Two camps gone already it was time to move on again. Checkout time is 10.00am, check-in time 2.00pm. That leaves four hours to drive the 34 kms from Crocodile Bridge but it's not the distance that's the problem, it's keeping your food supplies cool! The temperatures were in the high 30's, the car got hot very quickly. We had taken some fold down cool bags but with hindsight should have taken more. What I would give to be able to hire an electric cool box you can plug in to the cigarette lighter, there's an opportunity there for someone to make money!
Anyway, we drove the long way around, we needed to keep moving on a regular basis to have the aircon cool down the car, stopping only when necessary.
Zebra and Impala all crossing in an ever lasting column it seemed.
Some in less of a hurry than others!
The one area you have to be extremely cautious though is dealing with Elephants.
Elephants, particularly the ones with youngsters can be quite frightening if they thing you are threatening them. Best stay back and let them finish whatever they are doing before you attempt to pass if you have any doubts at all. If you see Elephants approaching to cross the road let them go before you and be careful where you stop too. Look for path ways out in the bush worn by a variety of animals and don't park where you are blocking one, especially if it's an Elephant who is about to use it! Anyway, we survived unscathed, they are not too bad to be honest, as long as common sense is applied.
The south certainly has a lot of game, and the predators that follow them too. We did pass another Leopard jam which took a while to negotiate through, once past I stopped and took a distant shot of a few spots viewable through the tree canopy. If that was the only Leopard we would see then I would settle for that.My idea of wildlife watching isn't jostling for position every time a car in the jam moves a few feet.
Anyway, we arrived at Lower Sabie Camp and settled in for the two nights were had booked. I might have stayed there longer had I been able to book but that was all that was available in terms of the tented accommodation when I booked.
I'd read bad reports about bat infestation as well as other issues but the Bush tents were very smart indeed, Bedroom with two single beds, bathroom and a separate kitchen entered off the covered dining area and of course a Braii!
I was beginning to master the skills of charcoal and I liked the novel design of these braiis. Looks like a dustbin lid with a few holes in the bottom to wash it out after use. The grill plate can be adjusted to different nights too or just lowered on to the coals.
The kitchen is supplied with electric toaster, microwave, kettle and two hotplates as well as all the utensils you might need.
The view , well they didn't have a River View Tent available so I'd gone for the next best, a Bush View.
Which is exactly what I got! It was attractive to birds though and extremely private.
You wouldn't know you had neighbours but you could hear cars on the main tar road beyond those bushes the minute the camp gates opened. However, noise from cars was nothing compared to the resident birds, especially the Natal Spurfowl which are incredibly noisy the minute it gets light.
Still, we were impressed with Lower Sabie and would certainly consider going there again. We didn't try the restaurant which has a lovely view over the river but we did have a beer there one evening in the hope of getting a wifi signal but alas, there wasn't one on either evening we were there so I had to do without the football results!
The shop at Lower Sabie is quite good too. I particularly like the fact they have a refrigerated room from which the sell wines and beers. I would spend a while choosing my purchases just to escape the heat of the day and cool down a while!
One of the nice attractions is that there are two viewing places minutes from the camp gate so ideal for somewhere to spend until the gates are due to shut , 6.00 pm while we were there.
Sunset Dam is full of Hippos but they were too far away and inactive whilst I was there, in fact so laid back that even the Heron could take a sunset cruise on one!
There is a large parking area for viewing too but you don't argue with the car park attendant.
and that was a small one just a couple of metres long.
Some are huge.
Along the shoreline there was a variety of birds,
The Hadada Ibis and Yellow-billed Stork look particularly good in the last rays of the day.
As an alternative end of day venue, the bridge across the Sabie River is a few minutes further to drive. The river has water in it all the year round so it's full of game coming to drink, however, I was there to see the Giant Kingfisher that's a well know sight there.
and to drive myself slowly mad trying to capture the fast moving Little Swifts.
You can only take so much frustration before heading back for a sundowner!
TBC
Anyway, we drove the long way around, we needed to keep moving on a regular basis to have the aircon cool down the car, stopping only when necessary.
Zebra and Impala all crossing in an ever lasting column it seemed.
Some in less of a hurry than others!
The one area you have to be extremely cautious though is dealing with Elephants.
Elephants, particularly the ones with youngsters can be quite frightening if they thing you are threatening them. Best stay back and let them finish whatever they are doing before you attempt to pass if you have any doubts at all. If you see Elephants approaching to cross the road let them go before you and be careful where you stop too. Look for path ways out in the bush worn by a variety of animals and don't park where you are blocking one, especially if it's an Elephant who is about to use it! Anyway, we survived unscathed, they are not too bad to be honest, as long as common sense is applied.
The south certainly has a lot of game, and the predators that follow them too. We did pass another Leopard jam which took a while to negotiate through, once past I stopped and took a distant shot of a few spots viewable through the tree canopy. If that was the only Leopard we would see then I would settle for that.My idea of wildlife watching isn't jostling for position every time a car in the jam moves a few feet.
Anyway, we arrived at Lower Sabie Camp and settled in for the two nights were had booked. I might have stayed there longer had I been able to book but that was all that was available in terms of the tented accommodation when I booked.
I'd read bad reports about bat infestation as well as other issues but the Bush tents were very smart indeed, Bedroom with two single beds, bathroom and a separate kitchen entered off the covered dining area and of course a Braii!
I was beginning to master the skills of charcoal and I liked the novel design of these braiis. Looks like a dustbin lid with a few holes in the bottom to wash it out after use. The grill plate can be adjusted to different nights too or just lowered on to the coals.
The kitchen is supplied with electric toaster, microwave, kettle and two hotplates as well as all the utensils you might need.
The view , well they didn't have a River View Tent available so I'd gone for the next best, a Bush View.
Which is exactly what I got! It was attractive to birds though and extremely private.
You wouldn't know you had neighbours but you could hear cars on the main tar road beyond those bushes the minute the camp gates opened. However, noise from cars was nothing compared to the resident birds, especially the Natal Spurfowl which are incredibly noisy the minute it gets light.
Still, we were impressed with Lower Sabie and would certainly consider going there again. We didn't try the restaurant which has a lovely view over the river but we did have a beer there one evening in the hope of getting a wifi signal but alas, there wasn't one on either evening we were there so I had to do without the football results!
The shop at Lower Sabie is quite good too. I particularly like the fact they have a refrigerated room from which the sell wines and beers. I would spend a while choosing my purchases just to escape the heat of the day and cool down a while!
One of the nice attractions is that there are two viewing places minutes from the camp gate so ideal for somewhere to spend until the gates are due to shut , 6.00 pm while we were there.
Sunset Dam is full of Hippos but they were too far away and inactive whilst I was there, in fact so laid back that even the Heron could take a sunset cruise on one!
There is a large parking area for viewing too but you don't argue with the car park attendant.
and that was a small one just a couple of metres long.
Some are huge.
Along the shoreline there was a variety of birds,
The Hadada Ibis and Yellow-billed Stork look particularly good in the last rays of the day.
As an alternative end of day venue, the bridge across the Sabie River is a few minutes further to drive. The river has water in it all the year round so it's full of game coming to drink, however, I was there to see the Giant Kingfisher that's a well know sight there.
and to drive myself slowly mad trying to capture the fast moving Little Swifts.
You can only take so much frustration before heading back for a sundowner!
TBC
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