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South Africa May 2023South Africa May 2023
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I will be traveling to South Africa with five other intrepid ladies, and then to Zimbabwe with three of the ladies. We will be experiencing African culture and food, seeing the incredible beauty of the continent and enjoying wonderful company! Read more
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  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 14

    May 19 - First Game Drive

    May 19, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    From here, we were on a mission to see Africa’s Big Five, known by the acronym as BRELL – buffalo, rhinos, elephant, lion, leopard. Our next stop was Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park for our very first game drive. Our driver was Tabi. We saw impala and nyala and wart hogs (like Pumbaa in the Lion King). Then we hit it big with a sighting of buffalo (not water buffalo, but Cape or African buffalo.)

    Then a troop of baboons entertained us as the wandered along the side of road.

    And then we saw rhinos. We were at two out of five on the Big Five already. So exciting!

    And then the rain started. Tabi gave us each a big green poncho, but despite them, the cold, driving rain made for miserable conditions. We persevered. After a sundowner stop (drinks and snacks at a covered picnic shelter), we pressed on. We were rewarded for our persistence with a sighting of elephants. Three out of the Big Five on our first game drive!

    We stayed overnight at Hluhluwe River Lodge (sort of pronounced Loo-Loo-Way). The place is lovely, with one central building, surrounded by 12 thatched roofed chalets in the middle of an indigenous forest. Red duiker (another antelope) and nyala wander the property. It would have been nice to see the whole place in daylight. We had lovely meal in the dining room and then went to bed early. It had been a very good day.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 15

    May 20 - Early Game Drive

    May 20, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We were up at 5:00 a.m. for a 5:30 a.m. breakfast. The staff here at this lodge are incredibly accommodating – they had a full buffet prepared and graciously took hot breakfast orders. We hopped in the van about 6:00 a.m. to head back to Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park for our 7:00 a.m. game drive. It was a lovely, clear day – so different from the rainy, cold conditions of yesterday.

    Within a few minutes, we saw rhinos – more of them and much closer than yesterday. We could get a clear look at their lethal horns.

    Then we were treated to a big buffalo in the middle of the road. And then a whole herd of buffalo at a watering hole.

    We made a stop at Hilltop Lodge. The staff kindly let us use the patio area to see the sweeping countryside. Colette scoped out the kinds of rooms that they have for possible future bookings.

    A cheeky monkey danced in the tree but sat long enough for me to snap a selfie.
    Once we set off, we saw a zebra – not one of the Big Five, but fabulous to see.

    We stopped for morning coffee/tea/snacks where a blue-balled monkey was snatching any crumbs that he could.

    Back on the road, we saw a herd of wart hogs. And then our early morning game drive came to an end. No additions to our BRELL count, but we had a lovely time in the glorious sunshine.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 15

    May 20 - eSwatini aka Swaziland

    May 20, 2023 in Swaziland ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    From here, we headed north to eSwatini, formerly known as Swaziland. As we had come to expect, we shared the road with goats, donkeys, and cows. It was a distressing to see people riding in the back of trucks, and really distressing to children doing so.

    We made a stop at the Swazi Candles for some serious shopping. I scored some Shweshwe fabric placemats and napkins.

    Our accommodation for the night is at the Royal Villas in Lobamba, located about 10 minutes from the capital of Mbabane. Each group of two of us had our own full-sized villa. The one that Sandy and I were in had four bedrooms (we could only see ours – the others were locked), two sitting areas, a dining room, a backyard pool, and a separate kitchen. These villas would be an attractive set up for family vacations. There are full conference facilities at this site.

    We had a long, leisurely dinner in the restaurant there and then hit the sack early. We had seen and done a lot since our 5:00 a.m. wake up.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 16

    May 21 - Swaziland to Mpumalanga

    May 21, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    From Wikipedia:
    Eswatini (ESS-wah-TEE-nee), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland (SWAH-zee-land; officially renamed in 2018 to Eswatini), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its north, west, south, and southeast. At no more than 200 km (120 mi) north to south and 130 km (81 mi) east to west, Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa; despite this, its climate and topography are diverse, ranging from a cool and mountainous highveld to a hot and dry lowveld.

    After the Second Boer War, the kingdom, under the name of Swaziland, was a British high commission territory from 1903 until it regained its full independence on 6 September 1968. In April 2018, the official name was changed from Kingdom of Swaziland to Kingdom of Eswatini, mirroring the name commonly used in Swazi.

    The majority of the country's employment is provided by its agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Today’s population is about 1.2 million. HIV runs rampant in this country and life expectancy is less than 60 years of age.

    The government is an absolute monarchy, the last of its kind in Africa, and has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. The next king will be chosen by his mother from the children he has sired by his 15 wives, one for each of the tribes in the country. The king skims money to build fancy hotels and to buy fleets of fancy cars and to generally live a lavish and privileged lifestyle, to the complete detriment of his subjects.

    Today the plan was to continue driving north through Swaziland, cross the border back into South Africa, visit Matsamo Cultural Village, have lunch there, and then continue to White River which is near Kruger National Park.

    Less than an hour into our 3-hour drive to the border, the front brakes on the van began to smoke. We pulled over to assess our options. Colette waved at a big tour bus (Gate 1 company) to warn them that we were on the side of the road. The bus driver thought she meant we were in trouble, so to our amazement, they stopped because tour people always help out one another. As it turns out, the driver, Sam, and Behki had done tours together before, and the tour director, Anna, knew Behki’s company well. The six of us jumped onto their bus and continued on because they were also going to Matsamo. Behki stayed with the bus. We got through customs with Anna leading the way and went immediately to Matsamo which actually straddles the border between Swaziland and South Africa.

    Some of the people on the bus got to see a black mamba snake. Cool!

    The Swati people gave us a tour of their little village and explained some of their cultural practices. The chief can have many wives. The current chief has two wives and has sired 15 children by the first wife and 10 children by the second wife. The young lady who did the commentary is a child of the first wife. Then they put on a delightful show of dancing and singing. Colette and Sue joined in the dancing and singing of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The people of Matsamo are known world-wide for their choral singing with its fabulous harmonies. Their rendition of Amazing Grace was fabulous. Afterwards, they served us a lovely luncheon.

    We climbed back on the big bus for a 3-hour ride to Whiteriver. We passed through a very important agricultural area known for growing oranges, macadamia nuts, cashews, avocados, mangos and pineapples. The lumber industry is big here too - harvesting eucalyptus and pine trees. We are staying at the Country Boutique Hotel. It’s a lovely place - the people on the bus were mightily impressed! The grounds are beautifully landscaped, and we have found the staff to be kind and helpful. We bunked out by the pool to enjoy the last of the day’s sunshine and warmth and to celebrate our incredibly good fortune. We had a beautiful, tasty buffet dinner here with warm malva pudding and crème caramel for dessert. Both were excellent.

    A new van will be here for us in the morning. We have a full day tomorrow as we head to Kruger National Park.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    1
    Day 17

    May 22 - Panorama Route

    May 22, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Our plan for today was to drive the Panorama Route which is a scenic road connecting several cultural and natural points of interest. The route, steeped in the history of South Africa, is in Mpumalanga province, centred around the Blyde River Canyon, the world's third largest canyon.

    Our first stop was to be God’s Window, a vantage point on the Drakensberg Escarpment where the cliffs drop 700 metres from the vantage point. On a clear day, visitors can see clear to the Mozambique border. We were going to combine seeing that vista with a short hike through an indigenous forest, but it was not to be. The fog was very thick, and we wouldn’t have been able to see anything.

    There was a stop called Pinnacle Rock nearby that wasn’t fogged in that Behki had never been at, so we took a chance on it. Behki is going to recommend it as a great option for future tours. The views were fabulous; it was easy to access; and there was a great little market there.

    Next stop was Bourke's Luck Potholes which is a series of natural geological formations that were formed by centuries of water flowing through the landscape. The potholes occur where the Treur River joins the Blyde River at the start of the Blyde River Canyon. In a continuous manner, the force of the water in these two rivers, combined with the particles of sand and rock that the rivers' transport, wears cylindrical potholes into the sandstone bedrock. Fabulous! A geologist’s dream!

    Next stop was Three Rondavels. This phenomenon is named after small, grass huts called rondavels due to its remarkable resemblance. The shapes are due to erosion of softer limestone, leaving harder quartzite behind. The Bapedi knew these formations as the Chief and his three wives. The flat-topped peak was named Mapjaneng ('the chief') after a legendary Bapedi chief, Maripi Mashile, who defeated invading Swazis in a great battle near here. The three peaks are named after his three wives – Magabolie, Mogoladikwe and Maseroto.

    Our last stop was Blyde River Canyon – It is part of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is carved out of nearly 2,5 km of red sandstone. Also known as the Motlatse Canyon, it is the third largest canyon on Earth and is situated below the confluence of the Blyde ('joy') and Treur ('sorrow') rivers. The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is carved out of of red sandstone and is one of South Africa's most remarkable geological features. Also known as the Motlatse Canyon, it is the third largest canyon on Earth. Fabulous views on this clear, calm day.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 17

    May 22 - Evening Game Drive

    May 22, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We hustled our way from the Panorama Route to Kapama Private Game Reserve. We had just enough time to check in and get our cameras ready for our 4:00 p.m. game drive. See a later post for photos of this fabulous place.

    Our spotter for our game drive was Tony who sat perched on a jump seat over top of the front left headlight on the safari vehicle. Harry, our driver, proved to be an expert at traversing the hilly, rutted unpaved roads. When it got dark, he swung a bright spotlight, left and right, left and right, looking for the light to bounce off the eyes of the animals.

    We saw eland and Zazu, the bird from the Lion King. On our way into the park, we had seen a mother giraffe and her 4-day old baby. So very sweet.

    And then we saw elephants – a bull and a baby. The baby elephant flapped his ears and his trunk and pretended to charge at us, all in an effort to appear ferocious. The main word we used to describe him was “cute”. It was the most adorable display of natural wildlife and one we will all remember.

    We stopped for a sundowner – drinks and snacks just as the sun went down on another exciting and informative day in South Africa. We didn't add any more animals to our BRELL count, but that's okay. We'll try again tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 18

    May 23 - Morning Game Drive

    May 23, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Up at 5:00 a.m. On safari at 6:00 a.m., again with Tony as our spotter and Harry as our driver and tracker. We learned how to expertly duck left, duck right, duck down as branches came close. Some of them have incredibly long and sharp needles on them.

    A couple of times, we had to go off-road to get around fallen trees on the road. And Tony had to pull out his machete occasionally. Elephants pull up trees and small animals build their homes under the tree. Then bigger animals eat them; bigger yet animals eat them, and then the lions and leopards finally eat the biggest ones in the food chain.
    In short order, we saw a giraffe and a zebra. And then zebra with an impala. Then a lone male buffalo who had been kicked out of his herd because he was too slow to keep up with their movements. We saw Zazu, the beautiful black and white bird again. So regal looking.

    We stopped for our morning coffee. Always a pleasure to have a wee drink, relive the great sightings we had already had, and plot our strategy for finding leopards! We really want to be able to say that we saw all of Africa’s Big Five.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 18

    May 23 - Kapama River Lodge

    May 23, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Kapama River Lodge is one of several lodges on Kapama Private Game Reserve, encompassing some 15,000 hectares immediately west of Kruger National Park.

    The buildings are fabulous with their extensive use of natural materials. The staff are warm and attentive. The food is excellent, and to our delight, the drinks are included. Chris, our assigned waiter, has come to know each person's preferences.

    Sylvia and Colette had a wonderful day at the spa. They raved about the quality of the treatments, the genteel service and the pretty surroundings.

    Enjoy the pictures!    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 18

    May 23 - Evening Game Drive - Lions!

    May 23, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    At 4:00 p.m., we headed out for another evening game drive, this time with Michael as our driver and tracker. Harry is fighting a bad case of tonsilitis.

    A mischievous monkey was our first sighting. Then we saw impala. We saw fresh rhino poop, but Michael said that the rhinos were probably in the bush because of the breezy conditions. Rhinos have poor eyesight, so they have to depend on their hearing and their sense of smell. They retreat to the bush when the wind causes confusing sounds and smells.

    And then, to our delight, we saw lions! Our count went up to four out of five on the Big Five sighting chart! We saw a couple of females, and then we saw a teenager lion lying on the ground with a very distended belly (he had just finished eating a kill), and then we saw a huge male. What a glorious sight! He nonchalantly sauntered down the road, and finally went off into the undergrowth.

    Then we saw a hyena and a black backed fox. Hyena like to track and stalk leopards, so seeing them was a good sign that there might be leopards in the area. We vowed to look again tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth Africa May 2023
    Day 19

    May 24 - Morning Game Drive

    May 24, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We set out again at 6:00 a.m. with Tony and Michael, determined to revisit the area where we had seen the hyena last night.
    We saw a female and a male lion. We saw impala. We saw rhinos. We saw a blue duiker – the second smallest in the antelope family.

    When we stopped for morning coffee, a solo hippo watched us with his big eyes from the nearby pond. The warm sun burns their skin and makes them susceptible to infections, so they tend to stay almost totally submerged during the day time.

    We saw a wonderful sight of both giraffes and zebras together. They often team up and spend the night in a field, offering mutual protection against predators.

    We stopped by a huge termite hill - these termites aren't the kind that eat wood. They eat fallen leaves and bits of vegetation and create compost that benefits the plants around the hill.

    We didn't see the elusive leopard, so we are going to start our afternoon game drive at 3:00 p.m. rather than 4:00 p.m. in hopes of a sighting.    Read more

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