Safari at the Kruger from Crocodile Bridge to Lower Sabie and surroundings

We're still at the Kruger National Park in South Africa, tonight we slept at the Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp; initially, it was a stopgap to sleep here because, when we booked, we did not find a place at the Lower Sabie, it actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise: the camp is small and quiet, there are some cottages, tents and a small central area dedicated to camping, there are the shop and the gas station but there is no restaurant.

This morning we leave as usual at 6:00am, we leave the gate of the camp and take the H 4-2 that heads North.

Today it was a spectacular safari day, the one with the most important sightings so far, but I do not want to anticipate anything!

We drive the entire H 4-2, this morning we did not see the dawn, there were some clouds that then, fortunately, has thinned out and the sun came out; in the early morning the animals are very active and, along the way, wildebeests and impalas cross the road in several points.

We also find some elephants at the roadside, they are eating, not to mention destroying, some bushes of which they seem to be greedy.

In the bush we also see some giraffes, while in the most open savannah we see lots of zebras, there are also many foals, we understand that they are still small, besides from their size, as well from the fur that is ruffled and thick. 

At one point we see a warthog with huge fangs, how beautiful.

We arrive at the Northernmost deviation of the S 28, we take it and return to the South, this road is also reviewed as one of the best in this area of the Kruger.

In reality we do not see much, just some herbivores, but we stopped at the hide that overlooks a stretch of river; here we have spotted several birds and took some pictures.

Next we take the S 137 and S 107, but both lead to a puddle that is dry, so there are not many animals.

In the Southernmost part of the S 28 we spot several birds, including the Kori bustard, the magpie shrike, three Southern ground hornbills walking in the grass in search of food, and some white backed vulture perched on the dead branches of some dead trees.

We cross again the H 4-2 to the North and, near Vurhami, where is the bridge on the river, we see a leopard tortoise that, very slowly, is crossing the road; we are a bit worried about its fate as here pass several cars, so we decide to stop and report to the other cars the presence of the turtle on the road, so it is not likely to be invested.

Under the bridge there is a herd of elephants that are drinking from the only pool that has remained in the river, that flows here during the green season; they let a sad-billed stork beak escape, maybe they're a little too confusing for it.

We look at the elephants for a while, that drink from a hole they dug earlier and from where they have access to the water that flows into the subsoil, and then leave again.

At one point a family of warthogs crosses the road running, they are funny with their straight tails, they look like antennas!

Even a couple of herds of elephants cross the road, there are also puppies that run not to lose the pace, they are really funny.

At one point the road runs along the river where there is still water, we see on the other bank a herd of elephants, we understand that they want to go down to the river but they are wary, perhaps they fear some danger, maybe a predator, since they have the puppies; a puppy runs down the cliff and starts drinking, at that point all the others go down, there are those that drink and those that spray with water, we would be watching them all day, but we have to go.

As we proceed he zebras and several large herds of impalas cross our path, we also find several giraffes at the roadside that are busy eating.

We arrive in the area of ​​Lower Sabie and here we are spoiled for choice of the road to go, we opt for the H 10, that we have already traveled the other day but we believe it can reserve more, and indeed we were right!

The road starts with the bridge that can also be seen from the Lower Sabie Rest Camp; the Sabie river has water and therefore here you can spot various water birds such as the African jacanas, the cormorants, the kingfishers and the herons; furthermore, in the water you can see crocodiles and hippos.

We continue along the H 10 and we find several elephants, they are near the road so we proceed with caution so as not to frighten them, but they do not seem to care about us.

We are heading to the picnic area of Mlondozi that has the view on the dam, we decide to get there via the whole S 29.

After not even a kilometer a car, that comes in the opposite direction to ours, tells us that they saw the African wild dogs; they were on the road when they arrived, then they started walking in the grass.

They do not have to repeat it twice and we rush to where they have indicated, there is another car that tells us to have followed them a bit, but then they left the road and ventured into the high grass, when we think to be late we see them emerge from the grass and stop on a road where we cannot go because there is a sign of no-transit ... but they come to our direction, well done wild dogs!

They are four, we can take some pictures while they are crouched to rest in the grass between a plant and some bush; after that they resume walking in the tall grass and we do not see them anylonger, but we have seen them and we are very happy!

Before arriving at the picnic area we also see other elephants.

We occupy the last free table and have lunch admiring the view and commenting on the incredible sighting of the wild dogs; we do not believe it yet, they are not easy animals to spot because they have a very large range and are always on the move, so you need a good dose of luck.

After lunch we enjoy a little more the sight and then go back to the car and, along the S 29, back on the H 10.

Not far away we see cars stopped and we decide to go and see what happens: there are some lions in the bushes, a bit away from the road, but with the binoculars, we see them clearly.

There are also several organized safari cars, two of them at some point start the engine, reverse and leave at high speed; we have made so many safaris and we know well the safari guides and we know very well that if the guides leave a sighting like that of the lions, important but without action, it means that there is something more rare or some action scene .

We chase them immediately, we are the only ones who understand and follow them, we fear that, at any moment, they slip into a road with no access where we could not enter, in that case goodbye sighting.

Instead, they take the S 128 and, despite being a dirt road, they proceed at high speed, we try to stay behind without exceeding the speed limits.

We arrive and there are already four cars, all from organized safaris, a guide tries to show us what they have been spotting, but we have already seen it as we arrived: there are two cheetahs walking parallel to the road!

They are beautiful and illuminated by the sun, they have an elegant and refined gait, they are wonderful.

They walk a bit, then stop and look around, then start walking again, then stop again; they are definitely looking for some prey.

We admire them for a while, following them as they move, we take several photographs and then decide to go away, because they ventured into the high grass area and then we do not want to bother them too much.

Today it was a truly wonderful day for sightings: the wild dogs, that we would never have hoped to see in the Kruger, the lions and the cheetahs, without forgetting the leopard tortoise that is not so common to see.

We take a break and go to the Lower Sabie Rest Camp to do some shopping, their shop is more equipped than that of our campsite; we relax a bit also because it is quite hot, with the sightings we have done today we can afford it.

We leave again and take the H 4-1 and we stop, as it is customary, at the Sunset Dam, we see the monitor that we have already seen the other day, it is almost always around here, it probably has its den somewhere around here.

On the bank opposite to ours there are all the hippos out of the water, they are all there lying in the sun, they seem on the beach; not far away, but on the other side there are all the crocodiles, also lying in the sun.

We proceed along the H 4-1 and sight five lions lying on the sand in the middle of the river, three sleep deeply, while two look around, they are a bit far but they are still beautiful.

Not far from the lions, still along the river, we see many buffaloes, some in the water others walking on the sand, others are still in the grass; even if the buffaloes are animals that we do not particularly like, the scene definitely deserves.

We continue and see in the distance so many stopped cars, we wonder what is there, a car tells us that there are the lions that are mating right at the roadside; but today it is really a very lucky day!

We get in line, there are so many cars that we are at the Melegnano toll levels at the end of August; but we manage to pass and find a position a little far but from where we have a good view and we wait.

The lions, when they are in love, they mate very frequently, every 15/20 minutes for 3 or 4 days, so we just need to have a little patience and wait.

We lost the first mating because a car arrived and stood in front of all the others that, like us, were waiting; of course many are angry, but what to do, the world is full of people like that, who do not care about others.

Meanwhile, the lions have moved to an unreachable point, because there are too many cars, so we are positioned beyond the bush, betting that they are on that side during the next mating.

In fact, they are right on our side and we can finally see them, is this luck or sixth sense?

At that point we decide to leave and let the place to someone else.

On the one hand it is a bit annoying to see the lions so chased by the cars, on the other they seem so careless, perhaps because they are accustomed or do not perceive cars as a danger.

We decide that it is time to return to our campsite, today we have not come a long way, but we have made excellent sightings.

Returning along the H 4-1 we spot a bateleur in flight, it is very recognizable as, due to its short tail, it is forced to always adjust the flight with its wings, it seems a tightrope walker on a rope; besides its orange legs and beak are unmistakable.

We take the H 4-2 that takes us to the Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp, but along the way we look around, maybe our luck today is not yet exhausted.

We spot other hippos out of the water, they are eating, some giraffes at the river, several waterfowls, other hippos in the river, an African fish eagle perched on a branch with a spectacular light, several buffaloes, a bushbuck, several baboons on the road, the kudus and many impalas, in very large groups, all on the road that they always suddenly cross.

We arrive at the pool of Vurhami but tonight there seems to be no one, but we are not very convinced, so we take the dirt road that goes around following the bend of the river and there is a white rhinos here, this is the worthy conclusion of a perfect day!