South Africa 2018 - Overlanding with Intrepid
Intrepid Trip - Kruger, Coast and Cape
18th August 2018 - To South Africa
Today or was it two days was a long day. Headed to Suvarnabhumi around 8:30pm Friday, took off just after midnight, an 8 hour flight to Addis Ababa, a 4 hour layover, a 5 hour flight to Johannesburg and taxi to the hotel arriving at around 3pm South Africa time. But don't feel too bad for me as I had booked Business Class. Standard was around £650 and Business £1250 so I treated myself. Used the lounges in Bangkok and Addis Ababa which was far nicer than hanging around the main concourse and on the planes the extra space was much appreciated and I managed to get some sleep which is unusual for me on planes.
Only my second trip flying business class so even though I don't really like champagne I had to say yes to the pre take-off glass.
Getting off the plane in Addis Ababa at 4am it was chilly, first time I've felt chilly in quiet a while, it was nice. Not quite what you think of Ethiopia being like. Then again when we got into Johannesburg it was quite cold, maybe 14 degrees. It was nice but I'm glad it's forecast to warm up over the next few days, I don't want to be freezing cold whilst camping.
In the evening met up with the others on the tour. For the first half there are 16 of us. The usual wide range of ages from early 20s to some in the their 60s. We have English, Scottish and Irish, Australian, American and Swiss. A few of us went out to a fish restaurant for a tasty dinner then time for an early night. Early start in the morning.
19th August 2018 - To Kruger National Park
Up very, very early, loaded the truck and wheels rolling at 5am. And at 5am it was cold.. But a couple of hours in the sun had come up and by the time we made our first stop for toilets and supplies it was only chilly rather than cold. Another stop around 10am to pick up something for lunch and on again.
We were up on the High Veld at around 2000m. This is a plateau which covers much of South Africa. Around 12 we were driving alongside the escarpment, basically the cliff edge of the side of the plateau. Here the land falls away sharply down to about 300m and lower.
The first stop was at Blyde River Canyon which we were told is the largest 'green' canyon in the world; meaning the largest one where trees still grow up the sides. The viewing area was big and gave views across a huge area and a lovely view it was.
Next stop was at Burke's Luck. Aparently Burke was a geologist and he felt given the geology of the area there must be gold in the river, he spent a decade and more looking but found nothing but he was looking in the wrong place. Soon after others found gold here and the he missed out completely.
The is the meeting point of two rivers and was a very pleasant place to wander around for half an hour and to top it off the sun came out whilst we were there time to dump the hoodie at last. After Burke's Luck we headed to God's Window for the magnificent views off the end of the escarpment and across the Low Veld. Unfortunately the window was missed up so all we got was a great view of a cloud.
We dropped down the 1000 or more metres to the Low Veld and soon we were heading into Kruger National Park. We drove for 40 minutes or so on the way to the camp and saw some wildlife along the way. Impala, steenbok and kudu, giraffes and a couple of zebra and a few others. Nothing amazing but enough to keep those happy who'd never been on safari and to whom everything is still a wonder.
The camp site was much better quality than I had imagined, it's big and full of many people with very flash caravans and camper vans. We sort of spoilt it turning up in a truck with our little canvas tents. As I was one of the first to get my tent up and it was getting dark I volunteered for dinner duty. Lots of chopping and throwing things in a pot and my area of expertise stirring. It was a sort of Nasi Goreng with Pap an oat meal porridge sort of thing which is very common as a carb in Africa, it sort of has the consistency of mash potato.
The meal turned out alright, we washed up, I headed for an electric plug to charge my phone and cameras and time for an early night. Up early again in the morning.
20th August 2018 - Kruger National Park
Up at 5:30 and out at 6am for an early morning drive around the area near the camp. It was lovely and warm last evening, tee-shirt order and I was warm during the night but this morning it's cold; especially with the window open in the truck and the wind blowing in.
I was disappointed with the amount we saw this morning but maybe that's because I've been spoilt in the past. It was definitely a slow start to the viewing but we did get an interesting animal scurrying around and digging away at the ground. The fearsome honey badger which as Jeremy Clarkson said many times on the Top Gear Africa special they are vicious and they attack by going for the meat and two veg. Thankfully we were far enough away to avoid that so we could enjoy watching it hunt for breakfast.
Further along roosting in the trees were some vultures generally sitting there looking early but a big bully flew in startling them into life giving us a look at their huge wing spans. On the other side of the road I got a good close up look at one of the beautifully coloured starling like birds which we are seeing everywhere.
We did quite a bit of driving and not a lot of seeing but on the way back to the camp it all changed. First up we spotted a lioness near the road. She moved back away from the road a little to the river and sat there drinking for 15 minutes or so. But then rumbling over the hill behind came a herd of elephants disturbing her.
There were maybe 30 or 40 elephants from the large matriarch down to a few little ones. There slower walked down the riverbed towards the lioness who slowly sauntered off.
The young elephants were playing, the older ones were keeping them in check. A nice end to a cold, cold morning.
By the time we got back to camp it had warmed up nicely. We took down our tents had a bit of breakfast and had a shower to be ready for our drive down through Kruger to the new camp. Things started off a little better with some animals a lot closer to the truck. Giraffes close enough to see in all their magnificent leggy glory. Warthogs, a few zebra, lots of impala and no elusive big cats.
The highlight of the drive was a valley full of big beasts. First up we spotted a herd of buffalo grazing on the grass and soon after a herd of elephant came in to join them. This on it's own was a great sight.
Looking on were some impala and other antelope like animals. We've seen a lot of these beautiful creatures on our drives, if I'd been driving I would've stopped more often to watch them but they don't have the same whoa factor so we've usually just driven on past.
But then in the distance we spotted a rhino walking up behind and it had a little on walking along behind. It soon disappeared behind a bush but we waited it out and 10 minutes later it continued forward down to the water. No sooner had it reappeared another rhino wandered in behind. We had 3 of the big 5 all in one place. By this time everyone had totally forgotten the buffalo, the rhino were definitely the big attraction.
Further along we spotted a couple of more rhino on the other side of the valley but of course not being the first we had seen they didn't get the came amount of oooos and ahhhhs from the truck.
Soon we were into the campsite nice and early. Time to get the tents up and have a few hours rest before our night drive later tonight.
Superb BBQ dinner, I do love boerwurst then time to head out for out night safari. I'd never done one before and didn't know what to expect it turned out to be great fun especially as I was manning one of the spot lights. I had to scan the bushes as we drove by to see what we could see. First up a lazy and very smelly spotted hyena. It was just lying there not far off the road looking like it had just eaten far, far too much. We put the spot lights on it and it stirred a little but really couldn't be bothered to move. About 10 minutes later another hyena wandered up and it struggled to its feet and ambled off.
As you'd expect there was a lot of driving and lots of what was that, too late moments. As always we saw lots of antelope of different varieties. There was lots of rabbits, some white tailed mongooses or is that mongeese and some other small mammals and rodents.
Then as we were heading a road I spotted something, really it was just a huge rump of something. I shouted stop, maybe it was a rhino? We backed up and lo and behold there to the side of us maybe 15 yards away was a huge white rhino. As we pulled up it wandered a few yards away from us and then turned and carried on as before. The rhino really is a big solid unit and proves that not all vegetarians are skinny and in need of a good feed. It's hard to believe there are still people (well Chinese anyway) who pay huge money to poachers to kill these magnificent beasts. We were told 3 aget killed in Krguer every day.
On the way back there was a shout from the other side of the truck and we backed up to find an elephant 10 yards away looking straight at us. What a sight face to face with a huge elephant at night. It looked at us for a while then slowly turned to give us the side on shot and just carried on eating.
So all in all a fun way to spend the evening. I'd definitely do a night safari again given the chance and I'd volunteer to be on the spot light.
21st August 2018 - Swaziland - Hlane Royal National Park
Journey to Hlane Royal National Park today (approximately 6–7 hours). Take a final slow game drive of between 20 and 70 kilometres before exiting the park mid-morning. Travel south-east and enter the Kingdom of Swaziland, which is nestled snugly between Mozambique, Northern Zululand and Mpumalanga.
A late start this morning, up at 6am, wheels rolling at 7:30 heading out of the park and across to Swaziland (although we shouldn't call it that any more but more of that later). Soon after we left the camp we saw antelope, a big elephant across the valley and a few giraffe just over the hedge from us. They really are peculiar looking creatures.
Soon we got to the gates of the park but just because the park ended doesn't mean the game viewing does. 10 miles of so down the road we came to a bridge over a large river although this being dry season the water level was quite low. Out to the right we saw hippo and lots of them. We couldn't stop on the bridge but Siia (our driver) pulled over on the other side and we walked back just as the hippo started to cross the river. There were maybe 20 in all including a few really small ones trotting along. In their own way hippos are quite graceful and can travel at quite a speed when they want to. But then we spotted the crocodiles. Lots of them.
First we saw one then another, then we crossed the bridge and there we maybe a dozen of them lazing around and looking menacing. One posed with its mouth wide open as if it was playing to the crowd.
Just behind we got the classic hippo shot, just the eyes and nose poking out of the water. Just beautiful.
Soon we had to head off as today we have a border crossing to do and you never know how long they will take, thankfully this one took about 10 minutes to clear South Africa and enter into the country formerly known as Swaziland.
We drove for maybe an hour before hitting our camp for the night in the Hlane Royal National Park. A delicious sausage roll for lunch, tents up and then down to the water hole and whoa. 5 rhino just in over the fence from us. They are not captive but whether to enjoy the water hole or just to pose for photos there they were right in front of us. So far the cat count (just 1) has been disappointing but we have seen a surprising amount of rhino which has been great.
The rhinos seemed settled in for the day, this one had his mud sun screen on and was going to enjoy a nice long sun bathe.
After getting our tents up we headed out for a game walk. The park is split into three parts and obviously we were to walk in the one without the big dangerous stuff like lions and elephants but we were told there were girafe and lots of antelope. We did se a few impala but not much else, but our guide was great and talked about lots of smaller things, the trees and the wildlife in the park in general. It was an enjoyable couple of hours and was good to stretch our legs.
When we got back we headed back down to the waterhole to see what had come in for a drink. First up we had the impala and they were in a frisky mood. Two pairs were locking horns and then stepping back and crashing down into each other. Not sure if this was a play fight or for reall but it was entertaining either way. Maybe we saw the semi-fianl bouts and later the winners would play off for the championship.
Then we saw two rhino lumbering through the gap in the brush off to our left and over towards us. They stopped by the water hole for a bit then turned and walked straight toward us. It was a slow amble but still this was many, many tonnes of wild beast coming closer and closer. We were maybe a metre behind the fence and they came to about 8 metres the other side. They then just stood there and eye-balled us for 5 minutes or so then turned and slowly wandered off. Maybe they come down for a bit of people watching each evening and they find us as fascinating as we find them.
When I say there was a fence between us I don't think it was anything that would've stopped them had they not liked the look of us and charged. I don't think two stands for barbed wire who hold them up at all.
22nd August 2018 - Mozambique Beach Camp
Up early again, wheels rolling at 5:30am before sunrise for an early morning game drive and we headed straight for the big beast area. 10 minutes in we came across a solitary elephant beside the track. I don't know if it had been fighting or just pulling up to many tress but it had one tusk completely missing. I guess that meant he had little luck with the ladies and hence his solitary life.
The three jeeps split up and scourer the park more action and soon we got exactly what we were looking for, lions. Two males and three females ambling around. They saw the jeeps and soon the females and one of the males trotted towards us and straight past us, but one of the males stayed and posed for quite a while. He was quite a show off striking poses side on and head on, head held high. Or maybe be was sniffing the air thinking we smelt quite tasty although after a few days of camping I can't imagine we smell all that appetising.
He then started off in the same direction as the rest. It walked straight towards the other jeep that was there. The jeep started reversing down the track and the lion followed. The jeep started reversing quicker and the lion broke into a trott. We were in the other jeep and we drove along behind the lion. We went along like this for 5 minutes or more before reaching the fence where the other lions were sitting.
The jeep in front steered to the right and the male lion sat down beside his brother and started to lick himself clean.
Lions are an amazing cross between a big fluffy toy and a dangerous killing machine, today they definitely tended towards the former.
Next up the rhino area and we were not disappointed, 10 minutes in two big beasts not for off the track. One digging into a termite mound and the other crewing away at some grass. We've been really lucky to see so many rhino on this trip, you'd think they were as common as the other animals rather than being endangered.
Today is a travel day. In fact we had breakfast in Swaziland, lunch in South Africa and dinner in Mozambique. Thankfully the two border crossings were relatively painless. But 'road' into Mozambique is a narrow sandy track so we had to unload from the truck what we need for the next two nights and jump into jeeps to head for our camp for the night. Soon after we left the border you could see why the jeeps were required. We were bouncing down and sand track heading for the coast. Fantastic way to enter a country for the first time.
We are staying two nights in a camp right down by the beach, a beautiful setting but not it does mean mossies. Not too many but enough and I'm not taking malaria tablets so fingers crossed on that one. We had another good dinner and sat around the cam fire for an hour before heading down to the beach where Franzoir our guide told us about the planets and stars we could see and then moved on to some incredible stories of his many years in and around game parks including a few stories which are funny in hindsight but at the time must've been petrifying.
23rd August 2018 - Mozambique Beach Camp
Today there were options to scuba dive or take an ocean safari to see dolphins and do some snorkelling but I decided to had a day off, wander around the town and catch up on my blog. As it turned out I'm glad I did as the wind got up and the sea safari was cancelled, at least having already decided not to go I wasn't disapointed.
The beach we are camping next to is huge, it goes on as far as the eye can see and when you walk to the next headland it carries on around the corner. Apparently most of the long Mozambique coast line is like this. It was once a popular tourist destination but it has been ravaged by civil war and tourist numbers have not yet recovered. Apart from us and 4 or 5 locals the beach was deserted. Further along the beach all I saw was one optimistic fisherman with his rod pointing out to sea. I hope he managed to catch something but in the hour or so I was down there he caught nothing.
I wandered out of the campsite and up to the town (more of a village really). There were maybe a dozen shacks selling some tourist stuff and half a dozen bar/restaurants. I noticed at the border the Mozambique flag appeared to have a machine gun on it and when I saw the flags hanging in the market there it was. I guess it symbolises the armed struggle for independence but you'd think at some point in the future it will move to a more inviting design.
I spent the next three hours sat at a bar charging up my electronics and writing up my blog. One of the disadvantages of camping every night is the lack of oppertunities to charge stuff up; but I don't use much when I'm away so it is less of an inconvinience to me than many of the others. The were building by this point so it was a very pleasant temperature, I had a couple of locals beers and some delicious garlic bread with some clams in a curry sauce and watched the world go by.
This is the home for the two nights in Mozambique with the beach just over the hedge. It is a lovely spot but the facilities are poor. The water from the taps is quite brown, not all that inviting to shower in.
24th August 2018 - St Lucia Estuary
St Lucia Estuary is a huge lake leading out to sea but for the last few years the entrance to the sea has been blocked off so it is currently incorrectly named. We were told the authorities keep changing their mind on whether having it open to the sea with a lower water level is better or worse for the environment.
Having it shut off means it is ideal conditions for hippos and the consistent deeper water ideal for boats from which to spot hippos. In our two hours on the water we saw 4 or 5 large groups of hippos with up to 20 in a group including some tiny little babies. Hippos are great to watch but there isn't a lot of action during the day. The rise a little, breathe and lower a little and that's about it. But if you wait longer enough and have the camera on constant stand-by you will eventually get a huge dramatic yawn. We got a few but the one below was the most dramatic.
As well as hippos there are lots of crocodiles basking on the banks. They sit there completely still you keep watching hoping for a little movement just to prove they are not plastic models. Can it really be true that hippos kill more people than these killing machines?
We went into a side channel with tall reeds along the bank with beautiful yellow weaver birds flitting around and building their nests.
Back to the main river and more hippos, and more hippos. I think the guide was onto a sure bet when he offered us our money back if we didn't see any.
Our boat was a nice size with a lower and upper deck and bar onboard, others it looks like weren't so lucky.
25th August 2018 - Zululand
Around the campsite and the town were some interesting signs, the best being the one below and another reading 'Don't feed the crocodiles'. Hippos are nocturnal and at night come out of the water and wander around in search of grass and fresh water. They are commonly seen walking into town and munching on the grass which borders the high street. We were told they even enter peoples gardens and drink the water from their swimming pools.
Today we headed south to the Valley of a Thousand Hills, the heartland of the Zulu nation. About 1 in 5 South Africans are Zulu and we had local guides to talk us through the local traditions and how things have changed especially since 1994. After lunch we headed out for a walk and the first stop was a traditional healer. We all sat inside her house and were told about how she came to be a healer and what it involves. She said you don't chose to become a healer but you are 'chosen'. When she was young she had terrible headaches and couldn't sleep or had very vivid dreams. Eventually she was told this was a sign that she had been chosen and the only way to end the headaches was to study to be a healer. The study takes about 6 years sacrificing everything to the study but I'm guessing at the end of it she has a decent career.
We were told that prior to 1994 the majority of Zulus lived on mud huts but since democracy they have been given bricks to build house and power and water now reaches most areas. The area is beautiful and it is easy to see where the Valley of a Thousand Hills comes from, pity we don't get chance to hike in the hills.
Next up we were treated to some traditional dancer by some young children. As in Swaziland this involved some singing, some clapping and lots of high legs raises and the slapping of the feet back to the ground. From there it was back to the community hall where we started and back to the locals letting off steam with some karaoke style rapping at a very high volume.
Tonight we are sleeping in homestays and we had a gorgeous meal cooked by the head of the household. Chicken in a tasty sauce, a delicious vegetables dish, some spinach and cabbage salads, pap, rice and some lovely steamed bread. I must find out how to make the bread it was heavy and doughy just as I like it. After dinner the children treated us to more dancing and more stamping before we turned in for our customary early nights.
26th August 2018 - Durban
We woke up this morning to the dawn choirs and surprisingly the dawn choir. At first light the cockerels were crowing and dogs were barking. Then around 6:30 we could hear a church choir. Turns out the African Congregational Church has turned up and were singing and preaching and praying in the living room. Apparently they go around to houses they feel need some prayers on a Sunday morning before church at 10am. Maybe they thought we were in need of saving.
After saying our goodbyes we headed off for Durban arriving at our hostel mid-morning. Time to hand our washing in and go off for an explore.
Durban is South Africa's second biggest city but driving in on a Sunday it seemed quite quiet. We are staying down by the waterfront so first up a walk along the long, long promenade. It's a great beach for a city centre, lots of families enjoying the sun and surfers enjoying the waves. Really was a lovely contrast to the last few days.
One of the famous dishes of the Durban region is Bunny Chow. This comes from the South Asian community and is basically curry in a loaf of bread. There or a few explanations of how it came about but however it did it was gorgeous. The mutton curry was delicious and add in the bread to mop it up and I have a perfect meal.
The restuarant was quite a way back from the beach and I walked through some interesting areas on the way. We were advised not to walk around too much but it seemed safe enough to me. I stuck to big roads with plenty of people around. The restuarant was near the central market, good for buying a few presents and amongst some lovely old colonial buildings. It was quite surprising to see statues of old colonialists and of Queen Victoria still standing; you'd think after all that's gone on someone at some stage would've had a go at them.
Another interesting walk through some interesting streets and I was back on the seafront. It's been a lovely, interesting day.
