South Camp at Nxai Pan National Park

This is post three from our trip through Botswana. Make sure to catch up on our earlier posts about Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Khumaga.

Our sightings at Khumaga had been so fantastic (Elephant swimming across the Boteti river! A male lion on a zebra kill! A jackal fighting off 40 vultures!) that we had our doubts about moving on.

We didn’t know if we would find a campsite further north in the Nxai National Park (or if the viewing would be as exciting) but we decided to push on anyway.

We broke camp quickly. Kate sorted out the tent: collapsed the stretchers, rolled the mattress, folded the linen and repacked the bags. Ben sorted out the camping chairs and table, repacked our boxes and started packing Jolene.

Lion at a kill at Khumaga

With our car packed we opened the map on the bonnet and plotted our route. We decided to head north towards South Camp and see if we could get a campsite. We knew there would be water so we ditched a couple of 5 litre bottles, which provided much appreciate leg room for Kate.

We hopped in Jolene and took the road towards the north gate of the Makgadikgadi National Park. We passed the zebra kill again and had a peak. It was almost completely stripped bare by the vultures. What had two hours before been a red and pink carcass was now bones and dried brown flesh. A few vultures were still hanging around in the nearby trees and flew off as we drove by. The two jackals had long moved on - to shady sleeping spots, we imagined, as they must have had full tummies.

The road north was more of the same - sand, sand and more sand (Ben: Kate was asleep for this bit so she can only assume.) As we approached the gate we began to speculate about the possibility of ice. It had become the thing of fantasy for us. Where can we get it? How long will it last? How much are we willing to pay for it? Answer: much more than it was worth.

We reached the gate and the receptionist, Becca, started the checkout process. We signed the forms, chatted about recent sightings and bought ice-cold Fanta Oranges.

“Do you have ice?” we asked. She smiled and disappeared around the back of the building. She emerged a few minutes later with a couple of 2 litre frozen water bottles. We could have kissed her.

We repacked the cool box - positioning gin and tonic supplies next to the ice - and hit the main road.

About 15 kilometres later we arrived at the entrance to Nxai National Park. We booked a campsite for the night at South Camp and hit the sand again. (There’s only so much we can say about the sand. It’s tough going.) We had a dicey moment when Ben hopped out for a quick pee and the car started sinking. Sticking Jolene the Jimny into low range and reversing saved the day.

We arrived at the reception to find an elephant trunk-deep in an underground water tank. He emerged every few minutes to check on the cars coming and going.

The reception has an impressive shop! It's not cheap but there is an amazing selection of supplies and (importantly!) booze. After four days of low rations we stocked up on cold drinks and packets of chips.

After signing in we headed to South Camp. It’s a well equipped campsite but not our sort of place. The campsites are very close together. It doesn’t have the feel of a wilderness camp but you will regularly have elephants wandering past your tent.

The toilets are protected by electric fences, metal spikes embedded in concrete and locked gates. This is to keep the elephants from breaking down the building to get to water pipes.

We relaxed during the afternoon and then headed off to a nearby waterhole with a bottle of wine. We arrived just as the sun began to set and sipped Chardonnay while about 20 elephants jostled for the water.

Sunset at the watering hole.

The next morning we were up early and headed off in search of cheetah. We didn’t have any luck, though. The highlight of our drive were two bat-eared foxes curled up together in the morning sun.

Our next stop was a night at the legendary Baine's Baobabs - a camp on tree islands in the middle of a salt pan.

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Khumaga Wildlife Camp

We were sad to leave the CKGR and we will definitely return in the summer after the rains when it’s cooler and the bush has recovered from the tragic fires. The trip really reminded us of the importance of putting out a campfire at night - even hot ash can start a bushfire in very dry areas like the Kalahari. (Read our trip report from CKGR here.)

Khumaga zebras checking us out.

We’re planners so heading off into the unknown was a new to us but we enjoyed it more than we thought we would. A week or so before we departed Ben had read a blog on 4x4community about Khumaga. We found it on the map and it looked pretty close.

We packed up Jolene, plotted our route and headed back along the sandy track to the main gate. It was slow going and we saw little game.

After signing out we got back on the tarred road and headed towards Khumaga. After days in the dry and dusty Kalahari we were amazed the GPS instructed us to "take the ferry in 300 metres"!

And sure enough, just over a small hill, the Boteti river was in full flood and a pontoon was waiting for us and Jolene.

Jolene floating across the Boteti river on a pontoon.

We paid out fare and drove onto the pontoon. The driver guided us safely across the bank on the other side. We drove up a short dirt road and arrived at the entrance to the Makgadikgadi National Park.

Two very helpful and friendly receptionists welcomed us and recommended we spend the night at the Khumaga Wildlife Camp. Unfortunately, there had been a small burn at the camp recently but nowhere near as bad as at CKGR.

We set up camp under a large Tamboti tree in campsite 10. The camp has excellent ablutions and after the bucket showers and long drops of CKGR Kate headed quickly disappeared to enjoy a long cold shower.

The campsites could be a little more private, but the recent burn meant a lot of the normal vegetation providing privacy was gone. It is a small very well-maintained camp and the staff were extremely friendly.

Khumaga Bird List

• Khumaga Bird List

• White backed vulture

• Double banded sandgrouse

• Pied Kingfisher

• Hammerkop

• Lappet faced vulture

• Sacred Ibis

• Great White Egret

• Goliath Heron

• Greater Flamingo

• Lilac breasted Roller

• Red-billed hornbill

The banks of the Boteti, with little water elsewhere in the region at this time of year, are teeming with game. The river is fed by the highlands of Angola, where it rains for nine months of the year.

We were lucky enough to see a herd of elephant cross the river at sunset. In places the river was so deep that the elephants had to use their trunks as snorkels. They emerged on the bank less than 20 metres in front of us.

Elephants swimming across the Boteti River at sunset.

We headed out on a game drive the next morning thinking this experience couldn’t be topped. We were wrong.

We had a great breakfast on the banks on the Boteti river while we watched its abundant birdlife waking up for the day.

An after breakfast pic on the banks of the Boteti River.

On the way back to camp we stumbled upon a large male lion on a fresh zebra kill. We watched him finish off his meal before he sauntered off. He stopped briefly to have a quick pee on a bush.

The real action then got underway. Over 50 vultures had been watching the lion from trees. But before they could get to the carcass a jackal dashed out and claim it for himself. For the next 45 minutes we watch the jackal fight off the vultures between mouthfuls of zebra.  

Spot the angry jackal.

The vultures eventually fought off the jackal and mobbed the carcass. We quietly drove away and headed back to out camp to pack up and set off.

We arrived back to find out tent collapsed under the weight of a troop of monkeys. They had tried to break in and raid our bags. Luckily they had been unsuccessful and the only damage was a couple monkey turds on our tent.

We packed up our gear and headed off with our sights set on spending a night or two at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Check back soon for that trip report.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

I had always dreamed of visiting the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). This large green swathe in the heart of the map of Botswana was created in 1961 as the last refuge for the Kalahari Bushmen living a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Sadly, now the bushmen have all but disappeared but remote unfenced camps in total wilderness remain.

Last year I read The Cry of the Kalahari by Mark and Delia Owens. It’s an account of their experiences living in the CKGR for seven years conducting research into the reserve’s lions, hyenas and jackals on a minimal budget. This was the final spark I needed. I was determined to visit in 2017.

Looking for cheetah.

4x4community has a lot of information on CKGR and I spent hours (maybe even days) ploughing through it all to plan the perfect trip. I love the planning part of an adventure, so I took the careful preparations required to visit such a remote place all in my stride.

We booked through Tara at Botswana Footprints, who came highly recommended on the forums. She was brilliant and made all our bookings for us and couriered all the confirmations to Joburg. She charges a flat rate of ZAR 500 - an absolute deal.

Some campsites in Bots are run by department of wildlife and national parks and others are run by private operators. Tara can book with both - meaning that you only have one point of contact when booking trips. We booked about two months in advanced and a lot of the sites we wanted were already full.

CKGR: Need to Know

• CKGR is the second largest game reserve in the world and is very remote with few roads.

• Don’t expect wildlife densities like Kruger or elsewhere in Botswana. The primary reason to visit the CKGR is the experience the remote wilderness and careful planning is required.

• You will need to bring all your own fuel and water.

• A lot of the roads consist of thick sand, which will greatly increase your fuel consumption and travel times.

• We used 10L of water between us each day and this allowed us a very quick shared bucket shower, but we did have other soft drinks to supplement our water supply. The more water you can bring the better. There is nothing better than a bucket shower in the CKGR after a long hot day.

• As we were traveling alone we rented a satellite phone for emergencies and the occasional call to family. We used Sat4Rent. They couriered it to Kate’s offices before the trip and collected it afterwards. It was quite pricey but a relief to know we could call if we needed help.

• We didn’t have a fridge. Our cool box put up a good fight but after three days we were struggling for cold beers.

• Bring lots of books - apart from game drives there is not much else to do.

Day 1: Joburg to Tuuthebe Lodge

We left Joburg at 5am with Jolene the Jimny fully loaded and arrived at the Stockpoort border post, via a refuelling stop in Lephalale.

Based on the advice we received on 4x4community we decided to use this border post because it is less busy and quicker than Martin’s Drift. The advice proved correct and we were on the other side of the Limpopo in under 15 minutes.

From the border to Mahalapye on the A1 was approximately 45km on a fast gravel road with nothing but cattle and trees to keep you company. A nice welcome to Botswana.

Once on the A1, the main motorway heading north in Botswana, the going was easy and the roads relatively quiet. We stopped for a Steers and few supplies at Palapye and then took the A14 north-west towards Orapa. We stopped for cash and fuel at Serowe, but there is not much here and would recommend that over landers pick up their supplies in Palapye.

We reached our overnight stop of Tuuthebe Lodge on the edge of the Kalahari at 4pm, roughly an 8 hour drive excluding stops from home. It was ominously hot! Luckily Tuuthebe had aircon and cold showers. While Kate napped I drove to Choppies in Letlhakane to pick-up some beers. It’s a well-stocked Choppies, which is open to 7 or 8pm in the evenings. It's not on Tracks4Africa, so ask for directions at the reception of Tuuthebe.

Tuuthebe Lodge Bird List

• Fork-tailed Drongo

• African Red-Eyed Bulbul

• Kalahari Scrub Robin

• Green-winged pytilia (melba finch)

• Blue Waxbill

The lodge is the perfect stopover, with nice braai facilities overlooking a duck pond. The land surrounding the lodge is a cattle farm, which you are welcome to explore on foot. After a long drive it was nice to stretch the legs and spot some interesting birds at sunset. I wouldn’t recommend camping there unless you are desperate. The sites are fine, but the traffic noise would drive you mad.

Day 2: Tuuthebe Lodge to Kori 3 (CKGR)

I was up early and filled up our water tanks from the borehole tap when disaster stuck. One of our new 20L tanks was leaking water and despite Kate’s ambitious duct taping we were unable to stem the leak. Knowing we needed more water we headed back to Choppies in Letlhakane and bought four 5 litre water bottles and left the leaking tank in the car park.

We refueled and filled our jerry cans in Mopipi, overlooking a vast salt pan. We also refueled Jolene at Rakops, where there is now a Puma filling station. We were told it now has reliable fuel. We were persuaded by the petrol attendants to buy wood here because we were told there would be none at the park gate. This turned out not to be true but we were fooled.

Left turn ahead!

Just outside of Rakops is the turn off on to the sand road, which leads to the Matswere entrance gate to the park. There were some thick sandy sections on this road, but no major dramas. As we headed further along the sand track the vegetation got thicker and signs of human life got thinner. As we got closer to the entrance gate we started to see signs of recent fire damage. This was a sign of things to come.

We got to the entrance gate in good time and the receptionist was extremely friendly and helpful. We headed into the park and the burn damage became worse as we drove. We arrived in Deception Valley to find vast stretches of it decimated by fire.

Kori 3 is a fantastic camp. It is large and private, with some trees for shade - a real luxury in the Kalahari. It has a good view of the Deception Valley, but this was a little spoilt for us by the burn. Kori 2 also looked good, with a nice view of the valley but is a smaller than Kori 3.

We set-up camp and settled into our home for the next three nights.

Magic nights by the fire.

Days 3 & 4: Kori 3 (CKGR)

On Day 3 we spent the morning and later afternoon on game drives without seeing anything noteworthy. During the day the temperate was in the upper 30’C, which made it hard to even concentrate on reading a book. Kate was then stung three times by insects and morale was running low. The only solution I could think of was to go on a game drive with the AC on full blast while we sipped cold beers.

CKGR Bird List

• Black-shouldered Kite

• Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

• Violet-eared waxbill

• Secretary bird

• Bateleur Eagle

• Crimson-breasted Shrike

• Red-crested Korhaan

• Northern Black Korhaan

• Cape Glossy Starling

• Black-faced waxbill

• White-Browed Sparrow Weaver

By the morning of day 4 we had decided that because of the severity of the burn and the extreme heat we would not be moving deeper into the park to our next booking at Phokoje. We decided to move on and try our luck elsewhere.

Knowing this was our last full day in the park we decided to make the long drive to the Letahiau waterhole (a 90 km round trip) where we had been told at the entrance gate of frequent lion sightings. We were in luck, about 10 km before the waterhole resting under a tree we saw two cubs and a lioness resting after a long night of hunting. We sat for over an hour enjoying the curious cubs watch us carefully whilst Mum was fast asleep.

Lion cubs resting in the shade.

The next day we packed up and headed off without a plan. Check back soon for that blog post!

Mabibi Campsite: Far from everything

Mabibi Campsite has developed a mythical status in our family. Whenever we get chatting with friends over a few drinks, and the topic of camping in South Africa comes up, we always rave about Mabibi.  

It is not like a lot of other coastal campsites in this country, where people are packed in like sardines, with their generators and caravans. This is remote bush camping at its best. 

It's a community run campsite located on land owned by Sappi, a South African pulp and paper company. The camp is in the iSimangilso Wetland Park, the third largest park in the country and the country's first World Heritage Site. It spans 280 km of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary.  

If you want to get away from people, work, the city or life, then you should go to Mabibi. It's far away from everything. 

We left Johannesburg after work on a Tuesday evening and broke the journey by staying on the border with Swaziland, on a farm outside the town of Piet Retief.  

It was a tough journey after work. At Ermelo it started to get dark and we stopped on the side of the road for a breather. For the last few hours we had been stuck behind coal and forestry trucks and long trains of cars on windy roads.  

We enjoyed our cool drinks overlooking the dusty highveld at dusk and imagine the completely different world we would arrive in the next day. We got back in the car for another couple of hours of difficult driving and we descended the escarpment in the dark.  

We eventually arrived at our bed and breakfast exhausted and in need of a beer. Unfortunately, the accommodation was nothing special but we were tired enough to appreciate it.  

The next morning, after coffee and rusks, we walked down through fields and jumped over a stream into Swaziland!  

We jumped over a stream into Swaziland!

We still had another 4 hours on the road ahead of us to reach the beach. We headed down the N2 until we go to the Pongola Dam, where we headed off the motorway up over the Ubombo Mountains and into Jozini.  

Driving through the mountains we enjoyed spectacular views of the dam and Pongola Nature reserve bush. We stopped for fuel at the Jozini Engen, amongst the chaos of a small South African town.  

After Jozini, we got the feeling that we were heading into an increasingly remote area as we headed into the sandy flats of northern KZN. We stopped on the side of the road to buy wood and shortly afterward we turned off the tar onto an un-signposted track.  

The track passes through monotonous SAPPI pine plantations. The plantation finally ended and made way to sub-tropical dune forest and rolling grassland and, most importantly, we saw a signpost to Mabibi camp.  

Jolene the Jimny at the entrance to Mabibi.

We drove through soft sand and forest to our campsite, where Kate’s parents were waiting for us. We chatted while we pitched our tents under a lush forest canopy. In the excitement of arriving my parents left a window open in their car. The monkeys were quick to jump in and grab a few avocados.  

After camp was set up we walked down a long set of steps through the dunes down to the beach for a swim and sundowners. As the stairs ended in front of us we saw the wild, blue Indian Ocean in all of its glory. We looked left to see white sand stretch to the horizon. We looked the other way and saw the same. 

Our first dip in the ocean. 

We spent three days exploring the area, snorkeling, walking on the beach, trying to fish, 4x4ing, braaing and relaxing. On the Friday, we made the trek up to Black Rock beach, a renowned fishing spot.  

We drove through the park along sandy tracks and over dunes. We were very impressed by the Jimny’s capabilities in the sand. Apart from one moment where we were beached on the middle mannetjie and had to reverse and have another crack at getting up the dune. 

Black Rock was probably a bit too far for the day and we had a hard drive back, racing to beat the light. Based on the advice of a fisherman at the beach, we paid a local man to guide us back to the main road, via shortcut. It soon became apparent that he had no idea how to get us home. Luckily with the help of Tracks4Africa we made it back to camp just after dark. 

Black Rock Beach

On our last afternoon after a long walk along the beach we drove the short distance over the dunes and forest for sundowners on Lake Sibaya, a freshwater lake full of hippos. As we sipped out G&Ts we watched a pied kingfisher diving for fish and heard the distant hippo calling.  

The highlight of Mabibi is the spectacular snorkeling. Every morning at low tide we would snorkel and swim in a large rockpool, where water and sea life were trapped. It ranged from ankle deep to more than 2 metres in some spots. We saw lots of brilliantly coloured fish, a stone fish and an octopus.  

Best time to go: Winter (April-September)  

Website here. 

Taking the long way round: Joburg to Cape Town

Many people quickly dismiss the 1,500 km drive from Joburg to Cape Town, which crosses the Great Karoo in the centre of South Africa, as too long and arduous to bother with. Why spend 30 hours on the road when you can pick up a round-trip flight for around R2500? I differ - I love the freedom of the open road, the changing scenery and the ability to explore places off the beaten track.

In February, Kate and I stayed with my parents in a beach house in idyllic Churchaven, situated inside the West Coast National. As we are based in Joburg and had a wedding in Cape Town the weekend before we were due to rent the house, I saw this as an opportunity to explore the lesser known parts of South Africa by road. And as a bonus, my Mum asked to tag along.

We planned to do the drive over two days, with a shorter first day and a longer second. We set off from home at midday and headed south, crossing the Vaal River, entering the wide-open spaces of the Free State. Here we left the national highway and headed on side roads through a thunderstorm to the small forgotten Karoo town of Philipolis.

The road to Die Groenhuis in Philipolis

Philipolis was a former mission station founded in 1823 for the local Khoi people in the then-British held Orange River Colony, making it one of the oldest settlements in the Free State. A once prosperous agricultural town, it used the be on the main road from Joburg to Cape Town. When the national highway was constructed in the 1960s it just missed the tiny speck on the map, passing 60km west of the town and taking much of the trade and industry away.

It feels like the pause button was pressed when the highway was built, creating a quiet and haunting traditional South African “dorp”.

We stayed at Die Groenhuis, a series of renovated Karoo Cottages set along a dirt road that leads out of town overlooking cattle fields. We were welcomed by Jens, who remembered me from when I passed through in 2013, when doing the same journey. He had lots of stories to tell about the delights of the small town and its history, which I think were the same stories he told me when I last visited.

We took a walk around the town when we arrived to stretch our legs. We got chatting to a local about the town and its history. He very proudly told us that "no white women had ever been raped in Philipolis" and we were completely safe. We didn’t really have an answer to that.

Restaurants in Philipolis are few and far between. Jens gave us the contact details for Elwina (+27 73 878 6820) who runs a small café, Sielskos. She does excellent dinners for travellers – strictly by appointment only – at her small café on the main street. We enjoyed a chicken pie and lamb, while we enjoyed a few drinks and listened to the nearby stream running in full flood after the storms

We ate in the courtyard of the café, which is also a monument to Laurens Van Der Post. Philipolis is the birthplace of the famous writer and conservationist. Coincidentally as part of his colourful life, he was also a dairy farmer near to where I grew up in the English countryside.

"I came to live my life not by conscious plan or pre-arranged design but as someone following the flight of a bird." - Laurens van der Post

The next morning, we had a quick coffee overlooking the wetland at the back of the cottages and hit the road. We re-joined the highway at Colesberg, where we stopped for the obligatory Wimpy bacon sandwich.

After Colesberg the Great Karoo opened up before us, with its vast spaces and imposing mountains. In colonial times, the Karoo formed an almost impenetrable barrier to the interior from Cape Town due to the hostility of the environment, extreme heat, lack of water and shade.

Today, it’s a magnificent drive through a desert landscape that has been largely unchanged for thousands of years. If we had more time an overnight stay at one of the many Karoo farms offering accommodation or at the Karoo National Park would be well worth it.

Nearer the end of the drive, we stopped for lunch at Matjiesfontein, a storybook town set in one of the driest parts of the Karoo.

The village is situated along the main railway line from the diamond fields of Kimberley to Cape Town and is just off the main highway. It’s a great place to stop for lunch and admire the Victorian architecture.

Matjiesfontein was founded by an entrepreneurial Scot, John Molteno, who created a Victorian health resort, based around the Lord Milner Hotel and the Karoo’s clean air. Again, a night at the quirky Lord Milner and a few beers at its pub is recommended, if you have the time.

Unfortunately, we had to press on with Cape Town in our sites. We left the Karoo behind us, crossing the Cape fold mountains via the dramatic Hex River Valley. In the space of two hours, we drove through vast open desert, jagged mountains and vineyards.

We eventually arrived in Cape Town glad that we hadn’t flown but had driven savouring South Africa’s landscapes.

The way back

On the way back, a week later, I was solo and went a different way. I headed back via the N12 and Kimberley, rather than the N1 and Bloemfontein.

This time round I could enjoy the peace and solitude of driving alone through the desert. The quieter N12 allowed me to relax and enjoy the view, rather than having to worry about constantly overtaking trucks.

I spent the night camping at Mokala National Park, South Africa’s newest park. I camped at Motswedi campsite, which overlooks a waterhole. There are only six sites at the camp which is set amongst camel thorn trees. Each has its own kitchen, shower and loo block, giving each camp some luxury and privacy.

The camp has a true wilderness feel. There is only an ankle high electric fence to keep buffalo out and the other member of the Big Five that call the reserve home.

I arrived at the camp, via flooded sand roads, in the pouring rain. I struggled as I put my new tent up getting soaked and cursing myself for not being more sensible and opting for a chalet at the main camp.

Home for the night at the Motswedi campsite. 

I retreated to the kitchen block to wait out the storm and then hopped in a hot shower thanks to the solar geyser. Eventually the rain stopped and I lit a fire. I sat on a picnic bench listening to the chorus of frogs where I enjoyed an entire borewors for myself, happy I had not chickened out and opted for a chalet.

Despite the rain, the inside of my tent was dry and the only thing to wake me in the night was a hippo munching on the green grass around my tent.

I woke up on the morning of my 29th birthday and drove through the park taking 4x4 roads, eventually heading out the park via the Lilydale Gate.

On my game drive, I saw Oryx, Springbok, Tsessebbe, Red Hartebeest, Eland, Kudu and Zebra, as well as plenty of unusual birds. I left Mokala feeling that it needs more exploring as part of another adventure. Perhaps some fly-fishing in the Riet River?

After leaving I headed north to Kimberley and then on to Joburg through driving rain, along flooded back roads of various quality and through endless fields of tall green mielie and forgotten farming towns.

Road trip reading list:

• Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads by Paul Theroux
• Leaving Before the Rains Come by Alexandra Fuller

Chasing waterfalls in Lesotho's Sehlabathebe National Park

Kate and I spent Christmas with her family (the then future in-laws!) in December 2015. We enjoyed a week in Durban and planned to escape the chaos of the coast in summer and drive back to Joburg through Lesotho over 7 days for some peace and quiet in the mountains. 

We had both been to Lesotho before but our experience was limited to trips up and down Sani Pass. We were excited to explore the less touristy parts of the country. 

Day 1: Westville - Kokstad - Ramatsediso border post - Sehlabathebe National Park  (6 hour leisurely drive with stops and a border crossing) 

We packed our beloved Suzuki Jimny (affectionately called "Jolene") and made an early start from Westville. We headed down the N2 and turned up to Kokstad at Port Shepstone. After picking up some last minute supplies at a local Kokstad Spar we took the R52 in a north-westerly direction. We turned off the tar at Cedarville and headed off through farmland towards the Drakensberg. 

The roads were empty and we stopped in the foothills of the Berg for a quick lunch and to repack some of our gear that had become dislodged after hitting the dirt. Kate's mum had made us a tuna pie for lunch and we washed it down with ice cold cokes while double checking our maps.  

We wound our way up through the mountains on public roads - which were nothing more than dusty narrow farm tracks - to the Ramatsediso border post. The pass up to the border post is sadly not as challenging as it used to be. A number of the hairpin bends been tarred which removes a bit of the challenge but it was still good fun. The views are fantastic and the changing vegetation as you climb higher is great to watch. 

Just before we reached the top of the pass - and the border post itself - we came upon a packed Hilux ferrying people up to the top. Turning to Kate, I muttered a quick "I apologise in advance". I dropped to second gear and overtook the Hilux, getting a bit too close to the edge of the cliff for comfort. We got to the top of the pass and made it through immigration in a breeze.  

We knew we had arrived in Lesotho when the border gate opened and the tarred road became a rocky, eroded mess. I couldn’t stop smiling. We turned right and headed for the Sehlabathebe National Park. The road is easy and the view is spectacular.  

We passed small villages and drove through rolling green hills spotted with sheep. As we approached the park we stopped off to pick up some cold quarts of beer at a local bottle store, only to discover that they had run dry of Maluti. I guess it was December after all. We settled for Hansa instead and promised to return our empties.  

Beer mules at the local bottle store. 

We arrived at the park and were greeted by a rusted sign, a friendly guard and a grotesque collection of buildings, which resembled a housing estate in Midrand. The monstrosity has recently been developed by the World Bank.  

The guard’s English was broken and our broken Zulu didn’t prove helpful but we eventually signed in and were given some vague sounding directions on how to get to the campsite. We drove off a little confused but happy to be arriving and enjoying such stunning scenery.  

After a 5-minute drive we arrived at yet another Midrand-style housing development. This one completely deserted but for laundry hanging on a line. When we did eventually manage to find someone we were told we could camp on the rocky ground next to the new housing development.  

We checked Tracks4Africa and after a few minutes of fiddling we saw that we had to continue on the track over the mountain to get to the campsite. We drove over a stunning pass, with some loose gravels sections, to be greeted with the view of the King of Lesotho’s fly fishing lodge and a few intrepid over landers set-up in the distance. 

The campsite is surrounded by imposing mountains. There is a small stream and dam on the site. We set-up camp, built a make shift fire pit, got the new camping chairs out (a Christmas present from Kate's folks) and cracked two cold Hansa as we watched the sunset.  

Our very rustic camp. 

The campsite is in a wonderful position but the facilities are limited. There are no trees (it is Lesotho, after all!) so shade is tricky to find. We were first told that there were no toilets but after our arrival a fellow camper told us we could find a loo up by the old lodge. We trekked up – loo paper in hand – only come face-to-face with a man with a semi-automatic rifle. He told us there was no toilet and we scuttled off back to our tent.  

When we returned to the campsite we recounted the story to our neighbours. They laughed and told us not to worry about the loo guard. He was from the Lesotho army and was stationed there to patrol the parks border with South Africa. Apparently it is used to smuggle guns and drugs into and out of the country.  

Day 2: Exploring Sehlabathebe National Park 

We woke to a cool morning, with crisp mountain air and light rain. We popped a kettle on the gas stove and got the coffee going. After a cup and a bacon sandwich we were ready to head out and explore the park.  

I had planned a hike to what I thought was a nearby waterfall called Tsoelikanyane. Using GPS co-ordinates for the waterfall from the Tracks4Africa map, we set off down a valley as Kate repeatedly reminded me that it will be uphill on the way back.  

At the start of the hike the GPS seemed to be pointing us in the right direction, but after about an hour I began to worry that something didn’t seem quite right. I came very close to admitting that I might be a little bit lost. 

A few kilometres later, just as I was figuring out how to break the news to Kate, we saw a hopeful looking stream in the distance. As we approached we saw a group of Basotho galloping across the other side of the valley.  

We followed the stream until it ran off a cliff in front of us. We peered down to find an enormous pool below us. We scrambled down the wall of the falls, stripped off and jumped in. Who needs Sun City, Thailand, the French Rivera or Miami when you can get this. We had the ice cold, crystal clear pool all to ourselves. It was absolute paradise.  

Tsoelikanyane in Sehlabathebe National Park

After our swim we had a picnic of homemade Christmas cake, cheese, crackers and apples.  

We then hiked back the way we came ecstatic to have found such a hidden gem. With an hour break at the falls, the whole hike took a total of 5 hours. I really recommend making the effort and hiking to this spot. GPS co-ordinates are wrong on Tracks 4 Africa, but not that wrong. Enjoy the adventure, get (slightly) lost and find that waterfall.  

The next day we broke camp and headed off to Malelea Lodge via the Ramabanta Trading Post. Check back next week for the post!

Leaving Sehlabathebe on our way to the Ramabanta Trading Post

Marakele National Park: An easy bush getaway

Marakele National Park, near Thabazimbi, in Limpopo, has a variety of landscapes from mountains, grassy plains, valleys and forest. The most unique part of the park is a winding mountain pass that takes you to the top of Kransberg Mountain, where you might get the opportunity to spot a Cape Griffon Vulture. The park contains the largest Griffon Vulture population in the world. 

Marakele is an easy weekend away from Joburg, as it is only three hour drive on good roads. So even if you struggle to get out of work on time, like we did, you can still get there before 7pm when the main gate closes. The park has a variety of accommodation options on offer, including camping and self-catering.  

We got out of work late and struggled up the N1 through the usual Friday afternoon traffic, but once we got to the other side of Pretoria it felt good to be out on the open road and we started to feel that unique sense of freedom and relief that only a weekend out of the city can offer. We got off the N1 at Bela-Bela and started heading west towards Thabazimbi and the park. Late afternoon sunshine shone golden on the bush, which was thinning out after a relatively dry summer. 

We arrived at the park entrance 15 minutes before closing time. We weren’t the only ones who were getting there late after the drive up from Joburg.  

We checked in with the friendly park staff and drove the short gravel road to Bontle rest camp. In the fast fading light we managed to find a quiet campsite set in the Mopane forest away from the other campers and with privacy. We set up camp using Jolene’s headlights and started the braai. Despite the late start we both couldn’t stop smiling as we sat around the fire sipping our beers admiring the stars. There is nowhere else in the world we would rather be. 

The camp has excellent toilet facilities. Showers are hot and have good pressure.  

The next morning, we got up a little later than we would have liked and took our time getting ready for a morning game drive. We left too late for the game. We drove to a hide near the campsite, and although we didn’t see any signs of life, it was beautiful just sitting taking in the site and sounds of the bush. After getting slightly lost on a 4x4 track we were probably not meant to be on, we returned to camp for a mid-morning siesta and a picnic lunch. 

In the mid-afternoon we set off again for a drive to the summit of Kransberg. It is a spectacular winding mountain road that takes you through the various biomes of the park. It took us over an hour to reach the top, but the drive is well worth the effort (4x4 not required). The view at the top is stunning and the grassland there, which is not dissimilar to the type of vegetation found nearly 1000km away in the Drakensberg, waves in the breeze giving the summit an almost surreal feel as you look down on the bush below. We walked around the top for nearly two hours and enjoyed a bottle of champagne.  

With the sun getting low in the sky we made our way back to camp. About 15 minutes from the campsite, with the sun set, a hyena dashed across the road in front of us against the night sky. We felt extremely privileged to have experienced such a rare sighting. 

The same routine followed that evening, around the fire with cold drinks, meat, the sounds of the bush and stars. We also chatted with the honorary rangers staying in the camp who gave us some good tips for our game drive the next morning. Tip number 1 was get up early.  

We woke up before sun rise to head out on a game drive. Encouraged by our sittings the night before we headed out in Jolene with rusks and coffee in a flask. We were rewarded with sightings of rhino, elephant and an absolutely ginormous male lion, sitting in the clearing just off the road.  

We returned to camp mid-morning packed up and headed home. This time avoiding the N1 and going via Brits. It is a more difficult road and not recommended for driving at night, but was marginally quicker.  

This post is part two of our two-part blog on our favourite places the in the Waterberg. Our first post about Jemisa can be found here.