Kruger Wildlife Safaris

The Unusual Birdlife of the Kruger Park.

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:42:20 +0000

Embarking on one of many available Kruger Park safaris, we are assured by game rangers that we will undoubtedly spot some of South Africa’s big five as well as other fascinating wildlife along the way. What we tend to forget is that the big 5 are not the only attraction of Kruger Park tours. Birdlife form an integral part of the Kruger National Park and would you believe that there are more than 900 birdlife species in the Kruger Park alone? Here are five of the most unusual birdlife species that make the Kruger Park their home.

Ground Hornbill:

This bird is incredibly rare and rather shy and owing to these facts, incredibly intriguing to birdlife enthusiasts. The bird, which is found in the Kruger Park in South Africa as well as other African countries including Kenya, Namibia and Angola, can weigh up to 6 kilograms and even though it can fly, it seems that it prefers not to travel in this manner. You will be able to spot this bird in the Kruger Park by its red patches of skin on its throat as well as white tipped wings.

Green Pigeon:

Many of us do not know that there are in fact green pigeons, and we do not mean normal pigeons with a slightly green tinge to them. These pigeons can be spotted in the Kruger Park at the top of trees as their green plumage lets them camouflage themselves with their natural habitat. These pigeons snack on fruit such as figs and can be distinguished by their obvious green colour as well as yellow feet and are a common sighting in the Kruger Park.

Marabou Stork

Many might feel that this is a more unfortunate looking bird but there is no doubt that this feathery friend, found in the Kruger Park and other parts of South Africa is not as grumpy as he or she looks. It is also known as the “Undertaker bird” because of its hunch back appearance and white skinny legs. This bird is found in the Kruger Park can weigh up to 9 kilograms and hops around in search of insects, other small birds and even reptiles to eat.

Lilac-Breasted Roller

The lilac breasted Roller is one of the most beautiful birds known to the Kruger Park and is one of only a few that can be spotted in the Kruger Park throughout the year. This bird likes to feast on insects, lizards and snails in the Kruger Park and is easily spotted by its multicoloured feathers.

White backed Vulture

It is obvious that with the amount of wildlife in the Kruger Park that there will be a fair amount of scavenger birds that prey on carcasses after predators have eaten the bulk of the attacked animal. These vultures make a distinctive hissing and squealing sound when they are circling their food and even though they are not the most attractive of the bird species, their beaks can tear through hide, making them one of the strongest birds in the Kruger Park

Five fascinating facts about the Kruger National Park!

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:46:04 +0000

For those who have visited the majestic Kruger National Park, you will know that it is undoubtedly one of the most serene and inspiring destinations in South Africa. Tourists and locals alike visit numerous game parks in South Africa including Sabi Sands Reserve and other game popular parks but the Kruger Park still remains one of the most popular and exciting holiday destinations for any South African trip. But before you grab your map and adorn your binoculars, here are five facts about the Kruger National Park that you might not know.

1. The Kruger National Park is less of a “park” and more of a “small country” in terms of the size and stature. The Kruger National Park covers 18,989 square kilometres and is one of the largest game reserves on the African continent. If you had to drive the length of the Kruger National Park safari from north to South, you would have to travel 360 kilometres and if you drove the breadth of the park, this would take you 65 kilometres from west to east

2. The Kruger National Park houses more than one species of a particular type of animal. The park holds 147 various species of mammals, 517 different species of birds and 114 different types of reptiles. Do not forget the various types of tree species which have made their home in the Kruger National Park, all 336 of them.

3. The Kruger National Park is home to the Big Five – the Lion, African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Leopard and Black Rhino. For years, there has been a misconception that these five animals were chosen as the Big Five owing to their size. However, the Big Five were selected because of the difficulty in hunting them.

4. The Kruger National Park has more than one ecosystem within the park owing to the large amount of forna and floar in the area. The Kruger National Park is divided into six different ecosystems - Mixed acacia thicket, Lebombo knobthorn-marula bushveld, Baobab sandveld, riverine forest, Mopane scrub and Combretum-silver clusterleaf woodland. There has been an estimation of nearly 2 000 various types of plant species on the Kruger National Park.

5. The Kruger National Park is home to all species, big and small. The biggest of them is the African Elephant, which is bigger than the Asian Elephant and stands at an average of 3.6 m for the male species, weighing up to 5,400 kg. The Dwarf Blue Butterfly is not the smallest species, but with a wingspan of only ½”, it is the smallest butterfly in the world.

There you go, five quick facts about the Kruger National Park and the wildlife that live there! Do you know any more interesting Kruger National Park facts? Leave us a reply and let us know!

Reaction unit established to combat illegal poachers targeting the Kruger Park.

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:42:50 +0000

Park and tour owners have recently been able to breathe a sigh of relief as the South African government has recently agreed on establishing a reaction unit focused specifically on targeting rhino poaching crimes that have been occurring within the Kruger Park and other parks in South Africa. These wildlife crimes have affected the park in the past few years as Rhino’s have been killed for their ivory, which is said to be sold in the Far East where there is a steep demand for the horn.

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica recently announced that the South African government will be dedicating 2 million rands to this cause in order to establish the unit and fight this wildlife crime as well as the violent poaching against the innocent rhino. The unit will however not be alone in their fight against these poachers as the Green Scorpions and the Department of Justice will aid them with investigation and persecution in order to get rhino poaching syndicates behind bars and protect South African wildlife.

These rhino poaching crimes will be registered under environmental crimes and will now have dedicated times in regional and district courts around the country. Environmentalists believe that this move is imperative as in this year alone, 55 rhino’s have been poached in South Africa – making it obvious that rhino poaching is an escalating crime problem.

The unit would not only consist of investigation and prosecution actions but will hire park patrolling officials to make sure that the animals are protected at all times from rhino poaching. Officials say that poachers work in groups and hire desperate individuals to kill the rhino’s and bring the tusks to them. Some of these syndicates have already been jailed but there are many more that are still free and they continue to perform rhino poaching and disrupt the wildlife community.

In conjunction with other efforts to bring rhino poaching individuals to justice, this unit is hoping to preserve wildlife in parks around South Africa and let tourists and locals alike enjoy the Kruger Park as well as the other parks around South Africa that let you view these rhino as well as other majestic animals in their natural habitat.

A Safari Guide’s Diary – Going Birding in the Parfuri Region, December 2009

Outlook — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:10:41 +0000

In December I had a short break from safaris and had arranged to go on a birding course in the far north of Kruger. I had three objectives for that week– 1) to learn more about birds plus see some of the unique species of the area; 2) to have a holiday in Kruger Park which involved a lot of walking; and 3) to have that holiday in the Parfuri / Makuleke region which is relatively inaccessible to the general public. So on the 8^th December I travelled to the far north of Kruger, the Parfuri region, to a training camp located on the southern banks of the “great, green, greasy” Limpopo River for a wonderful week of birding. I saw many new (for me anyway!) birds and learnt a huge amount more about their calls and habits. There were 15 of us on the course with 2 instructor guides and we walked for 3-4 hours every morning while it was still relatively cool and drove every afternoon when it was generally too hot to walk.

In the north of Kruger there had been just enough rain to get the grass growing and the flowers blooming and this is one of my favourite months in Kruger – everything is wonderfully green but the grass is still only a few inches high and the bush looks positively park-like. The animals have already scattered far and wide as they don’t need to be close to the waterholes anymore, but the insects, birds and reptiles are everywhere, and of course all the babies – delicate, fragile little impala lambs teetering between curiosity and alarm, tiny warthoglets, their legs a blur, trotting behind their mothers, fluffy “rocking horse” zebra foals, bandy-legged lion cubs panting in the heat showing their spiky incisors.

The Parfuri area itself is a spectacular change from southern Kruger. The underlying geology is quite different and as a result one has stunning Mopani forests on the ridges, ghostly green fever tree forests of the Limpopo river flood plains and the lala palm thickets rattling in the breezes that blow across the river plains. Scattered over the stony ridges and inland plains are stately Baobabs now fully clothed in their summer green and glowing in the dark of the night with their beautiful creamy white flowers.

Kruger Park wildlife

Outlook — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:50:12 +0000

The Kruger National Park has without a doubt one of the highest diversity of species for any park in the world. The Kruger Park is home to approximately 147 mammal species, 114 reptile, 517 bird, 49 fish, 34 amphibian and 336 tree species.

The Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant & Buffalo) are probably the parks biggest attraction, however there are many more species to be on the look out for. Honey Badger, Serval, Side-striped Jackal, Wild Dogs and Cheetah are special sightings to have, and can in their own right be more appreciated than any of the Big 5.

Of the more rare antelope to be on the look out for are: Roan Antelope, Sable, Eland, Tssessebe, Mountain Reedbuck and Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest.
With the southern Kruger Park having the biggest plant diversity, it also attracts more antelope species, which in return attracts predators. As one moves northwards through the park the vegetation and topography changes and this influences the wildlife, their preferences to the specific vegetation of the area as well as the abundance of other competing species.

All this doesn’t even consider the insect life underpinning the park’s ecosystem - about half of southern Africa’s known species of insects are thought to occur in Kruger, producing the slightly mind-boggling figure of some 20,000 insect species in the park. In Kruger’s burn plots alone, 169 species of ants have been found. The insect life of the park is sufficient to sustain 39 different species of insectivorous bats.

The area you visit will determine the species that you are most likely to see. See the camps for more on which species occur within the immediate region.

South Africa

Outlook — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:20:18 +0000

The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a 2,798 kilometers (1,739 mi) coastlineon the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.

Modern humans have inhabited Southern Africa for more than 100,000 years. At the time of European contact, the indigenous peoples reflected migrations from other parts of Africa, where new tribes had become dominant. Two major groups were Xhosa and Zulu peoples.

In 1652, a century and a half after the discovery of the Cape Sea Route, the Dutch East India Company founded a refreshment station at what would become Cape Town Cape Town became a British colony in 1806. European settlement expanded during the 1820s as the Boers (original Dutch, Flemish, and German and French settlers) and the British 1820 Settlers claimed land in the north and east of the country. Conflicts arose among the Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaner groups who competed for territory.

The discovery of diamonds and later gold triggered the conflict known as the Anglo-Boer War, as the Boers and the British fought for the control of the South African mineral wealth. Although the Boers were defeated, the British gave limited independence to South Africa in 1910 as a British dominion. Within the country, anti-British policies among white South Africans focused on independence. During the Dutch and British colonial years, racial segregation was mostly informal, though some legislation were enacted to control the settlement and movement of native people, including the Native Location Act of 1879 and the system of pass lawsPower was held by the colonists. In the Boer republics,from as early as the Pretoria Convention (chapter XXVI),and subsequent South African governments, the system became legally institutionalized segregation, later known as apartheid, which established three classes of racial stratification. South Africa achieved its political independence in 1961 when it was declared a republic. The government legislated for a continuation of apartheid, despite opposition both in and outside of the country. In 1990, South African government began negotiations that led to dismantling of discriminative laws, and democratic elections in 1994. The country then rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations.

South Africa is known for its diversity in cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. Eleven official languages are recognized in the constitution. English is the most commonly spoken language in official and commercial public life; however, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. South Africa is ethnically diverse, with the largest Caucasian, Indian, and racially mixed communities in Africa. Although 79.5% of the South African population is Black, this represents a variety of ethnic groups and different Bantu languages, nine of which have official status.

Kruger Park package safaris

Outlook — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:58:08 +0000

3 day Kruger classic safari
2 nights Johannesburg
Soweto or JHB city tour

R6920 - 00 per person sharing

4 day Kruger classic safari
2 nights Johannesburg
Soweto and Apartheids Museum Tour

R8925 - 00 per person sharing

5 day Kruger classic safari
3 nights Johannesburg
Soweto and Apartheids Museum tour
Lion Park tour

R11885 - 00 per person sharing

Enquire NOW! safaris@outlook.co.za

Included:

Transport for the duration of your safari
Pick up and drop off in Johannesburg/Pretoria
Professional guides
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
All day drives in the Kruger National Park
All entry fees and daily conservation levies
Accommodation with en-suite facilities and air-conditioning (accommodation is also mosquito proofed)
Sunset/ night drive
Bottled mineral water during the day
Wine with evening meals
Panorama route on the last day

South Africa safari

Outlook — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:53:20 +0000

A luxurious South Africa safari is the most sought after destination for travelers worldwide. Located on the very southern trip of Africa, South Africa or the Rainbow Nation is well-known for its rich diversity in languages, cultures and religious values. Similarly, a wide variety of wildlife and plant life makes it the most happening place of the world. There are 299 species of mammals and 858 species of birds in this country. In addition, a large number of predators, snakes and plain animals make your South Africa Safari enjoyable and memorable.

Travelers seeking highly comfortable safaris look to South Africa that has many renowned National Parks, animal and bird reserves, and ranches. The Kruger National Park is the most famous of all and located in the Waterberg Mountain Region that boasts diverse wildlife in abundance.

A typical South Africa Safari is not just about enjoying the wildlife and picturesque locations. A great merry-making is also on the cards with fun-filled activities like horseback riding, nature walks, pool games, shopping trips into towns, and beating of traditional African drums and bands before dinner. You can also experience great South African hospitality by staying in fully comfortable lodges and chalets .

We pay attention to your individual needs in order to make your South Africa safari a sojourn of a lifetime.

Another success factor of a South Africa safari is the professional handling of all matters related to your preferences, budget, travel style and time period by concerned service providers. Staff members having experience of organizing hundreds of safari camps in South Africa are generally engaged to look after you throughout your trip. So, you’ll have the real life viewpoint you need during your South Africa safari. You will definitely treasure pleasurable moments of the visit for the rest of your life.

kruger park safari tours

Outlook — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:51:57 +0000

To get a first hand feel of the pulse of Africa, the experience of a safari tour is a must. Being a part of the travel group is more advantageous as it allows one to be guided by a travel leader, while you can relax and get the most out of the experience. The most probable means of transport during a safari tour is either an open vehicle or an air-conditioned mini bus. Medical and travel insurance are an important part of any travel venture. Also make sure you carry sun block and light, comfortable clothing as a defense against the scorching heat. A camera is also a must to capture those unforgettable fleeting moments of bird watching or an unexpected coming face to face with wild life.

Safari tours offer exceptional game viewing opportunities in the early mornings or in the late afternoon, when one can catch glimpses of wild animals in their natural habitat.

A South African safari tour normally starts from Johannesburg.

The National Parks of South Africa provide ample opportunities for bird and wild life viewing, and the Kruger Park is the pick of South Africa’s National Parks.

The private safari parks boast luxurious accommodations, and are home to quite a number of endangered species of animals and birds. These private lodges arrange vehicles for guided safari tours, or provide the option of walking tour guides. If one wants to combine the pleasures of sightseeing and the safari tour, ten to eleven days must be kept in hand to get a comprehensive experience.

What to expect on a Kruger Park guided safari tour.

Outlook — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:35:02 +0000

A Kruger Park guided safari tour is designed to give safari enthusiasts a true African safari experience.

Conducted by a professional guide who has excellent knowledge of the Kruger National Park, with all its history, cultural heritage wildlife and fauna, your guide will share all his or her knowledge with you during your safari tour.

In addition to driving the vehicle on game drives your guide will prepare excellent meals for you in true South African style, and would include meals such as barbecue’s, traditional South African stews or vegetarian stir fry, depending upon dietary requirements.

Your guide will assist you in checking in to your accommodation, and makes sure you are comfortable and satisfied with the facilities.

A Kruger Park safari tour is conducted in two types of vehicles, namely an air-conditioned mini bus or an open game viewing safari vehicle. Both are excellent for game viewing, and the choice of vehicle is entirely your choice, but is subject to availability.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both vehicle options, and a description of the vehicles including pictures can be found on our vehicle options page.

Your accommodation on a guided safari tour will be in an air-conditioned, en-suite bungalow, and you will stay in the main rest camps of the Kruger Park, but is also subject to availability. Should there be no available space in the Kruger Park for your desired dates, alternate arrangements can be made to still conduct your safari; however accommodation will be outside the Kruger Park. All game drives will still be conducted inside the Kruger Park, and you will not miss out on any game viewing opportunities.

A Kruger Park guided safari tour is all about game drives to see as many wildlife species, beautiful landscapes, birds and reptiles the Kruger Park has to offer.

Early mornings are a must, so your guide will wake you up around 5:30am every morning. Before embarking on your game drive you will normally have time for a cup of tea or coffee and then you will depart in search of the wildlife you have not yet seen on your safari tour.

Breakfasts are normally prepared around 9 – 10 am, and depending if you are moving camps, you will have breakfast at one of the Kruger picnic sites or back at your camp.

Normally there are a few hours free between mid day and about 2pm, as this is in the heat of the day, and wildlife viewing opportunities are limited. Should you be moving camps, you will possibly be traveling to your new camp.

At around 2:30pm your guide will give you a call to signal the departure of your afternoon game drive.

You game drive will end at around 5:30pm, subject to gate closing times as well as unscheduled stops.

Most guided safari tours offer guests the opportunity to conduct a sunset or night game drive, making use of the Kruger Park’s open game viewing vehicles.

The duration of the sunset or night game drive is normally 3 hours long.

Should guests be participating on a sunset or night game drive, it is recommended that they do not attend the afternoon game drive with their guide, as they may not be able to make it back in time for the sunset or night drive departure.

On returning from your game drive, your guide would have a prepared meal ready for you to enjoy. The meal will be served outside of your bungalow, weather permitting. In some instances depending upon unforeseen circumstances your guide may recommend that dinner will be available in one of the Kruger Parks restaurants.

After dinner, the rest of the evening will be spent at your discretion, but after a long day’s activities, and the prospect of another early morning, most guests retire to their bungalows for the evening.