We left home yesterday just after 7am for 8 days in the Kruger National Park (KNP). Second trip to KNP this year. This time our good friends (B&S) are with us as well. We flew from Cape Town directly to Hoedspruit on CemAir (apparently pronounced Sem not Chem – or at least that is how all the crew said it). Left bang on time and arrived 10 minutes early. After a quick trip into Hoedspruit for provisions for the 8 days and some KFC (our tradition) for lunch, we headed into the park.
It is about 100 kms from Hoedspruit to Satara (the camp we were staying at) – about half outside the park and half inside the park. The left side of the road is game reserve though and we saw elephant, impala, kudu, zebra, buffalo and warthog just on drive before we entered the park. It is very dry here at the moment with the summer rains yet to start. It is also very hot – yesterday was 30 C degrees late afternoon and today but 10am it was 38 degrees already. It is projected to get to 43 C later today!
Once we were through the park gate we continued to see game regularly including impala, kudu, wildebees, zebra, giraffe, steenbok, elephant and numerous birds. By the time we arrived at the camp (just before 5pm), we had seen 28 bird species already. We had the mandatory braai for dinner (steak) and then we headed early to bed as we were tired after the days travels.
This morning we were up just after 5am and headed out on our morning game drive at 5:30am. Game was sparse to begin with but then we came across a pride of 10 lion. They were pretty playful and active. They were mainly on the right side of the car but then they got up and walked across to the left – one male lion was so close to the car (in fact he sniffed the front bumper) that Helen could have put her hand out and touch him (and lost her hand if she had!). It really was a great sighting. A little further down the road we saw a massive herd of buffalo (probably over 500) and ended up stopping for a morning coffee with the buffalo walking right past our car.
We stopped for another coffee (and rusks) at the Nwanetsi picnic spot and then another stop at the Sweni birdhide before heading back to the camp. On route back we spotted a spotted hyena walking along and then it went into a culvert under the road and never re-emerged – we assume that was its den. We got back to the camp at just before 11am and I said it was 38 C at that point. You can only survive outside for short bursts of time and then you have to get back into the chalet with aircon. We are currently at 53 birds for the trip.
It makes no sense to be on a game drive until much later today so we will just relax in the camp and go out for a drive much later today – hopefully when things have started to cool off a little – though I suspect that is hopeful!
Until tomorrow P, H, B & S