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We returned yesterday after having spend 13 magnificent days in KTP.
Thought I would just give you a glimpse of what we saw

Thank you all It certainly was Oh WOW as MM says The next few pics will tell a story of their own. We could not see the main falls as the two lower decks had been damaged.







View from our chalet verandah



View from the outside restaurant















Next morning sunrise

Another view from our chalet

Thank you to each of you for responding. I am such a tortoise when it comes to these reports and I think the major part of my problem is that I simply cannot keep up with all the other wonderful tales on the go. I have such a 'groot bek' (big mouth) when it comes to chatting about our experiences but when it comes to putting done in writing I struggle.....so...having said that, a lot of the time the will tell the story ...OK

This trip was our first camping experience in KTP. Many moons ago when Kgalagadi was still known as Gemsbok National Park we took our caravan as far as Twee Rivieren! Since then we have always stayed in the chalets and now that the children are grown up we decided time for a change and we would go the camping route . Sold the caravan, bought a tent.... and....we LOVE it!! ( I do miss my caravan though )
SO and I planned the following itinery : Rooiputs, Nossob, Polentswa, Bitterpan, Mata Mata, Urikaruus and then back to Rooiputs.
Rooiputs, Polentswa and Bitterpan were the first for us and most definately not the last!

For those of you who have traveled the road from Upington to TR you will know that it is not always this GREEN.

This is the warm and wet welcome we received and there was LOTS more to come throughout our 12 day stay ....(remember...our first camping trip )

Samevloeeing Waterhole

Slip slide to Rooiputs


Entrance to Rooiputs Camp

Our site

Our front Garden

Another view across the camp

Our first night in a ground tent in a camp like Rooiputs did 'scare' me, I will be really honest

However, I did feel a lot more relaxed when we welcomed our quest for a braai that evening

Kgalagadi Guru (Jannie), Vanessa and Baby Stefan


Baby Stefan will learn all about this awesome place from a VERY young age....lucky boy !! KG telling him a long story about these Giant Millipedes

After our guests hit the River Road home, we (well actually...ME ) made quick work in getting into the tent, zipped up and lay listening to the night sounds which were soon drowned by the sounds of thunder and lightening

Thank you , thank you everyone A bit delayed in getting on with this report, but here goes, thanks for the patience

We survived the night at Rooiputs, it rained, it stormed, plenty of thunder and lightening, but our tent stood up to it all. I think the A Frame structure really helped as well as the fact that we tied the guy ropes to the A Frame instead of knocking pegs into the ground.

Gloomy morning of departure for Nossob.

A first for us in KTP, a Black Winged Stilt seen at Kij Kij

Driving along it was getting more gloomy and we were wondering when the rain was going to come....when we saw this


We were happy, all alone and a magnificent sighting like this right close to the road A Mum and four gorgeous cubs. It appeared that they had not yet started to feast.


Suddenly a tractor appeared and it it passed us all four cheetah took off!


Mum returned, called and called and called

Eventually she began to eat

Soon the cubs returned, and as you can see, a jackal was watching closely. This jackal stuck around and every so often one of the cubs would show who was boss by chasing it.




The rain came making it really difficult to take pictures, so for once I sat and enjoyed the experience rather than getting hung up about the photos (Probably a good thing as I already have given you an overdoes of cheetah photo's)







We left them after spending nearly two hours there. The rain had stopped and the sun was getting rather warm! Still no other cars in sight. It seems that this is when BB must have come along and taken over from us

We were so happy, what a special way to start our day. Perhaps I should say EXTRA special as every day in KTP is SPECIAL

A Vulture tree


Happy hartebeest

Just past Kaspersdraai, around 2 pm in the heat of the day we were surprised by this magnificent male lion staring straight at us through the yellow flowers. He was NOT going to be obliging and by the time I lifted the camera to take a photo of him in the flowers, he rudely put us on ignore and strolled off to find another comfy place





Nossob and more ..... tomorrow

Oops Gavin...just so I keep out of trouble

Nossob Hide Sunrise....one of the few experienced during this trip!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU....everyone Hope you don't mind the overall general thanks to you instead of individual responses

I have been and my excuse for the delay is that I have been busy running around looking for something to wear for the banquet in April I found something lovely ( from a friends wardrobe ) so now I have no excuse but to get on with sharing some more of our holiday with you .

We did not experience many pretty sunrises this time, due to lots of heavy dark clouds. The same applied to sunsets.
This was one morning where I felt it was worthy of a pic









We saw butterfies everywhere too


Oh dear...I thought I had downloaded more ....back in a jiffy

Ooh yes Wanda ...today one month exactly BUT just for the Captured Experiences Banquet plus one extra night. Our shortest trip EVER, 2 nights, but won't miss that for anything! I'm so excited to be privileged to be part of it

We decided to do Maries Se Draai and head as far a Dikbaardskolk for breakfast, when we came across our first pride







Take a look at these nails


"If I pull a scarey face will you stop taking photos of me?"


"If I stare at you will you stop taking pictures of me?" With that we decided we would take no more pics and move on for breakfast. (Well at least... SO decided )


We bumped into a foreign couple at Dikbaardskolk and started chatting. They had spent the night before at Rooiputs (the night after we were there ) The lady tells me she did not sleep that well because of the noise. She said it sounded as if there were workers working all night, sawing away at something!!!!
Well imagine her look when I told her that it could not possibly have been workers and asked if she knew that a leopard made 'sawing' sounds?? If looks could kill her hubbie would have been dead!! He would not let her switch a torch on to peep out and see what the noise was

On our way back to camp, some ostriches that has just enjoyed a bath...not the prettiest looking

More at camp a bit later today...

Thank you for all your comments You are all so kind and also patient
Ok, back to Nossob Camp...there was never a dull moment around the camp
Such a beautiful sight with all the Abdim Storks at the hide

I asked SO to move towards the tent so I could include him in the pic of our camp setup. Hmn...he promptly pics up the dish towel and pretends he is helping doing the dishes!! Think I had given him too many instructions

Camp setup

Seeing the storks flying was quite a common sight




Some more beautiful flowers.
Yellow Mouse Whiskers

Nerina, I had heard that these flowers came out after good rains and we had never been lucky enough to see them. Well, this time we were treated!! Fields of them...really very beautiful.

Nerina

This was our resident ground agama at our camp site. He loved to pose for me.

Ground Agama

Ground Agama



Some yellow ribbon sightings:
It was super to meet RichardJ and SO at Nossob as well as Quanah and SO (probably more known to many as Bob and Lee) We spend a lovely evening together exchanging stories from the past as well as new from our current trip. Lee treated us to a delicious meal. Karoo Roast Leg of Lamb cooked to perfection on the Cobb Thank you Lee.... such a treat
It was also good to see you again Jo although so very briefly!! We have not heard to the contrary so I am sure you made it to Grootkolk with no problems at all

That night we saw our only Cape Cobra of this trip AND it was outside the mens toilets SANParks officials were super efficient and were on the scene very smartly to assist by removing him. This was well after 9.30pm...so well done guys By using their snake sticks they eventually managed to lower it into a large drum on the back of their vehicle and took him off to a safer place in the bush.

The hide was in darkness at night while we were there as it was undergoing a bit of maintenance.
So after a super evening spent with our fellow forumites and the excitement of our Cobra visitor we retired, hoping for a calm night with terrifying thunderstorms. We were lucky, a bit blustery but no storm this night

A couple of other sightings around the Nossob area:

Gymnogene







This trip we had some really lovely close up lion sightings and they were all 'active' ones
This lioness had been watching some Hartebeest for quite some time. Sadly for her, their attempt to secure one for lunch was not a success







Checking out what they missed out on!

Might as well head off for some shade and rest a bit





We packed up at Nossob and headed for Polentswa, again a new camp for us, so we left Nossob with great anticipation, wondering what was in store further up north. More Lions maybe Lions with small cubs maybe ?
Polentswa entrance

For all those who have been reading and have been patient enough to wait for the Polentswa area pics, thank you and here goes......


I mentioned I was nervous at Rooiputs, well, I was just as nervous here. the second night I felt far more at ease but still very alert. Strange how we are, I am now wishing I was back there and can't wait for the next opportunity :huh:














The following pics are a couple taken while taking it easy around the camp in the heat of the day.
The puddles drying up in the roads sometimes looked like chocolate curls






This Dwarf Beaked snake was the only snake (other than that Cape Cobra at Nossob) that we saw during our 12 day stay!


Not the clearest pic but still one that I like of the Lappert Faced Vulture taking off



This was the last pic taken in camp while SO was busy checking that all was well strapped on the roof rack before we were to head off for our next night at Bitterpan. I was keeping an eye out for any 'visitors'. What you see in this pic is the wooden surrounds of the shower and loo enclosures.



We heard lions during the night and early hours of the morning BUT we did not for one moment think we would come across them a couple of meters down the road !! These were our visitors

The following can tell their own story













Just love how the little one is lovingly looking at mum!




This was such a beautiful sighting and we felt so lucky and privileged to be there.
I am going to see how these have loaded and then post a few more if I may ?

Edited: Name of snake

Some more as promised






One of My favourite pics












We enjoyed some coffee while watching this little family play before we decided it was time to move along.

Thanks everyone
I am my own worst enemy as far as time management
Oh well, I can't be totally to blame, there are so many entertaining reports to read so I run out of time concentrating on doing my own!!

We left our beautiful young lion family and made our way to Nossob.

We came across this fat one....I don't think her tummy was full of food, I feel sure she was carrying cubs
She drank for ages and the moved along calling. She then joined 5 other lions but they continued moving further away so we did not spend too long there.





A lovely Red Hartebeest family which were in no hurry to move so we enjoyed watching them for a while




We were being watched!



We did not spend too much time at Nossob camp, refuelled and then proceeded for Bitterpan. A first for us and wow, did we enjoy it!!
Start of Bitterpan Trail

Some pics taken along the way


Yellow Mouse Whiskers and some Cats Tails
Thunderbolt
Gemsbok Cucumber

Thanks Caracal for helping me with the ID of this beautiful flower seen along the drive.It's a Crinum foetidum, don't know the common name but it sure is beautiful and also smelt just like a pink lily that I know as the Stargazer lily.



One of the many Steenbokkies we came across,this one was so calm, so calm, normally we stop for a pic and as soon as we do that they take off.



Our first sight of Bitterpan Camp. I was quite pleased that we had reached Bitterpan without any hassel. I was expecting really soft sand and to experience some difficulty on some of the dunes, but nothing like that at all!! SO says it must be his good driving !! Which ever, I was happy Where I had gotten my story of a bad road from....I don't really remember! Just shows you...don't believe everything you hear about KTP. Not all true!!!



We were told that there was a huge dry pan in front of the units... What dry pan ????
A huge dam is what we saw

We were welcomed at Bitterpan by William. A super chap who really did a great job making sure we were happy and all was in order. Well Done Willaim It was still night and we had the entire camp to ourselves. The silence was heavenly and we were able to braai without any immediate threatening storms
This pic my interest those who have visited Bitterpan before. These enclosures with individual braais are a new addition. We did not use ours as we had the communal area to ourselves.

View of new braai

More views of the flooded pan




A pretty view looking through the tall grasses as the sun was setting


One of the usual night visitors in KTP. A Bibrons Gecko



The night was still and we slept really well. The previous two nights at Polentswa did not allow for sound sleep so this night was sure welcomed

We only had one night there but it was enough for us to confirm that we for sure will be returning to Bitterpan, we loved it!!

The drive towards the Auob was pretty and GREEN








More cute steenbokkies





Our first view of the Auob River






It was this sight of Craig Lockhart that made my heart skip a beat.


Would we be driving through rivers on our way to Mata Mata ??

It was a gamble choosing a camp site at Mata Mata We could see where the previos campers had dug trenches around their tents and after all, we had to make a choice.



It was astonishing and almost like a miracle seeing the new growth after all the rain


This Yellow Mongoose was more than happy


The rain came down really hard just after we had set up camp and this was a view across the camp. This site was surprisingly not under water the following morning.


We waited a while for the storm to subside before going out on an afternoon drive.


We did not go too far, there was so much water around and the rain began to fall again. We felt it would be better to return to camp and make sure all was good and not washed away.


All was fine and the rain had ceased by the time we returned, BUT, not for long !!!

(I am hoping to post more tonight, BUT, due to major excitement and final packing...I am rather busy packing for KTP We leave at 6 am tomorrow for our shortest visit ever...2 nights only, but I am HAPPY

Thank you folks , gosh it has been so long I could not find this report! Had a few distractions again

It was when the got to this point that we decided that we would rather make sure our tent set was still in tact and we turned around.


Back at camp, the skies cleared and the sun did it's best to appear. We took the opportunity to light a fire and braai before the storm decided to return.


We had a visitor right alongside our site


It rained and rained and rained during the night but we stayed snug and dry inside our tent. In the morning I paddled through this huge puddle and made way for the showers. By the time I returned, SO had already taken the tent down but you can see where it was


Time to leave Mata Mata and make way to Urikaruus




What a beautiful sight in the Kalahari

A couple of sighting on the way



Correct me if I'm wring, think this is a steppe buzzard?


It was from this point that we had sighting after sighting of beautiful lions, lots of playful ones...