Liselle,
you are welcome to more feedback - here goes.
I must admit I was nervous of working over the internet with an unknown
company. Accordingly I considered numerous plans in case the driver did not
meet us at the airport. As we came through customs, there he was, our names
on a board - and correctly spelt. (You have no idea on how many variations
of Sykes I have encountered). This was the first time I felt at ease with
the arrangements. He was a good driver, dropping us off at the hotel with
little fuss. We could not find fault with him, even if we were a bit jet
lagged and grumpy. The hotel was adequate and certainly what we wanted - a
non smoking room, a clean bed (that was not flying throught the air) and a
little room to stretch our legs in the garden.
David wanted to visit Johannesburg, so we organised a driver through hotel
reception. A very well spoken and knowlegeable man who drove well, taking
us to various places in the city. Some areas were more dodgy than others
and it was certainly an eye opener for my son.
The following morning we were ready about 20 minutes early and I was a bit
nervous. I am not sure why, but I was. Either way, transport to Timbervati
arrived about 5 minutes later, the driver apologising for being early. Not
a problem. The drive to the park was well organised in that the stops were
in the right places. The journey was relatively uneventual till we reached
the escarpment, thick with mist and very poor visibility in places. The
driver slowed down and stayed behind a prime mover with semi trailer for
quite a while as we could barely see the truck's tail lights, never mind if
it was safe to overtake. This became our first introduction to real South
African driving. An idiot overtook us and the semi on a double barrier line
in thick fog! No wonder a single day's fatalities is more than the
Australian fatalities for the month of December!
We reached Joshmacs without further ado, signed in with the minimum of fuss
and then on to the park, sighting a pair of Giraffe just prior to entering
the park. The sign just inside the entrance produced a wry smile - "Dung
Beatles have right of way". The Timbervati camp was great, all I had
expected and dared hope for. The proximity to the river raised expectations
of what we might see. It did not take ourselves long to feel at home and
then the guides told us how to behave in the bush, what to look out for and
how much there was to see. We did not realise how soon we needed this
knowlege! I seem to recollect we went out in the vehicle that evening, but
I do not have any real recollection of what we saw - the time shift and the
long flight were catching up with me.
The intention was from that point on we would be active when the animals
were active. We would rise at about 3am, have a light breakfast and then
walk for about 4 hours. Then we would have real breakfast and
sleep/snooze/laze about till 3pm (lunch) and then drive to where the
animals were, walking whenever we saw something of interest. Supper was
when we returned.
The first morning was a bit quiet, but then we began to see more and more
animals. We were walking along a track fairly near camp when the guides and
I heard a noise and then saw elephant quite close to us. We grouped
together as instructed and watched. Unfortunately the matriach took
exception to us and charged. We ran to the dry river and up the other side
as planned, with one guide staying between us and the angry animal. I must
admit the adrenalin was pumping somewhat (Elephant angry.jpg)! We walked
back to camp, seeing a buffalo pair plus one young amongst other animals.
That night we went for sundowners, watching a pair of hippo in a dam - a
really pleasant way to end the day. The following day we walked to the edge
of a Mopani thicket and heard elephant in within. The guides surmised that
the elephant were heading for a nearby waterhole so we did a U turn out of
the thicket and walked around to the water hole. Our group then sat in an
area of bush on the opposite side if the waterhole to the Mopani thicket and
waited. Soon 6 or 7 elephant arrived, with young. As we were watching the
family group, another group joined them, and then a third. At one point
there was over 40 elephant (including young) at the waterhole, the nearest
being some 30m away!
That evening we used the vehicles and saw some rhino in the bush. We
alighted to go nearer - and were rewarded with a great view. As the rhine
moved off, so did we, and saw a herd of buffalo - fairly small herd (wrong!)
We approached the herd on foot and got some spectacular views before
returning to the vehicle to drive to the sundowner spot, overlooking another
dam. The small herd (approx 100 - 200) then came past us, down to drink.
I am sure many of these sightings were not pure coincidence, but due to the
guides knowlege and skill.
The following day we went to Klaserie - a completely different camp. This
camp overlooks a flowing river and there was a small herd of elephant on the
far side. This camp was a bit more rustic, but about to be upgraded. (a
good idea - the loo had no roof. This is not really a problem till it rains
and the loo paper gets wet. Mind you, this is all character building!)
Again, we walked in the mornings and used the vehicles in the evening. We
saw quite a few animals and birds. The second morning at Klaserie started
off fairly quietly, till a lion roared some 200m away. Boots were on,
cameras grabbed and we walked quickly toward the sound. The guides saw
something, motioning us to stop. As we grouped together and stopped, a male
lion came trotting out of the bush directly towards us. We froze, moving
nothing but the shutter finger. After about 30 seconds, the lion turned on
its heels and was off, to other males following (grumpy lion...jpg). From
there we went back to camp, got in the vehicle and headed past the lions and
stopped on a dry river bank. Once again, the guides were right. The lions
walked past us on the opposite bank, no problem. From there we saw
wildebeest, kudu and the usual host of impala till the guide in the trackers
chair saw some drag marks. A freshly killed waterbuck was hidden in the
reeds, not a lion to be seen. We left the area with the promise to return
later - and we did. The lioness' were there, with about 6 cubs. That night
the heavens opened and we did not get the chance to see the lion feed, but
wow, the 5 days was an experience my son and I will never forget!
Our connection to Nelspruit arrived on time the following day and we arrived
at Nelspruit airport without further ado - except wishing we were still in
Klaserie! I must also point out, that Nelspruit is one of the best regional
airports I have seen in the world - I mean, where else would you get double
story thatched airport buildings with an atmosphere that many top
restaurants would envy?
The connection from there to Cape Town, joining my mum and then to Port
Elizabeth was problem free - all that I could ask for.
To the more mundane. I booked the particular game park primarily because of
the camping and walking and because we could get in the week before the RSA
school holidays. I did not wish to be part of a normal 8am rush hour in the
city, while attempting to see animals and get a bit of peace and quiet. I
did not realise that we would be the only people in the Timbervati and
Klaserie reserves - It was truly great to see only our tracks and those of
our wild neighbours. The camping was more than adequate. Thatch roofs
certainly keep the tents cool and habitable. The food was not that of a 5
star restaurant, but we did not want a 5 star restaurant. It was certainly
tasty, plentiful and fresh. What more could we ask for? I had some concern
regarding the pace and distance of the walks. I am very fit but did not
know what to expect. The walks generally lasted some 4 hours and were
conducted at an easy pace, with plenty of stops to look at anything that
caught the eye, for water or to take photographs.
In short, I must congratulate the guides for a fantastic few days. If I
were allowed only one word to describe the time in the park, it could only
be "Tops!"
Rob Sykes
ps, I hope the photos did not overfill your inbox! If you wish to publish
the feedback, go ahead. Please acknowlege the two guides, Philip and
Cornelius and myself as the author