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The Thrill of the Hunt in Klaserie, Timbavati, and Sabi Sands


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Posted (edited)

"The next day we unloaded the pictures and the videos stored on our cameras and started reliving all the wondrous moments we shared with the animals and birds in Africa. We looked at each other and said, “Let’s go to Africa again!” And so we shall."

 

Maybe you've discussed #2 on the planning threads, but please share here. Anything in mind? You may have to choose carefully so that trip #2 complements your highly productive #1. Something really different because it would be hard to match all you saw. Such a problem.

Edited by Atravelynn
Posted

Great report and photos Terry, I read the whole thing in one sitting. Thanks for sharing.

Posted

Some terrific sightings in here: wildcat and dogs being highlights for me. My favorite is probably actually your buffalo enjoying itself in the mud, though. I've never seen one show so much personality! On one hand, I feel badly about missing your installments as you wrote them, but on the other, it's been very nice to peruse your TR at my leisure all day. I've especially enjoyed your sense of humor.

Morkel Erasmus
Posted

Great report and pics!

Posted

Only just had time to finish the report which was very enjoyable. Lovely photos and what brilliant leopard sightings.

 

So where will your next trip be?

Posted

so glad this was bumped up since i missed all the updates.

 

@@Terry such an enjoyable report. your humour and descriptions livened up the report. i love that pix of the rolling buffalo - it brings out the other side of a personality i've not seen before.

 

and the gorgeous leopards. beautiful close-up shots, and i can relate to that feeling of love for that blue-eyed handsome hunk!

 

and the hyaena cubs are cute, seriously.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Thank you for all the wonderful comments. It is great to know that you found the trip report enjoyable.

 

 

We decided to wait until 2015 for our next trip to Africa. This is giving us more time to savor our memories of our first "Trip of a Lifetime” and recover from those long plane flights.

 

 

We just spent two weeks in Kauai, the Garden Island of Hawaii where we went to snorkel and use our under-water cameras. Hawaii is the only place in the entire world (we were told) where Albatross choose to nest where people live. This year there were 100 nests on the north shore of Kauai and we were able to photograph both the young albatross and the adult. Other seabirds we photographed included both Red- and White-Tailed Tropic Birds, Red Footed Boobies, and Wedge-Tailed Shearwaters. We also saw several Hawaiian Monk Seals which are endangered and even a Green Sea Turtle came ashore for us.

 

 

Now we are ready to plan for the "Second Lifetime Trip" and sneak it into this “Lifetime". When I first looked at a trip to Africa, I dreamed of Botswana and I have not forgotten. But sometimes we think we really should see the great savannas of Kenya or the Crater of Tanzania or the huge herds of animals on migration. Then one of us will mention the pleasure we had sitting out on the veranda at Gomo Gomo Lodge and watching the constant, yet ever changing parade of animals coming to the waterhole.

 

 

So, yes, we have a lot of work to do, much to discuss, and pennies under the mattress to count within the next few months, but we are going back to Africa.

 

 

 

 

  • 8 months later...
Posted

 

 

And if you want to see which lodge has what traverse, these maps of Timbavati and Sabi Sands might help;

(there's no map of Klaserie like this yet, as there's not enough lodges to make it interesting)

 

http://www.sunsafaris.com/south-africa-map/kruger-park-map/timbavati-map/

http://www.sunsafaris.com/south-africa-map/kruger-park-map/sabi-sands-map/

(just hover over the maps)

 

Jochen, the sunsafaris link no longer seem to work. I'd love to see these maps, especially Timbavati.

 

I've really enjoyed this entire story as I have a group returning to Timbavati in July, with stays at Kambaku and Simbavati River Lodge.

Posted

Terry, Your narrative put us on your safari well done.

  • 3 months later...
martywilddog
Posted

What a great trip report @@Terry!

 

I am trying to plan our honeymoon and since my fiancé has just shot down my Kenya trip (which after a month of extensive research turned into a blatant copy of @@FlyTraveler 's trip ), I am now turning my attention to South Africa.

 

His objection to Kenya is safety. My objection to South Africa was a subjective feeling of a more zoo like experience and less wild/authentic than Kenya.

 

I have to say that your trip report might have sealed the deal in getting me excited about South Africa ;-)

Atravelynn
Posted

@@martywilddog, just to keep expectations within reason, this was a really lucky trip, but representative of what can be seen. I still remember how much this trip produced.

 

I also had your concerns about South Africa feeling like a zoo--before I went. You'll be happy with your South Africa safari. If @@Terry's plans are on schedule, she might be traveling at this very moment!

Tom Kellie
Posted

post-49296-0-03551000-1436389677_thumb.jpg

~ @@Terry

 

What ?!?!

This happens?

Amazing!

BTW: My family home is on the Kauai's North Shore — west of Hanalei, next to the Dry Cave on the way to Ke’e Beach.

I'm so glad that you enjoyed your stay there, and apparently visited the bird refuge around the Kilauea Lighthouse.

Tom K.

Posted (edited)

@martywilddog I am glad you enjoyed by trip report. I am sure you will have wonderful wildlife experiences in the Greater Kruger National Park if you plan a trip there. Be sure to pick a reserve that borders on the National Park which is unfenced. That way you have a chance to see any wild animal which may wander back and forth.

 

We are returning to South Africa again the end of October and will sit out on the veranda at Gomo Gomo Lodge once more and watch "the constant, yet ever changing parade of animals coming to the waterhole." In addition, we have picked two lodges which will be new to us, but still meets our original criteria being located next to a water hole. Also, they both have an underground hide which should give us the opportunity to have unique pictures of elephant feet close-ups.

 

Actually, this will be our second trip to Africa this year, but the first one was not a safari, but a trip back in time to ancient Egypt fulfilling my husband's life-long dream of sailing on the Nile River and walking where the pharaohs walked.

Edited by Terry
Posted (edited)

@@Tom Kellie We loved Ke'e beach. That was where the Hawaiian Monk seal hauled out the afternoon we were there. We have stopped at the Dry Cave. It is a wonderful area to have a family home. We went several times to the Kilauea Lighthouse to see the Red-Footed Boobies, the Red-Tailed Tropic Birds, the Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, and the Ne-Ne Geese. The Laysan Albatross now nest around the homes of Princeville on the northern cliffs.

 

I have read of other lodges where a family of warthogs makes itself to home on the grounds. Of the four days we were there, we saw them only the one time. However, a year ago or so, there was a picture posted of a Warthog family wandering thru a parking lot in the town of Hoedspruit. They were probably safer there than trying to evade the lions in the wilderness.

Edited by Terry
Posted

@@Tom Kellie We loved Ke'e beach. That was where the Hawaiian Monk seal hauled out the afternoon we were there. We have stopped at the Dry Cave. It is a wonderful area to have a family home. We went several times to the Kilauea Lighthouse to see the Red-Footed Boobies, the Red-Tailed Tropic Birds, the Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, and the Ne-Ne Geese. The Laysan Albatross now nest around the homes of Princeville on the northern cliffs.

 

~ @@Terry

 

What you've so kindly written means quite a lot to me.

My late mother's remains were partially spread in the waters of Ke’e Beach, thus it has a powerful emotional resonance with me.

We once lived in Princeville while our home was under construction.

Small world!

Thanks for explaining about the seemingly fearless warthogs. I've never seen anything like that during safaris in Kenya.

Aloha & Mahalo!

Tom K.

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