Tag Archives: picnic spots

Enjoying a sunnier Royal Natal

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Good evening from a much drier Royal Natal National Park, where we used the opportunity provided by the shining sun to explore some of the myriad trails that traverses this beautiful piece of earth, enjoying scenes like this along the Mahai stream.

royal-natal-21dec16-wp

Tomorrow we’re heading for the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, and may not be able to post regular updates until we get back home to Pretoria (though we will try). If you don’t hear from us again before then, here’s wishing all our friends at de Wets Wild a blessed Christmas!

 

 

Dinokeng Game Reserve

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When I was planning a quick weekend getaway for our milestone tenth wedding anniversary, I was looking for a destination we’ve not visited before, within easy driving distance of Pretoria in case Joubert still had to attend classes in the morning, and that Marilize would never guess as I wanted it to be a surprise. Dinokeng Game Reserve fitted the bill perfectly, but even now I still can’t believe just how much this place exceeded my every expectation!

As promised, we’ll give a bit of an overview of the reserve and share some of what we saw and experienced during our first visit to Dinokeng. Having been used as farmlands for so long before the reserve’s founding, I expected there to be little left of the pristine natural vegetation that would have occurred here centuries ago, but I couldn’t have been further off the mark. The reserve’s vegetation is typical varied bushveld (savanna) on a flat to gently undulating landscape, drained by three large streams and their tributaries. The Tswana name “Dinokeng” translates to “a place of rivers” in English, and obviously the name is well deserved.

Wilderness Way entrance into Dinokeng Game Reserve and the Self-Drive Route
Dinokeng Scenery
Dinokeng Scenery
Track through Dinokeng Game Reserve
Dinokeng Scenery
Track through Dinokeng Game Reserve
Dinokeng Scenery
Dinokeng Game Reserve Scenery
Dinokeng Sunset
Dinokeng Sunset

For a relatively newly established reserve, the list of recorded bird species found at Dinokeng, already over 350 species strong, is phenomenal! We managed to connect with 74 kinds of birds during our weekend visit and have no doubt that more proficient birders would have had an even longer list at the end of theirs.

Woodland Kingfisher
Male Southern Masked Weaver
Hadeda Ibis
Red Bishop
Grey Heron
Ostrich juvenile
Ostrich family
Namaqua Dove
Spotted Flycatcher
Egyptian Geese family
Three-banded Plover
Marsh Sandpiper
Purple Heron
Purple Heron, slowly approaching a nesting pair of Whistling Ducks
Little Grebe on its nest
Rufous-naped Lark
African Wattled Lapwing chick
African Wattled Lapwing adult
Groundscraper Thrush
Diederik Cuckoo
Ostrich female on a nest

Dinokeng’s mammalian inhabitants are obviously flourishing. Of the “Big 5” we only managed to see White Rhinos, though we found ample evidence of the reserve’s three Lion prides in the remains of their kills. The Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes and Leopards will have to wait for our next visit then. Sightings of Impala, Kudu, Warthog, Plains Zebra, Blesbok and Blue Wildebeest were numerous, with rarer glimpses of Cheetah, Tsessebe, Eland, Waterbuck, Nyala, Springbok, Grey Duiker, Giraffe, Banded Moongoose, Black-backed Jackal and Vervet Monkey adding variety to our game drives.

Kudus
Impala ram
Plains Zebra
Banded Mongoose
Warthog
Tsessebe
Blue wildebeest
Eland
Impala ewes
Curious Kudu youngster
Giraffes
Nyala bull
Nyala calf
White Rhino
Kudu
Kudu
Blesbok

Dinokeng Game Reserve boasts more than 30 different accommodation providers, ranging from rustic camping areas to luxury, full-service lodges. For our first visit to the reserve we had the pleasure of staying at OuKlip Game Lodge, deep inside the reserve, where eight fully self-contained safari tents (rated 4-stars) provide very comfortably for two to four guests each. We were immediately taken in by the great facilities in the tents and camp as a whole, not forgetting the warm hospitality of the owners and staff, and have already decided that OuKlip will be our preferred base for future visits to Dinokeng as well. I think what I will most remember about our tent, number one, was the two magnificent sunsets we enjoyed from the veranda! Contact Marilize if you’d like to make reservations at OuKlip; it is sure to be one of Dinokeng’s most popular retreats.

Entrance to OuKlip Game Lodge
OuKlip’s farmyard is a hit with the young ones!
OuKlip’s luxury safari tents (in Dinokeng Game Reserve)
Quality time spent around the campfire
Lots of smaller animals to entertain at OuKlip
Habituated antelope, like this nyala bull, roam freely through the bush at OuKlip

The Dinokeng Game Reserve was officially opened in September 2011, following the amalgamation of 200 private properties, and is managed co-operatively with the provincial government. Visitors to Dinokeng should remember that this is still a developing reserve and that there remains a lot of work to do to remove old farming infrastructure, derelict buildings and fences, and that a few public roads, with associated traffic, crosses through the reserve. It is the only game reserve with free-roaming populations of the “Big 5” in Gauteng Province, South Africa’s economic hub. Today it covers 185km², with plans for further expansion. The Self-Drive Route covers large areas of the reserve, and most of the over 100km of track is good enough to traverse in a sedan. Along the way visitors will find picnic sites (with toilets), hides and viewpoints, and several restaurants (we can honestly recommend the Kingfisher Restaurant at Mongena). Overnight guests and day visitors can also join guided drives and walks from many of the reserve’s private lodges. Other exhilarating activities available inside the reserve includes cultural tours, hot air ballooning and microlight flights, fishing, clay-pigeon shooting, boat cruises and spas. The “Safari Mall” stocks basic groceries and baked goods and also offers a fuel station and bottle store.

Dinokeng Game Reserve is easily accessed from the Hammanskraal offramp from the N1-highway heading north, around half-an-hour from Pretoria.

Dinokeng is located just north of Pretoria and easily accessible.

Dinokeng is located just north of Pretoria and easily accessible.

 

 

Addo’s Diversity

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Addo Elephant National Park must be one of South Africa’s most diverse wild places, a fact really brought home as the plane flew over the Park on our way back to Johannesburg. What follows is just a selection of photos taken on a 24-hour working visit to Addo last week!

(I’ve shared pictures of Addo’s elephants and lions in seperate posts)

Addo scenery
Pied Crow
Addo scenery
Addo scenery
Bokmakierie
Jackal Buzzard
Helmeted Guineafowl
Kudu cow
Warthog mudbath
Plains zebra
Cattle egret
Black-backed jackal
South African Shelduck pair
Black-headed Oriole
Addo scenery
Lichens
Lesser Striped Swallow
Rodent in its thorny fortress
Cape Crow
Red Hartebeest and Zebra sharing grazing
Red Hartebeest
Leopard Tortoise
Leopard Tortoises
Old buffalo bull
Sharing the waterhole
Sharing the waterhole
Red Hartebeest
Black-headed Heron
Addo Elephant National Park scenery
Addo from the air

 

Addo Elephant National Park, managed by South African National Parks, is located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, within easy reach of the city of Port Elizabeth’s modern airport along the recently upgraded N2 highway.

addo-location

Return to Kgaswane

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Joubert and I have been planning a father-and-son camping trip to beautiful Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, and invited a few other dads and their sons to join us there this past weekend. It’s amazing just how quickly a weekend in the fresh mountain air surrounded by amazing scenery can fly past, especially when you have good company! I am also happy to report that we didn’t miss out on Kgaswane’s majestic sable antelope this time! Have a read here to learn more about Kgaswane.

Kgaswane scenery
This time we had good views of the magnificent sable antelope for which Kgaswane is so well known
Kgaswane scenery
Mixed herds congregating in the vlei
Kgaswane scenery
Kgaswane scenery
Kgaswane scenery
Kgaswane scenery
Kgaswane scenery
Kgaswane scenery
Alert kudu cow
Impala ram
Impala ram
Kgaswane scenery
Eland
This time we had good views of the magnificent sable antelope for which Kgaswane is so well known
This time we had good views of the magnificent sable antelope for which Kgaswane is so well known
Kgaswane scenery towering above a herd of sable antelope
Full moon over Kgaswane
Kgaswane sunrise
Camping at Kgaswane, October 2016
Kgaswane sunrise
Red Hartebeest on the run, totally ignoring the speed limit!
Mountain Reedbuck at full speed
Mountain Reedbuck
Kgaswane is home to the rare Oribi

Enjoying the first Spring Rains at Rietvlei

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This past weekend allowed us our first brief escape from city life of the new season. Our day at Rietvlei Nature Reserve was blessed with the first, and very welcome, rainfall of Spring, although accompanied by a terribly windy cold front which put an early end to our plans for a nice picnic next to the dam. Happily the reserve’s wildlife came out to greet us in their numbers, despite the inclement weather.

Eland cow
Ostriches silhouetted against dark skies
Plains Zebra
White Rhinoceros
Black-backed Jackal
Springbok ewe and lamb
Black Wildebeest
Egyptian Geese
African Spoonbill
African Sacred Ibis
Black-winged Stilt
Plains Zebra stallion, sporting battle scars
Yellow-billed Duck
Waterbuck bull
Southern Reedbuck
A wet road, with promise of more to come
Northern Black Korhaan
Crowned Lapwing
Springbok on the run through wet grass
A portion of Rietvlei Dam during the downpour

 

Mokala National Park

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The recent Women’s Day long weekend in South Africa allowed us the opportunity to visit Mokala National Park for the first time. Mokala is our country’s newest National Park, and in our opinion one of the most enchanting and underrated!

Mokala was proclaimed a National Park in 2007, and today covers over 28,000 hectares of sandy plains and rocky ridges, with plans to expand further. The Riet River forms a significant part of the Park’s northern border, while artificial water holes are dotted through the rest of the reserve. The thorny woodland vegetation is dominated by iconic Camel Thorn (Mokala in Tswana) and Umbrella Thorn (Mosu in Tswana, Haak-en-Steek in Afrikaans), with extensive areas of open grasslands. The Park gets an average of only around 400mm of rainfall annually, most of it in summer, when temperatures can soar into the forties on the Celsius scale. Temperatures on winter nights on the other hand often falls below freezing, which we can certainly vouch for having seen the Stofdam entirely frozen over on our last morning at Mokala.

Umbrella thorn with sociable weaver nest
Mokala sunrise
Small waterhole
Mokala road
Mokala landscape
Mokala sunrise
Mokala landscape, near Lilydale
Tsessebe at a windpump near Mosu
Mokala road and sociable weaver nest
Mokala landscape, with a lone blesbok
Black wildebeest and umbrella thorn
Open grasslands near Lilydale
Mokala scenery
Tsessebe in Mokala National Park
Gemsbok in thornveld
Kudu in a vast landscape
Kudu trying to drink from a frozen Stofdam
Mokala scenery

Mokala offers some brilliant visitor facilities. The two main accommodation options are self-catering chalets at Mosu Lodge and Lilydale Rest Camp (with grand views over the Riet River), each located near to one of the Park’s two entrance gates, while Mofele Lodge provides dormitory style accommodation for big groups. Haak-en-Steek Cottage is a private hide-away for small families (more on that in the next paragraph) and Stofdam Hide has four bunks that can be booked for one night at a time. The Park also has a stunning tree house available, with plans afoot to construct more. Each of the sites at the small Motswedi Camping Area provides a private kitchenette and ablution block with shower and toilet. The interpretation centre near Mofele offers fascinating insights into the Park’s history and management. The Park’s gravel road network is in fair condition, and for the most part easily traversable in a sedan. There’s no fuel station in the Park – the nearest is at Modder Rivier, a small town just a few kilometers from the Park. Mosu has only a tiny selection of souvenirs and a few essential groceries for sale, so it is best to stock up on provisions before arriving or to take your meals in Mosu’s excellent restaurant. Mosu also has a small venue for conferences. Two picnic sites cater for the needs of day visitors to the Park. Guided game drives and walks, including visits to San Rock Art sites, accompanied by knowledgeable ranger-guides can be booked through Mosu’s reception, while catch-and-release fly fishing for yellowfish in the Riet River is a popular excursion available from Lilydale.

Lilydale entrance to Mokala
Lilydale setting on the bank of the Riet River
Mokala interpretation centre
Mosu chalet
Mosu Lodge in the Mokala landcape
Mofele Lodge

We stayed at the secluded Haak-en-Steek Cottage, a lovely two-bedroomed unit with gas appliances in the small kitchen and solar powered lighting, in the west of the Park. The cottage has a fantastic view over its own waterhole, especially well frequented in the afternoon and early evening hours by a steady procession of game and birds coming to quench their thirst. A few campsites are available to house additional guests when Haak-en-Steek is booked by larger parties, but it is only ever sold to a single group at a time, offering fantastic privacy. Haak-en-Steek is not surrounded by a fence, and game often moves straight past the cottage on their way to the water.

Turnoff to Haak-en-Steek
Haak-en-Steek Cottage, Mokala National Park, August 2016
Haak-en-Steek is unfenced
Haak-en-Steek is unfenced
Evening mud bath
Gemsbok are regular visitors at Haak-en-Steek in Mokala
Eland and Tsessebe share Haak-en-Steek’s waterhole
A flock of sociable weavers at Haak-en-Steek’s waterhole
Big herd of blue wildebeest at the water
Sunset at Haak-en-Steek cottage

Mokala’s located in the transition zone between the arid west and wetter east of the country, and as such offers a haven to a wide variety of big game in impressive numbers. Black and White Rhinoceros, Buffalo, Giraffe, Plains Zebra and Warthog share the Park with no less than 17 species of antelope: Blue and Black Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Blesbok, Tsessebe, Springbok (including copper-coloured and black specimens), Grey Duiker, Steenbok, Klipspringer, Impala, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Gemsbok (Oryx), Kudu, Nyala, Eland, Mountain Reedbuck and Waterbuck. In fact, the Park really deserves its tagline of “Where Endangered Species Roam”, as it is probably the best place in South Africa to see endangered Tsessebe and Roan Antelope (both of which we’ll feature in more detail soon here at de Wets Wild).

Blue wildebeest
Blue wildebeest
Black wildebeest
Blesbok
Tsessebe at a waterhole in Mokala National Park
Red hartebeest cow standing watch in Mokala
Red hartebeest resting in Mokala National Park
Grey (Common) Duiker
Springbok Ram
Springbok ewe
Copper Springbok
Black Springbok
Steenbok
Impala
Gemsbok on the run
Sub-adult Roan Antelope
Sable antelope in the distance
Buffalo
Impressive kudu bull
Nyala
Imposing Eland bull
Waterbuck cow
Giraffe family
Warthog
Plains Zebra
White Rhinoceros

Visitors should not however keep their eyes open only for the bigger mammals, as Mokala is also home to a wide variety of smaller creatures, many of them rarely seen in other reserves.

Rock monitor lizard on a Mokala road
Vervet monkey drinking at Stofdam
Black-backed jackal scaling a rocky outcrop
Bat-eared fox
Suricates (or meerkats) are frequently seen
Ground squirrels often share their burrow systems with suricates and mongooses
Yellow Mongoose
Scrub Hare at Haak-en-Steek

Although only recently proclaimed, Mokala’s bird list is already over 150 species strong, ranging from the booming population of ostrich to the sociable weavers with their spectacular mansions.

Black-winged Stilt at Stofdam
Northern Black Korhaan
Red-crested Korhaan
Pygmy Falcon at Mosu
Male Ostrich on the run
Fiscal Flycatcher at Haak-en-Steek
Red-headed finch (male)
Karoo Thrush at Lilydale
Familiar Chat
Red-faced Mousebird
Acacia Pied Barbet
Violet-eared Waxbills
Speckled Pigeon
Sociable Weaver
Spotted Thick-knee
African Red-eyed Bulbul

Mokala National Park is located in the Northern Cape Province, approximately 60 to 80km to the south of the historic diamond-mining city of Kimberley, depending on which gate you are heading for, and accessible from the N12 national highway, from which gravel roads leading to the gates at Mosu and Lilydale turn off. These roads are not always in the best condition, but you shouldn’t let that deter you from experiencing the thirst-land paradise that awaits you. We’ve already started planning our next trip to Mokala!

Mokala location

Mokala location

Baobabs and Owls in Mopani

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Inside Mopani Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park grows a most impressive specimen of a Baobab, which has now been selected as a nesting site by a pair of barn owls. During the day they remain well hidden, but during a night-time walkabout we were thrilled to see one of the pair pluck a thick-knee out of the air in mid-flight!

Mopani Baobab
Mopani Baobab
You’d think the sign should not be required…
Mopani Baobab

Kruger Funnies

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Before we get to some of the more dramatic stuff, let’s share a few funny shots taken during our recent winter visit to Satara and Mopani in the Kruger National Park.

“Hi” from Kruger!
Is this how slender mongooses give a “high 5”?
Curious Common Dwarf Gecko
Common Dwarf Gecko – Just look at that smile!
The latest trend in wildebeest hairstyles
Flirtatious Plains Zebra
Old buffalo cow losing more than her hair
Waterbuck with an odd sense of hornstyle
Sweeping views over the Olifants

Olifants Rest Camp, Kruger National Park

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Olifants Rest Camp undoubtedly offers the best views of any of the Kruger National Park‘s camps, situated as it is on a cliff high above the Olifants River in the central regions of the Park. Many guests spend all day on their accommodation unit’s veranda, using their binoculars to scan the river below and the plains beyond for wildlife, or simply soaking in one of the grandest vistas in wild Africa.

Olifants was opened in June 1960, though it was closed for a 16 month period in the early 1970’s after a fire destroyed the reception, restaurant and shop. The cliff-top viewpoint near the restaurant is one of the most popular spots in the entire Park, and during the day is always packed with spectators enjoying the wildlife show along the river banks below. The camp offers guests a choice of 112 accommodation units, ranging from 2 and 3 bed bungalows to two luxurious and very exclusive guest houses that accommodate up to 8 guests each. Some of the accommodation units have been built right on the edge of the cliff, offering guests the most exquisite views, but you have to book a year in advance if you want to secure one of those. The two-bedroomed cottage number 14 is a personal favourite of ours. Olifants also offers guests a Mugg & Bean restaurant (itself with stunning views), a shop, filling station, small meeting room, swimming pool, picnic area for day visitors and guided activities.

Olifants’ clifftop location
Olifants’ clifftop location
Olifants entrance
Olifants viewpoint
Olifants viewpoint
Olifants restaurant
Olifants restaurant
Olifants shop
Stunning views from some of Olifants’ units
Stunning views from some of Olifants’ units
Sweeping views over the Olifants
Olifants Rest Camp, unit 14, December 2015
There aren’t many places with a view like this!
2 Years old: August 2011. Joubert appreciating the view from unit 14 at Olifants
Female Red-winged Starling on her nest at our cottage
Wahlberg’s Eagle hunting from a perch near our cottage
Exclusive Lebombo Guest House
Olifants bungalows
Olifants bungalows
Elephants in the river below Olifants
Elephants in the river below Olifants
Hippo encountered on a night drive from Olifants
The Olifants makig its way through rugged rocks
Sunset over the Olifants
Night over the Olifants

Nearby, tiny Balule is a much more rustic camp offering accommodation in a small camping area and six very basic three-bed huts on the southern bank of the Olifants River. The huts were built in 1930 in the “Selby” style: a rondavel (round hut) without any windows, just a gap all around between the roof and wall for ventilation. The huts share a communal kitchen (with a paraffin freezer) and ablution block, and the same applies to the camping sites. Balule has no electricity and paraffin lamps are used to provide light at night. During the Apartheid years Balule was available only to non-white visitors.

Balule seen from across the Olifants
Balule hut
Balule camping area

Just outside Balule, a low level causeway crosses the Olifants River. The pontoon-crossing that operated over the river since 1929 was replaced by the causeway in 1937, but the old bridge was extensively damaged in the massive floods of January 2012 and had to be rebuilt. The high-span bridge across the same river, on the main tarred H1 route through the Park, lies about 5km due west from Balule and affords visitors the opportunity to stop and stretch their legs while enjoying the views up- and downstream. Both bridges are very popular with guests to Olifants, as they allow close-up views of so many of the river’s denizens.

The old Balule causeway
Balule causeway after the 2012 flood
The rebuilt causeway
Hippo posturing at the Balule causeway
Yellow-billed Stork
Grey Heron
Wood Sandpiper
Egyptian Geese at the Balule causeway
Showing just how the waterbuck got its name!
Sunrise over the Olifants from the Balule causeway
High level bridge over the Olifants
Yellow-billed Kite in low level flypast
View over the Olifants from the high bridge before the 2012 flood
View over the Olifants from the high bridge after the 2012 flood – note how the river bed was scoured clean to the bedrock
View over the Olifants from the high bridge after the 2012 flood – note how the river bed was scoured clean to the bedrock

South of Olifants, the roads initially follow the course of the river before leading down to the Satara-area. Nwamanzi offers more spectacular views over the Olifants, and the open plains south of the river host a huge number and variety of game and birds. Bangu waterhole and the Hlahleni stream crossing on the S90, as well as the Ngotso Weir on the S89, are especially rewarding spots to wait for the herds (and the predators that prey on them) to come and drink.

Just a sliver of light at the back of these kudus
Two very coy young hyenas
Temminck’s Courser
Martial Eagle surveying his landscape
Young kudu bull
Hippos from N’wamanzi Viewpoint
Pod of hippos in the bed of the Olifants
Three-banded Plover
Tattered old bull near Bangu
Lioness along the H1-4 just south of the Olifants River
Bangu waterhole
Giraffe walking away from Bangu in the Kruger Park
Herd of elephants on the dry plains south of Olifants
Ngotso weir
Another pod of hippos at the Ngotso weir
Waterhole at the Hlahleni crossing on the S90
Black-backed jackal

North of Olifants you enter the mopane-dominated northern plains of Kruger. There’s two general options of routes leading northwards from Olifants, both leading to Letaba Rest Camp. The quickest route follows the tarred H8 and H1-5 roads and is often very quiet game viewing-wise, especially once the road turns away from the river. The gravel S44, S93 and S46 roads follows the course of the Olifants and Letaba rivers through some very rocky terrain with several stream crossings and, apart from a lovely viewing point downstream from camp and the historic Von Wielligh’s Baobab, usually also offers lots more wildlife to see.

Hyenas always seem to be on the way to somewhere…
The hippo, the hyena and the waiting tourists
Bold crocodile near Olifants
Begging Serrated terrapins near Olifants
Begging Serrated Terrapin near Olifants
Klipspringer ewe
Two kudu bulls in the bed of the Letaba
Klipspringer in typical habitat
Irritated young buffalo
Pensive baboon
Giraffe in the mopane
Elephant moving through Mopane scrub
Another old timer at Olifants
Here elephants have right of way!
Von Wielligh’s baobab, between Olifants and Letaba in the Kruger Park, in the dry season
Von Wielligh’s baobab in summer
Sunrise from the viewpoint along the S44
Sweeping views over the Olifants
Sunrises and sunsets at Olifants can be spectacular in the extreme
Sunrises and sunsets at Olifants can be spectacular in the extreme
Sunrises and sunsets at Olifants can be spectacular in the extreme
Sunrises and sunsets at Olifants can be spectacular in the extreme

For scenic splendour alone, there’s no other camp in Kruger that can compete with Olifants. Combine that with the camp’s great facilities and excellent game viewing drives in the vicinity, and you’ll understand why it has become a firm favourite with many Kruger visitors.

 

Lower Sabie Rest Camp, Kruger National Park

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Lower Sabie must be the most popular destination in the Kruger National Park. It is exceedingly hard to get a booking here if you don’t book a year in advance. In peak season, even just finding parking to visit the shop or restaurant can be a challenge, as visitors from all over the the southern sections of the Park flock to the camp. The camp’s location on the banks of the Sabie River, in an area of exceptionally high-quality grazing in the south-eastern corner of the Park, ensures that its surrounds is frequented by an astounding variety and number of herbivores and their attending predators, making for game-viewing heaven!

Lower Sabie (22)

The Sabie River got its name from the Shangaan word “saba” meaning fear, probably due to the large number of enormous crocodiles that call the river home. The dam in front of the camp came about after the causeway across the river was built in 1987 (it had to be rebuilt higher after the floods in February 2000).

The first tourist accommodation at Lower Sabie was a 5-bedroom house converted from ranger Tom Duke’s quarters in 1930, but this was demolished again just two years later after becoming dilapidated. The only access to Lower Sabie was via Gomondwane from Crocodile Bridge until the road from Skukuza reached it in 1931. The next attempt at providing guest accommodation at Lower Sabie then commenced in 1936, when three buildings, built in a u-shape and each housing six bedrooms, were erected – these units are still used as accommodation to this day, but has been extensively renovated since. Over the years, more accommodation and a camping site was added to the camp, leading up to an extensive project to revamp and enlarge Lower Sabie in the early 2000’s. Today the camp provides overnight accommodation in 117 huts, bungalows, cottages and safari tents and has space for 34 caravans and tents in its camping area. Lower Sabie’s restaurant (Mugg & Bean), with its deck overlooking the Sabie River, is especially popular. The camp has a well stocked shop for groceries and curios, a fuel station, swimming pool for overnight guests and a day visitors picnic area near the gate. Along the river, in front of the bungalows south of the restaurant, lush lawns and deep shade provided by enormous trees is just the place to spend a lazy afternoon, surrounded by Lower Sabie’s prolific birdlife.

Lower Sabie’s restaurant sen from across the river
The deck at Lower Sabie’s restaurant
Lower Sabie restaurant
Lower Sabie shop
Lower Sabie swimming pool
Lower Sabie picnic area
Lower Sabie cottage 93, December 2015
Lower Sabie bungalows
Lower Sabie bungalows and gardens
Lower Sabie bungalows and gardens
Lower Sabie Tent 26, July 2015
Lower Sabie safari tents
Lower Sabie huts
Lower Sabie huts
Lower Sabie camping area
Beauty in Lower Sabie
Well camouflaged agama
Cape Glossy Starling
Arrow-marked Babbler
Southern Masked Weaver
Spectacled Weaver
Blue waxbill
White-Browed Robin-Chat
Grey Go-away-bird hiding from the heat in a shady Lower Sabie tree
Elephants and impalas mingle on the bank of the Sabie
Crossing the Sabie
Elephant passing right in front of our cottage
Elephant next to the fence
A family of Greater Greater Cane-rat
Night time view from our tent’s deck

We can certainly recommend joining at least one of the guided activities on offer from Lower Sabie, as excellent sightings are almost guaranteed.

All aboard!
Night drive scorpion
The guides are expert at seeing chameleons in the spotlight
African wildcat seen on a night drive from Lower Sabie
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl

Sunset Dam is a brilliant spot just a kilometer from Lower Sabie, and as its name suggests is very popular with visitors whiling away the last minutes before they have to get back to camp in the evening. You can park your vehicle right on the water’s edge, allowing excellent photographic opportunities of hippos, crocodiles, wading birds and herds of game coming to quench their thirst.

Sunset Dam, in daylight
Hippo returning to the water
Yaaaawwwwwnnnnn!
Common sandpiper at Sunset Dam
Yellow-billed Stork at Sunset Dam
Guineafowl hoping for a morsel – don’t be tempted!
Wood sandpiper at Sunset Dam
This crocodile may seem fast asleep, but if anything ventures into the water he’ll be quick to react.
Lurking crocodile
Sunset Dam, at sunset…

Heading north from Lower Sabie along the H10 tarred route to Tshokwane, you’ll encounter the first highlight of this route just minutes after leaving camp. The causeway across the Sabie River is a favourite spot for many visitors, who flock here to enjoy glorious sunsets and an abundance of game and bird species attracted to the water. The plains between Lower Sabie and Tshokwane is home to incredible herds of zebra and wildebeest at the end of winter, and is also an excellent place to look for reedbuck, one of the rarer antelope that occurs in Kruger. Of course, with so many herbivores roaming around it stands to reason that the predators are not far behind. If you, like us, enjoy your game viewing with as little other traffic as possible, try the gravel S29, S122 and S128 loops that turn off the main road as alternatives to explore this area. Two other beautiful places not to be missed is Mlondozi Picnic Spot, overlooking a large dam from Muntshe mountain, and Nkumbe Viewpoint, which offers an exceptional view over the open plains of Kruger.

H10 Causeway at Lower Sabie
H10 Causeway at Lower Sabie
Making waves!
Tigerfish in the Sabie River
Giant Kingfisher hunting from the bridge
Green-backed heron
White-crowned Lapwing on the bridge
Warthogs drinking from the Sabie
Hippo jaw on a Sabie sandbank
Lion love at Lower Sabie
Lion love at Lower Sabie
Warthog
Reedbuck are often seen between Lower Sabie and Tshokwane
Muntshe mountain seen from the north
Hyena on the S29 to Mlondozii
Elephant bull with Muntshe in the background
Mlondozi picnic spot
Mlondozi picnic spot
Mlondozi picnic spot
Zebra crossing a very wet road
Giraffe under heavy skies
African Rock Python just north of Muntshe Mountain
Black-bellied Bustard
Plains zebra
Pearl-spotted Owlet at Mlondozi
Giraffe, with Nkumbe in th background
Klipspringer ewe enjoying the drizzle
Klipspringer ram on Nkumbe
Wet waterbuck
Nkumbe viewpoint
Nkumbe viewpoint
Herd of wildebeest far below Nkumbe viewpoint
Waterbuck at the Mapilini stream just north of Nkumbe
Lower Sabie sunset

The tarred H4-2 Gomondwane Road leading south to Crocodile Bridge is another very productive route for game viewing, though we personally prefer taking the gravel loops running roughly parallel to the main road (S28 Nhlowa Road, S82 Mativuhlungu Loop, S130 Gomondwane Loop and S137 past Duke’s waterhole) as these carry a little less vehicle traffic.

Lower Sabie sunrise
Scrub hares are often seen in the early morning
Kudu crossing the road
Passing close-by!
Leopard tortoise feeding on fresh shoots next to the road
African Green Pigeon
Plains zebra are plentiful along the roads south of Lower Sabie
Plains zebra are plentiful along the roads south of Lower Sabie
Kori bustard, one of the biggest flying birds on earth
Impalas are a regular sight around these parts
Side-striped Jackal
Spotted hyena mother
Excited young elephant
White rhinoceros
Landmark on the S130
Swainson’s Spurfowl
Warthog cooling off in the midday heat
Fight for dominance
Crested Francolin chick
Blue wildebeest

The H4-1 road between Lower Sabie and Skukuza carries more traffic than any other road in Kruger, and not without reason. There’s an excellent chance of seeing all the “big 5” game animals and so much more along this route, which follows the course of the Sabie River, on just one drive. The vegetation along the portion of this road nearer Lower Sabie is much more open than the stretch between Nkuhlu and Skukuza, making for even better game viewing. Keep your eyes open for lions and leopards at the rocks at the Lubyelubye stream crossing about 5km from Lower Sabie, as this is one of their most reliable haunts. Also, don’t miss the short S79 gravel loop that crosses the Nwatimhiri causeway, which is another favourite spot for feline predators. Nkuhlu Picnic Spot is a great place to get out, stretch the legs and have a bite to eat (though beware the monkeys and baboons that hang around here, as they will attempt to steal your picnic if they get even the slightest chance!). The gravel S30 Salitje Road along the northern bank of the river is a wonderful alternative route back to Lower Sabie.

Elephants on the move in the Sabie
Leopard lying in the bed of the Nwatimhiri near Skukuza in the Kruger Park
Buffalo crossing the H4-1
Nkuhlu Picnic Site
Arrow-marked babbler at Nkuhlu
Water Monitor at Nkuhlu
Saddle-billed Stork fishing at Nkuhlu
Elephant cow and calf
Common Duiker ewe
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Baboon
Kudu bull
Lion greeting near Lubyelubye
Rocks at Lubyelubye

If all these photos did not convince you, allow us to reiterate: Lower Sabie IS game-viewing heaven! Remember to book early if you also want to enjoy all it has to offer.