A road trip around South Africa, Part one: Lions, Leopards and Laughter

Our trip started with dad arriving at Lajuma, having survived the road up the mountain for the first time, as he arrived I gave him a quick tour of Lajuma as well as a visit to Felix and the Samango Monkey Barn Troop. His first of many African animals. He arrived as preparations for a very weird party (that the girls thought up) were in full swing, and attended a lajuma party!

We woke at 9am the next day, me being surprisingly not hung over, bright and ready to hike up Mount Lajuma, the highest mountain in the Soutpansburg Mountain Range. As we climbed up the leopard trail through what is known as the chimney. A hole in the rock, 

Climbing up the "Chimney"

Dad asked "so this is the top right?" I pointed up further along the patches and up the mountain, "were going up there"

Were going right up there!

 A few hours later and we were at the summit and back down to camp in time for a South African Braai with yummy Ostrich steaks. After we had an eventful journey down the mountain to a B&B dodging cows, genets, donkeys and humans on the way, not to mention driving past the turning 3 times, Happy Kruger Eve. 

On the way back to camp, ready for food now!

The next morning was an early start, dad would have to get used to this very quickly, to drive to Kruger National Park. First we stopped off at Moholoholo Rehabilitation center to learn about the plight of South African wildlife, problems such as snaring, Gin traps, Poisoning, and Muthi (witchcraft). Not to mention seeing the animals and holding vultures. 

Holding the heaviest species of vulture

Finally after shopping we entered Kruger, put our bushy eyeballs in and started out to our first camp, Satara. After stopping for a few zebra and impala, as well as dad mentioning multiple times why are the animals not all in big herds, we saw a car stopped by a dry river bed, pulling up we asked what he had seen, and surprisingly it was a leopard lying on a rock in the river bed, the most elusive of large carnivores and we have seen it within an hour, what a start! 

Our first leopard on first day! how lucky are we? 

As we drew nearer Satara we stopped at a waterhole with a heard of zebra, impala and wildebeest, not to mention crocs and hippos. As the sun was setting we pulled into the gate 5 mins before gates close. However the sunset was worth it as well as well as two black backed jackals walking down the road a few minuets before the gate.

Satara, should not be called the home of Lions it should be the camp of sunsets

A new day dawned and we were once again up early to go on a morning walk, the drive out to the walking site was shrouded in mist, occasional acacias rising out of the mist.  On the walk we learnt about spiders and millipedes as well as looking at spoor (footprints) of hyaena, leopard and rhino. 

Our guide for the morning walk

On the way back we heard that there had been a lion kill earlier that morning so we drove down towards Tchokwane to see it, we arrived to see two lionesses in the bush lying down, not realizing this was the kill site. We then drove further down the road and came across a waterhole with zebra, impala, warthog and giraffe, and every now and then the zebra would run, seemingly for no reason, leaving a dust trail in their wake. We then saw a lioness lying in the grass looking at a pair of impala.

Look, the warthogs farted!

Someone stopped and told us even further down the road, a leopard was sitting in a tree, I couldn't believe it, another leopard, we moved to the location and saw almost a typical african scene of a leopard in a tree, thank god for renting a good long lens!

Leopard in the tree. Beautiful!

After we headed back to camp, to get ready for a sunset drive, we went out and after a few sightings of elephants we headed at 6pm to the kill sight again to see some more lions. Eventually the sun set and we were plunged into darkness, as we were driving back past the the kill sight one of the lioness' came walking up to the vehicle and spent five minuets on the road, making people in the car jump as she jumped towards the vehicle before she stalked back off into the bush. What an end to a brilliant first 2 days in Kruger, 

Satara living up to the name of the home of lions!

The next blog post will finish of Kruger and St Lucia. Including my best photos I took in Kruger

Till next week 
Enjoy