This morning we wake up in our wonderful tent at the Mpila Camp, it is 6:30am and the sun has already risen since a while; we sit on our terrace in the sun to have breakfast and then we leave for the last full day of safari of this trip; better not to think about it so as not to get too fed up.

In the first few kms we do not see much, here the vegetation is a bit too thick to make sightings, we would see an animal only if it were on the way.

As soon as we enter the Sontuli loop, the landscape changes completely and the vegetation thins out, even if bushes and shrubs persist.

At one point among the bushes we see a beautiful specimen of black rhino, it is very close to the road but as soon as it hears us, it quickly moves away and hides; shame because we were not able to photograph it, but we have seen it and this is what matters most.

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We see several warthogs; even if many people during the safari ignore them, we always watch them because they are too funny, they are on their knees busy eating, but at a certain point they hear a noise, they stop and then run with their tails up.

Shortly thereafter we see a white backed vulture, perched alone on a branch; here in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi is the first one we see, in this park there is also a project of monitoring and research for vultures.

After a while we see two other rhinos, this time they are white, they do not run away like the black one a little while ago and we manage to photograph them while they are busy browsing, we shut down Dr. Livingstone's engine so as not to disturb them but they do not even consider us, better this way; they are too beautiful animals and they are gigantic, we would watch them for hours.

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Along the way we also see several impalas, zebras and some wildebeests; they seem less accustomed to cars here at iMfolozi and sometimes they look a little suspicious, especially when they are at the roadside, even if we proceed at a moderate speed.

We spot another white rhino near the river, but how many are there?

We stop to look at it and, shortly after, a puppy comes out of a bush, but how nice, we do not see it very well because there is a bit of tall grass but we see that it trots along around the mother that is busy grazing.

We go to the Ubhejane Hide, here we see a waterhole where there is no more water, but only a bit of mud; initially we do not spot anything, except some doves and some starlings.

But we like this place so much that we decide to have lunch here, while we wait for maybe some animal to appear.

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At a certain point five warthogs arrive, a family with puppies, that immediately head for the mud, start to dive and roll, but at a certain point something scares them, it is not us because we are in absolute silence.

Suddenly they all run scared in the same direction.

Shortly after we understand what, or rather who, has frightened them: two white rhinos that arrive at the waterhole walking quickly and then stop at the edge of it; instead of entering they move along the shore and head behind the shed.

On the sides of the corridor leading to the shed there are observation windows, we go and see if we can spot them from there, and in fact they are immersed in the mud in a puddle just in front of the window; there are also the five warthogs that keep themselves at a safe distance.

We do not see them very well and then we try to see if from the parking lot, where we left our car, they are better seen.

From where Dr. Livingstone is parked we do not see them because there is a tree that obstructs our sight, then we try to move on foot to the left, we are a bit cautious because with rhinos there is little to joke, it is true that they are enjoying their mud bath, but you never know.

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In the end we can see them, one is lying in the mud with a dreamy expression, while the other has stood up; from where they are they cannot see us, the rhinos in fact do not see more than 8 meters away, but they have an unfailing sense of smell and hearing, so surely they have heard our steps on the dry grass and probably also smelt our smell.

The standing rhino takes a couple of steps out of the waterhole, the time has come for us to get back to our car, you never know, better not to risk; we get up and leave.

We continue our safari and arrive in an open savannah area, here a nice cheetah would be perfect; in the park there are some but it is not easy to see them, we need a good dose of luck, and we have already had it with the cheetahs at the Kruger National Park.

Instead of the cheetah we see a lot of giraffes that, when they hear us, stop eating and look at us, they are really funny, sometimes they do not seem to realize how big they are and try to hide among the plants, but then they come out from above of the fronds.

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They watch us for a while and then start eating again, while we resume our safari.

We see other giraffes, many impalas, several zebras and wildebeests; it is nice to pass and see them there quietly browsing or shading to protect themselves from the sun.

We arrive at another observation booth overlooking a choreographic waterhole, the Mpafa Hide, the waterhole is so beautiful that it seems fake, on one side there is a rock face smoothed by water and atmospheric agents, at the foot of which there is the puddle that has a small beach of river sand full of animal footprints that surely came here to drink and cool off.

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There are two white-fronted bee-eaters that fly over the waterhole and then return to their branch, always the same.

They continue to fly until one of the two has caught an insect while flying, it returns to its branch and kills the poor by repeatedly beating it on the branch of the tree and then eats it; then it resumes its flight in search of other prey.

There are also other birds around the waterhole, we stay here for a while hoping that even some mammal arrives, but this time we were not very lucky.

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We go back to our car, today it was a hot day and we are a bit tired, we decide to return a little before to our camp, even to enjoy our tent, that, more than a tent, is a house.

We arrive, unload the car and get on our terrace in relaxation; we drink a Spritz with Aperol and Chardonnay by Casa Montini and comment on the highlights of the day.

Cheers!

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