South Africa in safari mode: February/March 2026 (page 6 of 9)

Day 8: Satara/Olifants and night at Tamboti (continued)

We won’t see anything more on the way back to Satara.

Quick stop at the camp shop. The snacks don’t look anything like what we buy back home.



We left Satara happy about the walk but disappointed by the area—it was really lacking in animal sightings, even though we had high hopes for this part of Kruger, known for its big cats. Satara was hit hard by the January floods: the camp has been fully restored, but the animals may have moved elsewhere. Even the herbivores like impalas, usually plentiful, weren’t around.

We decided to have lunch at Olifants. On the animal front, in two hours of driving, we spotted a white rhino very far off (the only one we saw in Kruger, actually), a small elephant, and a giraffe. The area is greener here.





The Olifants area seemed even quieter in terms of wildlife. However, the restaurant (the same one as in Berg-en-Dal), besides serving good burgers, offers a stunning view overlooking the Olifants River. It’s surprising how low the water is during the rainy season, especially after last month’s floods.



At the restaurant, you’ve got to stay alert because we’re being watched by vervet monkeys.



The Olifants camp was still under repair following the deluge the previous month. The shop was completely under construction in February/March.

Olifants will be the northernmost point of our trip. After lunch, we hit the road again—it’s tough driving in the heat with nothing to see.

I’m still sharing a photo of a kind of guinea fowl: the Helmeted Guineafowl we often came across. It’s pretty funny when they run in front of the car without thinking to take refuge on the sides.



Along with a magnificent pair of hornbills.



The highlight of the day: our encounter with a big cat on the H7, about 15 km before arriving at Tamboti.



Two cars are stopped by the side of the road under a tree. Right above us, it’s there, fast asleep. Pure euphoria in the car!!!



A magnificent animal that won’t even deign to open an eye, but we won’t hold it against them.



We then hurry to get to Tamboti because, as usual, we arrive just before 6 PM, the camp’s closing time, and in the middle of a downpour.



Shortly after entering, a vehicle wants to leave the camp: the driver tells us there’s no electricity in the shared restrooms.

No big deal—we arrive completely soaked at our tent. No electricity there either, but I manage to set it up.

We’re in for a memorable evening. Big laughs as we shower directly on the terrace in the rain. (The vegetation guarantees our privacy.) A beautiful moment in the heart of nature with a view of the river, which was dry when we arrived and had returned by the next morning.



Then an improvised dinner under the tent with an unusual meal: Malarone for malaria (generic, bought for 9.90 € at a pharmacy in France), an avocado, a small French foie gras (well, you’ve got to plan ahead for tough times), some white wine (that’s the essential), and a can of salad that was way too warm.



We confirm that the tent is solid—it didn’t let in any water during the night despite the heavens’ fury.



Despite the disappointment at Satara, it was a truly beautiful day with the walk, the sleeping leopard, and Tamboti, our favorite camp. However, Christelle had a problem—despite wearing pants during the walk, she ended up with lots of bites on her lower legs, which are also itchy. We then thought about our Parisian teens, whose daughters were in short shorts. No issues for me on that front.

Off to bed quickly because tomorrow we’re leaving Kruger, heading to the private Timbavati reserve at Shindzela Tented Camp

The leopard (my favorite big cat ;)) catches up with everything!

Hi Muriel,

So glad to have some visitors on my travel journal! 🙂

For me too, it was the most anticipated encounter—I think it’s the most beautiful big cat.

But I have to say, the lion totally blew me away with the sheer power it exudes.

Which camps did you pick for your visit to the park in October?

Hello Alain,

That’s absolutely true. In this travel journal, the photo of the prey in the tree belongs to Christelle. I took the same photo, but from my spot, I could only see the impala’s legs. I only noticed its head when I saw Christelle’s photo.

Thanks for stopping by and chiming in! 🙂

Which camps did you choose for your visit to the park in October?

In the end, only the big camps (the small ones were fully booked, I didn’t check again): 1 night at Letaba 2 nights at Satara (in perimeter) 1 night at Lower Sabie (in river view). We’ll spend the last night outside the park to save time on the way back to the airport.

J9: Around Tamboti and the Timbavati private reserve

Still buzzing from our leopard encounter the day before, we get up early again to make the most of the H7 before leaving the park.

The previous evening, we’d seen on the sightings board in camp that cheetahs, African wild dogs, hyenas, and leopards had been spotted there.

The young Parisians had even come across hyenas and wild dogs together in the same spot two days earlier—something really rare since the two species are rivals (hyenas eat wild dog pups).

And we were so glad we did!!!

Not far from Tamboti (where a group of 3 lions was seen right on the road to camp two days after we passed), we come across the alpha hyena, completely drenched from the heavy rain.



She’s full and looks anxious: she’s searching and making deep, eerie sounds—it’s incredible.



Suddenly, two little ones emerge from the bushes and run to their mother. Amazing—what a great way to start the day!







A little further on, we find the rest of the pack busy with a wildebeest carcass.



It’s pouring, but we don’t care—we’re loving every minute!

Right after the hyenas, we spot a car stopped on the side. We pull over and look but don’t see anything. The other driver points out the presence of African wild dogs, hidden by the vegetation, sheltered from the rain. African wild dogs, African wild dogs—so cool! 🙂 Without him, we would’ve never seen a thing.



One African wild dog comes out of the den, then a second, then... 18 in total! One of them has a collar.



Uh, be nice, lie down!



It’s chaos in the pack—they’re coming out from everywhere, running on the road, doubling back, going in all directions!



Magical safari. It’s for moments like this that we planned this trip years ago.

On the way back, we find our hyenas busy hiding the rest of the poor wildebeest, then a quick shopping stop at Orpen for gifts for loved ones since the end of the trip is approaching. Orpen Camp is tiny but looks really nice with a great location.



We head to the Timbavati Reserve: it’s very close, but we have to go through its gate outside Kruger (from memory, about 1.5/2 hours’ drive from Orpen).

Orpen... Such a great memory! A honey badger had tried to steal dinner from all the camp occupants... Honey badgers are tough! Even lions think twice before messing with them.

(Beautiful encounter with a leopard and African wild dogs! Lovely impromptu picnic at Tamboti.😉)

I couldn’t picture the honey badger! So I just watched a National Geographic documentary with a fight between a honey badger and wild dogs, and it’s really impressive 😲 We didn’t see any during the trip

Not every day is the same in Kruger. We also had a day that was less rich in wildlife, a bit disappointing, which ended with an encounter with lions. We were about to turn onto a track to head back to camp when some South African tourists stopped us to advise continuing for 2 km to find them. That sharing spirit you find there is so cool 😎

I’m so envious of your hyena cubs and wild dogs. We only saw one wild dog before arriving at Olifants. It seemed lost and was calling the rest of the pack.

As for hyenas, we only saw adults, including one right behind the fence at Skukuza. I love these animals! I really hope to see some little ones next month.

In the end, only the big camps (the small ones were fully booked, I didn’t check again):

It’s worth checking regularly if you really want to find a bushveld camp. I managed to snag one night at Biyamiti a few weeks ago, and last week, I found an extra night at Lower Sabie so I could stay there for two consecutive nights. A month before departure, that was pretty unexpected!

Not every day is the same in Kruger. We’d also had a day with less wildlife, a bit disappointing, which ended with a lion encounter. We were about to turn onto a track to head back to camp when some South African tourists stopped us and suggested we carry on for 2 km to find them. That’s the cool sharing spirit you find there 😎

I’m so jealous of your hyena cubs and wild dogs. We only saw one wild dog before reaching Olifants. It seemed lost and was calling out to the rest of the pack.

As for hyenas, we only saw adults, including one right behind the fence at Skukuza. I love these animals! Really hoping to see some cubs next month.

I hope you do, Virginie! They were so cute. In the documentary about the honey badger, they said wild dogs succeed in 80% of their hunts—unity is strength. Your wild dog must’ve felt so alone.

I’ve only seen them twice.

One from *very* far away in KTP and one *way* too close in Kruger !🤪

To be honest, I'm not sure if I really want to stay in a bush camp. I booked a few months ago and was happy to have found accommodations that seemed well-located in camps that fit well with a central Kruger-southern route. Since then, I’ve let the planning of this trip slide... but I won’t be putting it off much longer 😉

Wow! On top of the leopard, there were African wild dogs (I’ve never seen them before… maybe in October 😎). As for the honey badger, we caught a quick glimpse of one at night, on our way back from a guided safari in South Luangwa (no time for a photo).

While trying to throw something away, we came face to face with a honey badger that was in a trash can at the Halali waterhole in Etosha. It scared the living daylights out of us! Seems like an aggressive animal. 🏴‍☠️

It was pretty intense. The guy in the next bungalow had grabbed a chair as a shield and was trying to scare off the critter with a stick as his sword.

We were laughing until it switched buffets and went for our trash can and our table...

We ended up eating inside. Outside, we could hear some weird noises...

Days follow one another and aren’t all the same... Yeah... it’s the bush, not a zoo... but you still got to see some amazing things... It took me 4 trips to Kruger to spot a leopard... I’ve met young rangers who’d never seen one... And as for lions... it’s not a party every day. As for wild dogs... I’m crossing my fingers that the rest of your trip is packed with sightings... Don’t think you’re not being followed step by step! Thanks for sharing with us!