Photographic Safari: Self Drive Tips for Capturing the Big Five

There are pros and cons for paying to go on safari or do your own self drive. When you go on a paid safari, you have the advantage of a trained spotter usually and you don't have to worry about watching the road as you ride along; they are doing that (you hope!) You are also in a vehicle that sits high off the ground and so sometimes you can see things people in a regular passenger car cannot.



This being said, the freedom of a self drive is immense. When you find something, you can sit and watch to your heart's content. If if it something of everyone's interest like a lion for instance, my advice is to turn your vehicle so no one can block your view! If you in a busy park like Kruger during the school holidays there are pluses and minuses. One advantage of going at this time of year is that there are more eyes out spotting the game, though it can get quite hectic when one of the Big Five is spotted. People can get a little crazy so you have to assert yourself and hold your ground. This is one big advantage of a small car: you can quickly zip into a space or move around some big clunky 4 x 4's as needed.

When out driving, and you see a car stopped, backing up etc., slow down and start segmenting the viewing field and looking for it. We were able to spot a leopard in a tree by slowing down, stop, go forward six feet, look around, go forward six more feet and so on. It allows both the driver and passenger to look for what has been spotted.

We also if possible, see which direction the people are looking so we can both be looking in that direction. Before setting out on a game drive, it is advisable to look at the sightings board, and if you can talk to others at the board to see what and where they have seen anything. We go a cheetah report from a man who had seen two cheetah that very morning. We went out looking but were not successful. We did the game drive at about 10-15 km where the cheetah had been spotted which did allow for both of us to be looking.


Another tip is to not just look on the ground; look in the trees especially ones that look like a likely place to find a leopard. Look ahead, something could be crossing the road--the elephants can just suddenly appear on the side of the road. Lions seem to enjoy lying around and if you are lucky it is on the side of the road!

Vultures circling usually indicate a kill somewhere and you can try to follow their path or if they are in a tree, look around so see if you can find something nearby. Prey animals like the impala are worth watching if you see them "alert." They may be sensing one of their predators is in the area and may show themselves!

For more of our pictures of Lions Mating, see
Vicious Lovers: Lions at Dusk, Mating, Then Stalking Off For Their Nightly Hunt at http://www.traveljournals.net/stories/30097.html

Story of Lion's fighting at a Kill, More

Note: More pictures of these events are posted at www.traveljournals.net/rmalone

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Our idea of Adventure Travel is probably tamer than many, but we are having a very exciting time!

Sunrise of our first morning drive from Satara we found lions down, interested in a herd of buffalo who were approaching them. Were we to witness another "Battle at Kruger", made famous on youtube ?


As it turns out, they stopped short of each other but what they did do was very interesting.

(we have tried twice to load a video, will try again when we get to the US 0

After one of the female lions chased off the buffalo, she joined the male and another lion in moving off a short distance to rest.

Then, from stage right, a line of buffalo returned led very strongly by the big bull with his head out and sniffing. When the line of buffalo were almost to the lions, the bull rared around and reversed course, with his herd soon running in reverse in front of him.

So interesting to get to witness this! We are so thankful!




Lion Cubs at a Kill
Over the next several days we were to witness lion behavior around a kill very up close and personal. For more stories and pictures about what was a very unique experience for us, please go to http://www.traveljournals.net/travelers/rmalone/journals/3615/ .

Wild Card and Internet Access in Kruger National Park

Fast Internet in Africa:

We discovered from Letaba Rest Camp Reception in central Kruger National Park that there was internet access in Kruger these days, but only to the south in Skukuza Camp next to the restuarant.

It was much closer to take a "game drive" back out to the town of Phalaborwa when we needed the internet, provided we allowed enough time to make it back before the gate closed.

Phalaborwa, is a mining town and one of the cleanest most modern towns we have found in Africa.

The tourist information office near the gate directed us to the Pick and Pay Shopping Mall accross the street from Woolworths in Phalaborwa. Inside the mall was a very up to date internet shop which rented pretty fast computers and access, but no wi fi.



Wild Card !

The South Africa National Parks International Wild Card (annual national park pass) has been quite useful to us: we bought our Wild Card park pass at Sure Travel Phalaborwa office inside the mall. We bought a couples pass, and it paid for itself in about a week at current exchange rates.

Malaria Test

Robert also got a malaria test at the National Laboratory in Phalborwa and found it was a bacterial infection.

Safari Supplies at Pick and Pay, Woolworths, Spar

We got some comfort food and supplies not found in the surprisingly very good rest camp stores within the park; and used the internet to upload pictures to our pages at www.traveljournals.net/rmalone, and our to this blog, www.malonetravels2.blogspot.com.

Camping outside the Park Gate

Two years ago we were traveling with Jerry and Nadxi, and we spent the night in our tents at a nice backpackers called Elephant Walk. This time we drove straight on into Letaba camp, but when we came back for a day on the internet we spent a night in Phalaborwa with in the Forever Resorts Safari Park which is just outside the Phalaborwa Gate to Kruger. It was more of a camping experience than staying at the backpackers, with warthogs running around when we arrived and strange calls in the night. The camp was newer and less worn than the older camps inside the park, but it did not have electric hotplates to cook on like you find in the large rest camps inside the park. The "Safari Park" did have a luxury showers and "scullery" for washing dishes and getting instant hot water, but no park store or restuarant.

Self Drive on a Budget in Kruger Nationa Park, Wild Card

Camping at Letaba in Kruger National Park


Last time we were in South Africa and Kruger National Park, we had heard about the Wild Card. It is similar to the National Park Pass used in the United States parks. It is good for one year and allows you to enter the parks for an unlimited number of times. The international traveler can only buy the all-park pass but according to my calculations, the pass has paid for itself after the sixth day. The entry fee to the park is $36 per couple per day. If we did not have the Wild Card, the cost of staying in the park would be no longer be budget travel, adding in the cost of the rent car and the camping fee of $17 per couple at the current exchange rate. We bought a pass at the mall in Phaloborwa and than proceeded to the gate.

We got a permit to enter the park and the girl at reception told us if we did not find a space to camp we would have to be out of the park by 5:30 p.m. We thanked her and drove on into the park. There was not much wildlife at that time of day along the stretch of road we were on. We stayed on the paved road because we needed to make time to get to Letaba, check out sites and if necessary, head back to Phaloborwa.

We got to Letaba, and went to reception . Everything was "fully booked" as it was last time except this time, there was no allowing for a small tent by the ablutions block without a reservation. The girl at reception told us there was nothing she could do and we would have to leave the park. Robert suggested I check and see if there was anything available.

Before I could check out that option, the people behind us in line approached us and said they had overheard our conversation. They had two campsites reserved, were using only one, would we like to have their other spot. Would we ever!!! Took their extra spot for the four days they had it reserved for. They suggested we go to reception early in the morning and see if there have been any cancelations at Letaba or any other campground.


We were able to extend our stay at Letaba and make reservations for other campgrounds by checking with reception on various days. The important thing is you must have a exit permit issued by the campground to leave the park. Without this, you are in trouble. Not sure what trouble entails but did not want to find out!

The campsite has two kitchens available for cooking and washing of dishes. The learning curve on the three double hotplates takes a little while, but Robert mastered it! For the early morning game drives one of the nicest things about these camps is the instant boiling water! Makes it quite easy to make a pot of coffee quickly!

In the restrooms, there are two bath tubs on the women's side. I guess it is great for bathing all those small children. They were always in use when I was in there and you could hear the happy sounds of children bathing. There are laundry facilities also but the ablution block we were using did not have a working dryer and one washer was out of commission but since we carry a clothesline with us, there was no problem with that.



There are also huts and rondevals available. There is a park store with a surprising amount of fresh veggies as well as canned goods and meats. That of course is the other ingredient in making a park like this work is cooking your own meals! There is a restaurant if you do wish to treat yourself at some point on the trip.

Car Rental for Kruger Self Drive Safari

We had a rec on Thrifty from JP of Blue-Africa Safaris, the great guy who gave us a ride to Ngepi.

We used Expedia to check their rates, and according to Rob of Shoestrings Airport Lodge backpackers, the rate was great.

The car we got was a four door VW Polo Classic with a "nice boot," a trunk, not a hatchback, which is what we wanted. It also had a standard trans, which we prefer, and air conditioning.












The biggest problem with a passenger car for a self drive is its low clearance, and as we later saw, there were a few places in Kruger we could not go as a consequence.



However, there are miles and miles (kilomoters and kilometers ) of Kruger National Parke where we could, and did, go.

Kasane to Johannesburg / Pretoria transportation options

We looked at many options to get from Kasane to Joburg. There is apparently a long distance bus from Lusaka to Joburg operated by Zambia Botswana Bus Company and others that we could have joined in nearby Kasungula that I had read about before we came, but neither the Kasane tourist office nor the Chobe Safari Lodge front desk had a phone number or schedule.



Karen at Kasane Computers told us about a newly initiated flight by Air Botswana from Kasane to Joburg which sounded attractive but we knew we would have to pay freight for our heavy bags on top of the flight price, so we ruled that one out.



One of the security guards said their was a hitching spot near the Engen petrol station in Kasungula used by hitchers trying to reach Nata and Francistown.




One of the most attractive options we explored was a weekly Saturday an empty tour van with trailer transfer done from Victoria Falls to Joburg by a company we found on the internet called Livingstone Trails. http://www.livingstonetrails.co.za/Transfers/index.html



Though we asked Livingstone Trails in an email if they would pick us up in Kasane they did not ever really say they would. We called them from Kasane Computers and they said they would, but that they did not have a trip that Saturday, so we would have had to stay another week and we were anxious to get on with our plans for our Kruger self drive safari. Livingstone Trails said they stopped in Palapye for the night and accomodation in a tent was included in the price of the transfer, which was around $100 US per person.





We spur of the moment decided to try to take local transportation and do the transfer ourselves.



The mini bus charged us extra for the seats our luggage took up, but we made it fairly comfortabley and safely to Francistown and with the help of the driver and others got loaded on the the bus headed for Gaborone.



Camp Itumela in Palaypye, Botswana
We got off in Palapye not knowing exacly where to a camp was. A taxi driver took us to a couple of guesthouses but none allowed camping. He said there was a camp about 10k's from the bus station and took us there for a big fee but we were glad to pay it, as it was getting dark.



We arrived at the welcoming Camp Itumela, which turned out to be the one used by Livingstone Trails. We stayed an extra night, walked accross the tracks to the shopping center and bought food to cook, used their internet, enjoyed their bar. (Interesting note: a few days later in the Joburg airport where we went to rent a car, we overheard a man ask for pula at the forex. They had none, we had some, and learned he was taking his group of overlanders to Camp Itumela !)



Met a Zimbawean hauling a boat who agreed to take us on to Gabarone the next morning if we could be ready at 4 am. We were and he did.



He dropped us a service station and the workers got us a taxi who took us to the long distance stop. The bus would not leave until later that day, and it was get us into Pretoria at night. He then tooks us to the mini bus stand and we got the bus we need. Though we again had to pay extra for seats to hold our luggage, and we chose our seats poorly and we suffered for it, we got to Pretoria around rush hour.








The driver got us to the stop that left for Kempton Park where Shoestrings Airport Lodge backpackers is, and after a few full ones passed us up the local rank manager got us on the next one. For a few more rand, the driver took us directly on to Shoestrings!

Wildlife 3, Robert and Laura 0 -- Camping without a car in Africa

Laura stands guard as the warthogs walk on by seemingly innocent.

Each of the three times we have stayed at the Chobe Safari Lodge Campground we have had our food bag torn into. This, we have found, is one of the hazards of camping without a car in Africa.

The campsite is surrounded by Chobe National Park. The animals are used to people not taking care to secure their food or outright feeding them.






We had some fresh food in bags we left on the ground near our tent since we had no car. This year the warthogs ripped one bag at one end in such a way as to leave that pocket unusable, but the rest of the bag ok.

The security guard told us the vervet monkeys had a field day with our bread etc.


We are simply taking a nap, don't mind us.




We moved the bags up into the small trees nearby and they were not bothered again.

Internet, Coffee and Chobe : Gallery Africana and Kasane Computers

Gallery Africana

This was our third trip to Kasane, and fourth visit to Chobe National Park. After camping and traveling rough its sometimes nice to visit a cafe. Africa Gallery is one of our favorites: Clive makes the best cappucinos and lattes in Africa (see sign)
,
while Vicky and Finn provide witty and helpful information on a variety of topics.

And guess what, we loved their hamburgers!


Not only is this a great place for breakfast, lunch, or "tea", the gallery part of the shop is very interesting and quality as well.



Kasane Computers
Just inside the mall itself is Kasane Computers, one of the best user friendly business centers we have found in our travels. Teenie, Karen and their staff provide competent friendly assistance for intenet, computer parts, service, fax and other services. Stop in, you'll be glad you did!

Drinking with Elephants: Chobe River Boat Cruise

Boat Ride on Chobe River

After our early morning game drive, we came back and got ready to go out for a Sunday afternoon boat ride with the fun owners of Africa Gallery, one of our favorite places to sit and drink coffee in all the world.

Vicky, Finn, and Clive have a pontoon boat they keep parked on the river across the
street from their shop, Gallery Africana and Coffee Shop. We had met them on earlier trips and were visiting with
them about life in Zimbabwe at present and what had been happening in Kasane. Vicky was wonderful when we told her we needed fuel for our stov. She took us several places to find some
fuel for our stove and invited us to go with them on the boat.

She said that during the recent flooding they had been worried the boat was going to end up on the lawn but it never actually did.
We were joined by Karen, her two sons and friend Jacques and then we were off. It was nice leaving earlier than
the regular boat cruises because we had the river to ourselves for the first couple of hours.

Not only was this a great cruise, it was a culinary experience as well. First, we had tea with "just made" chocolate
cake with a scrumptious icing. We were being entertained by crocodiles sunning in various sizes, monitor lizard,
pied kingfishers, bee eaters, and a malachite kingfisher and then some elephants came down to the water. We enjoyed watching them swim
across to the island. We could see giraffe off in the distance up the hill. On the island we could see hippo and buffalo.

We continued cruising and then set out some more food for people to munch on as they wanted. What a treat! There
were small pizza's, fresh bread and cold cuts, olives, pickles, salad, cheese pastries, peppadews with feta, avocado/
tomato dip, chips, chocolate covered strawberries and of course more cake if you wanted.

We then started seeing several elephants coming down the hill. There were all shapes and sizes, including several
small ones. We stopped the boat and watched the small ones playing around in the mud under the eye of the mother
elephants. Soon they were joined by another group and then another! It was interesting to watch as they drank, and the
little ones played around. The little ones were not quite sure what to do with their trunks, a little bit of a learning curve
it seems.

We saw a huge herd of buffalo crossing the river. Unfortunately, several of the tour boats came up close to them and
the herd broke into two groups and seemed uncertain as what to do. As the boats would move off, they would regroup
and continue with their journey across the river.

There were a lot of birds to also enjoy as we traveled along. We saw African spoonbill, skimmers, darter, cormorant,
squacco heron, grey heron, and African fish eagle.

As we cruised back, we enjoyed wine, beer and shandies. The sunset was perfect as usual. Finn had been a
professional photographer and seemed to know how to position the boat to get the best shot. The entire trip had been
a great experience.