Back from South Africa Trip Report: Ngala; Exeter and Phinda
 

Thought I'd share this trip report from my latest trip to Africa..my dad and I have been to Africa a number of times and I had held up my nose a bit at what I had heard about South Africa---too commercial, like Lion Country Safari with tarred roads, etc...and so on...after having been, I can say that my impressions were wrong. South Africa is an amazing place for safaris and I'd go back in a heartbeat. One thing is for sure, it is Big Five country. I'm a rhino nut and it is one of the Big Five that South Africa has in abundance more than anywhere else we've been.

Here's the itinerary:

Ngala Tented Camp: 3 nights

Exeter River Camp: 4 nights

Phinda Game Reserve: 2 nights Vlei Lodge and 2 nights Rock Lodge

Cape Town: 5 nights

And some highlights:
Ngala: As we were watching a female leopard patrol her territory, a tank of a rhino bumbled across her path---needless to say the scent panicked the rhino and he charged after her---she seemed not too concerned but did get a move on; We saw some great hyena den action in first light as a large female waited for the pack to return from hunting, she guarded the den as the pups awoke one by one emerging from the den; We came across two pairs of mating lions on consecutive days---fascinating to watch the mating behavior; Also came a cross an enormous herd of Cape Buffalo as they emerged from the bush to drink at a waterhole---it was chaos! Likely as many as 300-500 buffs is a lot of action! We missed out on Wild Dogs which had been regularly seen hunting on the concession---they had a denning site just inside Kruger---the full moon might have changed some of their hunting habits was the speculation. We saw all the Big Five and much more but certainly had to work for it.

Exeter River: This place was a gold mine for wildlife and especially leopards! We observed no less than eight different leopards during our stay and they are about as interesting to watch as any of the cats. A mother and two cubs sharing a bushbuck kill high in a tree---we also got some great "play time" as the cubs honed their skills in the tall grass along a dry river bed where their mother had stashed them as she went out to hunt...we followed one of the dominant males as he patrolled his turf, another young male as he set out to hunt in the early evening; found a female with a kill in a tree as she called out to find a mate; and perhaps the most interesting scene of all: a bull giraffe that had been taken down by a HUGE male leopard!! The speculation was that the giraffe had somehow fallen down but the carcasss showed the tell tale signs along the neck where the leopard had finished him off...ordinarily you wouldn't suspect a leopard could do this but this dominant male was so much larger than any other we'd seen, you'd believe it if you saw him!

That scene played out over a couple days---when it was fresh, the large male lay belly full nearby---intriguing that a smaller male turned up and fed on the carcass as well---for some reason the large male tolerated this but there was tension in the air for sure! By the next morning, hyenas were having a turn---the carcass steamed in the cold air and the nervous whelps and whoops of the hyenas indicated their nerves with good reason---the roar of a male lion indicated that perhaps the kill had been noticed by him as well...when we came back the next day, however, there were as many as a dozen hyenas around, still nervous, but ripping and tearing and crunching at the carcass...gruesome, but fascinating. A jackal waited its turn and the hyenas were "pasting" the area with a strong scent claiming the carcass as their own and warning off other packs that might get any ideas...

An elephant in camp provided even more excitement as he just wasn't going to be told where he should be or not be...clapping, spraying some water and even a ping pong like gun didn't dissuade him for long...the most excitement came as we had to evacuate the lunch tables and run for cover as he interrupted the lunch hour. In the evening, one side of camp couldn't come to the lodge as a leopard was strolling about and the other side was sequestered due to some Cape Buffs lingering around...that kind of excitement is always fun, long as nobody gets hurt.

There was some drama as a female ellie in a breeding herd was spotted with a snare about her foot. Too dangerous for us to tag along, we could still hear the operation, the trumpeting, the sirens, as a team of rangers went out and darted her to remove the snare...a copter flew over head to keep tabs on her, playing a siren loudly to try and keep the rest of the herd from storming in to assist her. Our ranger said it was heart wrending as the calf of course did not understand and was terrified to see its mother down....but five minutes later after the antidote was administered, terror turned to joy as the female elephant got to her feet, crossed her back legs, felt that the snare was gone and with a "oh, that's what that was all about..." began to feed calmly on the spot.

Coming across a busy bull rhino marking its territory was also pretty cool to me...it struck me how BUSY wild animals are....marking territory, establishing some mating, feeding pecking order, mating, finding food and water...they aren't just laying about like at a zoo by any means...the guides were fantastic at sharing the personal history of the animals which gave you a great idea of their lives---quite the soap opera as coalitions of males enter a territory to take over and earn the right to mate...these stories were especially interesting regarding the lion prides and leopard interactions...again we whiffed on wild dogs which are also a possibility here but their den was on a neighboring private concession and we were unsuccesful finding any activity as they frequently came into the area using the boundary fence as a hunting aid...hey, that's why they're wild animals...no guarantees and we weren't complaining!

Phinda: I enjoyed the change of scenery, the lodges/accomodations were pretty outstanding and it's true that the reserve is great for cheetah and rhino (white and black)...I heard some of the guests complaining about a lack of game but we took part in all the activities and really enjoyed ourselves. The Flight of the Fish Eagle took us over the St Lucia Wetlands, up to Lake Sibiya, over the giant dunes along the Indian Ocean and out over the beautiful waters...we spotted hippos and other game from the air, especially cool was spotting three whale sharks and about eight pods of humpback whales (15+ individuals including their calves)---it's a view from a good bit up but still was great to see. We also fished out on the ocean and caught some yellowfin tuna which the chef at Rock Lodge gladly served up as sashimi and seared in a variety of ways that evening. We visited the zulu community and learned a bit of their lives there and were going to go on a black rhino walk but we had such a long, productive sighting of a mother and older calf in the evening game drive we didn't end up doing the walk our last morning.

Our last days were in beautful Cape Town. Exploring the winelands which are as sophisticated and beautiful wineries as anywhere in the world, driving to Cape Point along some of the most spectacular coastline anywhere as well. And eating good food---it really has it all. We also, did the Great White Shark trip out of Simon's Town which is the place to go out if you want to witness the "predations" where they sometimes breach the surface hunting cape fur seals---it was a bit windy and rough on our scheduled day and while we didn't see the natural predations like we had on a previous trip, we got two pretty awesome breaches towing a decoy behind the boat...our last trip it was the opposite...many natural predation and no action on the decoy. I got some crude video and have a couple video captures which I included in my pics. All in all, just a fantastic trip---beyond my expectations and I'd do it just like that all over again. We used Eyes on Africa to book our trip and stayed at &Beyond properties throughout our stay and at Abbey Manor in CPT---well run with VERY helpful ladies that gave great advice re: activities, food and wineries...a spectacular location and views under Table Mountain...high marks all around....as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so I hope you enjoy mine (PS you dont have to be a facebook member to view these I'm told):

Ngala Tented Camp:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...7&l=a117bb9666

Exeter River:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...7&l=8687434bd6

Phinda:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...7&l=d0a4df53ca

CPT and environs:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...7&l=f2192795e2

Your trip report looks great. We just booked our flights for next July using FF, so I am officially ready to start asking questions!
What were the dates of your trip?
How did you decide where in CPT to make your home base for the five days? We would like to stay in one place, rent a car and do day trips -- Boulder Beach, Simontown, Hermanus, Stellenbosch. Can't decide if we should be down town or in one of the "suburbs" and try and rent a house on the beach, even though it will be winter.
And was five days enough, too much?

Sorry for all the questions!

Fabulous pictures & wonderful report! We will be staying at these same areas in &beyond lodges next September & you have validated our decisions. Now I am really excited. The aerial shots of Sodwana Bay show reefs not far from shore, & as we will be going to snorkel there at the end of the trip, & I have had a lot of trouble getting any info about that, I was so happy to see them! Thanks!

Thks for the questions--our trip dates were JUL 26-AUG 10---we rented a car in CPT and got the GPS and it worked pretty well---that's the thing about Cape Town---so much to see within a 1.5 to 2 hour drive---hermanus would be the farthest trip but even that's not too far...the others are easily reachable from CPT. The winter months in CPT are different than elsewhere in South Africa where winter weather is quite consistent (but can get cold at night)...in CPT it can be really beautiful or get nasty, windy and rainy...we were pretty fortunate and only on departure day did it start to rain. We stayed at Abbey Manor which was a conveniently located---real nice, safe neighborhood---nice little corner cafe nearly across the street---and the host and her staff were just incredibly helpful in setting our plan for the day...we'd been to CPT several times before so we were looking to try new restaurants and maybe find some wineries we'd not visited or explore some nearby areas without being too redundant. Hard to tire of driving the coastline and out to the winelands...the water's cold and not really too beach weather that time of year---I'd recommend staying in the city and venturing out for the day. We did stay at Monkey Valley Resort one time which has an amazing wide beach but the area is a bit sleepy...Five nights was good especially if you've never been before but four would probably be fine too---a leisurely day to drive to Cape Point/Good Hope would take care of one full day (I highly recommend the sharks which is on the way out of Simon's Town)---the wine region is another really great day---and then the waterfront and Table Mountain/shopping and dining are other great days...probably my fifth or sixth trip to CPT but our host recommended something that I hope you won't disregard everything I say hereafter : )but we found pretty cool, especially for a first timer...the red open bus with multiple stops and 20 minute pickup points all around town was a great way to let someone else do most the work but allowed you the freedom to get off and explore at the same time...we actually liked that : )

My pleasure shouldbewriting : ) the weather is warmer up around Sodwana Bay but our day on the boat was pretty windy and rough...a little dramamine though and we were fine...no marina or anything so it's a wild ride getting past the breaking surf to get out to the reefs and fishing---I'm sure the wind was just a luck of the draw kinda thing...most surprising to us was spotting those whale sharks from the air--I had it in my head that they migrated north that time of year but there were definitely some in the area as we saw three---and there are lots of humpback whales---should be fun, just hope you have slightly calmer seas than the day we went out : )

Excellent report made alive with your pictures. I have been to Timbavati & the Sabi Sands but not to Phinda which looks amazing. What camera and lenses did you use? Thanks for sharing.

Good Report and Great pictures.

Yes, I would like to know the camera you used also !!

Thanks for posting

My camera is a Sony Cybershot---bought it a couple/few years back----has a decent built in zoom lens but not nearly as large as a lot of the ones I saw people using in Africa...I'd say I like it because its versatile...if you're decently close it can really bring it in...maybe not with the clarity of the big telephotos but good enough...has the ability to take short videos as well which I was able to capture the sharks on twice (what you see in my pics are "video captures" of the short clips I was able to get)...I've been happy with it...

PS it also has a "night vision" type setting which i used a few times...not a great pics but definitely conveys a mood : )

Fantastic trip report gator, thanks for sharing. Loved the detailed reports on your sightings, it really sounds like you had some fantastic game viewing! Especially that giraffe kill. I also like your first paragraph, about your previous impressions about South Africa and how this trip changed it. That's great to hear - South Africa truly has some amazing (and surprisingly affordable) safari destinations, not to mention the vibrant cultures, beautiful scenery and world class cities. Glad to hear you would go back again!
Onne from Wild Wings Safaris

Thanks for your report. It brought back our lovely memories of Ngala Tented and Phinda. You really did have some good animal sightings.

Enjoyed your photos as well. We took the flight to Sodwana Bay for snorkeling. The water was too rough but we so enjoyed our flight over the dunes and the coast and a couple of hours on the beach. Which lodge did you like best at Phinda? We stayed at Forest and though it's bigger than Vlei, I did absolutely love the rooms.

Vlei was real nice---but I especially loved the Rock Lodge perched on the hill with dramatic views of Leopard Rock---didn't get to see the rooms at Forest Lodge but from the folks that had stayed there, they seemed to love it as well...a lot of real nice properties at Phinda...

gator, Really enjoyed your report and pics; also brought back wonderful memories of our first trip to S/Africa and Ngala Tented and Exeter Leadwood...didn't go to Phinda, but did get over to Bots for a few days. Magical! We definitely caught the fever on that trip..

I loved all your pictures and hope we can return the trip report favor after our upcoming trip to the Mara!

MB

What a fabulous trip, love the many highlights!

I was impressed with the squirrel photos--not easy to get. The buffalo reflection in water is lovely. You could practically look right down that elephant's throat. Your flight of the fish eagle photos were something very different from most safaris. What a special treat to see the Whale Sharks. I too thought that was not the time of year to be seeing them. Great job with the Great Whites. Lots of marine action.

This was a terrific itinerary!

Thks lynn---was a great itinerary---are you serious about the squirrels? The folks in our vehicle were joking we came all the way to Africa to see something in our backyards...the guide was taking pics lol but the light was good and the little guy was putting on a show stretching in the morning sun : )

For an amateur the only way to catch the sharks is by filming the decoy and waiting for a strike---those are video captures from the video---a card with lots of memory would let you do this...just erase the long stretches when nothing happens and hope you're not busy erasing when something finally does...

In many safaris I've had good look and photo of a tree squirrel only once. It was setting on a small broken branch looking at something (we couldn't find) and chirping/barking like crazy!!!
http://tinyurl.com/29psdpw

FWIW, our guide said they make devoted fun pets. (You just have to be careful if you cage them, they can't escape from snakes if caged)

regards - tom

LOL That's a great pic---maybe I should include a couple more..this little guy was just waking up it seems---stretching and scratching...the light was perfect and our guide was especially interested in taking pics for some reason...

Hi, great photos. Planning a trip September 2011 and can't decide between Exeter River Lodge and Dulini. Did you see Dulini? Looks like you had quite an adventure with wildlife around camp at River. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Also stayed at Abbey Manor and loved it. Did you see much wildlife in Phinda?

HI Joanne:

I think that Dulini is quite close to Exeter and they share traversing rights with all the lodges in the various concessions close by so the game experience will likely be similar. In fact I believe we were very close to Dulini when we were watching the leopard cubs play--but I could be wrong. We saw a lot of wildlife at Exeter and the surrounding areas...the only thing we missed on were wild dogs...

I heard a couple guests comment they were a bit disaapointed with the game at Phinda but we had come from the Kruger area and were happy to see a different landscape. We incorporated a couple side trips to the Indian Ocean/Sodwana Bay as well. Your best chance for cheetah in South Africa is likely at Phinda and Black Rhino are perhaps more likely as well---we did not see leopard there but had come from leopard overload in Sabi Sands so that was fine...otherwise, we saw all of the rest of the Big Five and cheetahs to boot...

Fabulous photos, thanks for sharing!!

Darlene