IT was only a short drive from Orpen Gate to the pretty lowveld town of Hoedspruit and we arrived at the Thirsty Giraffe with plenty to time to spare.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN : Tent Travels: A lesser-known Kruger gem
We were there to do the Hoedspruit parkrun, one of the free, timed, 5km runs or walks held regularly at more than 130 venues across South Africa every Saturday morning at 7am or 8am. South Africa is one of about 20 countries world-wide where the parkrun phenomenon has taken hold.
As with all the other parkrunners we have met over the years, the Hoedspruit participants were a really friendly bunch of people and we were warmly welcomed when we lined up at the start. It was a lovely course, some of it through untamed bushveld and most of it fairly flat. The sandy tracks that wound through the bushveld trees were clearly marked and it was an incredibly scenic route.
Hoedspruit seemed to boast a particularly dynamic community spirit, as we discovered when we stopped at a farmers’ market on the way back to Kruger National Park. Happy vibes and smiling faces were the order of the day and we stocked up on all sorts of pickles, jams and speciality cheeses. A stop at the local butchery concluded our shopping before we drove back into Kruger and headed east along the H7. The route was unusually quiet regarding game viewing and we reached Satara without too many distractions.
Satara, a big, popular rest camp, is surrounded by gently undulating savannah and has perhaps the most out-of-Africa atmosphere of all the Kruger camps.
It is renowned for its big cat sightings, its productive game viewing and its excellent birding.
While Satara can often be a bustling, crowded rest camp we were surprised to see the camping area was almost empty, even though it was a Saturday. We chose a shady site and set up camp, taking a well-earned post-parkrun break until the heat started to dissipate.
It was late afternoon by the time we set off along Satara’s classic game viewing route – east along the tarred H6 and back via the famous S100. This route is a must for most visitors to Kruger. It is normally a very productive route and we have had some amazing experiences during the many times we have done it over the years.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN : Tent Travels: Beauty on the way to Lower Sabie
This time, though, it was a little quiet but we enjoyed this lovely drive immensely. We did see quite a few zebra, wildebeest and impala, as well as some nice kudu groups as we drove slowly east along the H6. At the Sweni bird hide we watched as one of the massive resident crocs do his best to prevent nervy zebras from slaking their thirst. There were some interesting birds about and quite a few hippos were making a splash but there was not much action so after a while we drove on to the lovely Nwanetsi picnic site.
We had this wonderfully remote spot and its bushveld silence all to ourselves as we braaied up some patties for an early hamburger supper. After finishing our meal we walked up to the ‘amphitheatre’, a raised viewing point with a panoramic view of the surrounding waterways. It is one of my favourite spots in Kruger.
The sun was starting to drop towards the horizon as we set off to Gutzani Dam then turned homewards along the legendary S100 gravel road.
There was a fair amount of general game around but nothing too noteworthy. All the same, it was such a treat reacquainting ourselves with the famous road and, later, being able to watch night fall on the surrounding plains in a camp that somehow epitomises the concept of an African safari.
We were only spending one night at Satara on our way north although we were planning to meet up with friends and spend a second night there on our way back south. Although the area hadn’t been as productive as usual, we’d thoroughly enjoyed our sojourn there and looked forward to returning there soon. Perhaps the game viewing scene would have livened up a little by then.
Satara had a final little going away present for us in the form of the first of the many carmine bee-eaters we would see in the park during our Kruger explorations. These exquisite summer visitors to Kruger are yet another reason for visiting the park during the hot but amazingly productive summer months.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on WhatsApp 082 421 6033
