The great time is a given.

You are so right! When in January are you going?

Sightings diary update posted today looks good - wild dogs still around and lots else!

Carol

21st for 5 at Main Camp then 3 at Rattrays

Matt,

Sounds good. Will be thinking about you - I'll be in Kenya at that time, so you'll be seeing significantly more leopards unless something very strange happens!

Carol,
Last Sept 2006 we also stayed in KNP, Satara and Mopani, before driving over to MalaMala. We enjoyed KNP and plan to start our safari in Sept 2007 again with Kruger then on to Mala. (Fly into JNB, drive to KNP). I'm looking for the "best" Kruger rest camps and thing to do/see there. Our best KNP activity was a night drive where we saw a mama lion and her two very young cubs. Any other suggestions?
regards - tom

Tom,

It's hard to judge on only the one visit there, but travelling with a South African of huge experience I would probably say that the North of the park seems to be great for scenery, solitude etc and the far South perhaps a bit better from a sightings point of view - obviously this a generalisation. Olifants was lovely but was noticeably drier around that area than around Satara and they're not even that far apart! Next visit, I think I'll probably aim to spend a few nights in the far north and a few in the far south, just for contrast...and ease of access to MM. How was Mopani and when in September will you be at MM? I'm there myself end of August into September.

Regards,

Carol

Carol,
Mopani was good. It is one of the newer camps so everything is very fresh. We had it basically to ourselves. When I asked about lack of guests they said the camp is at capacity on weekends and school holidays but almost empty other times. But I also know that Satara was full on that Wed and Thr. That's why I went to Mopani.
We plan to spend 5 nights in Kruger (don't know where) then on to Kings Camp for 5 nights then I go (by myself) to Mala for 6 nights on Sep 14-19. So will be there a couple weeks after you.
I'm going to try and fly directly from USA to JNB (avoiding Europe). Have you an experience doing this, e.g, JFK to JNB or perhaps IAD to JNB? (I'm starting though from LAX).
regards - tom

Tom,
Sorry - can't help you there. As I'm from the UK, I don't have that problem. I have to say, I'm not sure that I would visit so many times each year if I had your journey to get there! Mopani sounds interesting. Perhaps I'll try it in my October/November trip. Yes, we'll miss each other at MM in September as I leave there on the 8th, current plan is for Hluhluwe Umfolozi for a few nights...just for a change. Any experience of there and have you been to King's Camp before?

Regards,
Carol

Carol,
In the "Kruger Area" I have been only to Kruger and Mala. I have not been to Hluhluwe Umfolozi nor King's Camp. My travel agent was just at KC last Sep 2006, he, wife and another couple. They all liked it very much although still not quite up to the Sabi Sand camps. However, Kings Camp has a deal of 5 nights for $1,500 person. (As compared to about say $3,000 at Mala et al). My sister wants to safari next year (her first safari) and she wants sort of a short budget trip. So, we are going to Kruger for perhaps 5 nights, then to Kings Camp for 5. That should cost around $4,000 airfare included. (But I'm not going all that way just for that so I'm over to Mala after Kings Camp).
Yeah, you're lucky to go to Africa from UK, half the flight time and no real jet lag to recover from.
regards - tom

tana1

I have been to Umfolozi/Hluluwe for a 4 day walking trail. Its a very small park relative to the ones in Botswana or Kruger, but an excellent location for White Rhino.

Amolkarnik,

Thanks for that. As it will be in conjunction with Mala Mala I'm happy with whatever is there. It's just nice to see different areas. I believe that some of the park's rhinos were used to stock other areas, so that's always a good sign!

Carol

The park rangers at Umfolozi-Hluluwe are very proud of their Rhino conservation efforts. The White Rhino densities are simply stagerring - we must have seen atleast 30 individuals in 4 days, some of them far too closely to be comfortable.

Predator numbers are apparently quite low though.