randombirder

The first day inside the park and the sense of anticipation was palpable. The aim was obviously to see as much as possible but to also complete the 'big six' traditionally made up of elephant, African buffalo, leopard, lion, white rhino and our addition of wild dog. Entry into the park was relatively straight-forward comprised of form-filling, passport and car checks. The freedom of self-driving is such an exhilarating experience. None more so than having the opportunity to find your own animals.  It was therefore an incredible moment that within a few minutes of entering the park, four wild dog were encountered by the roadside. Three dogs remained in position to the left of the road while another on the opposite side was far more active. The Phalaborwa to Letaba road was particularly rewarding with stunning landscapes and plenty of opportunity to stop and view at opportune moments. Regular wildlife encounters such as those below were typical of our drive through the park alth...

Sadly it was time to leave the hotel which felt all too soon, but we were on our way to Kruger National Park. The first stop was Phalaborwa located to the west (outside the park boundary) and roughly at the mid-point of the parks' longitudinal extent (around 220 miles). We drove straight to our accommodation for the following two nights meeting Dave, the owner of the excellent  Sunbird Lodge , a mere five-minute drive to Phalaborwa Gate.  Half the day had already passed, so we were reluctant to head into the park. Instead, Dave advised us to visit  Kambuka  set alongside the imperious Olifants River that had swelled after the recent heavy rainfall. And what a place this was - initially planning to spend a couple of hours over lunch, we decided to spend the rest of the day there. The lodge had a bar and restaurant, but it was practically empty but for a few tourists passing through.  So we just sat, ate, watched the water rush by and ate some more. On the opposit...