Campsites, camping tips, national parks in Africa, budget accommodation, trip planning, sightseeing and much more to keep you within your budget.

Search This Blog

21 October, 2010

Photographs for Wildlife Enthusiasts

In a previous post I mentioned the stunning photographs taken by Morkel Erasmus, a photographer in South Africa. His blog SAFFAscapes is gaining traction and rising in popularity in both the photography and wildlife spheres.

He recently got his own website where he showcases his photo’s. Although the web site loads a bit slow, it is certainly worth the wait. With wildlife-, landscape-, birds and small creatures photo’s, Morkel inspires the nature lover to get out there and see this for him/herself. The best part of the web site is that you can order most of the photo’s as stock images to use.

From his photo’s it is clear that Morkel is completely in love with the subjects he photographs and he is not shy to show it through his pictures. On his blog, he often tells his readers what settings he used and how the photo was taken, which is great for any amateur who wants to try and copy the photo (it might be quite impossible to get it as good as he does, but we can only try). So, take a look at the site and tell him what you think.

(Oh, and in case you were wondering – I don’t the man from a bar of soap – I just LOVE his photos.)

21 July, 2010

Pilanesberg Nature Reserve - 5 Things to Seek

The Pilanesberg Nature Reserve resides in a volcanic crater with a diameter of 27 kilometers and is surrounded by six mountains. It  is the 3rd  biggest reserve in South Africa and was established in 1979. Today, tourists flock to the reserve as it is known to be the one reserve where Africa's Big 5 animals can be found with the least amount of trouble.

But what should the visitor look out for, except the animals and beautiful scenery? Here is five things every visitor should do or see when visiting the Pilanesberg Park:

1.    Visit the Manyane Complex at Pilanesberg

The Manyane complex is the head quarters of the North West Parks & Tourism Board. There you will find a walk-in aviary with over 80 species of birds. Besides being informative, children love seeing the birds up close and observing their behavior. Allocate enough time to browse through the aviary as you will probably see birds you never get the opportunity to observe in the wild.

An à la carte restaurant, shop and bar provides delicious meals and a great selection of memorabilia to purchase. Children are entertained at the swimming pool, jungle gym and mini-golf while parents can take a relaxing stroll along the self-guided hiking trails in the Manyane area.

2.    Malatse Fenced Hide

Here the man-made dam and weir prevent erosion from damaging the ecology and shows off the management of the park's commitment towards conserving the environment and enticing wildlife back to this dry area in the park. Tourists spending some time at the hide might be rewarded with sable, eland and sometimes even rhino.

3.    Ratlhogo Fenced Hide


The Ratlhogo hide is situated in a wetter part of the Pilanesberg Park as indicated by the Karee trees surrounding the area. Game is abundant around the hide and tourists can expect to see kudu, bush buck, water buck and several bird species while spending some time in the hide.

4.    Mankwe Lake View Platform





This platform is about in the center of the Pilanesberg Park and offers tourists the opportunity to view an array of water birds. Crocodiles and Hippo reside inside the lake and tourists rising with the birds will have a spectacular view of the sunrise from the platform. The platform is fenced and visitors should attempt to spend some time viewing the domed hills surrounding the park from here.

5.    Fish Eagle Picnic Site

The picnic site is fenced and was once an Iron Age Kraal site which was easily defendable and close to water. The picnic site is surrounded by Acacia trees, Bushwillows, Tamboti and Marula trees. With views of the interface of three habitats (rocky outcrop, hillside and water) this is an excellent spot to enjoy a light brunch or picnic while driving through the reserve.

  When all is said and done, Pilanesberg Nature Reserve may have congested roads during weekends and peak season and may have some of the worst behaved elephants, but it remains a popular place for tourists to observe the true African bush.

11 June, 2010

Soccer World Cup Opening Ceremony

I have to admit, I was one of the sceptics hoping the 2010 World Cup Soccer opening ceremony goes well, but doubting that it would. I am so glad that my hopes were confirmed and my doubts squashed.

The ceremony was well planned, presented and executed. The true African flavor depicted the spirit of Africa well. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that the organizers chose to end the program with Shakira and not someone like Yvonne Chaka -Chaka who is the true spirit of Africa, but that is a personal choice.

From the amount of spectators present it was clear that everyone enjoyed the opening as much as us who did not have the priviledge of attending. What a spectacular event - well done Africa!

10 March, 2010

Camping Tips for Tsendze Camp in the Kruger National Park

Tsendze is the newest addition to the rest camps in the Kruger National Park. This camp is, however, not suited for the first time camper not used to camping in the wild.

The facilities at Tsendze Camp close to Mopani Rest Camp, is basic, although extremely well-maintained. These is no electricity, no shop, no fuel and no facilities except two unique ablution buildings and two camp kitchens. Gas geysers provide hot water to the showers (no baths) and solar panels drives the lights.

Camping at Tsendze is scary for the uninitiated. The campsites are private, with the surrounding bush kept intact as much as possible. This means that the local wildlife in the form of scorpions, spiders and snakes move unhindered through the camp. It is common to find scorpions roaming your campsite at night and stepping on one when you are not actively looking out for them, is a real possibility.

Keeping a few simple rules in mind, would help make your stay at this wonderful camp, worthwhile.

  1. Avoid unnecessary walking around at night. Prepare the evening meal as soon as possible and relax under the bright stars while keeping your feet off the ground. Spiders and scorpions frequent the campsites at night, especially during summer, and can cause a nasty surprise to the unwary.
  2. If you have to walk around at night, wear closed shoes and long pants to keep the insects at bay and avoid being bitten or stung.
  3. Use a proper flashlight when visiting the bathrooms after dark. Nothing is worse than hearing a rustling in the bush next to you and not being able to see what moved in the bush.
  4. Always take precautions against malaria as the Kruger National Park is malaria area.
  5. Try to walk in groups if you move around the camp at night.
  6. Keep the campsite area lighted as much as possible. If you can't see the spiders and scorpions it doesn't mean they are not there. Make sure you can detect any movement on the ground and in the surrounding bush.
  7. Although the camp is fenced, this is no guarantee that leopard can't get into the camp. Be vigilant, especially at night and try to avoid walking alone if possible.
That said, this must be the most rewarding camp in respect of privacy and tranquility in the whole of the Kruger National Park. Visitors experiencing the "beat" of Tsendze once, will almost certainly return for more of the same. From just listening to the African bush around you to experiencing the luxury of an open air shower, Tsendze is truly an unique African experience not to be missed.

29 December, 2009

Tarred Road Between Askham and Twee Riviere

The first time I visited the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park the road between Askham and Twee Riviere was still notorious. Reports of vehicles breaking down, corrugations shaking your teeth loose and tires being towed behind vehicles were in the order of the day. To me...it meant excitement.

Bad road conditions led to few people venturing to that part of our beautiful country and those are the places I love. Nature tends to be unspoiled when fewer human footprints litter the area - a sad state of affairs, but unfortunately all too true. So, we packed the car, at that stage a Pajero and the off-road Explorer caravan (bad choice, but that is a story for another day) and set off in the middle of the night to reach Molopo Lodge at Askham where we would overnight before embarking on THE ROAD.

We reached the lodge just before sundown and thanked our lucky stars that we reserved a chalet for the night. THE ROAD had to be embarked upon well before first light if you wanted any chance of arriving at the gate at Twee Riviere by eight when it opened. So, by five 'o clock we were on our way. The road proved to be everything it was reported to be - and then some.

After ten kilometers (and more than half an hour later) I thought the Pajero would lose at least some of the wheel nuts. Anything that could shake loose, did and I shuddered at the thought of the mahem I would find inside the caravan. We drove on every possible side of the road and sometimes even next to the road, but regardless of how fast or slow or where you drove, the corrugations hammered away at the car and your body. (I suspect the idea for the Vibro Shape belt originated on this road) Dust whirled around the cars and we had to keep a substantial following distance from our companions to be able to see the road ahead.  




Just before eight we arrived at the gate of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and watched the sun rise over the huts of the Botswana Twee Rivieren camp. The sixty-odd kilometers took nearly 3 hours to negotiate. What a wonderful start to a holiday in the bush!

During 2008 we entered the Kgalagadi again from Askham, and despite rumors of the road being tarred, I still held some hope that parts would be gravel. The freshly tarred surface continued to the gate of the park and we traversed the same stretch of road in less than an hour.

Now, I may be completely wrong about this and it is purely my own opinion, but I wonder if the tarring of the road didn't contribute to the influx of tourists to the park. During the time when access to the park was still limited to a few people who didn't mind "roughing" it a bit, we experienced no traffic congestion on the main roads, no motorists driving at excessive speeds and virtually all the people we met, were there solely for the purpose of experiencing nature and drink in the unique ambience of the Kalahari Desert.

A quiet appreciation of the animals and vegetation ruled the campsites at Twee Riviere - this changed to traffic jams, tour groups and noice-filled nights. While I am all for making our national parks more accessible to everyone and wouldn't dream to shun progress, I can't help but feel a little sad that the park is following in the footsteps of the Kruger National Park and is now well on the way to becoming a more commercial enterprise. With the road between Twee Riviere and Nossob being fixed (rumour has it that it will eventually also be tarred) it feels like the last vestiges of the quiet beauty will be lost for future generations. I hope the management of the park would be able to find a balance between commercial viability and preserving the park and its riches.

That said, I continue to visit the park despite these factors and during every visit the Kalahari reveals a little more about itself. You just can't help yourself - you need to go back again and again to experience the sometimes barren and dry soil of the Kalahari Desert.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park should be on every tourist itinerary.