each have their own rewards. Leave a Comment Address: Available at all rest campsDirections: Check at the reservations desk for more information. For morning walks you'll need to book by the night before.Website: http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/
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Buy a “Wild” Card and Save Money
The Wild Card program has been recently introduced in the South African National Park system to make the parks more affordable for those making multiple entries. The card has a small computer chip in it that stores and process information. South African residence may buy a card specific to one region or “clusters”. For instance the Bushveld Cluster would include Golden Gate, Kruger, Mapungubwe, and Marakele National Parks. International tourist pay the same no matter what. The price is good for one year no matter how many parks or how many times you visit.
For all parks South African Residence pay R195 for individual, R335 for a couple, and R440 for a Family.
For International tourist the card is R795 for individual, R1395 for a couple, and R1795 for a family.
Other benefits like 5% cash back on accommodation, car rental, refreshments, etc. may also be available with the card.
Kruger and Kgalagadi Parks costs R120 a day per person. Other parks are less expensive, but if you are planning to spend a lot of time in the South African national Parks, absolutely get the card. Leave a Comment
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We managed to catch a rare glimpse of the reclusive cat during an outing. They are about the size and shape of an american bobcat. Our guide claimed this was the first one he had sighted in 9 years. I apologize for the poor quality photo but it was the best I could get. Leave a Comment
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