Travel Snippets from Kruger, Swazi & KZN (5) TEMBE *

[Toko]

Day 17: From Mkhuze Game Reserve to Tembe Elephant Park



A lot of Sand Forest there Tembe was proclaimed in 1983 to protect the elephants, sand forest and suni antelope. But sand forest and elephant don't like eachother


That's what they call "Matriarch Suite" "luxury, spacious, safari tent built on a wooden platform with a deck"

[Toko]

Would be much nicer if selfcatering was on offer There is no fridge in this luxury tent and it's quite a walk to the car park or to the bar

But it's ok, if you like red wine

[Toko]

... and you can not have a huge fire next to your tent

But the food served in the "restaurant" is ok

If you have a good cooler box and a 4x4, you can have lots of cold ones in the bush or in the hides/picnic sites

Terrible and expensive place, don't go!

Worst experience: Got stuck in the boma at 11pm (alone, without any drink) and could not get back to my tent 'cause of big tusker blocking the way for two hours

Horrible place!

[Mel]

No self-catering IS horrible!
No fridge for the beer IS horrible!

Not bothered about the long walkies to the car or the bar though.
Unless it's pitch dark and there is a tusker blocking my way.
(What happened to the drinks?)

[Toko]

Not bothered about the long walkies to the car or the bar though.
Unless it's pitch dark and there is a tusker blocking my way.
(What happened to the drinks?)

It's not pitch dark (there are lights on the path) unless a big tusker is playing with the electric wires

Drinks?
One night I went to the boma (without anything: no camera, no torch, no drinks) to get that interesting book about trees of the sand forest which would have made an interesting read with a glass of wine on the stoep of my tent. When I wanted to leave the boma I noticed Isilo walking along and he spent some time taking down some small trees and feeding on the soft twigs. He was peacefully feeding between the boma and my tent in the middle of the path for two hours -O

[Toko]

Isilo is the only bull breaking the electric fence and entering the camp and he is a regular visitor I think the area was his fav feeding place before the camp was built and he likes the soft branches

Perhaps the other bulls don't know how to break the fence with the tusks without getting an electric shock

[Toko]

Day 17: Tembe Elephant Park

Leopard Orchid


It was only 11:30pm, so we decided to have a look at Mahlasela pan

Sand roads

Red duiker not running off

the hide



another bull walking in















Bushbuck & Red Duiker

Nyala & Red Duiker



Velempini




It was about time for lunch so we left the hide and walked into this guy



This polite gentleman with perfect manners gave us the right of way and we could get into the car.

[Toko]

The area looks very familiar! Even the visitors at the waterhole...
I reckon, I saw them before... somewhere... -O

Lovely!!!

Indeed, some guys are old friends and it's great to meet them

BTW: There are about 80 adult bulls in Tembe, but not all of them are visitors to the cam waterhole

And it was even more fun if we knew more names and could ID our bulls.

So far it's only a few, I know by name:

The tuskers: Isilo, Mkadebona, Siqualo and Phukile (is never seen in the south)

and: Rudi, Mabhudu, Ukhana, Mr. Half Ear, Hero, Kwazi, Phyco, Mfungeni, Gus, Indida, Mr. Mc Donalds, Ibhungu, Tyrone, Lebo, Ucici, Velempini, Khelemfana, Ndawoyakhe


-O

[Toko]

Day 17: Tembe Elephant Park

The Elephant Highway

In the afternoon we went out again and this time we were at the Elephant Highway just in time ... six bulls crossing the road on their way back to the bush after the waterhole fun

















And interesting to note their interaction with a vehicle: All of these bulls stop at the edge of the road, look around, slowly move forward and stop again in the middle of the road and give you a curious look, come closer to inspect you and then move on qickly

[Toko]

Day 17: Tembe Elephant Park

Mahlasela pan is a good place for a cold drink -O







Yellow-billed Kite