KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

We had pre-booked two nights at both Satara and Olifants and one night at Letaba.  We had many frustrating attempts at communicating with the Kruger National Park staff before we arrived, both by email and telephone.  What I was trying to arrange was a couple of surprises for Angela, such as a bush braai (bbq) and a private vehicle and Kruger ranger for the day so we could go onto some of those teasing no entry routes!  After managing to get the email addresses of several senior members of staff and copying them in on my emails to the staff at Satara I finally got somewhere, funny how that works isn't it?  However the gentleman who decided to actually do something at the fifth time of asking, motivated by the email being copied into one of the senior executives of Kruger National Park, still managed to cock everything up.  He went on leave without making any of the arrangements he promised he would do!  The reception team at Satara were also less than helpful when it came to trying to sort something out when we arrived, until again motivated by the fact I mentioned whom I had spoken with from the senior management personally, they suddenly seemed willing to help!

Our first evening we decided to eat in the restaurant and yet again incompetence reigned supreme!  The waiter had no idea what was on the menu and seemed completely apathetic to the service he was providing.  We ordered Chicken Livers in Peri Peri sauce followed by Kudu Steaks, cooked rare.  The Chicken Livers were microwaved to the point that they were like rock on the outside, but somehow cold in the middle, we then had to tell the chef we had ordered Kudu, not beef and then when the steaks arrived I wasn't sure whether to eat them or use them as sandals as they would be unlikely to ever wear out given they had been cremated.  When we told what appeared to be the restaurant manager it was the worse meal we had ever paid for he simply laughed!

Anyway, the following day we went on the Mananga Trail with our Guide, Charles, and had a fantastic few hours driving through a restricted part of the reserve.  The highlight had to be watching three Tawny Eagles feeding on a ten foot African Rock Python, which they were eating neatly from the neck downwards, leaving the head perfectly preserved.  My desire to see a Rock Python had finally been met, albeit not the way I really wanted to see one!

That night we had a braai and enjoyed some game steaks the way they should be cooked.  Shortly after I had put our rubbish in the bin it was tipped over by a Honey Badger, who was working in a co-ordinated attack with his mate, going round all the bins in the camp looking for food.  I very quickly covered my assets and stepped back onto the porch as they are particularly ferocious and they attack by going for the genitals!

Olifants was better, just, but other than a magnificent view it has only slightly more to offer than Satara.  The reason Satara is so popular, incidentally, is because of the excellent game viewing potential around the camp.  We chose to eat in the restaurant again and had to laugh when at around 5:00 p.m. the bats in the restaurant woke up and emptied their bowels before flying off for the night.  What we watched next was even more bemusing, we watched the staff just brush the bat poo off two tables and cutlery onto the floor then move the tables slightly so no more landed on them.  They didn't even sweep the floor, let alone disinfect the table or change the cutlery.

The following morning we drove to Letaba as we had been given a vehicle with a slow puncture which we needed to get repaired.  We had breakfast there and decided to see if they could move us there that night, rather than stay at Olifants again.  Luckily for us, the reception staff at Letaba were extremely welcoming and helpful and they arranged for us to have a late checkout at Olifants and move to them for two nights.

Letaba is a fantastic camp, it is quite far north so the game viewing can be less than the southern part of the reserve, but the views from the camp and the staff and camp itself more than make up for it.  The restaurant serves a different menu to the other rest camps and both the waiters and waitresses are friendly and knowledgeable and the chefs can cook food the way you would want it to be.

Another fantastic rest camp that has to be mentioned is Tshokwane.  They are situated on the main tar road through Kruger, between Skukuza and Satara.  Without question they serve the best breakfast in the whole of Kruger, especially the Kuduwoers, which we drove a round trip of 236 kilometres one day to have again!

The game viewing was great this year, on three separate occasions we saw the Big 5.  The day we drove to Tshokwane for breakfast we saw the Big 5 on the way there and then on the way back (and not the same animals we saw on the way down I hasten to add!)  We also saw a Honey Badger out in the middle of the day as well as a Cheetah walking along a dry riverbed.  There were also two huge herds of Buffalo we saw which had to total more than a 1,000 between them.

TSHUKUDU GAME RESERVE

It was always going to be different going back to Tshukudu this time with some very special and dearly loved people not there and one amazing Cheetah called Savannah not there.  Just to further compound matters Ross, Sandy and Cameron decided to go on leave!  However it was quite apparent that the incredible vibe that Ala, Ian, Hilda and Savannah helped create at Tshukudu was still very much there.

The welcome we got was exactly what we have come to expect at Tshukudu.  A cold beer was poured and we were handed the remote control so we could put the Tri-Nations on which was only interrupted by a steady flow of welcome back hugs.  Jaco, Wendy, Mareitha and Nina were first up, quickly followed by Orlando and Dolly then Mike and Shadrack.  At lunch we caught up with Lolly who as always remembered Angela.  Later in the visit we caught up with Chris, David and Patrick and it was great to know that Tshukudu is in the safe in the hands of Patrick and David along with Ross and Sandy.

Wendy, Jaco and Nina managed to lay on a sunset surprise for Angela when we parked up by a Dam for a sundowner, they had laid on champagne and canapés oh and Dean and Merle just happened to pop out from behind a bush!

The following morning we went on a sunrise hot-air balloon ride with Dion from Otters Den, we used the same company a couple of years ago and it was just as good again.  On our return to Tshukudu we were greeted by Ntombe, Hunters, Tequila and Floppy who are the children of Savannah and carrying on her legacy with quadruple  mischief!  It was fantastic to see how much they had grown in a year and just how like their mum they are.

Chobe had been given a boyfriend the week before we arrived and unfortunately, due to her stubbornness had been quite badly beaten up and was looking very sorry for herself when we eventually found her!  She was limping badly and had a  nasty gash on her back leg.  When we saw her on the last day however she was limping a lot less and looking a lot happier although you could tell she was still wary of getting anywhere near the Lion.

It was great to see some of the other regulars up to their usual tricks, Simba, Alf the Bushpig, Safari the Caracal and Jabula and Balgera the Leopards.

We love everything about Tshukudu, the people, the atmosphere, the food and the interaction you get with hand-raised animals.

ARATHUSA GAME LODGE, SABI SANDS

Arathusa is another lodge that we absolutely love and again it is because of the people, the food and the relaxed atmosphere.  The game viewing is also excellent even though we still never got to see the Sabi Sands Penguins!  Due to Jason leaving to pursue his flying career we had a new ranger working with Roy this time.  Jono was an excellent replacement for Jason and him and Roy worked brilliantly together.

We got a welcome second only to Tshukudu.  Michelle and Penny always make you feel so welcome.  My only grumble last year was about the food, or should I say the type of food.  When I am in Africa, I want to eat food that I cannot easily get at home, such as game meat.  Michelle was waiting, watching me as I approached the board showing what the lunch and dinner menus were and as soon as she saw the huge grin on my face she knew how happy I was.  At almost every meal there was a choice of game on the menu and the new chef they have is fantastic.

Brendon and Michelle very kindly upgraded us to the new luxury rooms they were starting to build last year and they are exquisite.  They are a bit of a trek from the main lodge, but so worth the walk!  Very secluded and with their own private pool.  What I particularly liked was being able to sit outside late at night and without the light dilution from the camp get such a clear view of the stars and Milky Way.

As always the game viewing was fantastic, although the Elephants were noticeable by their absence, not that Arathusa can do anything about that of course!  In one drive we saw two separate Leopard kills, one of whom was Safari, an old lady with one eye who has learnt to use the vehicles to her advantage, however much the rangers try not to let her.  We were following her stalking and when she went into "pounce" mode the guys turned their engines and lights off.  After a while we quickly used the spotlight to see what she was doing and she had laid on her side.  As soon as we turned the engine over she leapt up and crept forward again!  The lights and engines were once more turned off and Safari continued stalking.  As she moved about 50 metres away from our vehicle Jono started the engine to move forward and with that she literally ran under Ryan's vehicle and pounced on a Scrub Hare.  It was truly amazing to see the Queen of Leopards using everything at her disposal to hunt.

I think we probably had our two hardest laughs of this trip, both courtesy of Roy.  The first was when he spotted a Chameleon in a tree on the way back to camp one evening.  After a few seconds Roy said something to Jono in Shongaan and started laughing to the point he nearly fell off the vehicle.  When I looked at where the Chameleon was I was able to guess what Roy had said.  Basically he had said to Jono you won't be able to show these guys the Chameleon close up because you won't be able to reach it!  The reason it was so funny was that the Chameleon was only about six feet up the tree and Jono, bless him, is vertically challenged!  The second time we saw Roy nearly wet himself was when we had stopped for a brew one morning.  Angela is quite partial to hot chocolate with Amarula and the one morning that Jono actually remembered to bring the Amarula along Roy went to get the hot chocolate out of the brand new, shiny vehicle we were in.  Next thing we know Roy is absolutely killing himself laughing stood in the drivers side of the vehicle holding the tub of hot chocolate.  The only thing was he was now holding an empty tub of hot chocolate as it had a huge hole in the bottom of it which had dispensed the virtually full container all over the front of the vehicle!  All the way back to camp the only thing we could smell was chocolate and I swear we were all laughing so much you could actually taste from the amount that must have blown into our mouths.

As I said at the beginning, Arathusa is a fantastic place to stay.  Just like Tshukudu, the people, the atmosphere, the food and the game viewing are all very special.

RATTRAY'S ON MALA MALA

What can we say about Rattrays on Mala Mala that we haven't already said before?  The place is amazing and is worth every single penny it costs to stay here.  Our ranger from last year, Ryan, did a runner when he knew we were stopping again so we had Gordon as our ranger this year.  We met Gordon last year and he ate with us a few times as he didn't have guests, so it was great to see him waiting for us at the runway.  Another great member of the team, Alan, was waiting at Rattrays to greet us and in our opinion he is one of the most important people in the whole place.  In case you are wondering, he is the Bar Manager.

It may be crazy, but one of things that we get most excited about at Rattrays is the food, don't get us wrong, the game viewing is exceptional, the accommodation is luxurious, but the food is glorious!  Unfortunately Grant who was one of the finest chefs we had ever had the pleasure to have met left shortly after our last visit (I hope it was just a coincidence), but Antoinette and Eskay (hope I am spelling that right) are excellent chefs.  The Eland that we had one particular night was without question the best cooked I have ever eaten.

Our only criticism of the entire stay was the two nights we chose to eat in our room.  The idea was that we went to the bar and had a drink whilst they set the room up for us, which is exactly what they did last year so when we walked in, the food was there and the dining table had been laid out beautifully.  As asked we went to the bar, but when we got back to the room there was nothing.  I quickly went back to the bar as we thought they must have set the wrong room up, but apparently not as they then told us that they would be along shortly with the food and to set the room up.  It didn't really matter I guess as the food was fantastic, but our expectations had been set the year before.  It did feel a little awkward standing around watching them set the table up and bring the food in.  That however is the only thing we would change in our entire stay.

There are many things that we love about the game drives at Rattrays.  One of those is things is that there are never more than four people in a vehicle and so you have plenty of room to spread out, which is useful if you take a lot of camera equipment with you!  The location of Mala Mala helps make the game viewing exceptional, its entire eastern border runs alongside Kruger National Park along with the fact that the Sabi River runs throughout the property means that you are always in with a great chance of seeing the Big 5.  The outstanding sightings for us this year however, were seeing Sable, albeit briefly, and Porcupines walking along the road.

The Camp Manager, Brett,  does an outstanding job of making sure that everything runs smoothly and that people are made to feel welcome and at home and despite the fact that he supports the All Blacks, he's not a bad bloke!

I know this is becoming a theme of the feedback this year, but just like Arathusa and Tshukudu, it is the people, the food and the game viewing, along with the amazing accommodation, that make Rattrays on Mala Mala exceptional.

THE BUSH HOUSE, MADIKWE GAME RESERVE

We stayed at The Bush House with Dean in 2006 literally right at the end of our World Tour.  We loved it and as it was one of the best places to try and see Brown Hyena and Wild Dog we headed back there this year.  Since we were last there it has changed ownership and Sue & Gordon who are now the owners are a fantastic couple who make you feel incredibly welcome.

Their waterhole is fantastic and seems to have a constant stream of wildlife at it, dozens and dozens of Elephants each day, Rhinos, Hyenas and man different types of bucks.  Angela basically camped at the Waterhole if we weren't either asleep or on a game drive.

Jason was our guide and he was a top bloke and extremely knowledgeable about the bush.  Jeanette, Eunice and Otis were the guys at front of house back at the lodge and all three of them were a credit to the place.  We loved the game drives and whilst we never saw the wild Dogs we saw brown hyena several times over the four days along with black rhino and plenty of lions.  Gemsbok and Red Hartebeest were two of the different bucks we saw alongside lots of other different game.

The one thing that had changed since we were last there was that they now allow children.  Under a certain age they tend to be a pain on game drives and lose interest very quickly, which the kids we were with did to a tee!  Our last night we nearly ended up with us two sitting at a table with a family of four, of which two were kids.  Thankfully Jeanette, Eunice, Otis and Jason kept us plied with drinks and we ate with the staff at the bar which was a fantastic way to spend our last night in the bush, especially as the Rhinos and Hyenas came down to the waterhole.

The other highlight, over seeing the brown hyena had to be the morning we watched a pride of young lions in a hugely playful mood.  They were chasing and stalking each other and put on quite a show for us!

The boma at the Bush House is fantastic as it has part of the wall low enough that you have your meal overlooking the waterhole with the fire at your feet and the stars above you.  The food is basic, but tasty and plentiful