cw

Leslie, I understand what you're saying. We had no checklist nor desire to just see the "big 5." It was just so wonderful to be in a wildlife area with great rangers and great sightings.

The whole experience was new and everything we saw was memorable. In fact, surprisingly in retrospect, we could have checked off the big 5 list at Phinda. I didn't realize then how lucky we were to see so many rhinos, both white and black, and also the more common (there)-nyala.

So the whole trip will be a learning experience and you can't go wrong with your choices. We are not birders, but if anything could make you want to be, it's a safari. So Parfuri has its appeal.

You really can't go wrong with any of your choices. I just wanted to say earlier that if there was a safe bet to see lots of wildlife, it's the Sabi Sands. But it's probably leopard that may be more elusive elsewhere but more a safe bet there. We saw our best lions, including cubs, at Ngala (Timbavati), and adults at Phinda. Cheetah, only at Phinda. Large herds of buffalo and elephants at both Londolozi and Ngala.

P.S. The zebras and giraffes are great. The giraffes always seem to look right at you with curiousity and the zebras turn their backs to you. I have a lot of zebra rear end photos!

spassvogel

Regarding the drive between Sabi Sands and Mashatu:

We did it in April 09 as follows:

Left Sabi Sands after morning game drive and drove up to Makhadu (4,5 hours drive) and stayed at a wonderful guesthouse. Next morning we drove the other 2 hrs to Pont Drift borderpost.

Retour:
We left after the morning drive and went to Shingwedzi restcamp in Kruger where we arrived (entrance was at Punda Maria gate/Kruger) shortly before 18.00hrs.
Next day we did a game drive towards Paul Kruger Gate and went back to Sabi Sands for some more days at Londo.

All the drives were easy on very good tarred roads.


We don't know Mashatu as we stayed at NITANI in Tuli.

We stayed at Londolozi (excellent leopard sightings besides 2 lionesses with 6 6 week old cubs to mention a few sightings)in Sabi Sands because we won't agree with some of Mala Mala's management qualities which have an impact on to the whole experience:
Don't allow guides and trackers (if they have trackers!) to socialise after work
Trackers if available sit in the back of the vehicle which also has an impact onto tracking except for telling the difference between Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli ;-)
They charge for drinking water


SV

cary999

One reason being given repeatedly for not going to MM is that the trackers sit on the back. Well, how do you know the trackers are not doing a good job back there? I have heard the ranger and tracker communicate often during a drive. What makes you think you missed sightings because the tracker was in the back? I've heard hardly anyone complain about poor sightings at MM. Maybe other safari camps should give it a try!!

Any Shangaan trackers lurking here that have tracked both ways?

regards - tom

spassvogel

tom
you might be right - or not.
But a tracker is supposed to track and tracking when already the vehicles has driven over the tracks is quite difficult. Isn't it?

We have been to many safari camps in Southern and East Africa and it's only the camps which don't have trackers at all and the ones which have them in the back who either question the tracker's necessity at all or insist on tracking from the back is more rewarding.
Any other camps have the trackers - if they have the buddy system - in the front.

Having no trackers is a disadavantage because a guide especially in rough terrain and furthermore at night drives is simply uncapable to do all these jobs: driving (carefulle hopefully), tracking and working the spotlight. Too much of a task especially for males ;-) I am joking but seriously questioning anybodys capability of doing all that properly.

Having the tracker in the back is simply because the camp can sell the passenger's next to the guide to an additional guest where on the other hand a tracker in front needs the passenger's seat as a resort in case they approach elephants or close up to predators ;-)

I know Mala Mala from different occasions and also something behind the scenes - Mala Mala is extremely money driven and having the tracker in the back feeds that impression.

SV

cary999

SV - well, just to continue for fun
I'm not sure having another seat to sell enters into it because - the tracker in <b>back</b> is in fact the one who takes a seat. And watching guest take seats they prefer the back over the front seat (next to the guide). I have actually sat in that seat next to the guide with a tracker in front, that is when seven guests in the vehicle. If the tracker needed to vacate his fender seat he would squeeze into one of the rows. All this is to say that putting the tracker on the fender frees a seat to sell, not the other way like you say it. Right?

regards - tom