After 8 days travelling in the central and northern Kruger we made our way to the more active southern parts, staying 4 nights in Lower Sabie Rest Camp, 3 of them camping and the last night in a chalet. Camping is our first choice because of cost (we do this a lot) and the adventure aspect. You will always have more adventures when you camp đ. Staying the self-catering chalets feels like absolute luxury after 11 nights roughing it in heat of summer. Something must be said for the gratitude camping teaches you when you go home and realise what truly defines luxury.
The rest camps in Kruger are comfortable and basic. Service is usually excellent and we can usually obtain most foods and essentials at the camp shops. The southern camps are more popular, and therefore busy and better stocked and supported. We where so grateful to not have any Covid cancellations and problems. Our hours in the park where slightly restricted because of the national curfew, but this what an easy sacrifice. A little over a week after leaving we read on the Sanparks Facebook page that the whole camp was closed down due to Covid.
We arrived just in time to get 2 side by side campsites with some shade. An afternoon swim was a regular occurrence and kept our kids happy, as did the daily ice creams and slushies! The incredible viewing deck at Mugg and Bean was a daily visit too. It is one of the most well known view points and is a must do.
The campsites in Lower Sabie are smaller but he bathrooms and kitchen appear newly renovated and was a pleasure. Hot water is usually on tap which is convenient for our morning coffees. We had parrots and birdlife in full abundance right outside our tent đ Our neighbours where friendly, and always a good source of sightings and information. We met some lovely people as always.
Fortunately we had no misadventures in this camp! The weather normalised and we enjoyed more fabulous sightings, including Rhino, this is always special and a great highlight.
We did another sunset drive (clearly a favourite) and although our guide was not as exceptional as Joseph in Satara, she was lovely and cheerful. We had 2 separate lion encounters that night. The lion vrs buffalo was such a treat. We had a slightly distant view watching the lion pride spread out and âherdâ the buffalo. The pride where certainly tactical and it was a unique encounter. Sunset was beautiful and we could only imagine what went on when we could not see past the light. We spotted 2 puffadder snakes on the road, another unique sighting to end off another great drive.
On our last day we had a second sighting of wild dog. Wow, what an end to another eventful and wonderful trip.
We left the Kruger early the next day, through Crocodile Bridge, to Bloemfontein. With take out along route and another looong drive to Cape Town the next morning we where exhausted. We personally prefer a quick journey home compared to another multi stop route, this is because we know that, in the past, we just want to get home by the end of a trip. One night stop over between Kruger and Cape Town is quite harsh if you not used to long road trips but with adequate rest and good planning it can be done with a family. We had all 3 of our kids with us on the entire trip, so they where very happy to see home too. It was not always simple or easy, but it is time we will always cherish.
Once home we discovered that Josh (6years old) had a spider bite on his thigh. Poor Jay had to do Dr duty and watch it being drained, not his finest hour (during my epidural in labour he passed out while I sat still having contractions!) Fortunately after draining and antibiotics he was good as new, including Josh!
In June/July, Covid permitting we will do our Namibian adventure (originally booked for last year). This will include Ais Ais, Fish River canyon, Sossusvlei, Etosha and more. I hope to give some tips and tricks, a Namibia for beginners. We rolled our car here 3 years ago, so it is very exciting to finish an unfinished trip and enjoy even more!
So the adventure carries on!!!