PRIVATE VEHICLE MALA MALA
 

We are planning our September 2008 trip to South Africa and Mala Mala. The main interest is photography. Should we hire a private vehicle at Main Camp? With a private vehicle, is one able to do longer drives or all day game drives? There would be two of us, what do they charge?
Any help from those who frequent Mala Mala would be appreciated.
cj

We did last year, and it really was worth it. spent an extra $500 usd,per day and it was worth every penny. We did stay out later during some drives, but the ranger was really able to tailor what we saw to our needs.

you mean, tailor your drive schedule? What was the typical duration of your drive?

They hv land rovers or land cruisers? -The reason i ask, i was suggested "Rattray's on Mala Mala" for a December safari.

TTT

We gave our ranger a list of what we wanted to see, and except for a kill, we were able to see everything. We were there in the beginning of January, and it was just too hot to stay our past the normal return time of the morning. Plus the big cats at that point are sleeping. We did stay out slightly later at night, but our return time was in part dictated by dinner. I never felt we were rushed, nor did I fear restricted. If memory serves me, each drive was 3-4 hours long. We did not stop for sundowner on our evening drive, as we did not want to waste the time, same thing in the morning with breakfast.

Currently land rovers

Hello,

I had a private vehicle during my stay at MM and you can definitely do all-day drives or longer drives. Pesonally, I never felt that game drive time was dictated by mealtimes.

Cheers,
Julian

Thanks Julian. It is refreshing to know that dinner does not impact the game drives.

What were the typical game drive timings and duration of drive?

Hi cbe7,

I am now at MalaMala so will give you my last two gamedrive times. This morning we left at 6am and were back about 9.45am and yesterday afternoon we chose to leave at 3.30pm and got back at 8.30pm. This times will vary to some degree to weather and what the gameviewing is like. Last night we stayed out longer than normal as we were watching a leopard hunt.

You will be here in December, when the day can be really hot, so doubtful you would want to be out too late in the morning or too early in the afternoon!

Kind regards,

Kaye

Kaye,
Have you hired a vehicle for your private use or are you using the regular camp provided vehicles. What I need to know is how whether or not to arrange for a private vehicle while at MalaMala main camp. We would rather be out all day (Box Lunch) rather than come back for the afternoon. We will be there in early June so heat is not a problem, although the light (for photography) will not be as good. Thanks for any insights you might be able to provide.
CJ

OOPS, I meant we will be at MalaMala in early September.
CJ

Hello,

Based on my journal, wake-up was at 6am and morning drives started at around 630 (I was given the option to start sooner, but after several days of 530am wake-ups at Singita I decided to sleep in for a half-hour). We returned to camp at different times depending on what we'd seen -- there was one time where we were tracking a leopard and came back just as lunch was ending (they'd saved us some food).

Tea was around 230 or 3, and we normally left camp about fifteen minutes later (I love good food, but I'm a quick eater when there's game to be seen). The return times varied with what we'd seen - usually around 8 or 830 as Kaye said but there was one time where we came back quite a bit later because we were watching a big-cat confrontation where a lion had treed a leopard with a kill (this was actually right outside the Sable Camp car park).

By choice I was usually the first one out and the last one back on my drives. My ranger (Raimond, who I highly recommend) asked if I wanted to do an all-day drive, but I decided against it in favour of two longer morning and afternoon drives.

Cheers,
Julian

Hi cj

I have never hired a private vehicle at MalaMala, just too expensive for the number of nights I am here. Not that on some occasions I would have liked to be in one, but on the other hand there have been a great many gamedrives when I have had the vehicle to myself, so if I didn't stay as long as I do I might well consider it and if you can afford it, I would go for it! Today, for example, the vehicle was at a leopard sighting, but as the other guests were leaving today and wanted to see buffalo, we had to leave, and in the big picture being here for a while I suppose it does not matter, but in the moment I was thinking I would prefer to stay with the leopard! With a private vehicle you would not have that happen.

I was here in September 2001, and for a few days it was 40 degrees celsius, and I am passionate about gameviewing, but you would get burnt to a crisp in that heat.

You would most likely be on a summer timetable if the days are warm, which I am on now and we are out just under 4 hours in the morning and 4.5 - 5 hours in the evening.

Kind regards,

Kaye

Hi Kaye - great to hear from you. Now we go to Kaye - live from Mala Mala !!!!! Wish I were there too. Of course I could say that everyday :-)
regards - tom

Thank You, Kaye....

Thanks Kaye and Julian for the info.
cj

Kaye

Did you see the Eyrefield cubs, six of them looking adorable on the cyberdiary.

Matt

I justed checked out the cyberdiary...whaaaaa....I WISH I WAS THERE RIGHT NOW! Kaye, I am so envious.

Hi from MalaMala

I am very fortunate to be back again so soon, so I agree Tom, Matt and CarlaM, I am lucky!

No Matt have not as yet seen the 6 Eyrefield Pride cubs, seen the morning I arrived then moved over to Sparta. But I have a bit of time up my sleeve. Have seen some amazing things including a birth of a Buffalo, and we saw him again yesterday at 1 day old, a leopard kill, 4 cheetah, 11 leopards, a huge number of ele, when in January they were tricky to locate now they are everywhere with a large number of little eles.

I am off to Rattray's for 3 nights tomorrow then back here for a couple of weeks, so still have plenty to see! I never see everything - though I am always hearing people say that they have seen everything - so always need to return.

Kind regards,

Kaye

ttt