Adventures of The South African Wanderer - Wildlife photographer, field guide, outdoor enthusiast and nature lover exploring the most beautiful country on Earth!
@@RG....... the rainy season starts in October for the Kruger so there may well be rain around however the bush will be green but not very thick yet. I find November a very good time to get to the Kruger because the birds are out and active and you will get lots of babies of the bush in the second half of the month as well
Very informative video, this is definitely an inspiration to visit the KTP one day If i go i would like to try a straight drive from jhb maybe leave around 3am, and what are the camp gates open times this time of the year?
Thanks Dude! The gate times are as follows - will also add to the video description Jan/Feb 6:00-19:30 March 6:30-19:00 April 7:00-18:30 May 7:00-18:00 June/July 7:30-18:00 Aug 7:00-18:30 Sep 6:30-18:30 October 6:00-19:00 Nov/Dec 5:30-19:30 The drive from Johannesburg should take just about 12 hours with stops so to get to Twee Rivieren from Johannesburg would just require a 5am departure time
@@XipandzaMananga it’s also the hottest so the big cats aren’t active through most of the day. There is a chance of rain though as well so maybe the park is green which is always better
if you want as less as possible atmospheric distortion and heat haze, your camera lens is better off out your window when taking photo or video rather than from inside your car. I once took pics of a secretary bird from inside my car......what a disapointment🥴 not one was sharp.
@@stefanusrheeder4162 you have to book as most of the camps are fully booked 11 months ahead. Twee Rivieren may be the only camp with availability and you can also check for last minute cancellations about 30 days before on the SANParks website
Yes I think that should be possible - there aren't any paths along ridges and you can keep looking forward and up so it should be fine. However I used the cable car coming back down which i would definitely not recommend if you have vertigo because not only is the cable car moving down the mountain it also rotates to give everyone a 360deg view. If you come back down using this route I am also not sure how much it would trigger the vertigo as I have only ever climbed up.
It is amazing! Definitely a bucket list item you should get to do. The summer is better for the sounds with all the migratory birds adding to the beautiful sunset scenes!
Hi there, yes the hotel as well as the park gate and the large camps all have car facilities. With no loadshedding they work perfectly fine and we have had no loadshedding for more than 100 days now! Did you mean my hat? Yes you can get that either at the hotel which has a small shop or in the park itself. Skukuza camp which is about 11km away has probably the biggest shop in the park and you can get different designs - just ask for the bucket hat.
@@izakgreyling8872 I’m thinking I should put together a video on some of the tips and tricks for the Kgalagadi in particular. I think mostly I’ve camped solo in the larger camps. With the Kgalagadi there is the option to camp in unfenced camps, which I haven’t been brave enough to do and I’m sure is a different prospect altogether. Camping in the big camps solo isn’t too bad, I think the main thing is to be prepared for the weather conditions. The Kgalagadi is hot and a fan would be a good option. Other than that the large camps have most things you will need and you can also make friends with the neighbors as well
Whale trail is great hike and not that difficult . Only walk from top of hill to Kupidos kraal is soooo boring. You can see the house but it takes forever to get there. Otherwise great. Walk along coast spectacular.
Absolutely amazing video. We've been to Pilans for the last 8 years and always stayed at bakgatla. Decent resort however in tha past few years since Covid its gone down a bit. On the game drivers We've experienced good and bad. The last time we had to use a 5 series BMW sadly due to unforseen issues on our main overlander. This seemed to make far too many of the game drivers point us out as "idiots" as one of them exclaimed. Some are extremely rude however some have been Absolutely amazing towards us. Love your video though, we're going again in about 3 weeks
I wonder why anyone would not want you to use your BMW in the park. Or a small Toyota for that matter. Everyone is there to enjoy nature and the park. You will enjoy the park, it has been very productive the last couple weeks with lots of great sightings and the animals out and about. They have graded the roads and it makes driving some of my favourite routes a little better. The tar roads, especially Kgabo from the PC to Bakgatla are still bad and possible worse than some of the dirt roads.
I have to book now school Holidays for my eldest son and 3 grandchildren. They have the same love and passion for the park . Being so close to Jo'burg we are blessed like you we drive every road try to keep away from convoys and some of the ill mannered safari vehicles. Last week a couple of these made some sightings very unpleasant the one who caused most upsets was from Ivory. Tree Lodge.
@@michaelroebuck1340 Yes I think I've seen it happen all too often as well. I just try to be as courteous as possible and move through as quickly as possible. I take a lot of joy from the sightings of some of the smaller animals as well and try to avoid the big traffic jams if I can.
Just spent 10 days at Bakgatla we have time share end of.May..then November..hhave been regulars since.1980 this is our place of peace. Just had my sisters grandson out from uk. Saw Cheetah kill of Waterbuck calf. Its mother tried to free it but no such luck the two crocs came from the mankwe dam and stole the kill . The one croc was very big . We sat for over 2 hours at first only vehicle on the sighting. The luck of the Irish Lions Mating , Leopard hunting. I guess you recall the early days when to see Ellie dung was exciting this trip herds up to 80strong. Saw at close range the last of the six males who settled.the young bulls. My special Ellie Amarula no tail passed peacefully now Mukumale last one. He is very dignified in his old age . We used.to stay at Mankwe tented.camp long closed.when they introduced Lions. The roads are being graded and much improved some paved roads ar 43:32 e not great for low suspension vehicles. My granddaughter granddaughter is becoming a guide wants to.undertake practical in Kenya . Enjoyed your video maybe our.paths may cross. Keep safe on your drives.
Thanks so much for the comment. Sounds like you had some amazing sightings! If you’d like to keep in contact you can email me on southafricanwanderer@gmail.com or my number is 0836937710 🙏🏼
Lol happy birthday Pranash, that was a classic move your mom pulled, loved the story you shared, I've been away almost 3 months arrived back to bitter cold, Pranash I can't seem to find the crab recipe, I was in unkomaas Durban, got fresh orange crab,
Hi, just came across this video now, awesome stuff! Acquature has now launched a Gallery in Rosebank Mall, Soko District. Theres amazing pieces to see there!
Hi I was in the park last Saturday. Some of the tar roads are bad with potholes and some dirt roads corrugated after the late rains in May. Sightings are getting better as we head into winter and the grass gets shorter, but the grass is still long and lush in some areas. Will be there again on Saturday and I’ll revert
You share your thoughts with "internal talk" and take us along for the ride from our homes. Too many people release KGT videos with no narrating, which I find extremely boring. We stay 3 nights TR, 3 nights Nossob River chalets, 2 nights MM river chalet, 1 night Kalahari tent, 2 nights Kieliekrankie and 2 nights Urikaruus.
@@edwardillingworth5660 wow that’s going to be a good trip! You must let me know how it goes. Nossob definitely holds a special place in my heart though
They varied but it was only a problem in the second hut I think. I think it’s at least 2 toilets and showers each hut. And there’s 12 people on the trail so you are sharing with 6 people. But you will have time after arriving each day.
Sorry, I must add that second hut was a problem because it rained all day on the first day of hiking so we were all soaked through. And one of the shower doors were broken. Here’s the link to the hike on the day: Whale trail Day 1 Potberg to Cupidoskraal - One of my toughest hiking days! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CT-hDT7BLMk.html
That interaction with the black headed heron was amazing! Great video, had me dreaming of a kgalagadi trip! What are you using your roof rack for on the trip camping wise?
Yeah I blinked and he was suddenly eating one of the smaller birds! I don’t use it when I’m out alone but I have ammo boxes that I strap to the top when I need extra space. I also have 2 lights that came in handy this trip as it was easy to plug them in and set up camp before I got the electricity connected
@@SouthAfricanWanderer They are such opportunists! its crazy what they can can catch. okay cool! was curious, I'm thinking of putting load bars on my vehicle mainly just to be able to put my tent up there since its rather bulky. but just wanted to get an idea what one can look at doing with a roof rack on a camping trip. 😎
@@Golgrenful if you thinking of a roof top tent then it will certainly take the weight. It’s a front runner rack so they will have the necessary attachments for a roof top tent as well as the tents themselves. I looked as that as an option but it would hurt my already high fuel consumption and taking it down each morning before game drives was a hassle I didn’t want to deal with.
@@SouthAfricanWanderer i tried to the roof top tent approach... its nice but like you said the hassle in the morning is not worth it, especially space wise as a family its a challenge. Hence why id like to opt for a larger durable tent that can be carried on the roof. But thanks for the pointers, was very curious, have never transported much on the roof before 😅
So not while I have been hiking but there were reports of muggings on both table mountain and lions head last year. I think I mention in my table mountain video that it’s always advisable to hike in a group both from a hiking safety as well as personal safety point of view
I really struggled and should have perhaps have had a fan. The first two days stayed above 32 degrees at night then the third night I think there was some rain which helped a little
Enjoying these videos Giving us some good tips for the next time we visit SAF birding in the Kruger. Probably this December. I think we met Prasheen in the Boitanical Gardens in Cape Town in August 2022...
Ah that's great also feel free to drop any questions you may have as I may remember something more or different from what's in the videos. Yes very possible that you have met Prasheen at Kirstenbosch, he's always visiting there.
@@SouthAfricanWanderer You have some great birds there.Up at Pafuri we've tried for the Racket Tailed several times with no luck, but we did manage the Arnott's and Pennant-railed. Maybe the Bohm's from the bridge too, but not good enough view to be sure. We are planning another trip back, and came across your videos which have been very interesting.
I don't think there is a standard measure for the weight of the pies or any specific criteria to meet in terms of standards. What I have found is they vary from very small (3 or 4 bites) to extra large.
Yes the night safari is run by the Skukuza camp so you must go through to the camp reception in the park to book it and then the ranger/guide will come through to the hotel reception to pick you up
