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Flying away

noreply@blogger.com (David M) — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 00:15:00 +0000

In the early days of the Kruger Park, visitors were small in number and arrived by motor vehicle and (with a rush to exploit local mineral riches leading to a railways being built) by train. The old station and bridge are still in evidence at Skukuza Restcamp.

Also at Skukuza, there followed the building of a simple runway for aircraft to ferry senior staff and goods to and from the Kruger's headquarters. And with the advent of mass jet travel, the Park briefly embraced the new possibilities offered by airborne tourism.

Comair Douglas DC-3 in Skukuza (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After many years of happy customers delighted to land in the middle of the bush, Skukuza Airport was finally closed when a Swiss-funded modern facility with grander aspirations - Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport - was opened some 30km to the south west (as the crow flies) of the Park near the provincial capital Nelspruit.

This was part of a significant infrastructure programme in the area, at least partly aimed to address the needs of the thousands of soccer fans eventually expected to descend on the city for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

By this time, Skukuza Airport was in somewhat of a state of disrepair, and required significant investment to remain viable. It was closed to scheduled commercial operators over concerns that the runway was not in an adequate condition for their larger jets. Charter companies continued to fly smaller propellor aircraft here until the view was taken that the new KMIA should satisfy demand for air travel into the region.

KMIA has had mixed success, with various airlines coming and going. Noticeably, the much anticipated international arrivals failed to materialise, with the exception of some limited regional services to and from the beaches of central Mozambique (Vilankulo in Inhambane Province) and Livingstone in Zambia which continue to be operated by Airlink today.

The plan had been to attract large charter flights, particularly inbound from Europe, and the airport and runway were sized accordingly. They have failed to materialise.

KMIA has yet to have a large impact on inbound safari trade. Despite its close geographical proximity to the Park, it still takes around two hours to get in to the southern Kruger by car.

Tour operators have preferred to continue to use Phalaborwa (further north, in the middle of the Park) with its airport literally on the Kruger fence and with a gate within 1km. The southern hemisphere's largest open cast mine is here, and the airport benefits from significant business traffic from this, so there are a number of daily scheduled Johannesburg flights during the working week.

Also central to the Park, Hoedspruit Airport is located on the South African Defence Force airbase. Eastgate airport is particularly well-suited for the some of the Private Reserves in north Sabi Sand, Timbavati, Klaserie and Balule.

Indeed, the boom gate entrance to Kapama Private Game Reserve is about twenty feet away from the exit from the airport. It has benefited in the last five years with the addition of twice-weekly flights from Cape Town to add to it's double daily dose of scheduled Johannesburg operations.

Hoedspruit Airport has its own Game Reserve. Cheetah have been used to control encroaching wild mammals such as warthog on the runway.

Nevertheless, a scheme to rehabilitate Skukuza Airport was plotted. A tender to rebuild the runway and create new terminal buildings and facilities was won by a consortium including Airlink and the luxury Lion Sands group of Lodges, close to the site.

Work was completed efficiently and the new Skukuza airport now offers daily return flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town, a service level which exceeded what went before and, by adding the Mother City to available destinations, brings a degree more flexibility than at the other small airports at Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa.

In April 2015, Airlink announced the acquisition of four Cessna Grand caravans. A classic bush aircraft ideal for use in remote short runway take-offs and landings, these planes will be dedicated to providing a Lodge Hopper service from both Skukuza and KMIA in to the northern sector of the Sabi Sand and Reserves to the north such as Timbavati and Manyeleti. Service will start in 2016.

Throughout of this turmoil, small bush planes have continued to quietly service the need of the luxury Lodges and their clients. One long standing route has been provided by Federal Air to a landing strip at MalaMala airstrip between Sabi Sand and the Kruger. You'll see it on the departures board at Johannesburg's ORT International Airport with the rarely-seen airport code AAM!

You will find suggestions on domestic and international travel arrangements on our page on independent travel and also updates on special offers to and in South Africa on our twitter feed @kruger2canyons.

Doug's Bush Blather #4: Lion Encounter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 01:30:00 +0000

MAKULEKE, NORTH KRUGER: During one of my visits to the Makuleke region the camp was practically empty - only myself, two guides (both married, the one to the other), a visiting geologist and his local guide.

We set off one afternoon for a game drive. The Makuleke region occupies a huge and varied expanse of wilderness over which we had free range. On this occasion the head Guide, Marius, decided that we should head along the track that bordered the Luvuvhu River. The bush was thick along here, and the trees were tall. We’d driven some distance without seeing much more than baboons and vervet monkeys, so Marius stopped the truck and suggested we go for a walk down to the river.

Alighting from the vehicle, he grabbed his rifle. Malcolm, the local guide and tracker, took the lead. In front of me was Marilda, Marius’s wife and behind me was Radar, the Geologist, so nicknamed because he looked like the character from M*A*S*H.

Our plan was to walk down through the bush to the river and spend some time on the bank. We hadn’t gone far when Marius paused and pointed out some faeces in the long grass. “Lion” he whispered. Even I could see it was recent. Marius produced an eye dropper bottle and puffed some white powder into the wind.

Satisfied, he told us in a low voice to keep close and watch for his signals. He later said if it wasn’t for the fact that he knew were all fairly familiar with the bush and was confident we would obey him he would not have gone any further. Slowly and quietly we pushed our way through the long grass, Marius to the front, with Marilda behind him, then me, then Malcolm and Radar at the rear.

Using wisdom gathered through several months of staying in the African bush I fully approved of this arrangement. Marius had the rifle, so naturally he would be staying behind to protect us.

Of the others, I didn’t think I could outrun Radar, and certainly not Malcolm (who had long legs). But I figured I could outrun Marilda so if something got past Marius it would grab her first.

Actually, it turns out that Marilda could have run me into the ground without raising a sweat, but I didn’t know that at the time.

In a short space of time we emerged from the bush and came to the edge of a large football sized expanse of long grass. On the other side of this grassy plain was the river bank, but of more interest were the number of large grey shapes in the process of heading down over the bank to the river.

“Breeding herd” Marius muttered, and in the same low voice he warned us that it would be folly to go any further as we had no way of knowing if they intended to cross the river or simply stop out of sight on the bank. We all agreed that arriving on the bank right above a herd of mother and baby elephants would probably cause them some alarm, and an alarmed elephant is something to be avoided.

Marius indicated we would walk a few metres to the very edge of the grassy plain, but no further. We had all carefully scrutinised the grass in front of us and were confident there was no risk in staying close to where we were.

We had only taken a few steps towards the grassed area when there was a loud grunting and two lionesses sprang up from the long grass where they had been lying. How we didn’t see them before I don’t know, the grass here was quite green, and they were of course lion-tawny in colour. But somehow they had been able to lie completely concealed until we disturbed them.

Only one lioness saw us initially, and her warning grunt sent the second lioness which was closer off in a fast run.

Unfortunately she ran in our direction. Marius reacted instantly and raised his rifle to his shoulder. He later admitted he was a split second away from having to make the decision to fire when she slid turned on the spot and raced in the opposite direction as fast as she had come. The other lioness matched her velocity, and the pair of them dashed across the clearing at a mind boggling speed and were out of sight in less time than it took to be scared.

Most of us looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. This was the first time I had actually seen lion in Makuleke, even if it was only a fleeting glance. Looking at the marks where the second lioness had reversed her direction I estimated it as being maybe two to three meters away, while the point where they had been lying when we startled them was about five meters away.

Marius suddenly held up his hand for silence, and pointed towards the river. A veritable grey tide of pachyderm was appearing over the bank of the river and headed in our direction, accompanied by angry screams and trumpets.

Obviously they had heard the lions, and threatened by the risk to their calves, they were headed over to deal to them.

The fact that the lions had gone and we were now standing close to where they had been dawned on us.

“Run” said Marius. “What?” came the response, from who I don’t know.

“Run” he said again gesturing in the general direction of the hell away from here.

There are certain guidelines to be aware of when walking in the bush in Africa. Snakes abound, and while most are shy and make themselves scarce, the Puff Adder simply lies still and bites anyone that disturbs it. It’s doubly bad news when you find out it is one of the most venomous snakes in Africa, and while you might not die, you will sure wish you had after being bitten. For this reason it is wise to wear boots when bush walking, and to be careful of where you step, particularly in thicker bush where snakes might be concealed.

As well as snakes, there are other hazards. You could easily fall right over a slumbering buffalo when running blindly through the bush, and a suddenly awoken buffalo is not a great thing to have close by.

But with the certainty of several dozen enraged cow elephants charging in our direction such things as puff adders and sleeping buffalo were the furthest thing from our minds.

We were all wearing sandals more suited to strolls on the beach than fleeing headlong through snake infested bush from angry elephants.

But flee we did.

Malcolm showed his tracking skills by cutting a track out of there at high speed.

He vanished out of sight almost as fast as the lions had.

I’m not sure what happened to Radar, but Marilda was right on my heels as I lumbered at my best speed through the bush.

At least I’m managing to outrun her I thought to myself, but when I slowed I felt her hand on my back and heard her urging me to keep going.

We came to a halt in a stand of trees about two hundred meters from the river; Radar, Marilda and I arrived at the same time, and Marius almost immediately afterwards. Malcolm was nowhere to be seen.

Marius motioned us all to crouch down while he watched back the way he came. After a few moments he headed off again, beckoning us to follow. Another hundred meters or so we saw the Landrover where we had left it, with Malcolm sitting on top of it.

It was later in camp that we talked over the incident. The elephants had stopped where the lions had been, and had stomped around there for a while looking for them. Apparently they had never realised we were so close, so didn’t try and follow us.

Despite the fact the general rule was “Whatever you do don’t run” there were times when running was the only answer.

I asked Marius what would have happened if we had stayed there, he replied that without doubt the elephants milling around would have sniffed us out, and finding us so close would have dealt with us as they would the lions.

Likewise if they had caught a whiff of us, they would very likely have chased us through the bush, and even with a head start they would have caught us before we got to the Rover.
“What then” I wanted to know.

“I’d have stopped in those trees we paused at and attempted to scare them off while the rest of you carried on” he told us. “But worst case scenario, I only had five rounds and there were a lot more than five elephants” he grinned.

“Well thanks mate, I owe you for saving our arses, have a beer” and I handed him a can out of the box he himself had brought to camp earlier that day.

He accepted and popped the tab with a further grin, possibly thinking “tight ass Kiwi b@stard, if I’d saved a yank’s ar$e he would be tipping me in greenbacks.”

I handed another of his beers to Marilda, along with a hug for pushing me along. Admittedly a cheap bit of Kiwi gratitude as I would have enjoyed hugging her for no reason.

But despite the fact we had been in a risky situation, the experience of our guide and tracker had turned it into an encounter to remember for ever. How many people are charged by a lion, see it scared off, only to be charged by an elephant herd seconds later and having to run for their lives through the bush?

It’s the sort of stuff that will give you stories to tell for years to come. In fact as I write this eight years have already elapsed and the incident is still fresh in my mind as if it happened last week.

Doug's Bush Blather #3: Elephant Encounter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 01:27:00 +0000

MAKULEKE, NORTH KRUGER: My encounter with a Leopard in the Sabi Sand (last time), wasn't the only time I had been caught out by one of the Big Five. While up in Makuleke in the north of Kruger, staying in a tented camp on the river bank, I walked away from the tents towards a nearby stand of trees to have a leak. Being barefoot I was carefully looking at the ground to avoid thorns or snakes, so I completely failed to see a bull elephant standing in amongst the same trees I was heading for.

How can you miss seeing an elephant? You may well ask. Elephants can often manage to merge so well with the background and bush as to be very hard to see, especially if they don’t move. And you are looking at your feet.

I got to within about 30 meters of this bull before he decided that he was unimpressed with my elephant impression (perhaps because I didn't pull my pants pockets inside out to complete my homage to him).

He voiced his displeasure with a shrill trumpet that sounded as if the end of his trunk was about a foot away from my face. Looking up to see what had just let rip with this explosion of noise I was confronted by a huge black shape with enormous flapping ears and upraised trunk. His tusks weren't big, but the rest of him sure was.

In the split second between seeing him and deciding what to do I recalled one of the ranger’s advice on what to do if charged at close quarters by an elephant. “Turn around, bend over , pull your pants down and show him your bare buttocks” he told us. “And that will stop an elephant” we asked doubtfully. “No, but it will be as much use as anything else you can do, and it will make a great youtube footage too if someone has a camera handy”

At the time it was quite funny, but not quite so funny when standing in front of an annoyed elephant with your fly undone. “Whatever you do, don’t run” was the advice hammered into us by all of the rangers and guides. “If you run its an open invitation for animals to chase you” ‘Welcome to the party then’ I thought as I turned and bolted for the tents. Now of course a tent isn’t going to be much protection against an elephant, even a wooden house wouldn't do that.

But I was hoping the elephant wouldn't come right into camp just to stomp me. I had only five meters to cover while he would have at least thirty. Pacing the distances out later with the ranger he told me I wouldn't have made it if he was determined, but agreed it was worth the try.

Our tents were pitched on the banks of the Levuvu river, just past the tents was a steep drop to the river. It was my intention if the elephant decided to carry on into the tents to jump off the bank into the river, which of course was full of crocodiles but I’d worry about that when the time came. Fortunately for me the elephant had decided to go the other way after venting his fury.

By the time I reached the river bank and looked back he was gone. The remainder of our group was camped a short distance away from where my tent and the tents of the rangers were pitched. This because they were all young uni students who made one hell of a noise.

Not as much noise as an annoyed elephant though, they had all frozen into silence at the blast. There was much relieved laughter when I explained what had happened.

Later that night I over heard one of the guides who had been there telling two other guides of the incident. He’d just said “When the elephant screamed Doug didn't hang around, he zipped up and ran for it” “That’s crap Andy” I interrupted, “I didn't waste time zipping anything up”

Doug's Bush Blather #2: Leopard Encounter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 06:00:00 +0000

SOUTH KRUGER: Sabi Sand is one of a number of private Reserves offering commercial lodges to the public. There no fences between them, allowing animals to roam freely over the entire expanse. The Reserve also borders Kruger National, Park, and there is no fence there either. This means that animals can roam the entire Kruger Park, even venturing into Mozambique and Zimbabwe if they feel the need to walk that far.

There are no tar sealed roads in Sabi Sand, and the sand roads that were there are quite rough in places. So apart from the access to the lodges, only game drive vehicles use the roads.
I was staying at a camp consisting of quite flash tents complete with their own shower and toilet, and a few dome shaped tents with facilities you had to share. Of course I was in one of the dome tents, so relegated because they were set up on the far side of the camp and my snoring disturbed man and beast for many meters.

My travel partner was a UK guy named Dave, a joke-cracking git so tall that his head was poking through his hair. He had arrived at the reserve the previous evening, and despite being given detailed directions by me had still managed to find his way here. The track to the camp was rough as were most tracks in the reserve, and could only really be negotiated by a 4x4. Fortunately, he had a rental car.

Interestingly South African car insurance didn’t cover damage to the underneath of the car, which meant the insurers were sick of paying up for their cars being driven over rocks and ruts. By Dave.
With everyone arrived in time for tea, the camp complement settled down to a meal cooked by the cooks over gas fired stoves. A common staple of the meal was pap: when I was first served this, I didn’t know what the hell it was. It looked like mashed potato, tasted a bit like boiled rice, and was cooked up in a huge boiling pot. It is actually corn meal, and very sustaining if somewhat tasteless. Supplemented by meat, veggies, and sometimes eggs it makes a filling meal.

After tea there was the usual sitting around the camp fire getting to know one another. Most of our fellow camp mates were uni students in the bush for their practical part of their courses. We hit the sack sometime around eleven that night. Dave had the tent next to me. He was one of the few guys who didn’t seem to bothered by my snoring, or if he is he never mentioned it.

The next morning we were up at dawn, which was a bit later than most game drives would normally take off. I emerged from my tent, stretching and yawning, and wandered towards the bank of the dry river bed that ran past the camp. On the way I met Dave who grinned and said “Ingy, mate?”. I gave a questioning grunt and he repeated “Ingy, in the river” as he went past me. He vanished into the nearby abulution facility, something I had been planning to use myself.

No idea who or what Ingy was, but I figured it was some pommie git name for a p1ss- he obviously was suggesting I take my pi$s in the river as he was using the toilet. Not that I had a lot of choice, what with the toilet occupied and the urge upon me. Standing on the edge of the bank and making sure I was out of sight of the camp, I let fly, looking casually up and down the dry sandy river bed. A movement caught my attention off to the left and I turned to have a better look.

Not 30 meters away a full grown leopard was stalking down the river bed in my direction. He didn’t seem to have seen me, but if I moved he would hardly fail to notice me, and if I stayed where I was he would pass within a few meters of me.

As I watched him I remembered the Shona word for leopard was Ingwe, Dave had been warning me about the leopard, not suggesting I take a tinkle in the river.

I looked about for something to take cover behind- a few steps back was a structure that would have to do, there wasn’t anything else. Unfortunately it was only the pole that held up the clothesline, and it was a lot narrower than I was. Moving slowly back I put the pole between me and the leopard. He had moved into the centre of the river bed and was going to pass some fifteen meters from where I was. I heard a “psst” noise to my left and turned to see Cav, the camp guide, standing in the doorway of the kitchen hut motioning at me to move away.

“Yeah right” I thought, “like I’m going to start running for the kitchen away from a leopard that can charge at five or six times as fast as an Olympic runner”.

I stayed where I was, frozen to the pole. The leopard stalked past, never even giving me a glance. As soon as his spotted tail vanished around a bend in the river my bladder which had automatically closed up released the shutter valve, and I recommenced emptying it.

I’d just finished when a rumbling noise attracted my attention and I turned to see a Landrover full of tourists chug past through the sand of the river, obviously following the leopard. We watched each other as they cruised past and eventually disappeared up the river in the same direction the leopard had gone.

Dave popped out from the toilet and observed “Bad form Doog, showing the old privates to tourists”. “No kidding” I replied, “Next time you have to warn me about something do it in English will ya?”.
I learned later from the driver of the landrover that his guests were amazed at seeing a brave/crazy/fool nonchalantly having a piss almost on top of a leopard walking by.

Six SA Hotels and Lodges in World Top 50

noreply@blogger.com (David M) — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 17:26:00 +0000

Six South African hotels feature in the 50 "world's best hotels 2013" list of US magazine Travel + Leisure, with three of them ranking in the top 10 - all three located within the world-famous Kruger National Park, and two belonging to South African hospitality group Singita.

"A commitment to providing access to some of Africa's best game-viewing, while minimizing environmental impact and maximizing comfort, has earned Singita's properties repeat appearances in the World's Best Awards," Travel + Leisure says in its July 2013 issue.

The Singita Kruger National Park, comprising two lodges with treetop suites and riverside rooms in the southeastern reaches of the Kruger National Park, on South Africa's border with Mozambique, was voted third best in the hotels category of the magazine's annual "world's best" readers' survey.

Singita's flagship Sabi Sand, also located within the greater boundaries of the Kruger National Park, came in at number 10. "Private outdoor showers and well-stocked wine cellars come standard," Travel + Leisure says of Sabi Sand, "while photography-focused safaris and cultural outings to a nearby village let you appreciate Kruger's landscape and the local community".

At ninth on the list is the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, at whose flagship Bush Lodge "twice-daily game drives, firelight boma dinners, and spa treatments using marula tree, African potato, and aloe vera extracts keep parents occupied, while kids can enroll in the EleFun Centre, offering conservation activities and outdoor fun".

The Cape Grace in Cape Town was ranked 26th. "A movable pedestrian bascule bridge provides access from Cape Town’s bustling waterfront to this quiet, mansard-roofed hotel on its own private quay," notes Travel + Leisure, while "fourth-floor rooftop terrace rooms and penthouse suites come with views of Table Mountain".

At 39th place, and returning to the Kruger National Park and its surrounds, is the Londolozi Game Reserve, a Kruger camp comprising five family-run lodges on 42 000 acres of South African wilderness that is renowned for its frequent sightings of the elusive leopard.

And at 50 on the list is the Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa, a 200-year-old manse in the posh Sandhurst suburbs of Johannesburg that has been converted into a "fashionable 53-room boutique hideaway" where "the expansive pool, 10-acre gardens and koi pond make the Saxon feel like a resort, with private plunge pools in many rooms and latticed shutters opening to garden views".

Source: www.southafrica.info

Doug's bush blather #1: Pafuri-Makuleke

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:12:00 +0000

This is the first of our occasional contributions from our antipodean friend Doug, in which he explores the northern Pafuri-Makuleke and applies his warped anthropocentric view of the animal world to his fellow trailists. Ask him questions at the bottom.

MAKULEKE, NORTH KRUGER The very far north of Kruger in fact. Few tourists venture this far north, and at first glance it's not difficult to understand why. The tar road is long and hot, and the view is invariably thorn bushes and rocks. Animals of any sort are conspicuous by their absence, even though elephant poop on the road proves that they do exist.

One of the few interesting places for the ordinary tourist is the bridge over the Luvuvhu river that marks the southern entry point to Makuleke: this is about the one place you will have a good chance of seeing anything of interest. Bird life abounds, nyala and baboons are common, and elephants and buffalo are often seen too.

However once you head north and venture away from the river, the bush thins out and changes to scrubby thorn trees, the animal life dwindles speedily and even birds are scarce.

The tar road wends its way north/west to the Pafuri gate; after several hours of driving during which the flora has got drier and sparser and the fauna has vanished altogether, you hit the gate, which is a quite tidy collection of small buildings on the Park’s western border. You won’t see anyone much outside here: they wisely stay indoors where it is cooler. If you do see anyone outside it's likely to be limited to a local resident wearing a woolly jersey and thick knitted hat.

This is arguably the hottest part of Kruger. The walk from your air conditioned rental car to the reception hut will reduce you to a sweat-covered, light-headed wreck in a matter of moments.

This experience will leave most visitors with the impression that there is nothing worth seeing in north Kruger, and the chances of them returning or recommending the region are slim.

But there is plenty to see here, it's just that driving through the area on the tar road is not the way to see it.

The best option is to stay at one of the lodges in Makuleke, and go out on either a game drive or a walk with a ranger.

All of the three lodges or camps in Makuleke do both game drives and walks. One of them, the Ecotraining Camp, actually trains people to be tourism guides and rangers. Many of the rangers and guides at the two lodges in Makuleke were trained by Ecotraining.

I eagerly accepted an invitation to join a game drive with a trained guide. Tourism guiding is a dream job for many in Africa, but it's also a tough job. Most guides burn out after a few years, and usually it's the encounters with humans that burn them out.

Our guide for the drive had been at it for longer then most: in his forties he later informed us he had been in the bush for over twenty years. His hat certainly looked like it had been in the bush for twenty years, being a bedraggled shapeless object that flopped down around his ears. He dunked it every available source of water (WCs possibly excepted) before jamming it on his head to let the magic of evaporation do its thing and cool his bush-befuddled brain.

Game drive vehicles in South Africa have no windows and often no roof either. This Guide's also has no doors. There is nothing to stop lions, leopards or other animals from joining you on the seats should they so desire. Every game ranger carries a rifle to discourage this sort of behaviour on the part of the local fauna, but since the rifle is usually zipped up in a bag mounted on the dash you wonder how effective it would really prove to be.

A lot more reassuring are the claims by guides to the effect that dangerous game almost never bothers with vehicles.

Once we were comfortably seated on the vehicle the ranger introduced himself and asked “Is anyone here studying entomology, biology, botany, geology or anthropology?” It seemed we had no ‘ology’ students on board so he nodded and said “Good. We can go and look for some elephants then”, which sounded encouraging.

Next to me on the seat was Dave, a pom (resident of the UK) but I made allowances for that. He was one of those tall gangly guys that whoever dreamed up the BMI charts had used as the model. A good natured bloke with a wide grin and a habit of scratching the top of his head with his middle digit whenever he was thinking intelligent thoughts. Not that I ever saw him scratching his head.

Next to him on the same seat was Heather, a young somewhat well endowed lass from Scotland. Unlike myself and Dave it was her first time in Africa, her idea of garb for the bush was a brief (very brief) pair of shorts, a T shirt and a pair of sneakers with super thin rubber soles that were to prove a handicap later in the day.

As the Land Rover rumbled out of the camp we disturbed a herd of Impala grazing nearby. Big deal, many people familiar with Kruger might think, but even Impala are not all that often seen in Makuleke, or not from the tar road anyway.

But to heck with the impala. Dave corrected Heather’s identification of them as springbok as we headed down the trail. Despite apparently being somewhat scornful of entomology our guide Gary paused to point out a maloidae beetle, and went on to explain it was known as a blister beetle because of the painful blisters it could inflict on people.

The fact that the beetle was on my arm was a bit disconcerting so with a deft flick I missed the beetle completely but managed to dislodge the mike cover on Dave’s camcorder, which flew with precise accuracy into Heather’s cleavage. Heather, under the impression that the blister beetle had landed there promptly freaked out, but Dave saved the day by retrieving his little foam mike cover and stomping it to death. Meanwhile the blister beetle had taken off, and Gary resumed driving.

Heather thanked Dave profusely while I rightly figured that the person who saved her from the blister beetle would undoubtedly be more popular than the person who had deposited it there in the first place.

The Land Rover had three rows of seats. The row behind us had one lone female, a bespectacled school teacher type who carried a pair of binos almost as big as her, and a camera bag with a lens that looked like a rocket launcher.

In the last row were seated a German couple, the wife was a tall dark haired girl in her twenties while her hubby was shorter and blond. They chattered away in German to each other, their English was not the best and any conversation with them usually resulted in me inadvertently parroting their method of speaking. For example they would say “The opener of the bottle you must get for the bottle we must open need” and I would reply “Then in the drawer you must look because your f**king servant I am not”. Needless to say they seldom bothered to speak to me but no doubt spoke about me in German.

The husband, Dork (or at least that is what I understood his name to be), had an amazing eye for spotting game, sometimes where there wasn’t any game. At least a dozen times on a drive he would yell “Shtop shtop, bird/cat/dog/goat” or whatever else he might have seen, accompanying this exclamation with vigorous pointing and jumping up and down in his seat.

Many times he did in fact see something, but his enthusiasm for spotting game was undiminished even if it was the same sort of animal we had already seen a dozen times. After about ten “Shtop shtop, impala” cries Gary unzipped his rifle bag and started seeking out bumps in the trail.

Our game drive took us into a forest of tall yellow barked trees: this amazing sight is known as the fever tree forest. Gary identified them as acacia xanthophloeas and explained that they were called fever trees because eons ago it was assumed the yellowish dust produced by their bark caused sickness.

For me, a more interesting sight was the zebra which looked a bit out of place grazing amongst the trees. Quite a number of trees had been pushed over by elephant, some of them quite big trees too, demonstrating the strength of these great grey giants.

Unfortunately they had also pushed some of them across the trail, but it was a good excuse to get out for a walk anyway. Grabbing cameras, water bottles, and in Heather’s case a huge sunhat that would be able to shelter us all if it rained, we alighted from the Rover and headed off on foot, behind our erstwhile guide. (I have no idea what erstwhile means but it seems like a handy word to insert here).

Heading out of the fever tree forest we entered some far thicker bush, but fortunately there was a well defined trail pushed through the bush for us to take. In parts the taller amongst us had to bend over as the overhanging branches formed a tunnel. I asked Gary what had made this trail, as it was far too small for a vehicle.

“Buffalo” he replied, leaving me to dwell on the thought of what would happen if we met buffalo coming the other way. Dave’s two meter plus height meant that he found the going especially tough, and Heather was having trouble with thorns piercing her thin shoes so altruistically considering their plight, I asked Gary if there was another trail, with thoughts of going head to head with a buffalo playing no part at all in my tactics to divert us from their path.

Gary obligingly pushed through some thicker bush and we found ourselves on the bank of a river: a dry river so it must have been the Limpopo. We could see Zimbabwe across the river bed, and Gary pointed out Mozambique over to the east.

The bank was somewhat steep where we had emerged, but we managed to make out way down without too much difficulty. Unless you can call myself losing my footing and falling face down in the sand to be trodden on by both Heather and the bespectacled school teacher as they stumbled over me a difficulty.

Dave quickly came to the rescue and helped Heather up: more brownie points for him no doubt. I tried to redeem myself by helping the school teacher up but she gave me a glare that would have wiped a blackboard clean and managed by herself.

The soft sand was a tad harder going than the buffalo trail, but to my way of thinking a lot safer. Especially after Gary later mentioned that lions and leopards also used the buffalo trails.
It was a short walk through the soft sand to an infamous part of the Kruger Park, Crooks' Corner.

Crooks' Corner

This is the point where, during the late 1800s/early 1900s, a den of thieves and robbers made their home. Their reasoning was that should the Authorities from South Africa, Mozambique or what used to be Rhodesia turn up to arrest them all they had to do was cross the border to the neighbouring country to be out of reach. The plaque there reckons that all they had to do was stand atop the beacon marking the border to be in jurisdictional no-mans land.

The Corner is also where the Luvuvhu River meets with the Limpopo. The Luvuvhu flows all year round, and forms quite a large pool where the two join. On the bank of the pool were a number of crocodile, several quite large. Most of them quickly slithered into the water when they saw us, but a number of smaller ones stayed put basking in the sun.

Beyond the crocs were hippo, half a dozen huge black beasts rising out of the water periodically, watching us carefully. Hippos have the reputation of being the most dangerous animal in Africa, and crocs are pretty high on the list too. But so long as they stayed in the water and we stayed on the land we ought to be safe enough.

Some way beyond the hippos we could see several elephant of various sizes frolicking in the water. It was obviously a small breeding herd as there were a couple of very young calves with them.
Looking at the crocs and hippos in the foreground and the elephants splashing and squirting water it reminded me of a Disneyland Jungle ride, but with real animals.

It was an exhilarating sight, and one well worth preserving on film. The Germans however were seemingly unimpressed and suggested we move on. Dave and I shared a few whispered suggestions of our own but we kept them to ourselves and watched as Gary worked the action on his rifle in case he intended to shoot them, but instead he led the way up the bank and back into the bush.

This time skirting the fever forest we ventured into a stand of thicker bush before making our way up and along a low ridge line. We were only just in time as a large heard of elephant appeared making their way towards the river, using the trail we had just used ourselves. Despite the fact they were only walking they were covering the ground quite quickly, so it was a good thing we hadn’t been still on the trail when they came down it.

As it was, we got a grandstand view of a couple of dozen elephants parading past us. They were oblivious of our presence; Gary had already determined the wind was in our favour.
Seeing these magnificent animals in the flesh only a hundred meters or so away, and knowing they were as wild as elephants can be in Africa was an awe inspiring sight. We continued to watch for some minutes after the last of them had vanished from sight, marvelling at the way they could move so fast and yet so quietly through the bush.

Gary led us along the ridge and down to a shaded spot over looking a waterhole- a mud hole really. The water had dried up into a few small pools, and many different types of animals had churned up the mud. Gary pointed out holes where elephants and baboon had dug down to get to clean water. We shed our walking packs and sat down to enjoy the peace and quiet. Although the mid morning sun beat down it was welcomingly cool and tranquil sitting amongst the trees overlooking the water hole. None of us spoke, we just lay back and relaxed.

It was as we were sitting there thinking idyllic thoughts that a movement on the far side of the waterhole caught my attention. A lithe spotted form slid out of the bush and glided down to the waterhole. By this time most of us were watching transfixed, as a full grown male leopard began to drink from the stagnant water. His spotted hide showed up his incredible muscle definition as he crouched down to drink. Not a sole stirred as his tongue lapped at the water. This was one of those moments that you couldn’t pay to see, a matter of being in the right place at the right time and knowing enough to sit quietly and patiently.

But the German Dork, who had been inspecting his camera closely, apparently noticed the leopard for the first time. Jumping to his feet he extended a bony finger on the end of a long arm and screamed “Leopard!”. Who got the biggest shock out of us and the leopard I’m not sure, but the leopard’s reactions were certainly a lot quicker than ours. In the blink of an eye he spun around and leapt into the bush at a speed that made me pleased he was going the other way rather than at us.

Dork continued to point at where the leopard had been while he turned towards us and exclaimed “Did you see the leopard?”. At least five pairs of angry eyes stared back at him, and Dave and I both started to get to our feet with the intention of doing him some serious harm. Behind us came the sound of Gary’s rifle being cocked. “Well, this time he will shoot him” I thought happily.

But Gary just rose to his feet and told us quietly it was time we moved on. We fell back into line behind Gary while Dork happily chatted in German to his wife, though from his reaction to her reply it seemed she too wasn’t overjoyed at his outburst either.

It wasn’t long however before Dork was again eagerly yelling “Shtopshtop, bird/bug/etc” as we walked along.

Gary led us through some thick thorny bush. There are many different types of thorn-laden flora in Africa, but the ones we were presently making out way through were probably the worst. Known as buffalo thorn, or to the botanists as ziziphus mucronata (thanks to Dave Rushworth for teaching me all this stuff) it was also called Wait-a-bit-bush, because if you got hooked by it you would have to wait a bit until someone came and helped you.

Heather with her bare arms and skimpy T shirt found it hard going, but Dave manfully assisted her which no doubt would stand him in good stead later that evening.

The school teacher too was having problems, although she had a sleeved shirt on the light cotton material seemed to attract the thorns. By the time I’d disentangled her a number of times she actually warmed to me enough to call me by my first name, so I reciprocated by calling her Raewyn and forgot that she had stood on my head when I fell down the bank.

Gary, Dave and I were all wearing the African Bush shirts that were designed to push through buffalo thorns, and none of us cared how the Germans were faring.

Thankfully we eventually got through the thorns, by which time Dave seemed to be almost engaged and I was carrying the school teachers 25kg camera bag and deciding she didn’t look anywhere near as school marmy as I had first thought. Such is the charm of the bush.

We had emerged out onto one of the many sand roads that run through Kruger. Animals too use these roads, and its always possible to see tracks on them. Gary quickly pointed out lion paw prints, two lion in fact, and he identified them as a lion and lioness. As we followed them he informed us the lioness was on heat, and the lion was following her to mate with her.

“Shit, is he making this stuff up because he knows we won’t know any different?”, I thought to myself. Raewyn said to him “You aren’t making this up as you go because you know we don’t know any different are you Gary?”.

He gave her a withering glare that actually caused her to step back onto my toes, (first my head, now my feet!!!!), and a few meters on he crouched down and picked up a short stick.

“See here” he said pointing at a bunch of scuffs and depressions in the soft sand in the middle of the road. “This is where she laid down, and this is where he crouched over her”. He used the stick to trace out the paw and body prints of the two lions. He drew a loose figure of eight in the sand around two tennis ball sized depressions with the point of his stick and traced a long thick shape extending from the middle.

“Looks like a cock and balls” said Dave, Heather and even Raewyn giggled while the Germans looked on confused.

“Almost” smiled Gary, and he didn’t smile often. “Those are his testicles and his tail, you won’t see an impression of his cock in the sand here.” We fell to examining the marks and Raewyn apologised to Gary for doubting him.

The lion pair had mated twice more before wandering off the track and into the bush. Some of us suggested following but Gary said the tracks were at several hours old and they would be miles away by now.

We followed the road for another twenty minutes or so by which time I was carrying Raewyn’s binos as well as her camera bag while Dave was practically carrying Heather.

For no discernible reason Gary suddenly turned off the road and into the bush. The day had steadily been heating up as noon approached and we were all feeling it, especially Heather and Raewyn who were not long arrived from a far colder part of the world. Raewyn’s shoulders visibly slumped as we hit the bush again, but incredibly in a few minutes we emerged into a clearing and there in front of us was the Land Rover. Checking my watch I was surprised to see we had been walking for nearly three hours. Time certainly flies when you are having fun. But I had to admit the cold drinks in the cool bin in the Rover were very welcome.

With a cold can in hand we eagerly climbed on board the Land Rover. When you are hot and parched there is nothing better than to wipe the sweat from your brow with an ice cold can and then open it to drink the contents. And when that one is gone, reach for another. Now we were on first name terms I hopped into the second row of seats with Raewyn, leaving Dave and Heather to the front seat. The Germans reclaimed their back seat position. The morning’s walk had really pooped out Raewyn, she propped her pack up on the roll bar upright and lay back on it with her feet up on the seat and closed her eyes.

Heather too had seemingly fallen asleep, but on Dave’s shoulder. Dork however was as full of energy as he had been at the start of the drive, and managed to jerk the girls into a state of sudden alertness with another half a dozen “shtop shtops” on the way back to the camp. One of these was well justified though, and for that sighting alone we pretty much forgave Dork for the leopard incident. Not far from the camp Dork suddenly jumped up and said “Shtop, shtop, lion”.

Yeah right most of us thought, craning our necks to see what had caused this latest outburst. Gary hit the anchors and almost slid the vehicle to a stop causing Raewyn to nearly fall off the seat, whacking me right in the tender part of the lower torso with her foot as she recovered her balance.

This discomfort was quickly ignored as I recognised what Dork had seen. Not fifty meters from us were two male lions resting under a tree. Unusually for lions in Makuleke they seemed quite relaxed and unconcerned about us in the vehicle. They were both fairly young, good sized lions but with sparse manes showing they were not yet fully grown.

Gary said due to their relaxed nature they may have come up from further south where they may have gotten used to vehicles. They were probably brothers, and had almost definitely been chased off from their pride by the dominant males. Luckily they were together as between the two of them they would probably have quite a good chance of hunting and thus surviving into their prime, when they could take over a pride of their own.

Not even Dork’s shout had disturbed them, one continued to slumber on his side while the other lay watching us through half closed eyes.

We stayed with them for over half an hour, even though they did little more than flick their tails from time to time. Lions were a rare sight in Makuleke, but their spoor was often seen and they were sometimes heard at night. Actual sightings were like gold.

Several dozen photos later we finally took our leave. It had not been a bad morning for animals at all. Lion, leopard and elephant, plus a number of other species.

And as is common with groups in the bush there had been a bit of bonding and friend making between people who had nothing else in common but a fascination with the African wild.
We rolled back into the camp parking place very pleased with ourselves indeed. Raewyn was so pleased she let me carry her pack as well as her camera bag and binos to her hut.
I think we all gratefully retired to our camp beds for a rest, but not before Gary let us know we would be out to do it all again in a few hours.

The best thing about Makuleke we found was there were no other tourists about. Sure the animals were nowhere near as common as in the southern part of Kruger. But down there if you stopped to look at a pride of lions you could bet your ar$e that a dozen or more other cars would turn up and join you, and while you had the consideration to give the animals plenty of room and avoid destroying grass and bush by driving on it, some others didn’t have the same consideration and would think nothing of driving off the road to get in front of you in order to gain a better view.

Plus it added to the pleasure of seeing the animals if you actually had to put some time and effort into finding them, rather than just driving along and seeing them beside the road.

It was much later that evening, while the Germans presumably entertained each other in their hut, the four of us and Gary got some quality time talking over the day’s events beside the campfire.

Gary, like most guides who have spent some time in the bush, was a treasure trove of stories, and he was good at telling them too. It was late when we all bid each other goodnight and headed for bed. We had another very early morning to look forward too, and another part of the vast Makuleke to visit the next day.

Next time: Leopard Encounter

After a childhood obsession with Africa, Doug fulfilled a lifelong dream and undertook his "once in a lifetime" visit to South Africa at the turn of the new millennium. Since then, he has participated in a number of Field Guide training courses, lived and worked in wild African game reserves researching game (mainly lions), and is in no way an expert on African flora and fauna.

However, Doug has been trained by, and is friends with, the very best expert Field Guides in the business.When not in Africa, Doug lives in New Zealand where he waits impatiently until he can return to Africa.

Return of the Eastern Fences Off; Greater Lebombo Incorporation On

noreply@blogger.com (David M) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:03:00 +0000

After threats mooted at Government level to once again raise electric fences between the eastern Kruger Park and Mozambique due to the intensity of cross-border rhino poaching, the thinking has changed.

A “no fence” pact has been agreed with Mozambique, and Mozambican private game reserves will now be incorporated into the Greater Kruger system instead. It is hoped that these will form a buffer zone against poacher encroachment into Kruger main.

The Kruger Park Times reports that SANParks Chief, Dr David Mabunda, recently visited Dr Bartolomeu Soto, the head of The Transfrontier Conservation Areas Unit in the Ministry of Tourism there to discuss including the 220,000 hectare Greater Lebombo Conservancy in a greater conservation area.

The idea has since morphed into a Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) similar to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP).

Article 3(2) of the signed treaty envision the TFCA in Mozambique including “the Massingir and Corumana areas, as well as the interlinking regions” thereby creating a framework within which discussions on the inclusion of the Greater Lebombo Conservancy can begin.

The Kruger Park Times concludes that the two Ministers agreed to co-operate bilaterally to ensure that the resulting TFCA was realized and concluded speedily.

According to Julius Kleynhans, AfriForum’s head of environmental affairs, re-fencing the eastern side of the Kruger "would have cost between R200 million and R400 million, including maintenance costs of R100 million a year, and whether this project would have reduced rhino and other poaching remains an open question".

The original fence was removed ten years ago to expand conservation land and to allow a greater amount of free-roaming for game through an agreement between the two countries to form a transfrontier park,” Kleynhans added.

If these additional concessions on the Mozambique side forming the Greater Lebombo Conservancy now become part of the transfrontier conservation area, "this would promote conservation and ecotourism opportunities, but only if it is implemented and managed correctly. By implementing ecotourism principles and managing the land properly, local communities will benefit from various economic practices, whilst the protection of wild animals and their natural habitats would be ensured.”

Limpopo Marula Festival Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (David M) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:23:00 +0000

The picturesque town of Phalaborwa will host the fifth annual Limpopo Marula Festival from the 19th to the 26th of February (Sunday to Sunday). Venues vary but include Impala Park Stadium, Hans Merensky Golf Club and Hlolwa Lodge. There is a good mix of music, sport and culture, and it's well worth checking locally what's on if you are in the locality.

Image: Flux Mag

Activities planned for this year's Festival include:

Marula Golf Challenge

Taking place at the renowned Hans Merensky Golf Estate in the true tradition of golf and wildlife, the Marula Golf Challenge promises to be a spectacular for the wildlife enthusiast and ardent golfer, whether professional or just playing for fun. As a networking tool, the event is well suited for the for the business minded due to the wide spread of golfers taking part in it. The plan is to have a mix of Professional Handicapped Players, Provincial development Players (HDI) and Youths development players.

Marula Festival Half Marathon

The dedicated Club and the Limpopo Athletics and Road Runners Association (LARRA) have already commenced marketing of the event to various clubs as the official organizers. The proposed route includes a section in the Kruger National Park, which should keep you on your toes.

Marula Open Air Music Concert

The highlight of the festival is the open air music festival featuring local acts and acclaimed musicians across a wide spectrum of all genres of music and live performances. The open air concert has been hailed as the culmination of the 3 day event, bringing young and old together in dance and song. The plan is to have a combination of a traditional dance competition and musical concert on the day. Freshly Ground, Thomas Chauke, DJ Mahoota v/s Vetkoek, Jay and various Local Artists re billed to perform at the show.

Marula Festival Youth Rugby and Street Soccer

Since the idea of the Limpopo Marula Festival is to create an authentic brand that can be embraced by everyone within the communities of Limpopo, again this year the festival will incorporate youth rugby competition (commonly known as the Bulletjies) to be staged at Impala Park. This event will be staged side by side with Street Soccer to be used as a build up event for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. This event will be incorporated into the Fast & Furious Futbal.

Cultural Exhibition, Tourism Careers Fair

This event will be used to increase market access and raise awareness on available marula products, Cultural and tourism products within the region involving enterprises and cooperatives from Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe. This will present an opportunity to various marula bi-products manufacturers, emerging tourism products as well as those cultural product owners to exhibit and sell their products during the three days of the festival. The fair will once again incorporates the tourism career fair aimed at raising awareness to youths about the various career opportunities in Tourism where different institutions will be invited to provide information.

Bookings & Enquiries: Organizer: Andre Kellermann - 015 781-0589 or 083 458-5746 Co-Ordinator: Gillienne Saddie - 083 661-7880 For more information contact 015 769-5090 or 082 820-7337.

Pafuri: Property and Past

noreply@blogger.com (David M) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:49:00 +0000

It seems that the little-known, basic camp at the Kruger border with Mozambique near Crooks' Corner is about to pass into the ownership of SANParks.

Historically it has been owned by The Employment Bureau of Africa (TEBA), whence it gets its current name, TEBA Camp. Consisting of two buildings until now available for accommodation, it has been used principally for scientific meetings, research, ornithology and by occasional savvy group of eco-tourists. It is not currently available whilst its future is decided - read on.

Source: TEBA

TEBA is an organisation with a long history that specialises in recruitment of foreign labour for the South African mining industry, mainly sending people to the Witwatersrand. In its former guise as the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (WNLA), it managed to secure an exclusive agreement with the colonial Mozambican government for the supply of labour across the border to meet the strong demand at the Johannesburg mines.

South Africa had rules designed to make the recruitment of a local workforce difficult for mine owners. These regulations were designed to preserve the availability of labour to fulfil the demands of the farming landowner class.

As a consequence, up until the mid nineteen seventies, around 65% of the workforce in the great goldmines of the Rand came from Mozambique. Many passed through the TEBA recruitment process, and entered via a processing centre located here. There was a matching camp on the opposing side of the Limpopo in Mozambique which is now derelict.

The transition from Portuguese control to the FRELIMO government in 1975 put an end to the agreement.

Fortuitously for the incumbents of the mining industry, the worldwide fixed price for gold was abolished around this time. Gold prices went through the roof, and mine owners found themselves able to pay a wage sufficiently high to attract local workers to replace the absent foreign labour.

TEBA's continued ownership of the Camp has been controversial: local recruitment and processing activity ceased in 1976, and an apparently vague agreement for ownership of the land to revert to the Parks Board was not enforced. But SANParks does not own the surrounding land any more. Until now, the Camp has survived under TEBA as a non-core asset, justifying its existence through limited income from bed rental.

Until recently, that is. There have been legal machinations over the last few years, with SANParks reportedly having put money aside to acquire the camp, which is what seems now to be happening.

There is controversy as to the use to which it should be put. The area falls in the Makuleke Contractual Park, land leased back to the Kruger by the community that now owns it. They used to live here but were forcibly relocated in the late sixties. However, they "won" the land back after the first successful major land claim on part of a National Park. The community decided to preserve the land as a conservation area within the boundaries of the Park as a wilderness area with low density tourist development only (Listen to our podcast on this here).

Many feel that an appropriate use would be as a cultural museum, showcasing the rich archaeology and history of the Pafuri-Makuleke area. The ancient remains of Thulamela are close by, a city that grew and prospered after the decline of Great Zimbabwe to the north. Just to the west are the ruins of the fabled kingdom of Mapungubwe.

The camp could well be used more openly for accommodation, but there are those who observe that it is very proximate to a lively border post with the omnipresent background hum of electricity generators.

It is obviously a sensitive historical location to people on both sides of the border, particularly those who encountered it in their recruitment to the mines.

As you will know, this is one of our favourite parts of Kruger. Let's hope that with the endorsement of the Makuleke community, something interesting happens. Watch this space.

David Manttan is a founder of Kruger2Canyons.com and spends his spare time exploring Southern Africa

Hoedspruit Floods

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:27:00 +0000

HOEDSPRUIT - The waters are receding after Tropical Cyclone Dando wreaked havoc on the Kruger Park, hitting the town of Hoedspruit and environs particularly hard. There was in excess of 450mm of rain recorded here in 30 hours; this number peaked in excess of 500mm at the base of Mariepskop Mountain. These figures pretty much equal the total annual rainfall expected in these areas.

The two major rivers in the Central Kruger region - the Olifants and the Blyde - both broke their banks. There was considerable damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges and buildings. At this time, it is a blessing that no serious casualties have been recorded, although losses are extensive and residents and visitors have endured a traumatic time.

The images below were published to the internet during the peak of the crisis and have been attributed to their photographers where this information is known.

Comms and the Kruger

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:58:00 +0000

I was amused to find not only an iPod docking station at Singita Lebombo in my suite, but also their iPod preloaded with appropriately relaxing ambient music. Not that it got much use with so much to see and do, including the spectacular view from the balcony with a procession of passing game. I did nevertheless try and upload one of our podcasts to it :)

On a slightly more serious note, it's worth noting that in South Africa:

1. the Kruger Park's main government restcamps have their own cellular signal repeaters, so a mobile signal is usually available in the immediate locality (subject to the usual caveats of weather, lightning strikes etc);

2. for international visitors, renting a cellphone on arrival at the airport is a good option. It is much cheaper than roaming if you intend/ need to use a phone except in extremis. Outlets at ORT and Cape Town International are very competent at this, and it is much less hassle than trying to find/ organise rental in some small town in the boondocks. Plus you can obviously return on your way out, with dedicated outlets at departures for this purpose;

3. The same applies to data roaming. You WILL be punished, via your bill on return, if you attempt to use your device for internet on a roaming contract, even if it is a normal "all-in" bundle at home. Best to rent a dongle/ PCMCIA card at the airport and use sparingly. Daily rates for the cards are low; usage charges are probably quite a bit higher than you would pay at home (all of southern Africa is expensive for data), but it is an order of magnitude cheaper to do it this way. Make sure you check it is all working before you leave the desk, as there is nothing more frustrating than renting the kit, finding a signal in the middle of the bush - hurrah - and then finding that you have the wrong software set-up.

Don't know what other people think but I have always found Cellucity/Vodashop to be good for both of these services (2) and (3).

You more than likely want to get away from the creature "comfort" of being accessible all the time. The bush telegraph is reliable enough for you to find a way of getting message out wherever you are in case of need;

4. It's a good idea to leave the number of the tour organiser with your family or friends at home so that you can be contacted via them if needs arise.

SANParks runs a 24 hour Kruger Emergency Call centre on +27 (0)13 735 4325.

The best buzzing in the bush has to be from the experience though, not emails that didn't actually need worrying about when you get home.

David Manttan is a founder of Kruger2Canyons.com and spends his spare time exploring Southern Africa

Endangered Cycads in Season

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:49:00 +0000

MODJADJI - The endangered cycads endemic to the Modjadji Cycad Reserve are coming into seed, with spectacular orange pods festooning these spectacular rareties from now until February.

Image © South Africa Tourism

Take a picnic and go and explore the 600-odd Hectare Reserve, with walking trails and general game, close to the eponymous village north of Tzaneen.

Giriyondo, Kruger-Moz Gates Get Crackdown

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:13:00 +0000

SKUKUZA - Visitors who travel through the Kruger National Park (KNP) using its border gates as ports of entry or exit through to the neighbouring countries such as Mozambique will be required to produce a valid overnight booking in either Kruger or Limpopo National Park, effectively from December 1, 2011.

The restrictions will apply at all entrance gates in the KNP leading to the two border gates i.e. Pafuri and Giriyondo which are both found in the Nxanatseni (northern) region of the park.

“The intention of some travellers, who made use of these two border gates on a drive through basis, had a negative impact on the park visitors. We had to introduce these control measure on those routes in order to eliminate the undesired tendencies such as heavy laden, un-roadworthy vehicles, speeding, road kills etc; all these which were against the National Road Safety Act and spoiling the experience for our park visitors; said the HOD: Public Relations, William Mabasa.

To allow visitors who have already planned their holiday schedule in Mozambique but have not secured accommodation booking yet, an additional fee of R150 per person will be charged to allow one to travel via the Park; however one should still provide valid proof that no accommodation is available in either of the two National Parks and possess the required travel documents. This option will only be available for a period of six months; effectively from December 1, 2011. Essentially, without a confirmed booking and confirmation that all facilities are fully booked, such travellers will be refused admission and they would need to use other routes outside the Park leading to their destination.

“The Pafuri and Giriyondo border gates are meant to afford tourists to travel between the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Parks without having to exit the parks. The routes for the border gates are classified as tourists roads and do not allow for commercial traffic therefore the idea is to encourage people to travel from one national park to another;” concluded Mabasa.

Good News: Hoedspruit-Cape Town Direct Flights

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:26:00 +0000

SA Express has announced the launch of flights between Cape Town and Hoedspruit, starting July 26. One of the South African subsidiaries used to offer an indirect flight, stopping at Sun City/ Pilanesberg, but that was withdrawn several years ago.

The airline will operate the route with a 50-seater CRJ 200 with a launch phase frequency of once daily, every Tuesday and Thursday. Flights will depart Cape Town at 09h30, arriving Hoedspruit at 12h10. The return service will depart Hoedspruit at 12h45, arriving in Cape Town at 15h25.

In addition to extensive market research, SA Express responds to customer travel trends by introducing this new route, says Inati Ntshanga, CEOof SA Express.

“SA Express’s new route takes into account our customers’ travel needs, offering them the convenience of a growing network that is strategically aligned to complement our enhanced flight schedule.”

The airline said it was confident the addition of this route to its network would ensure the best possible connections for business and leisure customers.

British Airways adds Coastal Routes

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:36:00 +0000

TRAVELWIRES.COM - British Airways, operated in Southern Africa by Comair Limited, announced that it will soon be servicing all major South African coastal routes, and has commenced flights between Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

“We are experiencing demand for premium travel options to coastal destinations, mostly from the increased number of business travellers on these routes.” said Heidi Brauer, Comair’s Executive Manager for Group Marketing. “British Airways will therefore be taking over the servicing of these routes from low fare carrier kulula.com from 27 March 2011, offering travellers the full service Club (business class) experience as well as Executive Club benefits.”

“Furthermore, the current BA flight configuration and aircraft types are better suited for these routes, further enhancing operational efficiency,” Brauer said.

BA will offer daily return flights from the following destinations:
- King Shaka International Airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport
- Port Elizabeth International Airport to King Shaka International Airport
- Port Elizabeth International Airport to Cape Town International Airport
- Cape Town International Airport to Port Elizabeth International Airport

Camera Trap Action from one of Africa's Special Places

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:35:00 +0000

David asked for permission to reproduce these fantastic camera trap images from somewhere where he spends some time: Lissataba

And the winner is

This last image won the trap manufacturers prize for the year. Stunning.

All copyright and thanks to Lissataba Private Game Reserve. Thank you, Donovan, Michelle, Joeleen, Matt, Lucy and all the team, and congrats on your success. Long may it continue.

Valentine's Day Special

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:49:00 +0000

Conservation fees will be slightly higher for international clients, in line with SANParks tariff.

Interested? Send us a mail to bookings@
kruger2canyons.com

Short Film on Rhino Poaching

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:47:00 +0000

Video made for stoprhinopoaching.com

Lion Sands Signs Co-Traversing Agreement with Kirkman’s Kamp

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:45:00 +0000

(TRAVELWIRES.COM: MUZI MOHALE) - Two world‐class private game reserves situated in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in Mpumalanga have entered into a five‐year co‐traversing agreement, allowing visitors to explore more than 7,000 hectares of prime wildlife land bordering 12km of Sabie River frontage and 11km of the Sand River respectively.

Lion Sands Private Game Reserve, a 4,000 hectare property situated in the southern district of the world famous Kruger National Park, and Kirkman’s Kamp, in the south‐eastern area, will offer visitors an opportunity to experience a massively broad spectrum of wildlife, fauna and flora.

Both properties are home to diverse types of soil and habitat, affording visitors a chance to see Leopard, Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, White Rhino, Hyena, Hippo, Crocodile, Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest and many other herbivores, mammals and reptiles, while increasing the likelihood of spotting the rare Black Rhino, Wild Dog and Cheetah. The combined birdlife boasts a rich variety of over 400 species, including the elusive Narina Trogon.

“Parity exists in our conservation management philosophy and implementation,” says Nick More, co‐owner of Lion Sands, “and the natural choice was for us to offer our guests an opportunity to explore more pristine bushveld including two incredible river systems without increasing the impact on these precious resources. By increasing the traversing area for guests at both lodges, this is the first time that guests will be able to enjoy the diverse offerings and viewings that the Sabie and Sand River offer. ”

Lion Sands and Kirkman’s Kamp, which were established on the original Transvaal Consolidated Lands’ Kingstown and bordering Toulon farms are constantly expanding their environmental vision. In the process, Lion Sands has attracted international attention and recognition, garnering heavyweight travel accolades, such as Tatler’s “101 Best Hotels”, Travel & Leisure’s “500 World’s Best Hotels” and “World Luxury Hotel” awards.

“Both properties employ full‐time ecologists whose major focus is monitoring and controlling the commercial impact on the land,” comments More. “Both landowners are extremely passionate and are true environmentalists at heart and we intend building a long‐term partnership based on sound conservation ethics.”

The agreement, based upon a “neutral impact” philosophy, will take effect from October 1st and will be managed on the ground by ecologists from both reserves. A combined safari ethos has been developed which stipulates that co‐traversing will be undertaken on a vehicle‐for‐vehicle basis, limiting the number of vehicles in sightings to two, stipulating the minimum viewing distance to 15m and off‐roading after rainfall only permissible if 10mm or less rain has fallen. Game counts and burning policies will be monitored in an even closer, more holistic manner, following on the success of both properties having undertaking a combined, controlled burn two years ago.

“We cannot wait to offer this enhancement in our game viewing product to our guests – our guides are extremely excited too!” comments More. Aside from monitoring vehicle traversing, both safari operations’ teams will meet on a weekly basis to ensure that the management and implementation of the practices is carried out efficiently and effortlessly.

Save The Rhino Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0000

** TICKETS GOING FAST **

LONDON: Royal Geographical Society - Since 2003, Save the Rhino has held an annual Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture around the time of his birthday to raise money for rhino conservation projects, as well as tackling environmental crime and the trade in wildlife parts. The lectures are in aid of both Save the Rhino International and the Environmental Investigation Agency, two charities supported by Douglas Adams.

Douglas developed his deep-seated interest in wildlife conservation during a 1985 visit to Madagascar, which eventually resulted in a book (Last Chance to See) about the plight of species facing extinction. Douglas Adams died unexpectedly in 2001 at the age of 49. These Memorial Lectures continue to explore the themes in which Douglas was so interested.

On Thursday 10 March, Professor Brian Cox will give the Ninth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture at The Royal Geographical Society, Kensington, London.

Professor Brian Cox began his career not as a physicist but as a rock star, most notably as part of the band D’Ream, whose song ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ was famously used by Tony Blair as the Labour Party election song in 1997. During the D’Ream years, Brian obtained a first class honours degree in physics from the University of Manchester and a PhD in High Energy Particle Physics at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg.

In 2010, Brian received an OBE for his services to Science. Brian was granted a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in 2005 and in 2009 became Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester. He works at the CERN laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider.

Brian also writes for various publications including New Statesman, The Telegraph, Sun and Times. His book ‘Why Does E=mc2?’ (Da Capo USA and Perseus UK) was published in 2009. Brian’s ability to present science in an engaging manner makes him a popular television presenter & radio broadcaster. His credits include the recent series, Wonders of the Solar System (BBC2, 2010).

Tickets cost £15 and are now on sale. There are three ways to purchase tickets:

- Online
- Download a booking form
- Call Save the Rhino on 0207357474

Tickets are non-refundable except in the event of speaker cancellation.

Quick Intrepid Sale: 3 days, 1/2 price, 1 code

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:16:00 +0000

Once in a while we can extend quick-response deals offering substantial discounts on interesting packages. This is one: thirteen days from Durban to Cape Town along the Garden Route and beyond from £849. You will need to use these links to get the discount. This quick offer only extends until December 18th.

Intrepid is a well-respected overland operator with a variety of tours in Southern Africa. They are UK based with local operations in each of the countries mentioned below; hence the prices quoted are in Pounds Sterling.

You can get 50% off their "South Africa Garden Route Adventure" trip using the voucher code 5669 until December 18th, valid for travel departures up to the end of March in the New year.

http://k2c.co/intrepid

Highlights: Be enchanted by the Lesotho highlands, Make a splash on the Wild Coast, Encounter gentle giants in the Addo Elephant National Park, Travel along the scenic Garden Route, See why Oudtshoorn is the ostrich capital of the world, Delve into the astounding Cango Caves, Sip delicious wines at a Cape vineyard. 13 days (Durban to Cape Town).

This voucher code is only valid until December 18th

You can also use it on on a "Kenya Wildlife Safari" (from £510), and a combined Kenya/Tanzania trip ("The Road to Zanzibar- north" from £740) until the same deadline by following these links to the itineraries and using the code 5669.

Flights are excluded. Inclusions and other exclusions are on their site, as are the Intrepid terms and conditions.

Day of Reconcilation - December 16th

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Late in 1837 one of the Voortrekker leaders, Piet Retief, entered into negotiations for land with Dingane, the Zulu king. Dingane promised the Voortrekkers land on condition they returned cattle to him stolen by Sekonyela (the Tlokwa chief). This Retief did and apparently he and Dingane signed a treaty on 6 February 1838.

During the ceremony Dingane had Retief and his entourage murdered- an event which was witnessed by Francis Owen, a missionary who described the scene in his diary. In the ensuing battles between the Zulus and Voortrekkers over the next few months numerous lives were lost on both sides.

On 16 December 1838 about 10,000 troops under the command of Dambuza (Nzobo) and Nhlela attacked the Voortrekkers, but the 470 Voortrekkers, with the advantage of gun powder, warded them off. Only three Voortrekkers were wounded, but more than 3 000 Zulus were killed during the battle.

In apartheid South Africa, 16 December was known as he Day of the Vow, as the Voortrekkers in preparation for the battle took a Vow before God that they would build a church and that they and their descendants would observe the day as a day of thanksgiving should they be granted victory.

With the advent of democracy in South Africa 16 December retained its status as a public holiday, however, this time with the purpose of fostering reconciliation and national unity.

Kruger Gets New Speed Cameras for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:46:00 +0000

Kruger National Park traffic officers received new speed cameras recently to assist them to clamp down on rule breakers. The new equipment, which came at the right time, will be in full force during the 2010 December festive season when the volume of visitors to the Park will be high.

The new cameras not only record the speed of several oncoming vehicles at the same time but are able to identify vehicles that are exceeding the speed limits. The cameras also take live video footages which KNP traffic officers can replay to individuals who express doubt when they are caught speeding.

Kruger has its own driving hazards- game and low bridges

From time to time, Protection Services receives feedback from concerned tourists about rule breakers who speed on the roads in the park, some protruding or climbing out of their vehicles;” indicated Public Relations Head, William Mabasa.

“The law enforcers experience problems when they have to issue fines to guilty individuals out there, with some contesting the fine and demanding proof. Management wanted to tighten the screws in this regard and we are quiet certain that the new equipment will assist us”.

During the festive season, the KNP law enforcement officers will also amongst others with effect from Friday, 10 December 2010 conduct roadblocks at strategic places all over the park. General patrolling, visibility on the vulnerable areas such as receptions and bank/auto tellers at rest camps, will also form part of this campaign. There will also be strict spot checks at the entrance gates with emphasis on adherence to permit requirements; security personnel have also been tasked to be on the look-out for suspicious persons and vehicles during this busy period.

Visitors are advised to plan their journey properly and to adhere to the gate times as recorded on maps, permits and signs at the camps. The rules and regulations of the KNP, which are well communicated on entrance permits, signage and pamphlets, include the following:

.. Visitors must remain in their vehicles unless in a designated area.
.. Remember that no part of the body may protrude from a window or sunroof or any other part of the vehicle. Vehicle doors should be closed at all times.
.. Stick to the speed limit! All general rules of the road apply within the Kruger National Park. The speed limit is 50 km/h on tar roads and 40 km/h on gravel roads.
.. General rules of the road apply within the KNP; it is an offence to drive on South African roads without a recognised driver’s licence or under the influence of alcohol.
.. Adhere to the gate times in your green gate permit. You must be inside the camp or out of the gate before gate closing times. No travelling before or after these times are allowed. (In December and January, KNP gates open at 05:30 and close at 18:30. Gate times must be strictly adhered to and late comers may be subject to a fine.
.. You are not allowed to drive “off-road” or on roads with a “no entry” sign.

4x4s need permission to use special trails

.. The feeding or disturbing of animals is a serious offence. Also remember, animals see litter as food!
.. No pets may be brought into KNP.
.. Declare all firearms/weapons of any sort at the entrance gate.
.. Overnight visitors are only allowed to stay at a booked and recognised overnight facility and must report to reception before occupying accommodation or camping.
.. Vehicles of a carrying capacity exceeding 4 000 kg, buses or any vehicles with more than 25 seats, are restricted to the tar roads.
.. A stringent noise restriction is enforced between 21:30 and 06:00. Loud car stereo cause a disturbance to animals and other guests; volume levels should be kept to minimum. The use of cell phones is permitted only in camps, gates and in cases of emergency.
.. The use of roller skates, skateboards, bicycles, motorbikes and quad bikes is prohibited.

Book Now for RGS Save the Rhino Event

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 10:30:00 +0000

LONDON: Royal Geographical Society

Mark Carwardine: Last Chance to Save the Rhino
Wednesday 12 January 2011, 7.30pm
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), London, SW7 2AR

Join Save the Rhino Patron and BBC Zoologist Mark Carwardine for an entertaining and thought-provoking rhino evening.

Mark will describe some of his most memorable encounters with rhinos in Africa and Asia – from stalking the last surviving northern white rhinos in war-torn Zaire, nearly 25 years ago, to his most recent trip to photograph Sumatran rhinos in Indonesia.

He will reveal what went on behind the scenes while filming a Last Chance to See Special called Rhino Rescue, with Stephen Fry, and will talk frankly about his hopes and fears for some of the most endearing and endangered mammals on Earth.

Please support this worthwhile cause if you can. Rhinos poached in South Africa alone are approaching 300 in number this calendar year.

Tickets cost £15 and are now on sale. There are three ways to purchase tickets:

- Online
- Download a booking form
- Call Save the Rhino on +44 (0)207 357 7474

(Please note, tickets will be sent out in mid December for this event)

Join attendees for Dinner at Ognisko Restaurant after the event. The cost is £36 for dinner and wine.

If you have any further questions please e-mail jo@savetherhino.org

Last 2 Weeks for SAA US Offer fr $970 rtn

noreply@blogger.com (Kruger2Canyons.com) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

SOUTH AFRICAN Airways are offering American clientele discounted fares to Johannesburg this fall season. These have to be booked by December 15th, for flights to either Johannesburg or Cape Town.

The headline rate is $970, which includes security and fuel surcharges, but excludes departure and other taxes of around $140p.p.

Other US departure cities can be tacked onto these flight but still qualify for the offer on the long leg.

Book direct at SAA USA: 1-800-722-9675 or click on the image above.