25. - 28.09.2019 | Greater Krueger Park - Timbavati Game reserve
Arrival at Eastgate airport. After hiring a car I leave the airport in the direction of Timvati - Nkhulu Gate. Travel time about 30 minutes (about 18 KM). From Nkhulu Gate I follow the sand road for another 18 KM and arrive at the first station Kings Camp. The lodge is located in the over 53.000 hectare Timbavati Game Reserve, which adjoins the Kruger Park. Since there are no fences between the areas, the animals can freely move around here. The game drives take place daily, in the morning and in the late afternoon.
Already on arrival at the lodge there is a herd of elephants at the nearby waterhole. First game drive in the Landcruiser in the late afternoon. My Guide Grant and the Tracker Albert will be my companions for the time in Tmbavati. We accompany the elephants a bit, a young one has malformed ears - they run inwards and not outwards. Elephants use their ears to cool body temperature by using their ears. In the middle of the action, a Taney Eagle pushes from the sky and shoots a hare. We are looking for a leopard and will actually find it. A three year old female hiding in the bushes with a slain Dyker (a dwarf antelope) - Little Miss Sunset. My first sundowner with gin and tonic - finally Africa!
First morning in Africa - looking for signs with Albert. We heard about a pack of wild dogs that are supposed to be nearby. In the middle of the way a handsome rhino bull - slowly the sun rises. Lion roar in the distance! We are lucky and Albert showed all his skills - the wild dogs are in the middle of the bush. About 8-10 juveniles pulled together and nestled close together, they rest. Not far away are the adults. Wild dogs are among the endangered animals - they are about to die out. There are not many of them anymore - what luck and hope to see the kittens. We return to the lodge, encounter various antelopes and giraffes. Looking forward to the upcoming breakfast and I can not wait to go back to the bush! In the afternoon we start again and search for the wild dogs for a long time. Then finally the first traces on the ground and we meet the dogs. They chased a leopard that does not hesitate and climbs to the next tree. From above, he watches the pack suspiciously. Out of nowhere the dogs start to run and pursue an Impala - we follow them as well as possible and after a wild ride we can see how the antelope is killed by the dogs and immediately starts to eat them. A deafening chirping and a high barking penetrates the bush and attracts a first hyena. A wild fight begins - the dogs keep the upper hand. But soon a second hyena comes - the pack lets go and breaks up quickly. What an observation! I am full of adrenalin and full of happiness about this extraordinary sighting. Evening by the fire with wild adventure stories.
A new morning in Africa. The loud roar of the lions has been heard all night. We break up quickly and go searching. Two male lions are said to be near the lodge. Despite a long search, we are unsuccessful. A small group of elephants comfort us on the way back. In the distance we see a fish eagle and we look forward to a hot coffee and breakfast at the lodge. For breakfast, a large herd of elephants join us. I count 24 animals. It is getting warmer and I can not wait to get out in the bush. We leave in the afternoon - I made out with Grant and Albert that we are looking for the lions. Instead, we find ourselves in the middle of the big herd of elephants again. A humming and whirling around us. Very little kittens, young bulls and full-grown mothers. What a colorful hustle and bustle at the waterhole! Albert leads us to a young leopard - calm and looking around, he sits half-lying on a termite mound. Further along the way we see an old rhinoceros bull accompanied by a young male bull. It is not uncommon for the young bulls to join an old adult bull. The big one does it, the boy learns. The licking of an old dead tree and the rubbing of the trunk are among the rituals of every bull to stake his territory. Naughty and full of pleasure the old bull stretches out his tongue at us. Tomorrow the last day in Timbavati - the evening spent with Grant and many stories from the bush by the fire.
Last morning in Timbavati. We are looking for the wild dogs - an attempt to see the dogs again, which I will never forget with my stay in Timbavati. We are looking for a long, long time. We follow the trail to nothing ... We give up. Out of nowhere, a dog appears next to the vehicle. Then another and another - the whole pack comes together. We accompany the dogs until they run excitedly around a tree and bark loudly in high tones. The pack has committed a hyena. It sits in panic and fearful look with the back to the tree and tries to defend herself. It sits half in a hole and has a good, safe position. Soon the dogs let go of the Hyana and run fast foot to a nearby river. There, the young animals are fooled around and rested. In the distance you can see elephants. What a farewell to TImbavati!
29.09.2019 - 03.10.2019 | Marakele national park
With a stopover for one night at Kings Walden Lodge I drive the next day about 5 hours without staying in the direction of Marakele National Park. Marataba Mountain Lodge is set in 23,000 acres of private land surrounded by the majestic Waterberg Mountains, in the heart of Limpopo's Marakele National Park. Contrasting mountain ranges, grassy hills and deep valleys characterize the landscape of the Waterberg region. Here in Marataba are twice a day game viewing undertaken. In the area there is a river overflow, the Phython dam, which is about two kilometers long and in some places up to a hundred meters wide. There is a boatdrive at sunrise and one at sunset.
Marataba Mountain & Safari Lodges
What a view! The lodge is set amidst the mountainsides, the five eco-suites offer a fantastic view directly into the wide plain. I leave for the first drive into the bush in the afternoon. In addition to the dry grasslands, there are always green islands that nestle against the river. A completely different picture to TImbavati. There are many rhinos and elephants that I meet with numerous on the first trip. In the evening, an excellent dinner by the open fire.
I wake up with the first light and look directly from the bed into the wide, flat land, framed by the Waterberg Mountains. What a view. We leave at about six o'clock with Kim our Guide, with the sunrise. A large herd of African buffaloes barricades our way and the old ones look grim. Past a rhino bull, we search for traces of a leopard. But here in Marataba it is much harder to find a leopard. If we could follow the tracks in Tmbavati directly into the bush, it is only allowed to drive on the given routes. In the afternoon, the second drive and another attempt to find the cats. In the distance we hear the alarming cries of the monkeys - even a giraffe looks attentively in one direction. We seek out the environment, because the monkey screaming usually indicates a carnivore. In fact, we find two young lions - siblings lying lazily in the shade. After a short while we continue towards the river and stop at the shore - hippos curiously stretch their heads out of the water. On the way back we find a few cheetah tracks on the ground, but remain unsuccessful and return to the Mountain Lodge with a beautiful sunset home.
Before I change from the mountains to the Safari Lodge in the valley, there is a boat trip on the Python Dam. Early in the morning we start in the direction of water. But first we want to check the Cheetahs again. There are two male animals and one female with two cubs that have been sighted nearby. We find all animals - even if the males are at some distance from the female. All lie flat on the ground in the shade of the bushes - we use the time-out to drive to the boat. It's a nice, quiet ride across the channel, past Zebras, Kudus - many birds and Hippopotamus in the water. In conclusion to the ride, we look past the cats. One of the male sneaks into the back of a small group of Kudu antelopes and launches an attack. The hunt is unsuccessful - although Cheetahs are among the fastest mammals, their endurance for speed is only very short. The Cheetah catches the leg of one of the antelopes, but can not hold it and has to give up. We return home, saying goodbye to an old bull Elephant on the way.
I move to the valley. The main house is located directly on a water hole. Giraffes pay us a visit - Impalas and Bushbucks walk freely around the grounds. The suites are separate and extremely luxurious with a fantastic view of the water. My new companion is Scott and thanks to his experience, we soon find the young Lion couple right on the bank of the river. On the opposite side, the Lion mother is hunting for a Waterbuck - the loud alarming shouts of others scare away the loner and make the hunt to a halt. The two young Lions try to get to the mother but have to cross the river. They do not like it - with a grim look and growling, the Lion plunges into the water and comes to the other shore. The Lioness does it to him and is eagerly awaited on the shore. We also cross the river and accompany the two of them for a while, until the sun goes down. With this experience we return home and are surprised by a dinner by the open fire for everyone - stories are narrated and new friendships are made.
I wake up from the roaring of a Lion early in the morning, jump out of bed into my pants, and meet Scott in front of the suite. He is excited and explains that the two dominant territory male Lions are back in Marataba. We leave immediately and go in search of the two lions with the black mane. We are unsuccessful - the Bigboys are not to be found. instead we find the Cheetah mother with the little ones near a tree. We also spend the afternoon searching for the two Lions. Instead, we meet two young Elephants playing in the water at the river - what a spectacle! We stay long and break back to the lodge as soon as it gets dark. On the way back we come across two Black Rhinos and a Civit in the dark.
The last day we drive directly to the Cheetahs, the Lions are not to be found. We stay with the cats for a long time and I say goodbye to Marekele and Marataba.
03.10. - 06.10.2019 | Madikwe Game Reserve
The journey time from Marataba Gate, passing the border with Botswana, to Wonderboom Gate in Madikwe is about 3 hours. Inside the park, it's another 20 minutes to Tuningi Safari Lodge. The malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, located in the northern province, is one of the youngest and with 75,000 hectares the fourth largest game reserve in South Africa, directly on the border with Botswana. In the east, the Marico River and in the south the Dwarsberg Mountains form the border. The terrain consists of wide grass and bush planes, interrupted by individual island mountains.
On the first game drive, we drive past a cascading water hole and see a collection of different animals, ranging from several old bull elephants, an old giraffe male, we meet a stately old lion - amazing, as all here are close together. In the distance, a power line can be seen and the nearby highway can be heard. An entirely different, very realistic picture. We drive deeper into the park - and watch a small group of four lionesses lying lazily in the diminishing sunlight. Close by, several giraffes look alarmed in the direction of the lions. Aware of the danger, the giraffes are getting closer and closer to the predators. One of the lionesses sneaks in the direction of the giraffes and makes a fool of pretending an attack. The lioness makes clear who this boss is. We return home and look forward to the evening in the lodge.
With the sunrise we drive out into the bush, past the antelopes and zebras in search of the cats. In fact, we find a cheetah - stay for a moment and continue on our way soon. Two rhinoceros bulls fight for supremacy on the wayside and we are amazed how fast the animals move and what sounds they make in a fight. In the afternoon we stop at a water hole - lonely a dry tree stands in the landscape. Wind comes up and a small dust vortex arises and envelops the tree. In the distance, a rhino trudges past. We say good night to the lion in the last sunlight. Then dinner with singing by the open fire.
We spend the beginning of the day with the search for a leopard. Unfortunately, we are unsuccessful, the area is large and difficult to find the tracks. We visit a small Hyaene family, sleeping in the sun near the hole in the ground. In the afternoon, we completely unexpectedly meet a black rhino bull. The black rhinos are a dying species and it is rare to see them so close. Most of them are much more aggressive and shy than their relatives, the White Rhinos. Then finally we get the message via radio that a leopard was found. It is a young male animal, about 2 years old and in the best condition. In the sunset it walks through the thicket to find a place for a short sleep.
My last morning in Africa - a spectacular sunrise. A short drive through the countryside with a red ball on the horizon. My heart is heavy and I must say goodbye to my beloved Africa.