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5 Reasons to go on a Kruger Walking Safari

A walking safari in the wilds of the Greater Kruger is as exhilarating as it is meditative. Here are five reasons to sign up for a Kruger walking safari, pronto.

1) On foot encounters

Seeing elephant, lion, rhino or buffalo from the safety of a game viewer is one thing; encountering any member of the big five whilst on foot, is quite another. Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like seeing a pride of lions lazing about under a tree less than 50m away, or watching a big elephant bull pass by within spitting distance. The vulnerability one experiences whilst on foot in big five territory puts things into perspective, and the senses tingle with the primal fear our early ancestors must have lived with on a daily basis. Of course, walkers are completely safe, as there are two rifles on trail, but more than that, no animal will bother humans if left unprovoked. We’re just not in their diet, and there has never been an incident where a guide has had to cock their rifle at Africa on foot Wilderness Trails.

2) Learn a thing or two

If you were to test the bush knowledge of the average city slicker, they would probably get a score that would leave them red faced. ‘Why is it called a “white” rhino’?, ‘How do you tell the difference between leopard and lion tracks?’, ‘Which berries are safe to eat?’ If you’re unsure about the answer to any of the above, and feel like you’re the kind of person who needs a bit of bush schooling, nothing will educate you like a walk in the wilderness, especially if you do it with rangers as vastly knowledgeable as those at Africa on Foot Wilderness Trails. Their experience and bush-tuned eyes truly brings the veld to life for the untrained eye. They explain the symbiotic relationships between various species, why a tree was marked in a specific way, which plants humans can survive on, tracking, bushcraft, and much besides.

3) Slackpacking

Africa on Foot Wilderness Trails is the ultimate in luxury slackpacking. The two guides who lead the walk carry extra water, a first-aid kit, snacks and, as mentioned, a large-calibre rifle each. Walkers carry a light backpack, and anything heavier than your camera, water and sunscreen is transported from camp to camp by vehicle. The three camp locations on this mobile safari are chosen carefully for aesthetic and practical reasons, but ‘mobile safari’ means that nothing of the camp structure is permanent. It is set up and broken down each day with ease, has little effect on the environment, and no trace is left behind. The camps are fairly simple: Four dome tents with beds and ‘en-suite bathrooms’ (access to a chemical toilet and bucket shower) are positioned at one end, while the mess tent is at the other. Your meals are cooked for you (and expertly so), drinks are furnished and a game drive is thrown in every afternoon. Life on trail is easy!

4) Breathe!

Fresh air is an underrated commodity. If you live in a big city, you’re not breathing clean air, and your office aircon isn’t great for your health either. A walk in the wild and breathing fresh, clean air will likely rid you of that annoying headache, cough or sneeze you’ve been carrying. A dose of vitamin D will also do you the world of good, and will help combat those mood swings and is said to be crucial in maintaining a healthy heart. But more than the obvious health benefits, a walking safari just improves one’s mental state, rewires the system and recharges the batteries. Bottomline: it simply improves happiness and health.

5) Find your Zen

Speaking of mental health: a walk in the Kruger is the ultimate meditative experience. When you’re on trail, there’s no talking. Apart from communicating in whistles, low whispers and hand signals, or when the guide explains something, walkers remain as quiet as possible so as not to scare away any game or birds.

Some people like sitting cross-legged on a mountaintop and humming to themself, and some like yoga. We prefer a walk in the wild to get our meditation fix. It’s you, your thoughts, your breathing, the light crunch of the veld grass underfoot and the sounds of the bush. It is restorative and healing, and life’s little stresses and anxieties ebb away with every passing day on trail.

The Week in Pictures : Panthera Power

Summer is fast approaching and the arid landscape is shifting from crunchy browns to soft greens. Patches of rain have replenished the Kruger landscape and new life is emerging. There’s a heavy presence of calves, pups and cubs, which always warms the heart. Juicy shoots and leaves are sprouting forth, and the herbivores are delighting in the abundant greens. With the increase in plains game activity, and the presence of vulnerable young, it means that the predators are out in full force. This week it’s definitely power to the Panthera, given that there is such a marked increase in big cat sightings.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

Our sister lodges in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve have enjoyed a flood of both leopard and lion sightings. The unknown pride of lions were spotted in the area they tend to frequent, and the leopards are also making their presence known. The two candidates stealing the leopard show are Nyeleti and Cleo. Guests and guides have enjoyed regular sightings of these cats, and overall the cat sightings in the Klaserie are consistent. The highlight of the week was a rather unexpected sighting of a rare spring hare! One of the trackers from nThambo said he has never seen a spring hare in the Klaserie. A rewarding sighting !

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

The Sabi Sand crew have enjoyed a few heartwarming moments with the wild creatures of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin. The highlight (no, it’s not about leopards) from this past week was witnessing the birth of a litter of hyena cubs! Guide Tanya was there with her camera and managed to furnish us with a few images. So rewarding stumbling across a hyena den site! Tanya also managed to find Tatowa’s cub in a tree with a rather small kill – a little scrub hare. Leopards are opportunistic and will pounce on anything from smalll to medium size mammals.

Chacma Bush Camp

Over the past few weeks Chacma has enjoyed a flurry of lion sightings, with sightings of the Maseke cubs. Last night proved to be a huge highlight for both guests and guides. It was one of those lazy and languid evenings where guests didn’t even need to leave camp to spot lions. While enjoying a dinner on the balcony, two lionesses casually strolled past the waterhole in front of camp.

Needless to say, it made for incredible evening entertainment. One of the burly Maseke males was also hiding out in the thickets in front of camp. Our videographer, Rogan, happened to be at Chacma and filmed this lion king of Chacma. He says he was filming the Maseke male lion from the patio, and the next thing the lionesses appeared right at camp. He said, ” We actually thought that the big boy was going to stroll up the driveway at one point”.

Another highlight from the week was the presence of the African wild dogs. A fantastic week for predator sightings in the Maseke Game Reserve.

Ezulwini Game Lodges

Ezulwini Game Lodges enjoy consistent sightings of big game and predators. Guests at Ezulwini have enjoyed prolific sightings of lions, and the elephant sightings are always rewarding. There are abundant “jumbo” sightings around the Ezulwini traverse, and they will spend hours feasting on edible greens.

The Week in Pictures : The Ebb-and-Flow of Life

A warm welcome to this week’s edition of the “Week in Pictures”, an opportunity to share recent images from our passionate guides and photographers. The wildlife sightings in the Lowveld is full of swings and roundabouts, heartache, happiness and excitement. There’s a certain parallel between the ebb and flow of sightings and the ups and downs of life. This week we enjoyed a few fantastic sightings of commonly spotted species, and took time to enjoy the smaller things. Across the board, the predators made their presence known, and overall it was yet another sublime week in the bushveld. There were no major heartaches and showdowns this week, but rather an incredible ebb-and-flow of bushveld life.

One of our guests at Ezulwini Game Lodges told our reservations team that she’d spotted 23 lions while on safari in the Balule! The Kudyela lionesses have given birth to 10 cubs, all sired by the mighty Machatons. The team at Ezulwini Game Lodges enjoys regular lion sightings, but they’re certainly no stranger to seeing leaps of leopard meandering their way through the wild. It seems that Thuli is the most popular feline

Chacma Bush Camp wowed us with sightings of the Maseke Pride’s lion cubs. The Chacma team have observed the burly male lions mating with available females at any given opportunity, and finally the lionesses introduced new life in the Maseke Private Game Reserve.

The Klaserie Camps continue to spot the unknown pride of lions on their turf, with IDs coming in from various angles. The pride was initially thought to be the River Pride, but the Klaserie team are still debating the ID. Guide Reinhardt said that guests also enjoyed a sighting of Nyeleti the leopard resting close to a recent impala kill of hers. The wild dogs were also out in full force, with sightings of a mega pack of 40 dogs together with their young.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge continues with their reports of leopard sightings and other big game in the Sabi Sand.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Chacma Bush Camp

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

Ezulwini Game Lodges

Collection of Photos of Pangolin Sightings in the Greater Kruger

The shy scaly anteater bumbles through the bushveld in search of termites, grubs and other minuscule morsels to satisfy its insectivorous diet. Sedentary during the day, active at night, and notoriously coy by nature, makes this prehistoric armoured creature one of the most difficult species to spot while on safari. There a number of different pangolin species across the globe, but the ground pangolin (Cape pangolin or Temminck’s Pangolin) is the family of pangolin found within pockets of bushveld in the Greater Kruger. This particular species of pangolin is listed as vulnerable on the The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which is why our camps and lodges celebrate each and every sighting. Besides which, according to African folklore, it is considered a sign of good fortune to see a pangolin in the wild!

Our photographers have managed to spot pangolins in the wild, so we thought we’d share their incredible images. We have decided not to call out the location of the sightings, but rather discuss a few facts about the pangolin, why they are endangered and how you can help.

Let’s start with 5 useful facts about the pangolin :

1. When the pangolin is under threat it seeks comfort in its go-to position, which is a tight ball. These timid creatures can often be seen in this position, but don’t be fooled by its timid demeanour. They’re perfectly equipped to defend themselves with their razor sharp scales. One flick of their tail can also inflict harm, and if that doesn’t work, they’ll quite happily emit a foul smelling gas to ward off intruders! Their tightly curled position is not always because they are under threat – it’s also how they sleep.

2. Pangolins trundle along on all fours, gently swaying their body as they move slowly along. However, they do have the ability to move quickly should the need arise and can reach speeds of up to 5km per hour. Their running style is to raise their bodies upwards and run on their hind legs. They use their tail as balance, just like plenty of other species of wildlife.

3. The pangolin has an excessively long and sticky tongue that can access dark corners of termite mounds and fallen trees. The pangolin simply inserts its sticky tongue into an insect rich area, capturing all traces of termites, bugs and larvae.

Pangolins are endangered because of poaching and habitat loss. Their numbers are on the decline because their keratin scales are used for medicinal purposes (falsely believed that the scales cure ailments), their meat is consumed and their skin is used for clothing.

Click here to help save pangolins : https://savepangolins.org/

A luxury safari like no other: Time to get your hands dirty

A hands-on safari experience at Roam Private Game Reserve allows guests to dive in and get properly involved with the conservation, veld management and all manner of behind-the-scenes goings-on typical of a game ranger’s day at the office. We love a good game safari as much as the next person. Sitting in the safety of the game viewer under a blanket with a warm mug of coffee, whilst snapping a few iPhone pics of impala at the waterhole at sunset is great, but what if a safari could be so much more? Have you ever looked at the game ranger behind the wheel of your game viewer and thought ‘this guy is living the dream, I’d love to have his job’? Well, at Roam Private Game Reserve, you can – for a while. Guests at Roam can opt for an exclusive three- or five-night conservation safari, where they assist the team with their day-to-day fauna and flora management duties, and get to contribute to the conservation of game in the Great Karoo. Pretty cool, right?

It won’t be all toil, of course. In fact, you can still expect all the comforts and luxuries of a regular Karoo safari, but with something like a backstage pass to get a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes on a well-oiled game reserve such as Roam.

A big highlight the participants of the conservation safari can look forward to is the opportunity to track and observe the healthy cheetah coalition that’s been successfully introduced on the picturesque plains of Roam. Guests would assist the team in tracking the collared cheetahs with telemetry and, if there happens to be a very recently introduced cheetah (which, for the first few weeks, is placed in a cordoned-off ‘introduction boma’ before being set free in the wilds of the reserve), guests might get to see the cats fed an animal from the reserve in keeping with their natural diet.

A bit of buffalo soldiering is also on the cards, as guests will assist in the supplementary lucern feeding of the fierce bevy of bovine that call Roam home, as well as the monitoring of the herd. Because the animals don’t have a boundless territory for grazing, their diet needs to be supplemented, and putting out regular feeds is a big part of the conservation efforts at Roam. Getting up close to these beasts is an experience in itself – many a fool has made the fatal mistake of confusing them for docile cattle, where in reality they are some of the African wild’s most dangerous and fearsome creatures.

Guests will also help with the general monitoring of the reserve’s flora and fauna. By means of fixed point photography, guests can help monitor the vegetation cover and species composition, while the fauna (which includes a huge variety of plains game and smaller predators) will be monitored by various methods including camera trapping, incident reports, head counts, meerkat habituation and bird ringing.

Avid twitchers will be delighted to take part in the bird ringing process. Also called ‘bird banding’, it is the procedure whereby birds are captured in mist nets, and then fitted with rings for identification purposes. The species, age, sex, weight and other measurements are all recorded and sent to a central database. This process is incredibly helpful in the protection and conservation of birds in Southern Africa.

When guests are not assisting the Roam team, collecting valuable data, and learning about the fascinating history and geology of the region, they will be enjoying downtime and kicking back to the peaceful rhythm of the Karoo. Delectable dishes are savoured morning, noon and night, and leisurely sunset game drives complement the more strenuous veld activities during the day.

It’s the best of both worlds and, ultimately, you get to make a tangible difference in the conservation of the beautiful biome of the Great Karoo.

The Week in Pictures : Cats, Wild Dogs and Elephants

This week we’ve had another successful week in terms of predator sightings, and the past few weeks we’ve enjoyed a similar pattern of sightings. Wild dogs, leopards and elephants have filtered into the spotlight, providing ample photographic opportunities. Guides have spotted leopards in areas of high visibility, and the wild dogs – although nomadic – tend to be hanging around their local turf. It seems sightings have been similar within the Klaserie, Balule and the Maseke, which makes sense given that they’re in close proximity to one another.

A highlight of the week was the sighting of lion cubs in the Maseke Game Reserve. Guide Ad Van Zyl spotted a litter of lion cubs sired by the Maseke males. The Maseke Pride actually have two sets of cubs – all healthy, happy and thriving! Sticking to the theme of big cat sightings, Ezulwini enjoyed yet another sighting of Thuli the leopardess and a rewarding sighting of an unknown leopard relaxing on top of an elevated area.

Umkumbe Safari Lodge in the Sabi Sand still enjoys consistent sightings of leopards, with the young Nweti making his presence known on the traverse around the lodge. Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp have also enjoyed predator sightings, with the highlight being the presence of wild dogs.

Ezulwini Game Lodges

Chacma Bush Camp

Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp

The Week in Pictures : Landscapes and Lazy Days

We’re a day late with our Week in Pictures blog post, but we thought we’d keep you in suspense. We trust our latest gallery of wildlife images fresh from the bushveld will make up for the arduous wait. It’s abundantly clear that the bushveld is experiencing a marked change in weather patterns affecting the landscape, which always makes for textured scenes and vivid colours. Summer is the rainy season in the Kruger, and downpours are interrupted with blistering hot days. The Lowveld is still dry, but evidence of summer is slowly breaking through! It’s not long before we’ll see stormy skies hovering above and deep greens carpeting the lands.

Guests from Ezulwini Game Lodges enjoyed incredible big sightings during the course of the week. Angele said that there are definite signs of new life in the bushveld. She says, “trees are budding and flowering, frogs calling, and insects emerging.”

Game viewing at camps has been quite successful. Umkumbe Safari Lodge seem to enjoy consistent sightings of a young male leopard called Nweti, who is avidly trying to stake claim on unchartered territory. The highlight was watching Nweti with a kill right outside of camp, and observing a cheeky hyena steal the kill. Coupled with the leopard sighting, guests enjoyed rare sightings of wild dog. To top it off, a hyena was attempting to battle it out with a wild dog. Hyenas don’t mind a bit of confrontation if it means a food reward at the end of battle.

Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp have also had their fair share of wild dog sightings, and have been lucky enough to watch the mottled pups clamber around allen trees. The guides from both camps managed to track and find the Westin Pride of lions. A mega-pride of lions that occasionally makes an appearance in the far reaches of the nThambo and Africa on Foot traverse.

Walkers Bush Villa invited a handpicked selection of guests to the villa for their launch party. The event was a roaring success, and the soft room refurb looks just perfect. While guests were enjoying drinks around the pool, a small herd of nyala visited the lawns of the villa.

Chacma Bush Camp

The elephants continue to frequent the waterhole in front of camp, and week after week we continue to enjoy their presence. Guides have spotted a wealth of other plains game in the Maseke.

Leave no pet behind! Roam Private Game Reserve’s Manor House is pet friendly

Pet-friendly destinations are few and far between, and it’s always hard leaving your furry friends at home when you go on holiday. But at Roam, everyone’s welcome, including Rover.

What’s better than visiting the picturesque plains and undulating hills of Roam Private Game Reserve in the Great Karoo? Well, visiting Roam with your pet by your side, of course. Guests of Roam’s Manor House – a self-catering, exclusive-use home away from home, perfect for families – are encouraged to bring their dogs and cats along, provided that they have the necessary vaccinations.

The Manor House is truly a dream Karoo escape. Its well-appointed living area is open and airy with double volume ceilings, and large farmhouse windows and French sliding doors that flood the space with sunlight. There are three bedrooms: one large master suite with sliding doors opening on to the boundless Karoo veld, and two spacious rooms for the kids. It’s understated and sophisticated, with a touch of luxury, but the standalone Manor House was primarily built for comfort and seclusion in the Karoo wilderness.

It’s set on 300 hectares of unspoilt Karoo, on which guests can take their pets for long walks – Fluffy would likely have never seen such vast open spaces in its life! The position of the house means it’s well isolated and gives the feeling that you have the whole reserve to yourself. Absolute bliss.

After taking the dog (or cat, if you can get it to tolerate a leash!) for its daily walk, enjoy cooling off in the lovely and inviting pool or kick back and savour a sundowner on the expansive deck – you will never want to get up from the super comfortable sun loungers surrounding the pool. Your pet will love the rolling green lawns of the garden, and there’s ample space for it to run and play to its heart’s content in the yard around the house.

As night falls, you’ll want to get the fire going in the huge braai on the back stoep. Karoo chops, anyone? When in Roam! And, as the blanket of stars descends, try and identify the constellations with the telescope that comes with the Manor House. City slickers will certainly not be used to a night sky this lit!

** Dogs need to be on a lead at all times when not in the confines of the garden and house. The conservation levy will apply to pets. It should be noted that pets can only be walked in the 300ha around the Manor House and not on the main reserve. Please let the staff at Roam Private Game Reserve know the type of pet that will be accompanying you on your family holiday.

Walkers Bush Villa Official Launch Party ! About Last Night…

Last night the team at Walkers Bush Villa hosted a launch party and invited a few industry professionals, and a number of other guests. Delectable canapés married with lavish accompaniments ensured belly growling was kept to a minimum. A veritable smorgasbord of craft gins were served, together with a fine wine selection and a locally produced MCC. Crisp cold bubbles jostling in champagne glasses greatly contrasted the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the event. But then again, that’s Walkers Bush Villa in a nutshell – absolute understated sophistication and elegance combined with a relaxed yet professional atmosphere. The relaxed sophistication is evident right from the finer details of the decor, to the craft beverages, wine selection, cuisine and guiding.

The opening event at Walkers was an opportunity to mingle, network and get to know the team behind Walkers Bush Villa. And it was paramount that a handpicked selection of guests experience the magic of the villa. It was also the perfect occasion to introduce the recent soft refurb of the villa, and to listen to the history of Walkers from none other than Howard Walker himself. After guests indulged in Six Dogs gin infused with blueberries and flavoured tonics, and glasses of Tanzanite Brut and Brut Rose; the chitter chatter permeated the air creating quite a relaxed and lovely evening overall. We sent in the intrepid media crew from Sun Destinations (Em and Rogan) who visually documented the event.

This event truly highlighted the safari lifestyle. A sophisticated soiree in one of the most exquisite settings in the Lowveld. We’re not talking about the pomp and ceremony that goes hand-in-hand with the Royal wedding, but it was certainly refined and spirited. While guests sat around the pool area eagerly snacking on carefully crafted canapés, a small group of nyala decided to visit the grounds. Of course, this isn’t the first time wildlife has come to the lodge. Huge breeding herds of buffalo have been known to stampede their way past the grounds, marauding scavengers can be heard vocalising through the night, and the rustle of predators in the thickets is always close.

We’ve introduced Walkers on numerous occasions, and by now you know that this haven of tranquility sits comfortably in the heart of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve. The villa can be hired out on an exclusive use basis, and is ideal for the discerning traveller seeking an intimate and personalised luxury safari experience.

The team at Walkers will tailor-make your experience suited to your guests needs, and an event similar to the one hosted last night can be re-created. The event serves as a gentle reminder that Walkers is a prime spot for a party or intimate event. 50th, 40th and whatever else. Make a weekend of it – Walkers welcomes you!

New Mountain Bike Trails at Roam Private Game Reserve

The Great Karoo is a place of stark beauty. Smack in the middle of this seemingly desolate but deceptively diverse heartland lies Roam Private Game Reserve, where guests can opt for game drives, guided walks or – for something a little different – an exciting mountain bike ride.

Nowhere in South Africa are the skies more vast than on the flat, arid plains of the Karoo. The smooth rhythm of the horizon is only interrupted by the scattered and peculiar flat-topped koppies so typical of the region, and the occasional mountain range. At a cursory glance it might seem almost Martian, but at closer inspection the parched panorama comes alive with a rich diversity of hardened semi-desert flora which includes a variety of succulents, fynbos, renosterveld, dwarf bulbs, geophytes and a veritable kaleidoscope of desert flowers.

Guests at Roam are not only privy to the floral secrets of the Karoo biome, but are also treated to an array of plains game which includes 13 species of antelope, zebra, giraffe and even buffalo. Roam has also recently initiated a cheetah programme on the reserve whereby rescued cheetah were reintroduced to the plains as part of a major conservation project. With a bit of luck and a pair of sharp eyes, guests could also spot smaller predators such as black-backed jackal, caracal, Cape fox, meerkat, bat-eared fox and civet.

Now all of these delights can be enjoyed on a leisurely bike ride. Guests of Roam Safari Lodge and the Manor House are now encouraged to saddle up their iron horses and pedal their way around the reserve on a number of mountain biking routes of varied distances. Naturally, game drives are a fantastic way of gaining intimate knowledge of the reserve and its inhabitants, but imagine waking up in the luxurious comfort of the Safari Lodge or the Manor House to a crisp Karoo sunrise and sipping on a coffee, before setting off into the wild on two wheels, with the looming Swartberg Mountains forming the perfect Insta-worthy backdrop.

The ultimate sense of freedom envelops you, as you cruise through the reserve at your own pace, traversing empty basins, sandy river beds, steep shale climbs and technical down hills, while spying creatures great and small. The stillness of the morning is only punctured by your own breathing and the crunch of your mountain bike’s wheels on one of four mapped out trails.

The Green Route is a kid-friendly 6km amble in the area around the Manor House, and the Yellow Route is a slightly more strenuous 15km, while the 24km Orange Route traverses a good portion of the reserve and the rider is bound to see plenty of game. The Red Route is recommended for fitter riders keen on exploring all the way to the north end of the reserve. It includes a number of stiff climbs, exhilarating downhills, almost guaranteed sightings and – with a slice of good fortune – a glimpse of the cheetah coalition that now calls Roam home.

Bring your own mountain bike, a helmet and a medium level of fitness, and come and roam the Karoo on your own two-wheeled game ride.