scootr29

www.imagestation.com/members/scott_susan

Enjoy...we had a blast and I am already planning a return trip to Bots.

hguy47

Scott_Susan,
It looks like your game sightings were quite prolific. It may take me a while to get through all 724 of the pictures in your albums, but it looks like you've got some good ones. Glad you had a great time.

HariS

Scootr29,

When i click on the slideshow (For Mashatu) i'm only getting a blank screeen for some reason? wasn't able to access the pics ......

Hari

scootr29

Hari...I checked this morning and it seems to be working ok....

The light was really good at Mashatu...and then it was cloudy for Mala Mala.

matnikstym

great pics! the elephant rolling around is cool and your hyena pics are excellent! And cheetah too! thanks for sharing!

atravelynn

Looked at Mala Mala ones so far. Lots of bushbuck activity. They are one of my favorites. I loved the leopard face in the grass. Seems everyone was seeing lions at the beach. The coloring of the sand and the lions' coats makes an attractive shot. My favorite was the 2 hyena faces on their paws.

atravelynn

Was that a sable in the first couple of Mashatu shots? The black hulk in the brush? Great ele rollover sequence. I believe cheetah are uncommon at Mashatu so you were lucky you had some good cheetah action. What did they say about cheetah in Mashatu? Nice sliver of a moon. The lion cubs were adorable.

scootr29

It was a wildebeest rolling in the mud...the only Sable Anetelope we saw was at Camp Jabulani.
The cheetahs were everywhere at Mashatu. The first pair were brothers and they were playing it up for the cameras. The ranger/tracker said that they were pretty common. Mashatu compared to Mala Mala is a lot more open. I think we saw a total of 7. The baby elephant was really cool...he was just rolling around.

I did not have a lot of camera luck at Mala Mala. It seemed that there was always something in the way...grass, tree branches etc. and plus there was no sun...The 2 baby hyenas were just hanging out.

napamatt

Lots of pictures, but worth wading through.

Mashatu looks stunning after rain, if you go before the rain it's like the moon. But your pictures make it look beautiful, looks like Cheetah are doing well there.

Where is Jabulani and will you be giving us a bot more narrative on your trip?

atravelynn

I saw the Jabulani sable. Lots of variety in the Jabulani wildlife. Was there also a sanctuary or something there? It appears you were hanging out with a cheetah. Did you mention you can walk with the eles in addition to riding them?

You have some nice body part photos, for lack of a better word. The Mashatu croc is was my favorite one.

scootr29

Hoedspruit Endangered Center is about 45 minutes from Jabulani. The woman (Lenta Roode) who owns the center is also the owner of Camp Jabulani. The center specializes in cheetahs, but they also have wild dogs, a hippo, a tiger, some smaller cats. We were very impressed with the place. I think we got a little more attention since we were Camp Jabulani guest. I do not think everyone gets to pet the cheetah.

I do not think they will allow you to walk alongside the elephants, but we did not ask.

Yes Mashatu was very nice and green. We got there about 3 weeks after the rains so it was green. You could still see a lot of flood damage.

About a report...I have a small report link already and will try to find it and post here. But we were super impressed with Mashatu and Camp Jabulani. Mala Mala is just not our style. Mala Mala is catering to the quick in and out guest and that was very apparent to us anyway. Almost like an amusement park ride...how many people can we get through the ride in a day.

Again just my opinion.

cary999

We went to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Center last Sep 2007. It was ok, but, we were not impressed. After paying $15 pp we were given an hour or so vehicle ride to see cheetahs in large grassy pens. The guide tossed in a chunk of meat for their meal so at least the cheetahs moved around some for us. Saw a few of the other animals such as sable antelope. That was it. Saw no cheetah cubs, no petting a cheetah, no photos with cheetah. I can not recommend it, only, if you're looking to do something, anything, for couple of hours.
regards - tom

Lillipets

I finally looked thru the Mashatu photos. You seemed to see everything!
I'll be there next summer. I didn't think cheetahs would be found there so I'm glad to know you had no trouble finding them.
I'd love to hear more about Mashatu with a trip report. Thanks!

amolkarnik

Your pics are amazing and you managed to see those cheetah we we tried so hard to find. The whole reserve looks so much greener. Was the river flowing?

HariS

Thanks i did get to see the Mashatu pictures and well ..... such good cheetah sightings!!! I have Mashatu very high on my list ......

Hari