Work from Anywhere: Southern Kruger

With no date to return to the office we decided to make the most of “working from home”. We’ve spent over a year working from our spare room and dining room. We were desperate for a change of scenery. All we needed was reliable cell phone signal and a plug point. 

We chose Southern Kruger because it is only 4.5  hours from Johannesburg on the highway - close enough to escape home if something wasn’t working. It also had good LTE coverage.

We had a 4am wake up call on a Tuesday and hit the road. We arrived mid-morning at an AirBnB cottage in Marloth Park. We jumped on to our laptops for the day, enjoying the view of the pool and bush.

Marloth Park would not be a normal spot for us to visit. It is made up of an interesting mix of dilapidated holiday homes that look like they have not been visited since the 1970s and more modern over the top bush homes made of face-brick. (Ben: The South African obsession with face-brick is something I will never understand.) 

Making up for this is the beautiful bush with Maroela trees, buck and bird life. The cottage we rented sat alone in the bush and we could not see any houses from it. We spent three nights there, walking and running on the rutted tracks throughout Marloth Park each morning. In the evenings we would drive Lara the Landy along the Crocodile River in search of the perfect sundowner spot overlooking the Kruger National Park.

Sundowners overlooking Kruger National Park

After we knocked off on Friday afternoon we headed into Kruger through the Crocodile Bridge Gate and headed to Lower Sabie where we had booked for two nights. 

Big campsites are not really our thing - we go camping to get away from other people. Lower Sabie is the opposite of this. The campsite is basically a parking lot with campers packed in like sardines. After finding one of only two available sites, we decided to embrace the full Lower Sabie experience and headed to the on-site Mugg and Bean for dinner. Despite being in a restaurant that could have been in Fourways Mall, the view was spectacular and we saw elephants playing in the river. 

That night we fell asleep  to the sound of happy families chatting around campfires and the drone of caravan air cons powered by generators. We were awoken at 5am to an army of 4x4s heading out for morning game drives. If you held your breath you could maybe hear the morning chorus of the bush. 

We had coffee and rusks overlooking the car park (*ahem* sorry, campsite). Once packed up we headed to reception where the staff there were extremely helpful. We changed our booking to Malelane in the very south of the Park for Saturday night.

We spent the morning driving the gravel back roads of Kruger. We enjoyed stunning views of the bush that was so green from the good rains. This was the Kruger experience we were looking for. Quiet roads, good sightings, no other cars and plenty of time to stop and enjoy the view.

We arrived at Malelane and immediately knew that it was for us. The gate to the site is a flimsy old one that you have to get out and open yourself. There were only five other groups camping and staying at the chalets. We parked up in the corner of the campsite right up against the low fence under a grove of trees with views of the river. No generators or DSTV dishes in sight!

We spent the afternoon reading and enjoying the peace and quiet of the bush. We headed out on a game drive in the early evening. We had a good sighting of a leopard on the road to Berg en Dal.

Sunday morning found us at the Malelane campsite gate at 5am waiting to be picked up for a morning game walk. We were extremely well treated by our guides, Peter and Delphine, who were a fun double act with great knowledge of the bush. We walked for about 3 hours admiring the scenery and regularly stopping to appreciate the sites, sounds and smells of the bush. We heard a leopard barking and had a great hippo sighting when we disturbed two giants sleeping in a water hole. 

We love bush walks because it’s a much more immersive experience than being in a vehicle. When on foot in the bush you feel like you are part of it. When you’re in a vehicle the safety, height and noise means you feel as if you are viewing nature from a distance. Both have their advantages though, as you typically see much more from a vehicle as you can cover more ground and animals don’t fear vehicles but will typically run from you on foot.

We really recommend Malelane Campsite. While it is not wild (you can see sugar cane farms and industry on the other side of the river) it is a small, quiet camp that is not commercial. It is well situated in an area with spectacular scenery and a good road network. An added bonus is that it is probably the closest camp to Johannesburg along a good road. There was also strong LTE signal. 

If you’re looking for a “work from camp” spot, this is it.

Ngwempisi: Don’t bring your Ford Fiesta

4am alarm. Kettle on. Last minute packing: toothbrush, books, sunscreen. Where are the head torches? Jump in the car. Watch the sunrise over Joburg. We’re going to Eswatini. 

The drive to Sandlane border was easy and we were through in 15 minutes. This meant we were on track to arrive in Manzini by 11h45. The Springboks were playing the All Blacks in their first game of the Rugby World Cup. Our friend Caroline was joining us for the first night and recommended we head to The George Hotel. 

We arrived in the lobby - after fighting Saturday morning Manzini traffic - to find a large family wearing Springbok rugby jerseys. Caroline’s advice had been spot on. We watched the game while we enjoyed a couple cold Sibebes and some great fries. 

The Boks were unlucky - they lost 23-13. Slightly subdued we jumped back in the car and headed back out of Manzini. After a quick stop for petrol, water and ice-cream (a mint Magnum, always) we hit dirt road on our way to Ngwempisi. 

“Everything is fine!”

We wound up and down valleys on a bumpy, challenging road through forestry land and streams. We popped out at a local school and thought the worst was behind us. After passing a homestead we drove onto a large rocky koppie with thick bush ahead of us. The road was not obvious, which was the first red flag. 

The route to the camp was some of the most technical and challenging offroading we have done. We battled rocky slopes, loose rock and at one point wedged one of our cars on top of a boulder. We got into sticky spots and had serious clearance issues. Jolene the Jimny did well. Chris’s Toyota Hilux, which is heavy enough, had the added weight of two rooftop tents. It struggled and he sweated. 

Caroline and Kate were in and out of our cars guiding Ben and Chris and moving rocks. It took us an hour to get down. Our friends who left their car at the top walked down in 15 minutes. 

It was a lot of (nervous) fun. Worth it but hairy at times. We arrived just in time for well earned sundowners. 

Neverland campsite

We arrived at Khopho Camp as the sun began to set. Beers in hand we clambered onto an enormous boulder and watched fires burning down in the Ngwempisi river valley. 

Caroline brought Prosecco - which had made it unscathed despite the bumpy journey. We popped it and enjoyed the fire. 

The camp was opened in 2007 with funding from the European Union. Whoever designed it had a special vision. The only way to describe it is a treehouse built into a tumble of boulders. There are different wooden platforms with stairs and viewpoints. You wind from sleeping areas with 15 bunkbeds to an open air kitchen and then onto a hidden shower with a view down to the river. 

Sadly it has seen better days. It’s quite run down and has not been maintained. There was a lot of rubbish - including a toilet seat hanging from a tree! We brought our tent but flat ground is limited. You can drink the water and there are flush toilets. 

We enjoyed our one night there. We didn’t have time to explore the hiking trails. Ben made it down to the river, which was clear and deep. Good for swimming and fishing! Be warned the climb is very steep and hard to find. 

The next morning we packed up and prepared to tackle the road again. It was a bit easier going up but still challenging. Jolene’s power and lightness really helped. 

We were charged R200 per person for the night,. We thought this was quite expensive considering the state of the camp and the basic facilities. We passed on our recommendations to the manager. 

It is a spectacular spot, with good 4x4-ing and tough hiking trails. A little investment and on-going maintenance would make us return. It is also possible to do multi-night hikes in the reserve hiking to different camps each night.

We dropped Caroline back in Manzini and headed east to Mbuluzi Game Reserve. Blog post coming soon.

How to book

There isn’t much information about the camp online. To book contact the manager, Nothkozo, on +268 7614 5863. He doesn’t have Whatsapp so you need to call. 

South Camp at Nxai Pan National Park

This is post three from our trip through Botswana. Make sure to catch up on our earlier posts about Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Khumaga.

Our sightings at Khumaga had been so fantastic (Elephant swimming across the Boteti river! A male lion on a zebra kill! A jackal fighting off 40 vultures!) that we had our doubts about moving on.

We didn’t know if we would find a campsite further north in the Nxai National Park (or if the viewing would be as exciting) but we decided to push on anyway.

We broke camp quickly. Kate sorted out the tent: collapsed the stretchers, rolled the mattress, folded the linen and repacked the bags. Ben sorted out the camping chairs and table, repacked our boxes and started packing Jolene.

Lion at a kill at Khumaga

With our car packed we opened the map on the bonnet and plotted our route. We decided to head north towards South Camp and see if we could get a campsite. We knew there would be water so we ditched a couple of 5 litre bottles, which provided much appreciate leg room for Kate.

We hopped in Jolene and took the road towards the north gate of the Makgadikgadi National Park. We passed the zebra kill again and had a peak. It was almost completely stripped bare by the vultures. What had two hours before been a red and pink carcass was now bones and dried brown flesh. A few vultures were still hanging around in the nearby trees and flew off as we drove by. The two jackals had long moved on - to shady sleeping spots, we imagined, as they must have had full tummies.

The road north was more of the same - sand, sand and more sand (Ben: Kate was asleep for this bit so she can only assume.) As we approached the gate we began to speculate about the possibility of ice. It had become the thing of fantasy for us. Where can we get it? How long will it last? How much are we willing to pay for it? Answer: much more than it was worth.

We reached the gate and the receptionist, Becca, started the checkout process. We signed the forms, chatted about recent sightings and bought ice-cold Fanta Oranges.

“Do you have ice?” we asked. She smiled and disappeared around the back of the building. She emerged a few minutes later with a couple of 2 litre frozen water bottles. We could have kissed her.

We repacked the cool box - positioning gin and tonic supplies next to the ice - and hit the main road.

About 15 kilometres later we arrived at the entrance to Nxai National Park. We booked a campsite for the night at South Camp and hit the sand again. (There’s only so much we can say about the sand. It’s tough going.) We had a dicey moment when Ben hopped out for a quick pee and the car started sinking. Sticking Jolene the Jimny into low range and reversing saved the day.

We arrived at the reception to find an elephant trunk-deep in an underground water tank. He emerged every few minutes to check on the cars coming and going.

The reception has an impressive shop! It's not cheap but there is an amazing selection of supplies and (importantly!) booze. After four days of low rations we stocked up on cold drinks and packets of chips.

After signing in we headed to South Camp. It’s a well equipped campsite but not our sort of place. The campsites are very close together. It doesn’t have the feel of a wilderness camp but you will regularly have elephants wandering past your tent.

The toilets are protected by electric fences, metal spikes embedded in concrete and locked gates. This is to keep the elephants from breaking down the building to get to water pipes.

We relaxed during the afternoon and then headed off to a nearby waterhole with a bottle of wine. We arrived just as the sun began to set and sipped Chardonnay while about 20 elephants jostled for the water.

Sunset at the watering hole.

The next morning we were up early and headed off in search of cheetah. We didn’t have any luck, though. The highlight of our drive were two bat-eared foxes curled up together in the morning sun.

Our next stop was a night at the legendary Baine's Baobabs - a camp on tree islands in the middle of a salt pan.

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Khumaga Wildlife Camp

We were sad to leave the CKGR and we will definitely return in the summer after the rains when it’s cooler and the bush has recovered from the tragic fires. The trip really reminded us of the importance of putting out a campfire at night - even hot ash can start a bushfire in very dry areas like the Kalahari. (Read our trip report from CKGR here.)

Khumaga zebras checking us out.

We’re planners so heading off into the unknown was a new to us but we enjoyed it more than we thought we would. A week or so before we departed Ben had read a blog on 4x4community about Khumaga. We found it on the map and it looked pretty close.

We packed up Jolene, plotted our route and headed back along the sandy track to the main gate. It was slow going and we saw little game.

After signing out we got back on the tarred road and headed towards Khumaga. After days in the dry and dusty Kalahari we were amazed the GPS instructed us to "take the ferry in 300 metres"!

And sure enough, just over a small hill, the Boteti river was in full flood and a pontoon was waiting for us and Jolene.

Jolene floating across the Boteti river on a pontoon.

We paid out fare and drove onto the pontoon. The driver guided us safely across the bank on the other side. We drove up a short dirt road and arrived at the entrance to the Makgadikgadi National Park.

Two very helpful and friendly receptionists welcomed us and recommended we spend the night at the Khumaga Wildlife Camp. Unfortunately, there had been a small burn at the camp recently but nowhere near as bad as at CKGR.

We set up camp under a large Tamboti tree in campsite 10. The camp has excellent ablutions and after the bucket showers and long drops of CKGR Kate headed quickly disappeared to enjoy a long cold shower.

The campsites could be a little more private, but the recent burn meant a lot of the normal vegetation providing privacy was gone. It is a small very well-maintained camp and the staff were extremely friendly.

Khumaga Bird List

• Khumaga Bird List

• White backed vulture

• Double banded sandgrouse

• Pied Kingfisher

• Hammerkop

• Lappet faced vulture

• Sacred Ibis

• Great White Egret

• Goliath Heron

• Greater Flamingo

• Lilac breasted Roller

• Red-billed hornbill

The banks of the Boteti, with little water elsewhere in the region at this time of year, are teeming with game. The river is fed by the highlands of Angola, where it rains for nine months of the year.

We were lucky enough to see a herd of elephant cross the river at sunset. In places the river was so deep that the elephants had to use their trunks as snorkels. They emerged on the bank less than 20 metres in front of us.

Elephants swimming across the Boteti River at sunset.

We headed out on a game drive the next morning thinking this experience couldn’t be topped. We were wrong.

We had a great breakfast on the banks on the Boteti river while we watched its abundant birdlife waking up for the day.

An after breakfast pic on the banks of the Boteti River.

On the way back to camp we stumbled upon a large male lion on a fresh zebra kill. We watched him finish off his meal before he sauntered off. He stopped briefly to have a quick pee on a bush.

The real action then got underway. Over 50 vultures had been watching the lion from trees. But before they could get to the carcass a jackal dashed out and claim it for himself. For the next 45 minutes we watch the jackal fight off the vultures between mouthfuls of zebra.  

Spot the angry jackal.

The vultures eventually fought off the jackal and mobbed the carcass. We quietly drove away and headed back to out camp to pack up and set off.

We arrived back to find out tent collapsed under the weight of a troop of monkeys. They had tried to break in and raid our bags. Luckily they had been unsuccessful and the only damage was a couple monkey turds on our tent.

We packed up our gear and headed off with our sights set on spending a night or two at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Check back soon for that trip report.

Mabibi Campsite: Far from everything

Mabibi Campsite has developed a mythical status in our family. Whenever we get chatting with friends over a few drinks, and the topic of camping in South Africa comes up, we always rave about Mabibi.  

It is not like a lot of other coastal campsites in this country, where people are packed in like sardines, with their generators and caravans. This is remote bush camping at its best. 

It's a community run campsite located on land owned by Sappi, a South African pulp and paper company. The camp is in the iSimangilso Wetland Park, the third largest park in the country and the country's first World Heritage Site. It spans 280 km of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary.  

If you want to get away from people, work, the city or life, then you should go to Mabibi. It's far away from everything. 

We left Johannesburg after work on a Tuesday evening and broke the journey by staying on the border with Swaziland, on a farm outside the town of Piet Retief.  

It was a tough journey after work. At Ermelo it started to get dark and we stopped on the side of the road for a breather. For the last few hours we had been stuck behind coal and forestry trucks and long trains of cars on windy roads.  

We enjoyed our cool drinks overlooking the dusty highveld at dusk and imagine the completely different world we would arrive in the next day. We got back in the car for another couple of hours of difficult driving and we descended the escarpment in the dark.  

We eventually arrived at our bed and breakfast exhausted and in need of a beer. Unfortunately, the accommodation was nothing special but we were tired enough to appreciate it.  

The next morning, after coffee and rusks, we walked down through fields and jumped over a stream into Swaziland!  

We jumped over a stream into Swaziland!

We still had another 4 hours on the road ahead of us to reach the beach. We headed down the N2 until we go to the Pongola Dam, where we headed off the motorway up over the Ubombo Mountains and into Jozini.  

Driving through the mountains we enjoyed spectacular views of the dam and Pongola Nature reserve bush. We stopped for fuel at the Jozini Engen, amongst the chaos of a small South African town.  

After Jozini, we got the feeling that we were heading into an increasingly remote area as we headed into the sandy flats of northern KZN. We stopped on the side of the road to buy wood and shortly afterward we turned off the tar onto an un-signposted track.  

The track passes through monotonous SAPPI pine plantations. The plantation finally ended and made way to sub-tropical dune forest and rolling grassland and, most importantly, we saw a signpost to Mabibi camp.  

Jolene the Jimny at the entrance to Mabibi.

We drove through soft sand and forest to our campsite, where Kate’s parents were waiting for us. We chatted while we pitched our tents under a lush forest canopy. In the excitement of arriving my parents left a window open in their car. The monkeys were quick to jump in and grab a few avocados.  

After camp was set up we walked down a long set of steps through the dunes down to the beach for a swim and sundowners. As the stairs ended in front of us we saw the wild, blue Indian Ocean in all of its glory. We looked left to see white sand stretch to the horizon. We looked the other way and saw the same. 

Our first dip in the ocean. 

We spent three days exploring the area, snorkeling, walking on the beach, trying to fish, 4x4ing, braaing and relaxing. On the Friday, we made the trek up to Black Rock beach, a renowned fishing spot.  

We drove through the park along sandy tracks and over dunes. We were very impressed by the Jimny’s capabilities in the sand. Apart from one moment where we were beached on the middle mannetjie and had to reverse and have another crack at getting up the dune. 

Black Rock was probably a bit too far for the day and we had a hard drive back, racing to beat the light. Based on the advice of a fisherman at the beach, we paid a local man to guide us back to the main road, via shortcut. It soon became apparent that he had no idea how to get us home. Luckily with the help of Tracks4Africa we made it back to camp just after dark. 

Black Rock Beach

On our last afternoon after a long walk along the beach we drove the short distance over the dunes and forest for sundowners on Lake Sibaya, a freshwater lake full of hippos. As we sipped out G&Ts we watched a pied kingfisher diving for fish and heard the distant hippo calling.  

The highlight of Mabibi is the spectacular snorkeling. Every morning at low tide we would snorkel and swim in a large rockpool, where water and sea life were trapped. It ranged from ankle deep to more than 2 metres in some spots. We saw lots of brilliantly coloured fish, a stone fish and an octopus.  

Best time to go: Winter (April-September)  

Website here. 

Chasing waterfalls in Lesotho's Sehlabathebe National Park

Kate and I spent Christmas with her family (the then future in-laws!) in December 2015. We enjoyed a week in Durban and planned to escape the chaos of the coast in summer and drive back to Joburg through Lesotho over 7 days for some peace and quiet in the mountains. 

We had both been to Lesotho before but our experience was limited to trips up and down Sani Pass. We were excited to explore the less touristy parts of the country. 

Day 1: Westville - Kokstad - Ramatsediso border post - Sehlabathebe National Park  (6 hour leisurely drive with stops and a border crossing) 

We packed our beloved Suzuki Jimny (affectionately called "Jolene") and made an early start from Westville. We headed down the N2 and turned up to Kokstad at Port Shepstone. After picking up some last minute supplies at a local Kokstad Spar we took the R52 in a north-westerly direction. We turned off the tar at Cedarville and headed off through farmland towards the Drakensberg. 

The roads were empty and we stopped in the foothills of the Berg for a quick lunch and to repack some of our gear that had become dislodged after hitting the dirt. Kate's mum had made us a tuna pie for lunch and we washed it down with ice cold cokes while double checking our maps.  

We wound our way up through the mountains on public roads - which were nothing more than dusty narrow farm tracks - to the Ramatsediso border post. The pass up to the border post is sadly not as challenging as it used to be. A number of the hairpin bends been tarred which removes a bit of the challenge but it was still good fun. The views are fantastic and the changing vegetation as you climb higher is great to watch. 

Just before we reached the top of the pass - and the border post itself - we came upon a packed Hilux ferrying people up to the top. Turning to Kate, I muttered a quick "I apologise in advance". I dropped to second gear and overtook the Hilux, getting a bit too close to the edge of the cliff for comfort. We got to the top of the pass and made it through immigration in a breeze.  

We knew we had arrived in Lesotho when the border gate opened and the tarred road became a rocky, eroded mess. I couldn’t stop smiling. We turned right and headed for the Sehlabathebe National Park. The road is easy and the view is spectacular.  

We passed small villages and drove through rolling green hills spotted with sheep. As we approached the park we stopped off to pick up some cold quarts of beer at a local bottle store, only to discover that they had run dry of Maluti. I guess it was December after all. We settled for Hansa instead and promised to return our empties.  

Beer mules at the local bottle store. 

We arrived at the park and were greeted by a rusted sign, a friendly guard and a grotesque collection of buildings, which resembled a housing estate in Midrand. The monstrosity has recently been developed by the World Bank.  

The guard’s English was broken and our broken Zulu didn’t prove helpful but we eventually signed in and were given some vague sounding directions on how to get to the campsite. We drove off a little confused but happy to be arriving and enjoying such stunning scenery.  

After a 5-minute drive we arrived at yet another Midrand-style housing development. This one completely deserted but for laundry hanging on a line. When we did eventually manage to find someone we were told we could camp on the rocky ground next to the new housing development.  

We checked Tracks4Africa and after a few minutes of fiddling we saw that we had to continue on the track over the mountain to get to the campsite. We drove over a stunning pass, with some loose gravels sections, to be greeted with the view of the King of Lesotho’s fly fishing lodge and a few intrepid over landers set-up in the distance. 

The campsite is surrounded by imposing mountains. There is a small stream and dam on the site. We set-up camp, built a make shift fire pit, got the new camping chairs out (a Christmas present from Kate's folks) and cracked two cold Hansa as we watched the sunset.  

Our very rustic camp. 

The campsite is in a wonderful position but the facilities are limited. There are no trees (it is Lesotho, after all!) so shade is tricky to find. We were first told that there were no toilets but after our arrival a fellow camper told us we could find a loo up by the old lodge. We trekked up – loo paper in hand – only come face-to-face with a man with a semi-automatic rifle. He told us there was no toilet and we scuttled off back to our tent.  

When we returned to the campsite we recounted the story to our neighbours. They laughed and told us not to worry about the loo guard. He was from the Lesotho army and was stationed there to patrol the parks border with South Africa. Apparently it is used to smuggle guns and drugs into and out of the country.  

Day 2: Exploring Sehlabathebe National Park 

We woke to a cool morning, with crisp mountain air and light rain. We popped a kettle on the gas stove and got the coffee going. After a cup and a bacon sandwich we were ready to head out and explore the park.  

I had planned a hike to what I thought was a nearby waterfall called Tsoelikanyane. Using GPS co-ordinates for the waterfall from the Tracks4Africa map, we set off down a valley as Kate repeatedly reminded me that it will be uphill on the way back.  

At the start of the hike the GPS seemed to be pointing us in the right direction, but after about an hour I began to worry that something didn’t seem quite right. I came very close to admitting that I might be a little bit lost. 

A few kilometres later, just as I was figuring out how to break the news to Kate, we saw a hopeful looking stream in the distance. As we approached we saw a group of Basotho galloping across the other side of the valley.  

We followed the stream until it ran off a cliff in front of us. We peered down to find an enormous pool below us. We scrambled down the wall of the falls, stripped off and jumped in. Who needs Sun City, Thailand, the French Rivera or Miami when you can get this. We had the ice cold, crystal clear pool all to ourselves. It was absolute paradise.  

Tsoelikanyane in Sehlabathebe National Park

After our swim we had a picnic of homemade Christmas cake, cheese, crackers and apples.  

We then hiked back the way we came ecstatic to have found such a hidden gem. With an hour break at the falls, the whole hike took a total of 5 hours. I really recommend making the effort and hiking to this spot. GPS co-ordinates are wrong on Tracks 4 Africa, but not that wrong. Enjoy the adventure, get (slightly) lost and find that waterfall.  

The next day we broke camp and headed off to Malelea Lodge via the Ramabanta Trading Post. Check back next week for the post!

Leaving Sehlabathebe on our way to the Ramabanta Trading Post

Marakele National Park: An easy bush getaway

Marakele National Park, near Thabazimbi, in Limpopo, has a variety of landscapes from mountains, grassy plains, valleys and forest. The most unique part of the park is a winding mountain pass that takes you to the top of Kransberg Mountain, where you might get the opportunity to spot a Cape Griffon Vulture. The park contains the largest Griffon Vulture population in the world. 

Marakele is an easy weekend away from Joburg, as it is only three hour drive on good roads. So even if you struggle to get out of work on time, like we did, you can still get there before 7pm when the main gate closes. The park has a variety of accommodation options on offer, including camping and self-catering.  

We got out of work late and struggled up the N1 through the usual Friday afternoon traffic, but once we got to the other side of Pretoria it felt good to be out on the open road and we started to feel that unique sense of freedom and relief that only a weekend out of the city can offer. We got off the N1 at Bela-Bela and started heading west towards Thabazimbi and the park. Late afternoon sunshine shone golden on the bush, which was thinning out after a relatively dry summer. 

We arrived at the park entrance 15 minutes before closing time. We weren’t the only ones who were getting there late after the drive up from Joburg.  

We checked in with the friendly park staff and drove the short gravel road to Bontle rest camp. In the fast fading light we managed to find a quiet campsite set in the Mopane forest away from the other campers and with privacy. We set up camp using Jolene’s headlights and started the braai. Despite the late start we both couldn’t stop smiling as we sat around the fire sipping our beers admiring the stars. There is nowhere else in the world we would rather be. 

The camp has excellent toilet facilities. Showers are hot and have good pressure.  

The next morning, we got up a little later than we would have liked and took our time getting ready for a morning game drive. We left too late for the game. We drove to a hide near the campsite, and although we didn’t see any signs of life, it was beautiful just sitting taking in the site and sounds of the bush. After getting slightly lost on a 4x4 track we were probably not meant to be on, we returned to camp for a mid-morning siesta and a picnic lunch. 

In the mid-afternoon we set off again for a drive to the summit of Kransberg. It is a spectacular winding mountain road that takes you through the various biomes of the park. It took us over an hour to reach the top, but the drive is well worth the effort (4x4 not required). The view at the top is stunning and the grassland there, which is not dissimilar to the type of vegetation found nearly 1000km away in the Drakensberg, waves in the breeze giving the summit an almost surreal feel as you look down on the bush below. We walked around the top for nearly two hours and enjoyed a bottle of champagne.  

With the sun getting low in the sky we made our way back to camp. About 15 minutes from the campsite, with the sun set, a hyena dashed across the road in front of us against the night sky. We felt extremely privileged to have experienced such a rare sighting. 

The same routine followed that evening, around the fire with cold drinks, meat, the sounds of the bush and stars. We also chatted with the honorary rangers staying in the camp who gave us some good tips for our game drive the next morning. Tip number 1 was get up early.  

We woke up before sun rise to head out on a game drive. Encouraged by our sittings the night before we headed out in Jolene with rusks and coffee in a flask. We were rewarded with sightings of rhino, elephant and an absolutely ginormous male lion, sitting in the clearing just off the road.  

We returned to camp mid-morning packed up and headed home. This time avoiding the N1 and going via Brits. It is a more difficult road and not recommended for driving at night, but was marginally quicker.  

This post is part two of our two-part blog on our favourite places the in the Waterberg. Our first post about Jemisa can be found here.