South Africa

In October, we went to South Africa and spent 11 days around the Kruger Park area. It was our second safari experience and we enjoyed it tremendously. We visited 3 camps; Tshukudu outside Hoedsrpuit, Tanda Tula in the Timbavati reserve and Notten's in Sabi Sands. All 3 camps offered fantastic viewing. At Tshukudu, we enjoyed the close encounters with the cheetahs, a bush baby and a hippo. One highlight was being amongst a lion pride at night and hearing the roar of the large male. During the day, rhinos and water buffalos would roam around right outside the gate.
At Tanda Tula, we had numerous leopard sightings including a female and her 2 cubs sharing an impala up on a tree. The camp also has many nyalas and warthogs roaming around the tents. The elephants were often seen at a water hole just outside the swimming pool area.
At Notten's, we saw a wild cheetah and a pack of African wild dogs, both are uncommon sightings for the area. Monkeys would sometimes make a very quick visit to the dining area and a resident nyala enjoyed the jacaranda flowers everywhere on the grounds. At all 3 camps, accommodation and meals were excellent. Everywhere, we were impressed with the quality of the service and the warm hospitality. We are already looking forward to our next safari!