Empty Planes

Maybe it is the credit crunch, or just that Wednesday morning flights from South Africa to Mauritius aren't that popular. I wasn't complaining, being the only person in business class with two cabin crew to look after me, meant my wine glass was rarely more than half empty - no bottles that holds just less than two glassfuls on this fight - a very nice bottle of South African Chardonnay - would have been rude not to finish it - I was on holiday and it was a four hour flight....

Arrival in Mauritius, was to a nice small airport - no walking for miles, to then spend time waiting for your bag to make it the same distance... Couldn't have been more than 200 metres from plane to arrivals lounge. And a great climate, possibly a little hotter than Hawaii, less humid than Honk Kong had been. No more getting up with the Sun for me - at least not once I re-balanced the jet lag.

After the Safari

With the safari at an end, I'm certainly going to try to do it again, and possibly for a longer period next time. I will also try to visit a reserve that isn't a National park. While being a National Park helps ensure there are a large number of animals, there is the downside that you have to stick to the marked roads - which means that the circling vultures can be tantalisingly circling an area you can't get anywhere close to.

I've still to see Cheetah and Ostrich, and I'd like to see more crocs! Which means going a little further north - and hopefully I'll avoid visiting just after unusually high amounts of rainfall have given the undergrowth such a good growing season. Okavango Delta looks like a candidate area...

Final day - add Kudu and the endangered Wild Dogs

Final drive of my safari, added another species of bird to the list, then....

... a small pack of Wild Dogs - the second endangered species of the trip and the rarest

Final species of my safari was Kudu, the most impressive horns!

The road out of the park and litter collecting Kurger style - with an armed guard and in large groups!

Hyenas, Hippos and Lions - all before breakfast!

My final morning in Kruger park, and my third day getting up with the Sun. As had become the norm - we first saw Hyena just outside the camp. The some of the best sightings of Hippo I'd had - in and out of the water.

The best Lion sighting of the trip - a young couple of lions out in the morning before the heat of the day drove them into the shade and probably out of sight in the green undergrowth...

Even at breakfasts some wildlife - a colony of bats in one of the thatch building providing shade at the camp.

Photographs of Big 5 completed

It took my longest lens with a x2 converter, and a deal of patience from Rickson, but I got my first picture of a leopard and completed photographic records of the big 5. I was also very impressed by my newly purchase binoculars - using them highlighted how restricted the view through the viewfinder on my camera is.

Then as we completed a cross Kruger dash to pick up some more guests from the edge of the park and get back to the camp before the 6pm curfew, a Leopard carmly strolled across the road just as we approached, then disappear just as quickly into the undergrowth...

A fast dash back to camp was punctuated with occasional stops to admire the wildlife. It included my closest encounters yet with Elephants and Blue Wilderbeest. We made it back to camp with minutes to spare having avoiding the numerous speed traps successfully! Just one more day in Kurger before a return to civilisation, then onto Mauritius.