Greater Kruger at its best

The legendary Kruger National Park is undeniably one of Africa's greatest wildlife destinations. It really offers everything from some of the most informative and exciting wilderness trails to game lodge experiences without rival. Regardless of ones interests, it is sure to deliver. We have hosted a safari to some of the premium lodges in the area namely Londolozi and Singita Lebombo. Although within the same region these two properties are significantly different and offers some of the best wildlife out there.  

Our first stop was Londolozi and upon arrival, we basically encountered all of the big and charismatic animals, the highlight being a pride of seven lionesses feeding on a day old dead buffalo, a great  portent of what was to follow over the next few days. The total tally of lions alone was 44 animals while we encountered no less than 7 individual leopards.

Increasingly under threat of poaching White Rhino in the Mopani scrubland.  

Thanks to the very active and effective anti-poaching activities whithin the conservancies White Rhino populations are still stable and we were lucky to encounter a few of them.  

A large female leopard emerges from the shadows. 

Londolozi is known for its pioneering work on Leopard habituation and now offers a world class experience with the most elusive of the big cats. This female is reputedly related to the original mother leopard that was initially habituated to game viewing activities in the 70's.

Highly skilled and professional trackers and guides ensures safe yet exciting viewing.

Part if a group of 14 lions of the Shishangaan pride, a single lioness splits off briefly for an afternoon drink in the Nwanetsi River.

Next stop was Singita Lebombo. This private concession on the very eastern corner of Kruger National Park and straddles the Lebombo mountain range on the border of Mozambique. What leds additional appeal is the meandering Nwanetsi river.  With current drought South Africa is really affecting wildlife and wildlife areas tremendously. Although disturbing to see, one still has to keep in mind that this is a natural process that also contributes to wildlife population control. Wildlife viewing can actually be very good during these dry conditions. Watercourses such as the scenic Nwanetsi river is an artery of life and attracts large numbers of grazers while predators follow shortly behind. The Lebombo concession is known for its large lion prides. The Shish pride, for instance split up into ten and 17 animals respectively with four large males ranging over both subgroups.

A young male lion of around 3 years strolls towards us at the break of day. 

And within the Shish pride lurks one of the most enigmatic of African mammals currently to be seen on the continent. A white lion. As luchk would have it we didn't find this rare individual until our second last day. But what a great sighting we had once we located the pride. The arresting vision of a lions glare through unusual blue eyes is something to experience. Words fail hopelessly.

With only three known wild white lions in the world, all of them within Greater Kruger, its a sight never to be forgotten.  

A playful moment. 

And finally, just to show that it doesn't have to be rough out there, here are some images of the exquisite Singita Lebombo Lodge. 

The main lodge with long bar area. 

Pool Area. 

Main bedroom viewed from the veranda. 

If you would like to arrange your safari to any of these destinations please contact us here.

Botswana - Makgadigadi and Central Kalahari

The sight that greeted us from the air, Clouds reflecting of the ancient lake's surface.

It was with great excitement that I received the request to go to the Makgadigadi Pans in Botswana during the wet season. This is one of the most dramatic, isolated and in my opinion, exciting places in Africa. On the edge of this ancient inland lake is Jacks Camp, one of the most surprising camps in Africa. This destination is certainly for the safari connoisseur. At first glance, it's not an obviously wildlife filled destination and for someone who is purely after the big stuff my leave empty handed. However once you start scratching the salty surface of this remarkable place, an array of interesting wildlife starts showing itself.    

Jacks Camp is one of the best places to see habituated Meerkats in the world.  

If there are a few animals that everyone should try and see at least once in their life, Meerkats will be among them. At a parr with the Gorilla trekking in East Africa, The great Migration or the big cats of the Sabie Sands, spending a morning with these endearing animals will remain etched in ones mind forever. As one of the guests put it so eloquently "Now I know exactly how Gulliver must have felt."

The Meerkat family getting ready for the days foraging

Undoubtedly one of Africa’s most endearing animals, I can honestly not think of anyone who is not totally in love with them. They are the stars of classic Disney animations movies, the face of international add campaigns and the mascot of cellphone companies and even has their own reality show that makes the Kardashians look pale. People just love them! But unlike many stars of the silver screen, their real life personas are exactly as they are when the camera’s start rolling.  Some destinations have habituated groups of Meerkats to the presence of people which allows for unparalleled insights into their daily lives. Jack's Camp offers the best.

The unusual green surrounding of the Makgadigadi pans.

Although we were not expecting to see lions at this destination, when a group of females and large cubs were seen at daybreak one morning we took our chances to catch up. What a magnificent experience seeing these big cats out on the open terrain next to the pans, especially when the pride erupted in a bout of play in early morning light.  

Lions at play in the early morning light

Truly remarkable to view lion on the edge of the pans, something we didn't expect.

Early intrepid explorers such as John Chapman who braved the harsh waterless terrain en route to Victoria Falls camped on the edge of Nxai pan. He was accompanied by Thomas Baines who painted these trees on the edge of Nxai Pan. Today they have changed little in appearance since the original painting in 1862.  The cloudy conditions of the day actually made for great landscape images, especially when converted to black and white.  

Legendary Baines Baobabs where a host of historic explorers camped out.

Below are a few images of the really cool Jack's Camp.

A definite first for me to take a photo of a loo. But yes, you read correct. The coolest loo in Africa!

Jack's Camps Lounge. 

A tented pool!! Imagine stepping off the teak floors onto the salty crust of the ancient salt pan!!

Stopping for an early morning photo session on the pans. 

The laziest lions in the world. Three days of this!!!

We tend to share all the great wildlife moments. In reality, as anyone who spends time with wildlife knows, this is not always the case. Wildlife, and especially the big cats, can spend hours inactive each day. But these two lions beat all records. For three days we visited them and in all that time had hardly moved 200 meters, and that at time no one saw the "action". So I think its only fair that we also share this with you all. 

Piper pan in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

Mark and Delia Owens put the Central Kalahari on the map and ever since reading their evocative Cry of the Kalahari wanted to visit this place. Piper Pan on the western edge of Deception Valley encapsulated the supreme beauty of the area. This images was taken as we departed the area one afternoon. I'll definitely be back and if you want to join me just click here! 

Kibale Forest - Uganda

A large male chimp in contemplative mood shortly after waking.

 Hundreds of thousands of butterflies greeted us upon arrival at Kibale. A mass emergence of tree-nymph butterflies scattered the roads and forest edges in almost unimaginable numbers. Amongst them were swallowtails, gliders and emperors of every imaginable coloration.

Forest can be tricky as the creatures living within this habitat can be remarkable tricky to locate. But the surprises are frequent such as this little frog which gives ample chance to hone macro photography techniques.   

At Kibale one gets the unique chance to explore one of  Africa's equatorial forests at night. After arriving at Primate Lodge, the only lodge situated within the forest, we decided on an early dinner  and a night walk. This unique experience offers guests the chance to see some of the unique forest night life such as three species of galagos or bushbabies, the strange Potto, a host of nocturnal insects, amphibians and reptiles which occurs in the forest. Our night walk did not disappoint as we encountered Thomas’s bushbaby – a first for me as well as the very secretive and rarely seen Potto., a rare nocturnal primate, related to bushbabies. In addition, a host of vibrant invertebrate life allowed for great nighttime images, sharpening our skills at macro photography.

As the sun filters through the forest canopy we get to the Chimps level in a small forest clearing.

The next day it was off to the full day Chimpanzee habituation experience or CHEX. In general guests are only allowed one hour with the chimps but when signing up for CHEX one is afforded an entire day with the chimps where you get the chance to follow the chimps throughout the course of their day. And what a remarkable day it was. We encountered the chimps shortly after they woke and spent the next few hours as peripheral members of the troop. 

Mid-morning is siesta time for the chimps. 

Spending a significant amount of time with them is very relaxing, as one doesn’t feel the frantic pressure to make the most of your time when only having an hour.  The local guides literally knows each individual chimp by name and offered wonderful insights into the family groupings, social structures and even politics of the respective animals.

In addition to the chimps a host of forest secrets are explained by well informed guides from the Uganda Wildlife authority.

"Smiling"

 Forest photography can be very challenging. Firstly, ones view is often obstructed by vegetation or the action happen twenty meters up in the forest canopy. Personal movement is also limited due to the dense bush. But the most challenging obstacle is the severe low light. Even when the sun is shining, only the last bits of light reach the forest floor. Combining the high ISO capabilities of most modern cameras as well as the odd photographic technique goes a long way to get great images.

Catydid on a leaf

The trick is to capture the dappled forest scene effectively and not make each image look like its taken in a studio. Sufficient time allowed more than ample practice capturing the essence of the chimps in their forest habitat.  

Gregarious moth bug nymphs of the family Flatidae grouping together.

Blyde River Canyon

South Africa's most incredible scenery.

The Blyde River Canyon in the worlds Third largest Canyon and the largest “moist” Canyon in the world. It is also one of the most visited sites in South Africa and a “must see” destination with sites like the Three Rondavels, God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and several striking and scenic waterfalls. This, believe it or not is but a very small part of what the Canyon offers.

We are based on the slopes of the highest peaks of the Canyon and though the years have “discovered” a wide array of exciting and enchanting corners of the canyon. It is here that we prefer to spend our days.

View from Littlebush Private Lodge. The Canyon slopes can be seen in the background. 

Few venture off the beaten track and one literally has the entire Canyon to yourself when seeking out the hidden corners. It offers a wide variety of activities from the very adventurous to the tranquil. Interestingly, as one ascends the mountain the vegetation changes as you gain altitude.  The vegetation gradually  changes from typical lowveld bushveld of acacias and combretum woodland to evergreen forests and eventually Alpine Fynbos. Each biome hosts its own suite of birds and animals. 

The area offers unique images for Landscape Photographers. 

Landscape photographers have endless opportunities. Climatic conditions vary enormously and the mountain weather is continually changing, creating dynamic photographic opportunities. The views are of the best in Africa and the rugged mountainscape produces endless options for striking images. Closed forest canopies allows for photography throughout the course of the day as the dappled light kisses the forest floor.

Hiking trails snake into the belly of the forests where you stand a chance of catching a glimpse of the rare and endangered Samango monkeys or the secretive Red Duiker antelope. Interestingly we have seen Caracal on a few occasions. Birdlife is equally absorbing with the likes of Crowned Eagle, Narina Trogon, Black-fronted bushshrike, Knysna and Purple-crested Turaco’s, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher and host of other birds make their home. Forest birding is of course challenging with birds more often heard than seen but the reward is great when eventually catching up with them.

Klipspringer Pair in the high altitude mountains. 

In the higher lying Fynbos regions Klipspringer are often seen while Guerney’s Grassbird as well as Malachite, Amethyst and Greater Double-collared sunbirds feed on the Aloes and Proteas.

We venture right into the belly of the Canyon to the banks of the fast flowing Blyde river. Swing from a ropeswing into the river or explore the depths of a limestone cave.

All our activities are hosted on a fully exclusive base. You have a private vehicle and guide throughout your stay. We do of course recommend the timing and duration of all activities but it can be tailored exactly to your requirements and pace. We are strategically situated within 30 minutes of the Eastgate airport and combine the Blyde adventures easily with any of the private lodges in the Timbavati, Klaserie, Sabie Sands or Kruger National Park.

And should your safari include Cape Town or Victoria Falls we are only 2.5 hours from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in Nelspruit, which has daily connecting flights to both Cape Town, and Livingstone in Zambia. 

Wildlife Photography in the Masai Mara.

Cheetah Learning school. An eight month old cheetah hones his hunting skills while mom supervise.

I have just returned from the last of this years Kenyan Migration Safaris. My season this year actually started in May already with a flying Safari through some of Heritage Hotels properties for Africa Geographic magazine. Although this trip took me through Tsavo and Samburu in the North it also brought me to the Mara before the main migration season. Being May, the long rains was in full swing but it did allow me to view the Mara again as I only saw it when I lived there way back in 2004. Wonderfully green with waist high grasses and breeding birds all around. A challenging time to drive a round the Mara’s black cotton soil but also a rare privilege to see the Mara as few see it. Have a look at the article below and if you do not see it in print on the shelves during November click on the image to link to the PDF article online.


Lion Lenses and Little Planes, an Africa Geographic article on flying safaris through Kenya

To quote friend and colleague Greg du Toit, the Mara is a great place to fill up memory cards but a very difficult place to get anything new or unique. It is one of the most photographed parks in the world. With these challenges clearly in mind I set off with guests in tow seeking new and exciting shots.

Although its always very special observing leopards, merely photographing them as a portrait doesn't do the animal much justice. 

A young leopard strolls through the grassland backlit by the setting sun.

In order to capture its true character and although a much trickier shot, opting for a motion blur image is a more accurate reflection of their character in the dense undergrowth where it makes its home. 

A trickier shot but when done well a motion blur image really stands out.

The rising sun illuminating steam from a freshly killed wildebeest carcass provided the perfect backdrop for capturing a familiar scene of feeding lions in a unique manner. Photographing backlit is very rewarding, especially in such dramatic sircumstances, yet I often find that people would rather go for the more conventional front lit shots, even though these have been done millions of times.

A lioness pause momentarily as the rest of her pride devours a wildebeest. The mist in this scene comes from the freshly killed wildebeest.

With its open habitat and clean backgrounds the Mara is a great place to capture action. Having done the “Cheetah on the Termite Mound” images countless times in the past, my personal goal this year was to get some action shots. Throughout the various trips we witnessed a dozen or so kills, ranging from crocs taking wildebeest to lion and the impressive high speed chases of cheetah. Realistically they are often difficult to photograph as it happens too far away or is obscured by grass. A few proved to be in range such as this lioness  below taking a young Topi.

A lioness about to grab a young Topi.

Action wasn’t limited to kills only and playing lions were equally impressive.



Playing Lions are allways very photogenic.

We saw a few servals on the plains, one of which spectacularly killed a young Scrub hare in clear view. Capturing the essence however of a determined Serval hunting through the long grass provided yet another challenge as I wanted to move away from crispy portraits.

Because its allways a rare sight one can be forgiven for doing for the safe crispy portraits of Serval Cats. But Motion Blur captivates the essence of the cat staliking throught its grassy domain.

Also very rewarding is capturing the quieter more pensive moments in the bush and playing with spectacular light allways helps.

Beautifull light and nothing else makes even the misunderstood Hyena look stunning.

We were privileged to follow this mother and her only surviving cub belwo for two weeks. During this time she used our vehicles several times as vantage points to scan for prey and remarkably were were treated to one of nature’s most emotional dramas as she released her kill for the cub to hone its hunting skills (Check out the first pic above). Being such a dramatic event I will post more images in a next post to share the entire event.

Her breath condensates in the cold mornuing air. We followed this mother cheetah and her cub for a few weeks.

Then the Mara is nothing without the dramatic and well known wildebeest crossings. Sitting in the heat of the day with 30 other cars only to get harshly lit images is certainly not my way of having fun on safari. Only a handful of places offer you the ultimate experience and C4 Safaris’ location provided the perfect platform to view our “own” crossings. Yet how does one capture this well photographed phenomenon in a unique way. Here is my latest take on it.

A nice new angle of a familiar scene

The most difficult large animal to see and photograph is Black Rhino. The first two weeks produced not a single sighting and only on the last morning of guests stay they were fortunate so see this animal out on the open plains. 

The highly threatened and endangered Black Rhino

So thats it for now. For those interested in joining us on Safari next year, contact us by clicking on the below links for a wide variety of trips. Cheers Albie 

Private Photographic Safaris throughout East and Southern Africa