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I would be more than happy, if he is able to manage it. It is a privilege to expose the youth to such an opportunity.

Terryc, I am sure your son would love it. We had quite a mixed bunch when we did the Bushmans.. the eldest was 68 and the youngest 15 and we didn't seem to notice.
Went on a birding weekend once ( not Sanparks ) and there was 12year old lad with us and he put us all to shame with the knowledge he had of the birds and the bush and his eyes could spot even a black mamba raiding nests in the trees.
I would say go for it.
Which one do you want to go on ?

I would say 12 years is an ideal age at which one could start instilling the wonders of the wilderness .

I have come accross a larger proportion of unsuitable trailists in the older age groups - perhaps their parents have allready instilled the ethos , many of those who embark on trails are more quiet by nature .... or they know their "place" in life ?

I also saw that discount available during the hot months .
To me the heat is mostly "in the mind" - I adjust my body thermostat accordingly .
In fact is the rumoured 2 or 3 degree C higher temperature up north really that much hotter when 38 degrees C seems to be the norm for KNP in summer ?

An effective method of reducing heat stress in the A frames at night is to sprinkle water on sheet which yu cover yourself with and to keep wetting it from time to time .

I dream of being able to be at Nyalaland for 4 consecutive trails ... available in May ..... Nyalaland to me feels that much more remote than the other camps ... the barred and scops owls calling all night ... full moon shining on the plain accross the Madzaringwe onto the plateau ... drat it Cathyb , you have got me dreaming again !

Hi Ndloti

Sorry to to set you dreaming - but perhaps you can do some of those consecutive trails in May to assuage the longing

We are really very thrilled to be going back - Nyala was, without doubt, the most magical trail we have done although the animal sightings on other trails were better (as our general instruction is to keep us well away from animals and, preferably, never to see an elephant, this is not a problem!). I could just spend hours in the camp itself - a very very special place and, as you say, really feels much more remote than the others trails camps we have been to. I will neverf forget our sundowners on the banks of the Levhubu

Yup, that is pretty much our December remedy anywhere in Kruger - (forget splashing!) - soak a sarong or kikoi in water and sleep under that, hoping to wake up to re-wet it during the night (if you can't re-wet it, as we found out at an unbearably hot Bataleur a couple of years ago, you will wake up dehydrated).

First discussions for planning amongst the 4 confirmed trailists will start on Sunday - yippee yah!

For me, November-December is the best time of the year to do the Nyala. Apart from the magnificent birdlife, the surroundings and the majestic baobabs are all an absolute luscious green! And..... most of the times it was raining the whole time. Gets quite ridiculously muddy, and the vehicle has to perform to get you to the area of the day's walk. And at night the little lights of the fireflies are out of this world!

On the other hand, have had a trail up there and the temp shot up to 40+, but nothing so nice as to take a quick dip in the Levubu! And SO loved the excuse to pop one cold one after the other.
A definite must!

Thanks for your replies - should be applying for new job (deadline 23/4/2010) but as usual the KNP comes first !!!

2004 Nayaland - Well what a great first trail. With son number 1 and brother number 2(remember lives in Joburg). flew out on usual route Birmingham (UK) Amsterdam then onwards to Joburg. Then out again to Cape town - The docks and robben Island great experience. Then Back to Joburg for drive through Venda to the far North and Punda Maria. Long way and only just made pick up point.

Was it us or what but we were the only guys who made the trip. Talk about staff to guest ratio ( including the cook - 3 staff and 3 guests). However, as food etc had already been packed for 8 guests this is how many the cook catered for every meal !!!!! and brought them to us on his wheelbarrow.

It was excellent trip - game a little scarce, but there is soooooo much else to see and experience. One of which included a bull elephant, complete with tusks which nearly touched the floor (honest) which charged to within 3 metres of our little group and despite all the waving and shouting carried out by the rangers it was only when lawrence ( now at Sweni i believe) discharged his gun over the elephants head did he stop and turn away. Luckily we were all wearing kahki coloured shorts so the walk continued - after a smoke or two !!!!

The sunsets, the sundowners (Cane lime and soda) the bush TV, the bush, the noises or the periods of solitude it over whelmed the senses. I was hooked (Son number 3 has informed me he can do photographs so may include some on other shared experiences). Due to only us being there I think the walks became a little longer and harder than normal especially when we were momentarily disorientated (lost) in the bush but eh what else was there to do !!!

Only downside - back in UK for a few days and got flu like symptoms and spent 5 days on quinnine based drip in hospital with Malaria !!! PLEASE TAKE YOUR TABLETS. Doctors from various UK based hospitals came to see me and ask me questions about it !!! so again good staff to customer ratio.

wolhuter 2005
After Nayalaland I was hooked ,needed more of the KNP and wilderness trails in particular. Had decided to take sons 2 and 3 on trails as 21st birthday presents(to me) however, son 3 only 17 so this rule was to be amended at a later date. So son number 2 allowed to come.

A ritual had been decided upon, over the year and goes like this: fly in on a friday. Saturday Vaal river trip, my brother has access to a boat !!! lunch at Stonehaven cruise back. To Loftus for Bulls game, evening meal in Norwood. Sunday drive to KNP trail for 3 nights. Thursday and Friday spent in eastern transvaal (Mpumalanga) Mount Sheba or stay in KNP. Then Saturday back to Loftus then airport and home. This we have kept up more or less for all the other trails. This suits my ASD and OCD tendencies!!!

Wolhuter exceeded my wildest dreams. We walked in a place of wonderment,of creatures great and small over plains and Kopies, we breakfasted on top of a kopie as a crash of 10/12 white Rhino grazed right below us. In the distance Giraffe journeyed silently behind the Acacia trees, as wart hogs supped at the little water hole. I was in the lion King film set.

The trail group was great we had a biker chick from Alaska, her brother from texas and a swiss guy who had this multi pocketed jacket with every, and i mean every, gadget known to man there in. Tour led by Jaco who had just returned from USA trip studying grizzle bears. One learns so much when the trail is done and we all sit and relax around the fire and chat about this and that. Note to Sanparks more wood is needed as has been very scarce on latest trips. I know it is brought in, just a little bit more would be appreciated !!

Elephants visited the camp and we were all excited and nervous (the fence around the camp was under repair) as the Bull decided to show off and demolish as many trees as possible, just in front of the camp gates. the noise as these trees went over and the smells were so over whelming i needed a siesta before sundowners. Another hard day in KNP

We had sundowners with a herd of elephants having a final drink and cool down at the river. We saw 2 young bull giraffe play fighting - using their necks like whips powering into each other. A flock of thousands of butterflies exploding into the air near a water hole as we got near. Birds galour . I have become a bit of a twitcher on SA birds, only to find recent name changes - I still use old ones - sorry

On the journey back to Guateng Son number 2 ,who is in the music industry, struggled without a radio, so we started a game of humming/singing your favourite 10 songs - neeedless to say this game stopped at Loftus( and while we had a break at Dulstrum) with a list of at least 100 favourite top 10 songs which he has now put on a CD for us to enjoy at our leisure when we travel to and from the park.

I must also state, for the record, our rangers have all been model professionals and fantastic hosts ,with an obvious love of the KNP and their jobs. Must not forget the cooks who have never failed to provide great hearty meals which always hit the spot.

Next report Bushmans 2006 and the trail group who should all have been at some UN global confrence but ended up in the bush with us, much to our absolute humble delight and privilege to be party to this great collection of nice and informed people.

Ok - Job application completed back to the important issues in my life KNP

BUSHMANS 2006 THe trail was again fantastic ticked all the boxes and more. However our trail buddies were such an unbelievable bunch i must tell you about them. We had a young Canadian anthropologist working for the Leaky project in East Africa, her father, a retired bio chemist. Two young American doctors working for HIV charity in RSA and Botswana. The then BBC Southeren African correspondent, and our selves.

The walks became a university, a centre of learning - the anthropologist knew every bone we found, what type of animal, the age, how old and what part of the animal it was from and somtimes if it had had an illness FANTASTIC. Her dad and the trail rangers were busy examing the flora and we were told of how these had or were being used in local medicines, the Bio chemist learning their latin name was able to equate the properties of this genus into modern uses and the doctors were telling us that they actually use equivalents in their treatments in modern medicine again FANTASTIC. The BBC correspondent dished the inside dirt on local and world events/politics over the camp fire. As there was no engineering processes involved in our whole time in the bush my brother and I could only listen and learn.
The whole area seemd to be alive with Rhino - more Rhino than our friend the Impala. Bird life was also good - we sat and breakfasted on a kopie while a couple of scarlet breasted sundirds were suping from a few flowers.

Trail done we returned to the pick up point and re fuelled the car - the young doctors were there as well, and paid just before us. We drove out of the camp and saw their car stopped in the middle of the road at a junction, we came along side to see if they needed directions - But no they had stopped to let a flock of guinea fowl cross the road when a leopard had leaped out and grabbed one of the fowl and run off !!! what an experience for them and a shame for us, never mind I felt good for them.

We drove through the park and stayed over night at Lower Sabie camp - sunset dam etc very good, but more was to come. We were out as the gate opened next day out over the river n the H10 then onto the S128, as we turned onto the dirt road a car was pulled up - looking at a couple of lions hidden way in the bush, we looked but not a particualr good viewing so we drove on. There was nothing else on the road, after about 5 k we could see (I actually saw it) something in the distance slowly walking towards us It was a male Lion ambling down the road towards us, slowly pacing his territory, roaring and just plodding on down the road. His head came up to side window of our sedan. We turned round , when safe to do so and followed all the way back to virtualy the junction with the H10 - about 20 minutes - he was in no rush) and do you Know not a single car came along the road at that time. It was OUR lion. Continued along the S128 onto the S30 not much game except for a serval just sitting there on the side of the road - again no other cars. What a trip .
THE BUSH CHALLENGE
It was while on this trip that we decided to add an element of competition into our forays into the KNP. We decided to give each type of animal points and who ever spotted that animal would acumulate the points. These would be added up at the end of the trip and the winner would be announced and hold the title of BUSH MASTER for the year. I will go into grater detail on how this works, other people are always free to use this as a basis for their own spotting.

what is a matter with me - I forget the San rock paintings (dof). They were magnificent and I doubt any one has been to see art displayed in such an awe inspiring location. Having read laurens van De Post's sands of the kalahari at school I felt a connection straight away and was humbled to be in such close proximity to these fantastic paintings.

16 sleeps to go - the KNP is consuming more of my thoughts the closer it gets. It is like waiting to meet your wife/lover after being away !!! wierd feeling.

oliphants 2007 Son number 3 ( have now run out and too late to start making any more) has reached 18 so off he comes. What a location, the call of the fish eagle and those crocodiles just waiting for fish to swim into their gapping jaws. The bird life was excellent around the river - hammerkop, dikop herons and kingfisher. The walks were again excellent and the rangers sharing their knowledge of plants and all the mini beasts. We saw the hippos crashing around in the pool as they tried to herd the youngsters into the middle of themselves. For me the sight of a small pool full of flowering lillies with a jacana tenderly walking on them was a highlight. We sprinkled some of my mums ashes( only a a little - sorry if rules were broken but she also had a love of the bush and had seen her first leopard the previous year). On the drive back from our sundowners we saw the silhouette of a pair of cheetah in the distance -they kindly waited for us and we watched them in the dying of the day as they sat near the side of the road. Scrub hare and grass owl were also plentiful on our drive back in the ever increasing darkness.

Next day on our drive back from the early walk a male lion ( in very poor shape), two lionesses and cubs crossed our road, leaving a kill(widlebeast) just off the road which had already started to attract the attention of the vultures and hyenas. We alighted and from a small hill, but still close, watched the carcass and the interaction of these animals. Vultures spiralling down from the thermals, forming an ever increasing blanket of birds on the floor, occasionally leaping in the air as hyenas darted in to pull off a limb or piece of flesh. A compelling sight.

We stayed at Talamati the night before our wilderness walk and had the pleasure of seeing a pride of lions, not 50 metres from the gate as we left the camp as the gates opened.

We ended the trip with a few days canoeing the mighty zambezi (out of Zambia) and although the brochure said no experience necessary - all i can say they were being economical with the truth. However, despite the pain it was a fantastic experience seeing the animals from a different perspective than foot or out of a vehicle. 2 days canoe and one overnight on Bovu island

Next trip report - Napi - I have never seen so much game before or since. Although cannot fault the other camps - it was nice to have ensuite ablutions!!!

Each of the wilderness trails are unique and are of similar quality. People may have their favourites based on a number of factors: game seen, close encounters, social mix of rest of the walkers even the weather. All i can say is that i have enjoyed every single one. I would like one that combined the kopies of the bushmans/wolhuter trail where we had breakfasts and sundowners with the location of oliphants, the game i saw on Napi(and the en suite arrangements) and the bird life of nayalaland. But based on my own experience Napi it is.

Napi 2008 Joined on this trip by a friend from the UK and my dad, who travelled from Australia. Met up with the other trailists, a mature SA family of 3 and a close friend. Met the rangers Tally and his 2 i c and off we went, on that special drive onto roads other visitors do not get to drive on, into the wilderness.

We were greeted by a herd of about 10 elephants lolling around the camp. The whole trip was fantastic as regards game spotting. It was wall to wall animals. The birding was good and the walks fantastic. Day 1 we walked out of camp, crossed the dry Byamiti and were immediatly in the middle of a herd of 30/40 ellies, who were also crossing the river. They were either side of us not 30 metres away. We stood still and watched these magnificent animals saunter across the dry river bed, before continuing our walk. also herds of buffalo, and wildebeast sooo close to us, as well as Rhino and journeys of giraffe. The highlight of day 1 was spotting a juvenile white Rhino, we walked into the river and peered over a bank . There in a dry meander of the river was a female rhino, lying down and suckling a 2/3 day old baby. Photos not allowed, but the sight will stay with me forever.

Day 2 - All night we had been seranaded by the roar of the lion, very close to camp. So early next morning off we went to track these animals. All went well, we followed the sound and spoor. Suddenly the rangers saw them ahead - the lions ran off and to my surprise we started to run towards them, eventually catching a glimpse of 2 females running into the bush. We sat on a small kopie to gather ourselves. The lions were still "talking " to each other - when over the edge of the hill came a huge black mained male - looking for his ladies - time stood still as he looked at us and we looked at him. Then he was gone. What a privilege and a true encounter with the King of the beasts.

With the wilderness trial coming to an end we journeyed on to Talamatif or a night then onto Hans Merensky, for a game of golf and then back to Pilgrims Rest and Mount Sheba - where apart from some great walks around the hotel, the thatch roof caught fire. A very interesting end to our stay in the KNP and surrounding areas.

Only 7 sleeps left til my 2010 trip.

Hello

We have 2 weeks booked in Kruger camps this August, plus the Mphongolo backpacking trail.

We can only afford 2 morning walks and would like opinions on which two you would choose and why.

We are camping at Crocodile Bridge, Malelane, Skukuza, Satara, Balule, Maroela, Tsendze, and Punda Maria.

I have a particular interest in wild dog, but realize I will be very lucky to experience a sighting.

Thank you very much for your feedback and this wonderful forum full of terrific information.

Hi Carson I have had Wilddog sightings on 3 of my last 4 trips. One sighting was between Skukuza and Satara, one close to Croc Bridge and one close to Talamiti. If you are wanting to enhance your chances, I would choose walks from Maroela, Skukuza or Croc Bridge.

I hope that you have a stunning time and I must say that I am very