Sunset Lodge & Safaris Blog

June 23, 2024

The day started with the most beautiful sunrise you can imagine, it was cloudy, and a stiff breeze was blowing but that didn’t deter us from entering at Orpen Gate for our Kruger Day Safari, we were ready and excited for what nature was going to present to us today.

The gate was rather busy as this time of the year the Kruger is very popular. However, right through the day the people were so respectful of one another, and the sightings were simply amazing. Have a look at the photos below to get an idea of what you can expect although every SAFARI is different from one another, and it is advisable not to have ANY expectations!

Excitement grew as we encountered numerous Plains Game (Zebra, Waterbuck, Gnu, Impala, Giraffe) close to Orpen Gate, but our first Lion sighting was mere moments away. We received a heads up of two Lions lying on a Termite Mound or Xidulu in Shangaan, quite hidden from view. We found them and it was clear that they were not enjoying the cold morning temperature. On the vehicle the temperature was surprisingly pleasant, considering that it is an OPEN SAFARI VEHICLE or maybe it is because we provide extra blankets to all our guests on cooler days.

Not long after, the day warmed up, in terms of sightings that is! A group of African Wild Dogs lying close together, keeping one another warm with 2 Hyenas lying less than 20 meters from them hoping for a free meal.

Elephants are always a given on a Kruger Day Safari but today was more special when we spotted a Sub Adult Female playing with her younger sister. The younger sister was so small that at times she disappeared from view in the grass. When Elephants are this small, they do not have full control over their trunks yet, simply amazing to watch!

The highlight of the day came when we spotted a Pride of Lions (mostly females) at a Giraffe which they had pulled down. With them, 3 adorable and playful cubs. We sat by them for a long time as unlike most lions this pride was very active, mostly because of the favourable weather conditions. Now most people will think that on a cloudy, breezy day you might not see much but the opposite appears to be true. The secret when you are going to sit at a stunning sighting like this is to remember your fellow visitors. Everybody deserves a chance to have a decent view, so we regularly moved a bit forward. Not only does it allow other Kruger Visitors a beautiful opportunity, but you allow yourself different angles to view and takes photos from.

The Lions were followed by a Lone Cheetah sighting on our way back to Satara. The Cheetah was on the move, so we were able to observe it for quite a while. This was a treat as with Wild Dogs the Cheetah is highly endangered. This piece of road is often overlooked by visitors as it is Grassland that stretches for kilometers upon kilometers. BUT it is exactly this feature that distinguishes it from other parts of the Kruger. The Birdlife is very different to other habitats that can be visited in the Kruger. Today was no different, from Ostriches and Secretary Birds to Kori Bustards (the heaviest flying bird in the world) to Lapwings and a whole lot more.

It was an absolute pleasure to share this day with visitors from other parts of the world AND it was the last session that I needed to complete my Nature Guiding Course. We will be looking forward to welcoming more visitors and taking them on what can only be described as BUCKET LIST MOMENTS for most Visitors to our beautiful Country.

Please SUBSCRIBE and follow us as we share our passion for nature from our Eco-Friendly Lodge, Sunset Game Lodge trading as Sunset Lodge and Safaris, in the Guernsey Private Nature Reserve near Orpen Gate and Hoedspruit. Here we operate completely OFF GRID and as close to Nature as is possible and provide Adventure Activities for all our visitors, kids included.

When considering lodge options near Kruger Park it is also important to read about how sensitive to nature the lodge of your choice is, this can be done by reading up about the lodge on Tripadvisor, Google Reviews or even Facebook Reviews. We welcome guests from all over the world on a daily basis and are proud of our record of creating an awareness for sustainability as a nature friendly choice.

Note: All images used in this blog post are courtesy of Sunset Lodge & Safaris.