advice on south africa NPs

[rolf_hilfiker1]

hi, our next trip in may 2007 is planned to travel around south africa. we stay

3 weeks and would like to take a round trip (joburg, krueger np, swaziland,

kwazulu-natal and lesotho). i know there are plenty of good spots for wildlife

photography, but because it is the first time we go there we do not really know

where to start.

where have you been, places you recommend to stay, best opportunities to take

photos - may be also good, not too expensive lodges.

many thanks for your contribution

rolf, switzerland

[wildpicture]

Rolf, although I am from Holland, I have been to the region many times. The easiest thing to do is to fly to Jo�Burg and drive from there in a rental car. You�ll be fine with a normal car and do not need a 4x4. Airco can be great to have though.

 

When you have three weeks, I would stay at least half that time (about ten days) in kruger NP. In Kruger you can choose between camping and small huts, depending on what you want and on your budget. If you have lots of money, the private reserves and lodges bordering Kruger can be great. You are completely taken care of there with private safari tours etc. But again they are expensive! Inside Kruger with your own car you have much more opportunities to go and stay as you like yourself. I would stay at various different camps to see the diversity in habitats and animals. Good camps locations are: berg-en-dal, crocodile bridge, lower sabie, satara, olifants and shingwedzi. This will give you the very best opportunties for wildlife photography.

 

Very close to Kruger there are some other interesting places like: Pilgrim�s Rest, Burke�s Luck Potholes, The Tree roundavels etc.

 

 

 

In Kwazulu the obvious place for wildlife is Hluhluwe-Umfolozi. For the rest there is of course the beach and St. lucia if you have the time.

 

Around Lesotho do visit the Golden Gate park and/or Royal Natal park to see the mountains.

 

When driving through Lesotho and Swaziland, allow some extra time for all the "formalities" at an inter-african border. :-) And drive carefully and have you car in perfect order and papers ready. When we entered Lesotho last time, we were picked out a few kilometers behind the border. All african style vehicles (meaning you are surprised they can still move) were allowed through but our brandnew rental car was checked completely for any faults. :-)

 

Personally I would first go to Lesotho, then Kwazulu and from there through Swaziland to Kruger, as Kruger will indeed be a kind of grand finale of the trip.

[stefan_ekernas]

In Kwazulu, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi has the most diversity of things to see and an amazing abundance of rhinos. Mkuze is supposed to have a hide that's excellent for photography, though I haven't seen it for myself. Itala has less game but is just about the only place where you can just park your car and get out and walk (at least as of a few years ago), which is a nice change of pace. If you're interested in birding Ndumo is the place to go.

 

For Kruger I highly recommend Nigel Dennis' book "Where To Watch Game in the Kruger National Park." To throw another suggestion out there, Kgalagadi Game Reserve in the Kalahari on the opposite side of the country has a much wilder feel to it than Kruger or places in Kwazulu-Natal, but you'll need to fly and the landscape is desert and not the Africa you see in brochures. It also doesn't have nearly all the animals of Kruger (numbers or species), but you do have a much better chance of seeing cheetah there than anywhere in Kruger or Kwazulu. The Kalahari is in some ways a nicer match to Kruger than Kwazulu, as places in Kwazulu are pretty similar to Kruger but without the same number of animals, but it may not be what you're looking for.

[shem_compion]

May can be a difficult time to travel in SA. It is our "Autumn" here and thus in many parks,

the vegetation can be very thick and grass still quite high. THis can influence your

sightings and viewing and photography in a big way. for this reason, I would avoid

Hluhluwe part of the Hluhluwe- umfolizi reserve. Umfolozi section is more open and will

afford better photography. plus the cheetah and wilddog tend to frequent that part of the

reserve.

 

I will propose a small trip for you.

The drakensberg should be a great place to start, as a poster said, getting a vehicle from

Johannesburg shouldnt be a problem. then stay at one of the places in the D berg for a

few days- great wilderness, easy walks and lots to photography from a scenic point of

view.

THen tak ea drive to Umfolozi for a caouple of days of big game and the Natal bush

experience. I would reccommend a saty at Mkhuze for two nights. It is a nice small reserve

and has Kumasinga bird hide- one of the BEST hides ever for photography. May should be

a good time to visit (I was there in April this year and it was relatively productive in terms

of animals coming to drink.)

What it offers is a hide in the middle of a water hole. the animals come to drink not 6

meters from you, with Rhino being frequent visitors there in the drier months. I would

then head north to Kruger where you can stay in chalets/camping etc. Kruger is good all

year round and there is so much to photograph that you should have a great time!

 

If you travel via rental vehicle, you will have the luxury of being able to carry a lot of

camera gear. you will need a full range of lenses here!

If you need any hep, contact me. I will be glad to help you.

I am based here and work in wildlife photography.

 

best,

 

 

Shem

[steve santikarn]

I just got back from a safari tour in Kenya. Normally I would prefer to drive myself but this was not an option for me this time. The ability of the experienced guide/driver/spotter to find the animals in the parks is unbelieveable and I would have missed many opportunities if I hadn't taken the guided tours.

I would highly recomend that you make use of the guides if they are within your budget, they know the best spots and the best times for photography and allow you to relax and enjoy the scenery.