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TRAVELTIME - Previous Tours |
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KRUGER PARK
& BLYDE RIVER CANYON
10th - 15th May 2011 |
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Day 1 - On our way to Mpumalanga |
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The departure date has finally arrived and our cases
are waiting for a Group check in for
our flight to
Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in
Nelspruit |
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Hilda introduces Gay to Joy, this being
Gay's first Traveltime tour. Mel and
Barbi are old hats at touring and excitedly
look at the final brochures. |
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On the approach to
KMIA
you
can be forgiven for thinking
that you are landing at a luxury
lodge in the Kruger Park. The
thatched terminal buildings
really do have that luxury lodge
feel |
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Our Arrival at Hippo Hollow, home
for the next 5 nights. Solly
, the Guest Relations Manager is always
waiting with an eager smile and offers
Iced Rooibos Tea served in mini
calabashes. |
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Time was limited, and all the ladies had
time to do was put their suitcases in
their rooms, and head down to the dining
room for their 'finger' lunch served on
the patio. Lovely bite size snacks
- perfect to fill that tiny gap before
we headed out to the bush on our first
game drive. |
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We entered the Kruger National Park at Phabeni
Gate in vehicles provided by Nkambeni Tented
Camp. Their two game rangers, Jacques and Redman
enthusiastically welcomed us and told us how the
afternoon would work. |
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Our very first stop was at the side of the road
where two hyenas lay sunning themselves.
They have little cubs who are protected in a
pipe that goes underneath the road - perfect
hiding place for the cubs until they are older
and can fend for themselves. |
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We had various sightings of animals and then as
the sun was setting we were taken to a plateau
with the most amazing view where an armed ranger
took care of us whilst we sipped a glass of wine
and enjoyed delicious biltong and snacks. The
little black dot in the centre of the LH photo
is a buffalo. |
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The happy bunch of ladies "Hey Joy like
your bag!" - Hilda on the far right wins
the top prize for the most original outfit
perfect for the evening in the bush. |
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Mel and Gillie could not join us at the top of
the hill (bit too steep for their liking) but
they were still looked after with wine and
snacks. Here Elaine tells Gillie
everything she had missed. |
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Just before we arrived at Nkambeni for
dinner we saw what our ranger said we
would not easily EVER see again in the
Kruger Park - 3 lionesses with cubs and
one male lion and IN BETWEEN them were 3
rhinos. He was so excited - he
banned us from using our cameras as the
flash would disturb them. He,
however, did get video coverage to, no
doubt, brag to everyone back at the
camp. |
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Dinner was a hurried affair - after having got
out of bed at 4h00 most of us were so cold and
tired that dinner was over very quickly, and we
couldn't wait to get into our vehicle with the
heater on and travel back to Hippo Hollow. |
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Published 19th May 2011 |
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