Hi all
This is my TR for my December 2012 trip to KNP. It was truly an amazing trip.
My wife could only spend three of the six nights with me and a university friend and his wife joined us for the first five nights as well.
We stayed for three nights in Malelane camp and three nights is crocodile Bridge Camp.
Malelane was a very nice camp; it was a little bit remote compared to the other camps which made it nice. When using the communal facilities you hardly see any one. I would not recommend this camp for visitors with children as it is very quiet and can be dangerous taking that the fence is only 6 feet high and looks more like a perimeter boundary line than a fence as it is not even an electric fence. There are also large trees next to the fence for predators to gain entrance to the camp. The entrance gate is also open the whole day with no cattle grid as well. It is easy for any animal to enter the camp as there is so little movement during the day.
All these factors made it even more memorable. I didn’t go to the Kruger just to get amazing sighting but also to experience the wild life and to enjoy the atmosphere and Malelane camp created just that.
We entered the camp around 08h00 on the Saturday, we spend the previous night at my wife’s moms house in Nelspruit, so the next morning was only a hour’s drive until we reached Malelane Gate. We quickly checked in at the gate and off we went. The idea that anything can happen from now on exited me, we can see a lion kill around the next corner or a grazing herd of buffaloes, anything was possible. It did not take long for that anything to happen, after passing the impala’s and few warthogs in the road on our way to the camp site my wife spotted the first leopard. You get those moments in the Kruger when you turn your head the other way and when you look into the bush, time stops as your heart and mind takes time to register what your eyes just saw, those moments that you by some miracle look at the right place at the right time through the passing trees and see a leopard quietly lying on the branch of a tree about 80m into the field. My wife had a moment like that. It didn’t take long for the passing vehicles to join us and within 10 minutes there were about 15 cars. The cars didn’t bother us as we had the best seat in the house. Our KNP trip started of very good by spotting the leopard within 5 minutes from entering the gate.
_DSC2324 by
coisjvr, on Flickr
After our leopard sighting we saw some nice sightings of general game as well. We went and set up camp, after setting up camp it was about midday, we were fortunate with the weather of the first few days as it was overcastted with drizzles now and then. The sun did come out for a few minutes to quickly scorch you and then went behind the clouds again. I wanted to wait until the afternoon to go on a game drive but could simply not wait.
_DSC2390 by
coisjvr, on Flickr
_DSC2397 by
coisjvr, on Flickr
We went for a game drive past Berg and Dal to the Matjulu waterhole, there were a herd of elephants drinking water which was nice, we spent a while there before returning to the camp about 15h00. My friend was on his way and I wanted to help him pitch his tent so the game drives were over for the day.
_DSC2308 by
coisjvr, on Flickr
_DSC2386 by
coisjvr, on Flickr
_DSC2446 by
coisjvr, on Flickr
_DSC2558 by
coisjvr, on Flickr
That night we enjoy some braaivleis around the fire. While we were eating the hippos in the river (±50m away from the camp) started to grunt. For me it was total serenity as I enjoyed Africa but for my friends wife it total distress as she ran into the tent only to come out after a few minutes. We had some hyena visitors that night, good thing they only come at night as they will meet an open gate during the day. Ha ha
To be continued with day 2…..
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