Africa Wild

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Some tips from top wildlife photographer, Chad Wright:

Making the most of the South of Kruger

June 09, 2014 by Chad Wright

Lower Sabie rest camp (the all-star)

Lower Sabie must be the most popular rest camp in the park (as well as my personal favourite), and for good reason. Consistent sightings of the Big 5, a wide variety of birdlife and spectacular views of the Sabie River from within the camp grounds ensure there is more than enough to keep any nature junkie happy. Well run facilities (pool, petrol station, viewing deck, etc.), friendly staff, a well stocked curio shop and boasting one of the new Mugg & Bean restaurants also mean there is more than enough to keep you and the family comfortable.

In order to make the most out of this ‘allstar’ rest camp, you need to be prepared to really utilize the cooler hours of the day as this area of Kruger can get really hot and humid around midday all year round. Leopard and lion are particularly consecrated around this area, and can normally be found making their way along the river banks and roads in the early morning.

Rock monitors, chameleons, genets, bats and snakes (watch your step!) are just some of the characters that you will find scattered around the camp. The large Sycamore Fig trees come alive when the sun sets, with hundreds of bats frantically feeding on the sweet fruits. Be sure to always keep a torch handy when walking at night and have a look under the thatch of the communal bathrooms to find the young bats huddled together waiting for a meal. When in your tent you will hear a lot of activity in the bushes around your site, don’t be alarmed as it is just one of the many monitor lizards digging through the leaves to find a meal (some of them can grow quite large, and are best left to go about their business).

Take a pair of binoculars to the viewing deck whilst you sit down for lunch and watch as a large variety of game comes down to the river’s edge to drink. Keep an ear out for the roaring lions, ‘whooping’ hyenas and howling jackals that can be heard throughout the night.

This section of Kruger is known as a medium risk malaria area and is susceptible to flooding after consistent heavy downpours.

Best drives:

Head South along the H4-2 first thing in the morning, looping back via the S137 and S28 stopping at Nthahdanyathi Hide along the way. Leopard and lion are often seen patrolling the roads during the cooler hours of the day.
A simple early morning drive up and down the H4-1 to Skukuza for breakfast has proved very successful in the past, large herds of elephant and the elusive pack of wild dogs roam around these parts, so take it nice and slow. Make sure to stretch your legs at Nkhulu picnic site along the way, but be wary of those naughty baboons and vervet monkeys!
A quick loop around the S29 past Mlondozi Dam picnic spot and back down the H10 is a great birding route with the occasional sightings of lion and elephant to keep things interesting as well. These sand roads can get quite bad after rain so plan accordingly.
Just outside the camp is the famous Sunset Dam, stopping here on your way out or back into of the camp will be well worth your while. Elephant are often seen bathing in the water during the warmer times of the day.
Travel North along the H10 stopping at Tshokwane picnic site for a bite to eat before heading back to camp. This can be down both in the early morning and afternoon (leave no later than 2-3pm depending on the gate closing times), but plan accordingly as it is quite a long drive.

Things to look for

Game
Leopard
Lion
Elephant
Kudu
Hyena
Monitor lizards

Birds
Stilt (found at Sunset Dam)
A variety of Heron species (found at Sunset Dam)
Black-bellied Bustard
A variety of duck species
Yellow-billed, Marabou and Saddle-billed Storks (found at Sunset Dam)
Bateleur
Southern Ground Hornbill

Hot tip – Look out for fresh spoor in the damp sand on dirt roads in the early morning. Knowing what animals use these roads frequently and which way they were traveling could just get you that once in a lifetime sighting!

Thanks, Flutts!

I love the quieter camps as I spend a lot of time in camp relaxing after a morning drive and you don't want paving , Parking paved lots choc full of huge buses and OSV's and horrible camping areas. Lower Sabie ticks all these boxes for me ..It has easily the worst camping area in the whole of Kruger ..even worse than Skukuza and being a camper ..I don't go there at all..Last year we left the Ventertjie and ground tents behind as I 'HAD' to spend a couple of nights at Lower Sabie so I could exit every midday to see clients in the Lowveld (first time in 30 years we stayed at LS) so we safari tented next to the Highway from Skukuza (Felt like I was camped at a Witbank toll plaza) but at least I didn't have to CAMP in that camping area which has less atmosphere than a SPAR parking lot in suburbia ..Sorry L Sabie lovers but I have been spoilt at Kruger camps like Shingwedzi, Balule, Punda, Tsendze, Maroela etc ..However I did manage to find some peace and quiet by parking at the waters edge in the 2 evenings we were there at adjacent Sunset Dam ..Lovely light I must say in the evenings there as the day said good bye

Lower Sabie is not all bad! Nice pic.

A friend took this leopard trying to get in through the main gate at Lower Sabie ...It eventually jumped in and ran into the bush on the right and was never seen again ..Imagine the Tannie making a potjie in the campsite and Mrs Spots came past ..So even the Big busy camps get the Big and hairies coming in ..Take the fences down they don't keep leopards out who are able to live in close proximity to humans

magnificent
too easy to jump... and vanish in the bush

What are the safari tents like inside? I noticed that they still had a few of the LST2 (no view) available during the time I am looking to book.

Usually just stay in the basic huts and was wondering if it is worth paying the extra R335 per night to get the safari tent?

Didn't enjoy safari tents without view. May as well be anywhere in camp then.

Not much shade either....