Our recent trip to Kruger

Well, what can I say, it was absolutely fantastic !  You can probably tell that from our pics. Not too many birds due to the time of year but we did get just under 20 new ones, which did surprise us.  We flew into Johannesburg, overnight BA direct flight, and then an internal flight to Nelspruit. Kruger is about 50 miles up the road with a stop at the big Spar for a big shop. We had booked for 15 nights staying at Berg en Dal, Skukuza, Satara, Letaba, Mopani, Punda Maria in the far north and then heading back south with stays at Shingwedzi, Oliphants, Satara again and ending with 2 nights at Lower Sabia in a luxury bush tent. I could actually go back there tomorrow, loved every single second.

The lion sightings were far better than we had hoped for and a few close up leopards were excellent. We saw 3 prides of lions on kills that had happened during the night, glad about that as it is not something I would want to see. More elephants, zebra, giraffe than ever and the waterholes were spectacular with a never ending stream of animals coming into drink.  

The park was a bit busier than we would have liked due to it being the best season for big cat viewings. Low vegetation that had not really started to grow makes September a popular month. It is their spring so the temperatures are cooler aswell. 

The only disappointment were the numbers of rhinos. Last time we were there (about 8 years ago), we saw many, many rhinos. This time we only saw 3 and 2 of those were very distant. So that was disappointing. We spoke to a South African mammal watcher who told us the numbers were down 80% due to poaching. So even though they are in a national park with rangers they are still not safe which is sad. 

Back home now with a bump......birdwatching with no birds which seems to be the norm here in the UK. So, got another two trips booked !! And with a Sanparks Wildcard that is valid for another year......who knows !!

Kruger phone videos of elephants, lions, buffalo and rhino from our recent trip

 A few videos taken on my phone in Kruger National Park

A herd of elephants crossing the road, walking to a nearby waterhole, late afternoon. 

A herd of elephants crossed our track on their way from the river back into the scrub to eat, Kruger National Park

Elephants from the restaurant decking at Lower Sabie Camp in Kruger National Park

Elephants coming for a drink in the river along the S100 in Kruger National Park

Helmeted Guineafowl coming to a waterhole in Kruger National Park. 

A hyena chewing off a leg from a long dead carcass and making off with it

Quite gruesome

Two lions still feeding on an buffalo kill. There were 9 lions here this morning but only 2 remained at the carcass, the rest were asleep in the grass at the back

More footage of the two lions on the buffalo kill

Elephants, buffalo, wilder beast, zebra, impala all at one of the many waterholes in Kruger National Park

And the best video ever !!

A stroppy young male rhino chases away 3 lions, but they keep hiding and coming back ! What a fantastic sighting and we will remember it forever. Kruger National Park

A busy waterhole in Kruger National Park with plenty of animals coming in to drink

Lots of waterhole action with plenty of animals coming in to drink

Wild Dogs near to Oliphants Camp in Kruger. Some of the cubs playing in the long grass.

Lots of zebra coming in to drink at a busy waterhole in Kruger

And a leopard crossed the road - twice ! Kruger National Park

 

Flipping heck, it doesn't get much better than this I can tell you ! Just us two and a strolling leopard that crossed the road not once, but twice giving us some stunning views. Our trip was complete !

Simply stunningly beautiful, wowsers !!

A few Kruger snaps

 

A breakfast stop with a view. You don't stop at many places for breakfast where binoculars are a must 

Our first stop, Berg en Dal

A lunch stop at a cafe used by all the tours. I had a cheese toasty, Simon had buffalo pie.......not for the feint hearted !

Our last two nights were spent here at Satara in a bush view chalet. The birds we had visiting were brilliant and take away ribs and chips for tea were the icing on the cake !

A rhino midden along the S118/9 in the south of Kruger. We had seen the male rhino chasing the three lions and then two from a distance and this was all we saw. Very sad indeed as we saw a good 20 on our last visit. We spoke to a local birder who told us 80% of them had been poached. What very sad state of affairs. If they are not safe here, constantly watched by tourists and with rangers to protect them then I am afraid there is no hope, and we all know where they go to. 

This was the inside of our bungalow at Punda Maria, very nice until we get all our stuff in there !

Our hobbit house at Punda Maria in the north of Kruger. We did drive to Pufuri on the border with Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana.

Pied kingfisher on one of the bridges

Kruger with a tree full of vultures

Can't imagine what this river is like when it's in flood, it must be spectacular

Just us two

A distant line of elephants walking to a waterhole. They do cross the road infront of us and I will post my video for you. There were hundreds of elephants on our right, all walking to the same waterhole. 

A beautiful male lion crossed the road, Kruger National Park

Taken through the car windscreen as the lion crossed the road

Just us two driving slowly along a deserted road and Karen shouts 'LION - MALE' at the top of her voice !  Emergency stop and into reverse, hoping it was still sat there and we were not disappointed. There he was, sat there looking at something across the road. Windows opened, camera snapping and across the road he walked, turned round and gave us a look before walking into the bushes and disappearing. What a fantastic sighting, the lion of the trip without doubt !