We had started our autumn trip through the Kruger National Park up in the far north of the reserve at Shingwedzi, and after three fantastic days there it was time to move camp again, heading south to tiny Orpen Rest Camp in the central regions of the Park.
We were in for a long drive down at leisurely game-viewing pace, stopping en-route at Mopani, Letaba and Satara to stretch our legs.
Very near Orpen we received a nice reward for a long day of driving, encountering a beautiful cheetah just as dusk was descending over the lowveld.
Having spent most of the previous day in the car, on the 30th of April we decided to take only short morning and evening drives and spend the hotter hours of the day relaxing in the camp.
We’ll dedicate a special post to the Orpen Rest Camp in another blogpost, but for now just a quick introduction. We spent two nights at Orpen, in the very spacious Oasis Cottage (number 15) right in the corner of the camp, with a clear view of Orpen’s famous waterhole (which is floodlit at night, and you can follow the action live via a webcam!). Enjoying an early morning cup of coffee and a rusk or two on the veranda and watching first a pair of leopard and then a pair of lion walk past within half-an-hour was undeniably one of the highlights of our visit! The game viewing in the general vicinity of the camp is always excellent, though the road network near camp is rather limited.
Come May Day, and it was time to head on again, to Berg-en-Dal in the far south-west of the Park.
Misty Orpen sunrise
DeWetsWild 
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Amazing photos and travelogue once again! 🙂
It makes us glad to know that you enjoyed it Linda, thank you!
Stretching elephant just made me smile 🙂 So many wonderful photos of so many animals I have never even heard of. Visiting your blog always is fun and educational!
And it is always so nice to see you around here at de Wets Wild, Stacy. Thank you!
Love the stretching elephant 🙂
Thanks P J B!
Forgot great capture of one of the tuskers of the park…
We were thrilled to see Masthulele again Bulldog!
But I missed a fantastic photo – as we approached he was standing in a clearing right next to the road when a delivery vehicle raced past him. In agitation he swung his head from side to side, those massive ivory pillars swooshing through the air and dust flying from his flapping ears, before turning to go hide in the mopanies…
Hell I forgot… Lake Panic had one King fisher and that was all, this is most unusual, the dam at Lower Sabie… the birds were conspicuous by their absence…
That’s a very interesting, if disturbing, observation Bulldog. Perhaps the refurbishing of the restaurant at Lower Sabie could explain why the birds there have dispersed, hopefully temporarily, but for the rest I have no clue.
We stayed at Shingwedzi, Orpen and Berg-en-Dal and didn’t notice the same though as all three camps had plenty of birdlife to keep us entertained during the hotter hours spent in camp. All-in-all we ticked over 130 birdspecies in the eight days we spent there between 26 April and 3 May – including a great white pelican and osprey!
Just got back from a trip myself… KNP looks good obviously lots of rain has fallen in the park, but what was too noticeable for me was Lower Sabie, Skukza, Crocodile bridge and Pretoriuskop camps, I fond no birds to photograph… not even a common old weaver… these camps have always been over run by birds at the restaurants.. Their absence is too obvious… I wonder what has happened or what has the parks people done????
I agree with M-R’s comment above. We are indeed lucky to have your posts to journey along with you. I look forward to your next photos. Also, you always do a great job with the photo challenges.
Thanks so much Patricia! We’re very lucky to have people like you willing to join us on our travels!
Another marvellous set of galleries ! – how lucky we are, we house-bound faraways, to have the benefit of your posts ! I thank you very much indeed ! 🙂
Thank you for the encouragement Margaret-Rose, it is nice to feel appreciated! We’re mad about our bush and wildlife and it’s wonderful to be able to share it with other passionate people!
Dit interesseer my nou. Neem jul elke keer die fotos op daardie tydstip of is dit oues wat ook gebruik word.
Behalwe vir die laaste foto, wat vroegoggend op 1 Mei geneem is toe ons van Orpen af vertrek het, is al die fotos in hierdie blogpost op die 29ste en 30ste April geneem Ineke 😉
Pragtig, dis lekker om sulke mooi natuurlike geleenthhede te kan benut! Maak my sommer jaloers.
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