We have just had a month in Kruger Park, South Africa. It was absolutely fantastic, the best holiday ever. It ticked every box for birds, mammals and sun. Everyone goes to Kruger hoping to see the 'Big 5', we were certainly not disappointed, and to see the number of big cats we did during our time around the park was like a dream come true. I will show you our pics as I take you on our journey from camp to camp. Hope you like them !
Our first night in South Africa was spent at the OR Tambo Guest House, close to Johannesburg Airport. After a long-haul flight all you need is food, a cold beer, shower and bed. Very reasonably priced (around £35), provided airport pick up and drop off and did a tasty dinner of chicken and chips with a cold beer. The garden here was full of birds, pity we arrived about 30 minutes before dusk, but we got our bird list off and running. An early night as we had a 5am start back to the airport for the first flight out to Nelspruit (a 45 minute internal flight that was nearly as expensive as our international flights!) and then the 50km drive into Kruger where our holiday would begin.
This photo sums up Kruger. A magical place what we loved and will definitely return. I could look at this photo for hours, such happy memories.
African Long-tailed Shrike
Arrowmarked Babbler
Crocodile River
The view from one of the hides with fish eagles, crocodiles and elephants.
Our room for 3 nights at Berg-en-Dal. An excellent start to our holiday while we slowly got used to the heat and the 4am starts !
Cape Vulture
Crowned Plover
Dung Beetle with dung
Eastern Black-headed Oriole
Elephants - they were everywhere and we must have seen thousands. Never tired of watching them bathing, drinking and feeding. They always had right of way when crossing the road and we had to reverse many a time ! We didn't want an elephant too close to our hire car !
Elephants crossing, on their way to a water hole - a regular sight
Every camp had a substantial electric fence which was quite reassuring at night as we laid in bed listening to lions, hyenas and elephants every night.
Two, very distant, male lions at the Berg-en-Dal camp gate. We could hear them roaring all night but they had gone by the morning.
There is a very low speed limit within Kruger, excellent as you never know what is going to step out.
Greater Kudu
Green-backed Heron
Green Spotted Dove
Hooded Vulture
Impala
Kruger - as far as the eye can see. A magnificent place.
Good morning
Laughing Dove
Leopard Tortoise
Day two and we had our first sighting of lions. Two females with 8 cubs. Distant and moving away from the road that they had crossed 10 minutes earlier. But we now had 10 lions on our day list ! A beautiful sight and seeing them in real life is a memory always to cherish. We would soon learn that it was all about 'right time - right place' and lady luck did seem to be on our side during our stay.
Marabou Stork
Meve's Longtailed Starling
Pearl-spotted Owl
Pied Kingfisher
Red-billed Oxpecker on water buffalo
Red-breasted Swallows
Red-crested Bustard
Red-billed Hornbill
Sabota Lark
Shelly's Frankolin
Southern White-crowned Shrike
Simon and our Duster that took us the length and breadth of Kruger
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Tawny Eagle
Rooibos Tea (Red Bush) that was picked each day by the grounds staff from this small bush.
Warthog
Water Buffalo crossing
Waterbuck
White-fronted Bee-eater
Zebras
'Africa Love'
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