Morning game drive was just like the one we had in Kruger. The stark difference was that in Mowana, there are a lot of people! Everyone was up before day break and was gathering near the big Baobab tree in the middle compound of the lodge where cold coffee and tea and small pastries were served. Many safari vehicles rolled in at the entrance and guests loaded up the vehicles. We boarded the vehicle and we were on our way for cats spotting!
Sunrise over Chobe
Caught a glimpse of cute and funny pair of honey badgers. One was even rolling and walking backwards.
Honey badger rolling on the groundSniffing aroundA pair of honey badgerKori Bustard, biggest flying birdMalibu Stork on a treeBuffalo on the plainsPassed by a buffalo which looked surprised.
As we moved to the locations where prides normally roamed, we also saw many vultures on the tree. It was possible they were waiting for food that a predator was still feeding on, which meant that maybe a cat was nearby? We were hoping. The vultures could be just waiting for the sun to warm up that’s all.
Vultures waiting for the sun
After driving around for some time, and had seen the same type of wildlife, we reached the rest stop for some warm drinks. Still an hour left, we might still catch a cat. Chances were low though, since cats would go into hiding from the afternoon sun and did their hunting in the early mornings or late evenings.
Rest stop for breaks
An hour left and we were soon on our way back. There weren’t game drives anymore and so we thought, since there was still some time in the morning the next day, we were going to book an extra game drive the next day.
A family of Chacma baboon as we were leaving the parkHuge male baboonHippos enjoying the coolness before the sun comes upHerd of elephants in the distance
Still no sightings. Went back to the hotel for breakfast and booked the game drive for the next day, which came up to be about 100SGD per person. Took the chance to roam around in the lodge. There was a bar with a clear view of the river, a small souvenir shop where we managed to exchange some USD with Botswana currency for my collection. There was also a swimming pool with a bar and some putting greens near the entrance. Nothing that really interested us. We went back to our rooms for internet and rest.
View deckSwimming pool and barTswana chicken for lunch, African cuisine
Ordered dine in lunch since when we were not in favour of the buffet offered since we were still full from the buffet breakfast in the morning. Also, we were concerned that if we had our lunch too close to the sunset cruise, we might get seasick. Not the tastiest of chicken though.
When it was time, we boarded the ferry which was just within walking distance from our rooms, since there was a jetty by the lodge. This sunset cruise was something like the game drive but on river. We got to go closer to those in the river than we could on the safari jeep.
Boarded a ferryHippos in the waterAnother cruise moving along the streamsSaw a bunch of young baboons monkeying aroundElephants on the central plains across the riverView of the river and wetlands from the ferryMany crocodiles laid on the wetlands, where other animals also roamed. Coexistence of predator and prey?A spy amongst the buffalos?
We weren’t expecting to see cats on this trip but it was a refreshing trip, different experience from the drive. Also amazing to know that the river is shared by Namibia and Botswana, and so on the opposite bank was Namibia already. And of course, sunset cruise won’t be complete without the sunset!
Cruising along the gentle waters watching the sun set.Hippo about to enter the waterThe familiar yolk is gentle on the eyesSun beams cut across the skyMirror image of Heaven on Earth
By the time we returned to the jetty, the sun had set completely. Dinner was served in the same location, also buffet style.Again we were joined by the same lady from the previous day for dinner. There were more people as a bus load of Japanese tourists just arrived that afternoon. The in-house singer was more enthusiastic than before, even singing some Japanese songs. Nice atmosphere for the group as they even joined the singing at some point. We retired early in preparation for a long day ahead.
Our next destination was up north to visit Chobe National Park in Botswana and the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. There were typically 2 ways to get there, which was either to fly to Zimbabwe Victoria Falls airport or fly to Zambia like what we did. Before the trip we found that flying to Victoria falls directly should be faster but it was a long weekend that week for the Africa (Woman’s Day) which falls on the same day as our Singapore National day and thus there was a price hike for the British Airway flight. So I opted for flight to Zambia Livingstone instead and that gave me some hundreds of dollars savings. The flip side was that Zambia is a definite Yellow fever zone and thus we gotta get ourselves a jab (which you could opt out if not going into Zambia) before the trip, which was not cheap either. And the customs did insist on the documentation for the jab, a yellow little book that we had to carry throughout the trip. Our jabs were administered in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, traveller’s clinic some 2 weeks before the trip along with the other jabs for Hep B, Tetanus and Rabies. There weren’t mosquitoes in the safari in SA due to the weather but still the jabs were precautions.
It was really great to just walk to the airport for our flights. But for the BA flight, it was pretty confusing. The airport has 2 terminals which were splitted into domestic flights and international. We had to go over to the domestic terminal to check in since the counter was there and then walk over to the international terminal boarding gate, which was a good 10mins of walking. There was a luggage wrapping service which we utilized, having heard of the many luggage security issues and it costed about 10 bucks per luggage and of course tips for the wrapping guy.
Africa’s contours as seen from the planeThe plane also passes Vic Falls, a pretty sight!
With just under 2 hours flight time, we arrived at an air strip in the huge open brown land and a tiny little airport welcomed us to Zambia.
Arrival corridor. No modern passenger transit arm at this rustic airport.
Airport was really small. There was only one luggage conveyor belt. Once you go through the doors to the hall, you immediately reach 2 customs counters and immediately after, the conveyor belt. Luggage had to be loaded manually on the outside and only then the conveyor belt started moving. We cleared the customs quickly but had to wait for the luggage. As the luggage kept coming in, porters came to remove the unclaimed ones to the sides, their owners still waiting stuck at the customs. It was starting to get crowded, but was manageable since there were just passengers from our plane. Soon, we were on the move and met the guide at the entrance of the airport.
View of the airport
Our destination was the Mowana Lodge in Botswana and it seemed we were the only people going from Zambia. The vehicle with a tow cart for the luggage was for us only. Nothing much to see in Zambia as the surrounding was just leafless trees and sand. About more than an hour’s drive, we reached the border crossing, separated by a river. Chopped our passport and took a small ferry across to Botswana.
Little house in Zambia.Leaving Zambia’s bank to Botswana at the Kazungula crossing
It was a short 15mins across the river and soon we were at Botswana customs. The guide brought us onto a safari vehicle, drove us to the customs and we were on our way to the lodge. Botswana was really interesting. Wild animals were everywhere. We saw elephants near the crossing and baboons close to the line of heavy vehicles waiting to make the crossing to Zambia. The assimilation of the wild and humans.
Herd of elephants we saw near the crossing.
Drove for a while till we reached the town of Kasane and another 10mins or so, we reached the lodge, with a huge Baobab tree right by its entrance.
Baobab tree
By the time we reached the hotel and check-in, it was also time to move off for the game drive in Chobe National park. We had to rush to complete the registration concurrently sipping on our welcome drinks, went over to the activities counter to sign in and rushed up onto the jeep that already had a Joburg family waiting for us to move off. The weather here was different and thus no cold wear was necessary. Left the luggage behind and we were on our way to Chobe.
Skeletons of wildlife placed at the entrance to the park.
It took about 20mins to reach Chobe National Park. Just like Kruger NP, this was a public park where people could drive on the main tracks into the park to view wildlife but not allowed to exit their vehicle. However, there were stipulated opening hours and thus night drive was not allowed. As usual, the main targets were still the cats.
Our safari vehicleRed beak hornbill which we did not see in Kruger
The animals were looking almost the same as what we previously saw. The surrounding was different from Kruger, there was much more open spaces and also a river in the park itself. It was a different kind of safari experience altogether.
Male giraffe (darker spots) looking for a partnerHerd in the open close to the riverMud covered tree from the elephants that brushed themselves onto the tree to scratch itself.
Moving around the park, everyone was really wanting to see some cats because there wasn’t much enthusiasm when we saw other wildlife, at least compared to our first encounters. There were some interesting sights though.
Came about a buffalo carcass. Died from old age probably.Giraffe licking the ground for salt. Bird trying to catch some food from the riverPot of hippos out in the open.Warthog also digging away for foodEagle perched on top of the treeElephants with muddy socks. Just out of the river.
Similarly, the game drive also planned a sundown rest stop. At the rest stop, passengers could get off to go to the restroom and have a beer. Though it was still within the park, the rest stop was made for this purpose and relatively safe from the wild animals or at least when we were there. No cats so far.
Beautiful sunset. It is like a yolk on cotton in the sky.Saw 2 banded mongoose
Saw the usual herbivore herds of impalas, kudus, giraffes and others like warthogs and baboons. Went back to the lodge, disappointed and hungry. Better luck tomorrow maybe?
Went to our room, loved the size and the bed and the wifi that comes with itNice patio to sit out. Pretty close to the river too.Comes with a bathtubAnd a separate rain shower
Had a short rest in the room before heading out for dinner at the restaurant which was included. Buffet spread with lotsa types of meat. There were also exotic flavours such as kudu meat and a dish with cooked bugs, which I did not try! Food was ok Also met a local lady who joined us for dinner and a little conversation before we left for the room. Watched TV, surfed net and slept.
Woke up early in the morning because we had to change our accommodation and also make the morning game drive in Kruger. Did the transfer of camp and vehicle and we were on our way. We were travelling with another group of people too.
Day break at Sabi Sands campPresident Paul Kruger statue at the entrance of the parkKruger Park gate
The difference between this park and the Sabi Sands reserve was that this was a public park and thus the vehicle had to stay on the main track, unlike in the the reserve where vehicles could go off road to close in on animals and game walk was possible.
Another difference was that there was opening hours for the park but not for the reserve, so there was no night drive in the park. The park itself was very big and we could see a lot more animal sightings. The fences separating the reserves and the national park were removed sometime ago and thus animals could roam about freely between the reserves. It really very much depends on luck!
Some of the photos taken were almost similar to those taken in the reserve. So I decided to post some photos with animals crossing. Unfortunately I didn’t get a zebra crossing…
Kudu crossing the roadGiraffe crossing the roadA rhino with a pest removing bird
We were thrilled to see a rhino and we tried to follow alongside it. It realized our presence and had a few instances turned in the opposite direction to try to lose us. When we went into reverse gear to try following it again, it once again turned in the opposite direction. That was a really funny scene. We stopped and allowed the rhino to move away as the guide told us that it probably wanted to cross the road and us following beside him was preventing him from doing so! And sure enough…
Rhino crossing roadVulture sitting at the top of a tree. Telephoto lens are essential – I learn.
Whereas it took a while to see some of the animals in the reserve, in Kruger NP there seemed to be a higher frequency of seeing them.
Herd of elephantsGround hornbillsWarthog that was just next to the road. The shadow belonged to our vehicleView of the river that passes the bridge at the entrance
More in quantity of wildlife but we had yet to see the lions. Morning drive ended as soon as it began and we were back in the camp. As we did not have the chance to go to our tents in the morning since we were rushing off to the morning drive, we had to check with the helpers. They pointed us to the right tent and even though they had not seen us before. I guessed there weren’t too many guests to begin with.
Our beds in the tent, almost similar but just as comfortable.Place where we had our mealsOn the inside, where people could chill on the couch to read the various books on wildlife.There was also a pool but it was too cold to swimSafari vehicle, slightly different as it had the doors for the passengers at the back, compared to the ones in the reserve that didn’t.
Similar to the day before, read a little, napped a little before the day drive back in Kruger. Last drive and we were seriously hoping to see the lions. Spotted a small gator sunbathing on a rock.
A little gator
As we were crossing a bridge over the river, we saw elephants on both banks of the river. There we managed to see a mother elephant crossing the river with its youth following behind. What a sight!
Elephants crossing a river.Guinea fowl – common birds in the safariVelvet monkey on a tree
Soon we spotted a group of vehicles parked beside the road. They must have spotted something, a cat perhaps. We also stopped and tried to search for the “interesting” animal. Sure enough, someone saw a cat dart across the road. The chase was on!
Our guide driver slammed on the accelerator and we moved to another road that was on the other side of location where the cat went into. Other vehicles also followed and started to fill the roads. We went up and down the stretch of road but were unable to locate the cat. It was a master of camouflage.
I stared hard and thought I saw some movement. We moved away and back again and that was when we saw the leopard. It had sat up and we managed to identify its shape within the thick foliage.
Siting, waiting patiently before closing in on the herd of impala in front.
Then the cat moved, with such silent footsteps. I now understand the meaning of leopard crawl. Silent while staying low to avoid detection. We just sat there and watch closely. We were all anticipating for a successful pounce and that would be a priceless experience!
Leopard crawl
I took a video of its every move. It laid for a while before it got up to close in. Slowly he moved in with each step. Closer and closer until *crack* and an alert went off. The impala must have heard him and sounded out to its comrades to flee! Immediately we saw the leopard hanged its head low, obvious sign of disappointment. Really felt bad for the leopard but that was life in the wild. Survival of the fittest.
Disappointed cat crossing the road – in front of our vehicle
As we continued and passed another river, we saw something protruding the surface. Hippos nostrils. Then in the far end, we saw another pot of hippos coming into the water.
Hippo entering the waterJoining those that were already in the waterEagle sitting atop a treeElephant crossing the roadHuge tasks of an adult male elephantBaby giraffe sucklingA pair of hyena youths, first time seeing in the many outings we had in safariLovely view of water and greens and blue skyNot crossing the road but resting beside the road.Warthog crossing the road
It was getting late. We were still not ready to give up. We have heard of various comments from other groups saying that they saw some lions a few days ago feeding on a buffalo. What luck! But now that they are full, they would not be hunting for some time. We drove to the river bed where lions were more or less expected to appear. They stayed in their territories and thus guides familiar with these places would bring their group to these locations. We stared hard but no lions…and then we stopped. The guide took out his bino and looked into the distance. We looked in his direction. Bravo! Lionesses!
Group of 4 lionesses, can you see them??With zoom
That was really sharp eyes! We could have so easily missed them had it not been for the guide. 5 out of 5! Although I would have wished for a closer encounter with the lions but I guess viewing them in the wild from far was not too bad either. Just wished I had a better sets of lenses. Stayed for a while but the lionesses are obviously not in a mood to move and were just sleeping away. With a sense of accomplishments, we left the Kruger NP.
Sunset on the river of Kruger NP
Same arrangements as was in the bush camp. Campfire dinner and tonight they served the Potjiekos, stew cooked in a pot. It was really delicious.
Potjiekos beside the campfireStew with rice
Tonight the conversation within the group was really funny. It was with the addition of the 2 Americans and the funny guide and there were just explosions of laughter one after another. It was a great end to our safari trip with this awesome night. We retired shortly after, to pack again as we would be heading back to Joburg via Panaroma route the very next day.
Woke up early and got prepared for the morning’s activity, game walk! Breakfast would be served after we returned from the walk. The morning was chilly and so we wore quite a few layers of clothing. The guide did a briefing on the dos and don’ts of game walk, which was a different set of rules compared to the game drive, on how to stand and how to react. He also carried a rifle just in case. Soon we were on our way trekking into the wild.
Shortly after leaving the entrance, we saw some footprints and the guide goes on to explain that they look like hyena footprints, what were the footprints of the various animals, how to determine if the footprints were fresh or not, etc. Interesting info…
Likely footprints of mongoose
We continued and saw a few impalas, too common for us to even bother with shooting them (with a camera of course). Then we reached a pile of coffeebean size poop. The guide picked them up goes on to explain that the poop belonged to impalas and how these were like business cards to attract the female species for mating. Interesting info again.
Impala business cards
As we moved along, we were introduced to giant termite hills, abandoned ones and also on chewed bones left over from a fallen prey and hyena’s bone chewing habits and how their poop turned out to be white. Still searching for the big 5 until comms came in to inform us of a rhino sighting. Then we were on the move, quickly to the location stake out the rhino!
Hyena white poop
After some really quick pace walking, it became really hot and we had to take off the multiple layers of warm clothings that we wore, something to learn again for walks which were really different from drives. We came to another tall abandoned termite hill and waited there in anticipation for the rhino’s arrival. It was estimated that the rhino would be crossing our line of sight from the various info that the guide gathered from the comms. Time ticked away and after waiting for some 10mins or so, a greyish silhouette appeared amongst the trees in the far. We were told to keep absolutely quiet and to avoid sudden movement in order not to alarm the rhino, for fear of it charging at us. The wind was in our favour – rhino could also pick up our scent if the wind was blowing towards the rhino instead. There were also birds that eat off pests on the rhino’s hide and these feathered friends would give a good indication if there was presence of potential danger by flying off and indirectly alarming the rhino. At some point in time, the rhino actually stood still to listen for us as the birds initially flew off. They returned to rest on him after a while and he started to move off again.
As the rhino moved, we also started to move to another location. We had to take a longer route in order not to pass the path of the rhino but it was not too difficult. As he started to move into the open, we could see how massive yet beautiful this animal was. Unfortunately illegal poaching for their horns was forcing them to become endangered. Good thing that there weren’t such activities in the national park. Soon it was time to return to camp for breakfast and some rest. 2 of the 5s, if this continued, we would eventually see all the 5, I thought.
After breakfast, our fellow traveller friend told us that we could actually see a waterhole from the safari. He then brought us around the camp, which we did not know that was so much bigger than our own tents, to a deck that was overlooking the waterhole. Immediately we saw an animal which we initially thought was a buffalo! Quickly we rushed back to our tents to get our equipment and camera. Wildebeest. Oh well.
Animals lurking near waterhole, here was a Wildebeest
This deck was actually property of the reserve owners and there were a few other buildings there that belonged to the owner. The family was not in during that period of time but the owner would come back to the reserve for a getaway if they would like to.
We walked around the compound for a little more and saw a family of velvet monkeys infiltrated the compound and running around and feeding. Hopefully they wouldn’t come to our tents!
We returned to our tents and was informed by the guide that previously when the camp was empty, a leopard came into the camp and got one of the monkeys. There were furs left on the ground which the leopard would remove before feasting on their catch. Scary thought. What’s left of the morning was spent lazing in the tent where I caught a nap before it was time for lunch and day game drive!
We wore appropriately after the first game drive the day before. With much enthusiasm and optimism, we left. Usual sightings of the herbivores as usual, and then we saw something different – a group of zebras. Spent a few minutes watching them eat and also some info on the zebras, we continued.
Group of zebras feedingYoung impala, age determined by its horn
More driving around and suddenly we saw an elephant on the track in front of us. As our vehicle slowly approached, more and more elephants were revealed amongst the trees – a family herd of elephants!
Look at how close the guide was to the elephantsShowing its maximum size by extending its ears. Probably to scare us off.Baby elephant on the track, no tusks yetCan’t help but to get one photo with the largest land mammals
Spent a good amount of time shooting the elephants before we move on. Soon it was time for the sunset break at the same location the day before.
Landscape of Sabi SandsTime flies when you are enjoying the sightsWaterbuck looking at us. Nice milk moustache
Drove around and saw the Dagga boys that we passed on the first day of arrival. We have seen 4 of the big by now.
Dagga boys up close – Old male buffalo
Night arrive together with the cold. Same arrangements, drove around but different sightings. We saw alot of activities tonight, zebras, rhinos, elephants and even silhouette of giraffes moving. Wonderful sight but not for the camera to capture.
Dinner tonight was BBQ kebab. We only had to do the eating, superb service!
Kebab BBQNative food of maize porridge
A little conversation around the camp fire and we retired for the night. Checked with the guide on the hot water and when she checked, she found that the water supply was not turned on! The servants must have forgotten to turn them on before. At least we had hot water for the night! Packed our luggages as we were to move to the camp outside the reserve for our Kruger Park drive the next day and then it was lights off.
Checked out after breakfast at the hotel. Tydon Safari was early to pick us up, and we met the rep while we were just walking back to the room to get our luggages. Took our last visits to the loo before quickly moving out to the recept area for check out and the 4 hr drive to Sabi Sands, our very first safari!
Nothing fancy about the drive though, it was pretty boring for a good 2hrs as the land was plain boring brown, not much of a view. We were talking with the rep to understand more about the safari, our uneasiness about staying in the wild, our parent’s uneasiness about youtube’s video of people getting mauled by lions in safaris. He gave us some information of the area as we moved eastwards to the camp. We were also given a choice to stay at a bushcamp, where the tents were actually within the reserve. There was an electric fence to keep out the big animals but it was still possible for smaller animals like cats to enter. We welcomed that idea, albeit the uneasiness! From our conversation, we learnt that he was actually the owner of the camp!
Power station as seen from the highway while moving away from JoburgEucalyptus trees fell in the foreground, probably for the paper mills. Large hectares of trees in the background.
2 hrs later we stopped at a rest station for some coffee and a quick pee break.Bought red cappuccino to try, apparently this was only available in SA as I don’t see it offered anywhere else. Then another 2 hrs. We were told the view would improve and it sure did. Landscape changed from flat to mountainous and brown to beautiful green. Trees also became taller and taller, and grew in neat rows.
As we turned in from the main road onto a sandy stretch, there was a perimeter electric fences that bordered the reserve. There we had the first glimpses of wild animals, but old Dagga boys. Buffalos that were too old and were left behind by the fast moving pack.
As we reached the camp, we were transferred to another 4WD to go deep into the reserve where we will be staying the night. We drove through the gate and as we moved along, we saw impalas and kudus in the foliage. The guide stopped the vehicle every now and then for us to snap some pictures and also gave us interesting info on those animals. Just before reaching the bush camp, we came up to a group of giraffes, our first close encounter of these gentle animals.
Giraffes that we saw close to the camp entrance
Our luggages were moved to the tent that we will be spending the night. From the outside, it looked like a normal tent. But on the inside, it felt luxurious! There was a queen size bed, a cosmetic table with mirror, aircon, toilet bowl and rain shower with hot water. The hot water was really important as it was still winter and really cold at night!
View of the tent from the outside
Light lunch was served briefly after we were introduced to our accommodation. After a short rest, we got ready for our first game drive. We were given a briefing on the dos and don’ts to ensure that our experience would be safe, fun and exciting. Climb onto the safari jeep with another father-daughter pair and we were off!
From where we were sitting, we could see the driver and the guide that sits way infront of the jeep to be on the lookout for wildlife.
There were many different wildlife that we were seeing for the first time but we all had the same target in mind. The big five – Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Leopard and Lion, where the cats were the most elusive of the five. The guides within park had a agreement to keep each other informed on sightings of wildlife which were harder to see (the predators basically) and would comms each other through walkie talkies. We thought we were really in luck when around the corner we saw a leaopard lying by the roadside!
Leopard moved onto the road and laid down again.The leopard left, walking underneath the seats of another vehicle. Lucky guests with such close views!
Immediately it hit me, my camera lens did not have the range to get a closer shot of the animal. I had to use digital zoom which ultimately compromise the quality of image. How I wish I could get the 75mm-300mm telephoto lens when I had the chance! Lesson well learnt. The other guests had big lens and they were surely having a wild time! Oh yes, not to mention, our binos were tiny too.
We spent a great deal of time with the leopard before moving away in search of the other 5. Not much luck though. The place looked pretty empty lest some common impalas. We proceeded to the rest point for a short break and a sunset lookout.
Male waterbuck with the famous target board on its behind.Zoom on a Lilac crested roller, beautiful feathers and common makes it the most photographed bird in Africa, we were told.Close to sunset, lone tree in a flat landscape. Makes a good place for rest.Beautiful sunset view from the rest point.
Ate some beef jerky looking snacks and had beer while waiting for the sun to set. It was awesome. But then the cold also comes really quickly and that was when we knew were are kinda under prepared. On the night drive, we really made good use of the blankets that were provided.
The night drive was similar to the day drive except that the guide now was equipped with a powerful light that he used to sweep the area to catch reflections off the eyes of hiding animals. We did not see much though, just for a moving Jackal which was just to dark for a camera to catch.
About 7pm-ish and we were back at the camp after driving around for an hour or so. Dinner was served shortly after, around a campfire. We were given native cuisine bobotie and other local food stuff and it was absolutely delicious! After eating and chatting, we all retired for the night.
Campfire – providing warmth to the diners around itNice native food
Back in the tent, it was really cold. We turned on the aircon to keep us warm. The challenge was to bath actually. I tried turning on the hot water but it didn’t warmed up after running the water for a while. I went out to the gas cylinder and tried to turn it to the hottest and tried the water again. It did get from freezing to not so cold so I went in quickly and got out double quick time too. It was still unbearably cold! We boiled water and pour it into the sink where my wife then use towels to wipe herself clean, for fear of the cold shower. We were wondering if there was something wrong with the heater or was this the expected temperature.This might not turn out to be as ideal as we thought, and how were we to survive for the next few days in this wilderness? Since there were no other forms of entertainment (no wifi, no tv, no phone signal), we read books, organise photos and slept early. Day game walk would begin at 6am the next day anyways.
Our 2nd day started out with a buffet breakfast at the hotel which had american breakfast varieties and typical beverages and the food was pretty tasty too. We would be visiting the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, with a tour guide in a 2-to-go private group, the tour organised by the same people who gave us the City tour the day before. 30mins drive and we arrived at location, not before seeing some lionesses that were isolated from the main group of the reserve near the road. We were told that these lionesses are taken out in order for the lions to mate. All we see was them lying around, the male lion not in sight.
Lionesses close to the road isolated for mating
Later we drove on to the Rhino & Lion Reserve. Once past the gate and a while later, we started to see various types of animals roaming the fields.
Black Wildebeest with white tailsBlue Wildebeest and a Saber Antelope
This was somewhat different from a safari, whereby the animals were bought and bred within the nature reserve. The owners fed them, unlike in a safari where they had to hunt for their own food, only the fittest survives.
Zebras, Rhinos, Oyrx and warthogs all feeding on the grass left by the owners
This was the first time we were seeing animals roaming around while we were driven around and it was really exciting. And these animals could be pretty close to the car.
A zebra was just around the corner while we are drove to the wondercave
Cafe for guests awaiting for the tour to startAt the cafe, we see a group of warthogs eating away at the groundDescended a flight of steps towards the Wondercave
After the flight of steps, we entered a metal cage like lifts that you typically see in a movie that featured mining. The lift descended slowly and the air grew colder. Once out of the elevator, we stepped into a dimly lit staleness of the wondercave, dominated by ancient hanging stalactites and protruding stalagmites.
One such stalagmite that grew like a mushroomThis grew like the praying MadonnaCave viewSeriously heavy limestones
It was not a really big cave. After some explanations on the naturally occurring formation and also some history about the pioneer miners and how they transported the harvested limestones out of the cave, and a little more walk around the cave, we were out. From there we continued with the drive around to see more animals.
More Rhinos feedingThe wild dogs are hard to locate, hiding from the sunIt’s not often that you see a police car get chased by a white lion. I wonder what the police is doing here anyways.White lion standing on the road in front of our carEventually they were chased off the road to the sides
The lions were getting hungry and were actually waiting close to the entrance of their enclosure. Upon checking the brochure, we saw that it was feeding day. They kinda knew that they were going to be fed and thus was waiting for room service. We were told that if we hadn’t left the enclosure before the lions camp there, we might not be able to leave as the gates to the enclosures were manned by humans and thus it would be too dangerous for the people to open the gates for us.
Next, we drove to the cheetah enclosure and also there is a separate enclosure for mating purpose. As we move along, we saw a cheetah just lying by the road.
Sleepy cheetah by the road as we drove byNice Saber AntelopeElands. Soon these horned herbivores become confusing to differentiate.Next we visit the education center where there are young animals and recuperating injured animalsYoung giraffe at the entranceCelebrity animals with names
I visited the white lion cubs and these lovable furballs were really irresistible. There was one which gave a nice deep growl though it was still that small.
Secretary birdGround hornbill
Injured birds that are recuperating at the reserve.
Unfriendly neighbours – Hyena and Tiger pacing restlesslyFlamingoesShot this photo when the young giraffe poke its head across the barrier over me
Soon it was time to leave the animals and proceed to UNESCO Cradle of humankind, to learn more on the evolution of humankind. We had lunch at the cafe near the Sterkfontein Cave before going for the tour, which begins every hour.
Various information board giving information on the famous Mrs Ples, carbon dating and evolution of humans.
Replicas of Mrs Ples and Little foot, both found in the Sterkfontein Cave.
2nd Cave explorationPortion of the cave known as the elephant chamber, shaped like an elephant
Lake within a cave. This lake ran deep and long. A diver was said to have gotten lost when diving and got up a wrong opening. In the end he died whilst trying to find his way out.
Statue of Dr Broom at the exit of the cave. The nose and hands are especially shiny as people believe that when you touch the nose you get luck and the hands you get knowledge. (or vice versa)
The cave tour marked the end of day of touring Joburg. The next day we would be travelling to Kruger NP for our first taste of safari.
Saw this Beetle Limo on the way back to our hotel
We wanted to go elsewhere for food but wasn’t sure of the place. The guide recommended 2 places, Eastgate shopping Mall or Emperor’s palace. We thought shopping mall and the recept arranged for a private transfer via Benz about 15mins from the hotel. 400Rands return trip.
Cars on show for purchase in the middle of the mall
Shopped a little but was disappointed to see that most part of the mall was closed. It was only about 6pm, probably because there weren’t many shoppers? There weren’t alot of choices on food either, mostly the common fast food that was available elsewhere. We made a choice and had Wimpy’s for dinner.
Dinner at Wimpy
Went back to the hotel for an early night, in preparations for an awesome safari day!
