My girlfriend wanted to go to Mozambique to swim with whale sharks (which we sucesfully did) and so I saw an opportunity to spend three and half days first in the Kruger, for what would be our third visit. We had spent two full weeks in the Kruger in November 2011 (which I might write up at some point) and a month back in June 2009 doing a guiding course. Given the briefness of this trip we were not expecting to see too much, but I couldn’t wait nonetheless. However, the reality far exceeded our expectations – seeing the big five and others.
So, back to the beginning. We left work Friday afternoon and took an overnight flight from Europe to Johannesburg, landing mid-morning, picked up a hire car and drove straight to Phalaborwa, arriving there six hours later. I barely slept on the 14 hour overnight flight from the UK via Germany but the excitement of being back in Africa and on the way to my beloved Kruger was more than enough to keep me alert on the 6hr drive. We got here just as the sun was setting and stayed the night in a nice, friendly, inexpensive lodge in Phalaborwa, just five minutes from the gate; stocking up with supplies at the nearby big supermarket.
Up at 5am to the sound of the Red-eyed Dove singing his own name over and over (I am the red, eye dove; I am the red, eye dove – which incidentally means that someone who has a pretty poor ear for sounds and rubbish memory like myself can easily remember its song). We then drove the five mins into the park at 6am through a light drizzle. On entering it was clear that the heavy early season rain of the previous few weeks had really got the Kruger turning green (compared to the trip I had made through a far more arid Kruger the previous year at the same time).
Onto the H-9 (a road I have never driven before) and then a small detour to Sable Dam for a look. The drizzle had stopped but it remained cool and very overcast. We watched for about an hour as a small group of impala had their breakfast a few metres from the hide, a lone elephant at the far end of the dam came down for a drink, and a marabou stork stood near the waters edge looking slightly depressed.
We continued along the S51 and just before rejoining the H-9 we saw our first ever Kruger rock dassies. Stopped at the Masorini archaeology site for breakfast (the sun was trying to make an appearance by now and it was warming up nicely) before continuing – seeing a nice leopard tortoise by the side of the road and then a great spotted cuckoo flew into a nearby tree. Almost no other cars around, one of the reasons I like the northern half of the Kruger.
Took a left onto the S132 where we soon saw a few big male elephants very close to the road and walking our way. A quick scan to see if any were in musth and then turned the car off and let them walk towards us. We then spent a lovely 15 minutes or so as they slowly came closer and then crossed the road only a few metres away and then one came around the back of a bush to sniff us, his trunk barely three metres away (see photo below). It is experiences like this, on our own with no other cars nearby, that make the Kruger for me in many ways. We then followed them up the dirt track (including an impressive five legged adult) for 50 metres to a waterhole where we continued watching them as they washed.
We then continued through the mopaneveld along the S131, seeing very little and into Letaba for lunch – which was where we were staying the night in a safari tent. Letaba is one of my favourite Kruger camps, with its lovely river views and abundant birdlife. We booked an afternoon walk and then killed some time in the lovely pool (it being hot and sunny by now).
As luck would have it, it was just the two of us plus two armed guides on the walk. Didn’t see a huge amount, but very nice to be on foot in the Kruger, some of it along a nice sandy dry riverbed – a booted eagle, white backed and hooded vultures, some skittish impala, a grey duiker and some even more skittish giraffes.
We then got back in time for a quick 30 min sunset drive north on the H1-6 alongside the Letaba river before the gates closed. Saw a spotted hyena, hippos, lots of vultures (must have been a kill around), waterbucks, and distant eles. One of the things I love about sleeping in a tent is that it is much easier to hear the wildlife at night and sure enough I heard a hyena whooping in the night.
Day 1 had been better than I expected even though we had driven through the relatively empty mopaneveld, yet day 2 proved better still. To follow.
