Founded in 1898, Kruger is one of the oldest national parks in the world and at over 4.8 million acres, it’s also one of the largest. Singita was granted a 33,000-acre concession of the park in 2001 and permitted to construct lodges and private roads in this unexplored part of the park, which was done...
As game rangers, conservationsists and animal lovers, it can be extremely difficult to see the landscape and wildlife suffering during a drought. The current, severe lack of rain in the Kruger National Park area has caused a knock-on effect with food supplies, making it extremely difficult for grazers to find grass on which to feed....
Guests at Singita Kruger National Park have 33,000 acres over which to roam on twice-daily game drives with their dedicated field guide and tracker. The area is well known for a particularly high concentration of the “Big 5” – including a number of large prides of lion – all of whom benefit from Singita’s steadfast commitment to conservation as well as its minimal environmental footprint.
The competition for attention between siblings is something many people will be familiar with, but imagine having 20 of them to contend with! This is the norm for the unusually large lion prides that roam Singita Kruger National Park; family groups that can reach up to 40 members.
September is a great month to spend time with the giants of Africa, elephants, as the water is drying up from most water holes making them follow the main streams. It is a warm month and to enjoy the cool breeze of the night that is complemented by the soothing smell of the wild sage one has to keep the tent flaps up. There is nothing that brings you closer to nature like getting a night surprise visit of an elephant coming to eat next to your tent in the full glow of the moon outside.
August
Zarafa and its Dhow Suites would like to thank the many American citizens who made the long trip to Africa for their safari!
For our camp, August is traditionally an ‘American month’ with around 60% of our guests coming from overseas and this year was no exception. We wish you all safe travels back home and we hope to see you next winter. Oh! And for those of you who enjoy flexible work arrangements or are retired, please do not be a stranger and visit us even earlier. In November for example, it is a completely different ball game out here!
Winter still lingers on. It seems like this year we’ve had a long winter as it’s unusual in the month of August to have freezing mornings, cool afternoons and chilly nights. Hot water bottles (bush babies) were handy in the night as one surprise everyone appreciated; ponchos also are put to work in the morning game drives making your safari comfortable as could be. Duba fire keeps blazing under the clear sky, making star gazing enjoyable at all times!!
The month of June means our beanies are out and the elephants are in! As winter settles on Duba Plains the bush dries up and the water levels rise to the maximum, both these changes making for fantastic game viewing. Game drives have been extra exciting as our “Puddle Jumper” Toyota Land Cruisers become amphibious to get around the concession.
A lone bull crosses the plains, heading for the ol Donyo waterhole. (Photo: Walter Kolon)
May should have been a month of dramatic storms and heavy downpours, but sadly we have not had much of a rainy season so far – more of a “gentle drizzle”! So we are keeping our fingers crossed that we may get some late rain in June to fill the waterholes out on the plains and top up our tanks.
