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Tshanga is one my favourites . 20 years ago I discovered that a person can clamber over the edge onto a ledge . I take my camping matress , pillows and provisions for an afternoon to enjoy the vista over the plain to the east , and with the Tshanga stream in the foreground I have enjoyed many afternoons without people being able to see me , and also hearing no noise from cars arriving & departing .

Can anyone give me any comments on the Lookout at Longwe, just north of Letaba.
I have not seen any comments on it.
I have made this request in the chit=chat forum as I lost this thread.

picture here
A very nice drive and you can partly follow the river.
Didt see many animals but the view is awesome.

Thanks Bert.
Looks like it will be worth the drive as I am in any event planning on going to the hide, so it is just a small "hop" extra.
Funny thing is:
when in my infancy of park experience, it would have been about what animals I would be likely to see en route.
Now, I understand that it is about the history, geology (view points) and the birds as well. The animal life is the main reason I go to KNP, but now there are many more dimentions to the park. (Birding, History, Geology).

BunnyHugger -- we went up there in Sept. It was very dry so you could see a long way. Some bushbuck -- a lot of birds (including one I think was a woodland kingfisher) and many, many elephants down below ! Lovely view but the road left a lot to be desired (they can't work on the roads until after it rains). Well worth the drive up.

Longwe lookout is on the S62, longwe road. Well worth the effort, the view is stunning! I have a pano somewhere, let's see.. Found it, but not the pano. So that will come later, here is a bit from last years tripreport:

Longwe has a great view! As you can see you can see all over the Engelhard Dam, but not the dam itself. When you drive back down there is a little loop which will bring you to the dam itself. The next turnoff goes to Anna Ledeboer's grave, where you have a great view of the dam as well, but from the other side.





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That's overhere.
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There is a turnoff to Matambeni Hide as well, which is more than worth the effort.

One more question.
In the favourite spot thread, I came across a reference to Girivane from Oumie. Fizzpo asked where it is and Arks said on the S12 just before it meets the S40.
I must be blind coz I can see / find it.
Anyone care to help out a dumbass and tell me which camp is closest to it.

Satara is the closest camp. S40 and S12 are two gravel roads off the H7 west of Satara.

I’ve only had the pleasure to visit Kruger two times, but obviously there are curtain spots I found more interesting than others. We hit one of those golden moments when we visited Swini bird hides the 09th of September this year. When we arrived there was no other ‘Krugerists’ around. The setting, tranquillity and atmosphere in general where just magic, that said, the story could have been totally different if the place had been ‘jam packed’ with other people.

In the everyday life many of us are surrounded by other people. When I’m on Holidays or have some days off I don’t fancy to 'be stuck' with other people in a national park, or any other place for that matter. Neither do I like to queue up in car in order to watch a cat or two. In more than one occasion we just tried to pass by when hips of cars had stopped in what looked like ‘first’ class traffic jams; of course this was due to the big cats. This said, I have to add that I don’t dislike other people, but from time to time it’s just so important to feel the pulse of a place on your own, or be able to do some sightings by yourself.

Back to Swini bird hides. The hide has excellent possibilities for bird and animal photography as well. It’s a privilege to visit such a place when all the conditions mentioned above are present. It’s kind of place who I easily could spend a whole day with my camera gear and good supplies of water and some food/snack.

We also found Malelane Gate Bridge to be a gem, lots of action and sightings from the bridge. What a welcome to KNP! Nkumbe lookout point is also magic; I can’t imagine any other place in KNP with a view of such a spectacular calibre as that. It really gives a perspective of the enormous size of the national park, and to suck in the atmosphare from this spot is a grand treat to yourself! The Oliphants river crossing bridge is another favourite, with 'biocs' and field scope this is a must for all birders. The view deck in Oliphants Camp is another breathtaking place. Mlondozi picnic spot has a splendid location, and I can’t think of any better place to join my braii lunch. The river view from Letaba rest camp is also something of its own, and at last Talamati bushweld camp is a place I without any hesitations could spend a week. The two days we spent there just seemed like a ‘finger snap’.

Fortunately KNP has a vast number of places which do appeal to different ‘Krugerists’, in different ways. I know one thing for sure, I’m not at all finished with KNP, and most likely I’ll never be. KNP with its endless opportunities has simply become nourishment to my soul!
BT

Cool, thanks Katja.
I will be in that area next time around after spending a night at Tamboti, en route to Balule. Will definitely make a not to go and looksee.

Thanks DQ. That was awesome.
I have leaned much from the forum in only a week. There are so many places I have not seen in KNP and I'm REALLY LOOKING FORWARD to sseing some of them on my next trip.
Work has suffered badly in this past week and I will have to make some inroads into the backlog, but it has been educational and entertaining reading some of the posts.
Makes me realise just how little I do know about the park.
For instance, I have been to Satara four, maybe five times. Have seen sunset dam and done the S100 many times, but I did not even pay any attention to Girivana. I must have bypassed it on my way back from Timbavati more than once.
I have obviously had my eyes open without seeing.
Curious affliction this. Open eyes but blind to so much.

Tough one, especially because I tend not to think in terms of favorites that much.

A few I can come up with :

- Mutale lookout
- Hangklip
- The Outpost
- Banyini (haven't yet figured out whether that's in or outside Kruger).

I know, none of the above are accessible on public roads.

Johan

My sentiments exactly.
It is nourishment for my soul too.
This is why we have to keep it beautiful and clean and conserve the "whole nine yards" for future generations to come.
Surely, we all share this resposibilty.

Lake Panic Can anybody explain where this is.

The birdhide very near Skukuza - you turn off to it from the road that leads to Paul Kruger Gate.