Tanda Tula - lion cubs together on safari in the Timbavati
< Back to all

Chilly mornings in pictures

Chad Cocking | A Week In Pictures

This week saw jackets and even some gloves coming out in the early mornings as our march toward the winter months carries on. That being said, it was a week of wonderful weather and stunning day time temperatures; cool evenings and fresh mornings make for some of the best weather of the year. Early mornings are often accompanied by coverings of mist in the low-lying areas, and sunsets are just so typically African. Our viewing this week only added to the fact that May is a wonderful time of year to visit the bush.

Once more, it has been the lions that have stolen the show this past week, and even when we weren’t out looking for them, they have tended to show themselves on a daily basis. This is no doubt because, true to their habit, they seem to love sleeping in open areas and flopping downright next to the road, which makes our jobs just so much easier!

The cubs are growing in confidence and gave us some super special sightings this week – as always, their energy levels ensure that any time spent with them is entertaining. We found them one afternoon when the moms had gone out to hunt, and their confidence and curiosity brought them all creeping out the bush to see who we were! Naturally though, because the mothers weren’t there, we left them in peace without any distractions. It was this same curiosity that helped me locate them later in the week when I found signs of them with a kill right in Tanda Tula Safari Camp!They had killed an antelope adjacent to the camp, but the mothers had dragged the kill into the thickets just inside our camp’s perimeter. It would have been impossible to see them if it wasn’t for the curious cubs once more popping out to see what I was getting up to! A trip to the far west didn’t produce any sightings of lions, but we did find fresh signs of a portion of the giraffe pride, and heard that a couple of days earlier, the two Monwana males had been on a giraffe kill.

Tanda Tula - lion cubs on a luxury safari game drive

For two weeks in a row, I have a leopard update! After much trying, I eventually got to see Nthombi – it is the first time since lockdown started that we have seen her, and she was looking great. She was right on the Timbavati’s boundary with Klaserie,and sadly she did cross over whilst I was with her, but as her cubs are hidden in the Timbavati,she will no doubt be back for them soon. We suspect that she may have them on the banks of the Nhlaralumi close to one of our neighbouring lodges, so we will keep an eye open. There were also reports of Thumbela and Nyeleti being seen this week, so it is wonderful to know that there has been nothing sinister about their absence over the past weeks.

Tanda Tula - Nthombi leopardess in the Greater Kruger

The wild dogs came through the area yet again this week, but I ended up doing nothing more than chasing their tracks across the concession before they moved north. It is no surprise that the pack isn’t hanging around with the constant vocalisations coming from the male lions in the area, and wild dogs will actively avoid areas of high lion activity. It might make things more difficult for us to see these endangered animals, but it is a much safer bet for the wild dogs!

The big herbivores were once again quite active this week with good giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and impala activity. The latter in particularly were a constant source of entertainment as the males entered the peak of the rut with their un-antelope-like roars filling the silent nights as the full moon of May approached. Last year I bemoaned the fact that the rut passed almost unnoticed, but this year it is one of the noisiest that I have heard in many, many years! There were a few elephant herds moving through the area, and almost daily sightings of lone bulls tagging behind the groups, but our surge in numbers of these pachyderms is still something we are waiting for. The buffalo herds were a little less active this week, but as we didn’t spend much time in the south-west, we can’t be sure what they were up to there.

Tanda Tula - impalas with a full moon on safari, South Africa

Tanda Tula - kudu calf on safari in the Greater Kruger

Tanda Tula - zebra herd in the Timbavati, South Africa

And that is that for this week – we trust you will enjoy these pictures, and if you cannot wait until next Friday for more updates, be sure to check out our various social media feeds for more!

Until next time, keep well!

Cheers
Chad

Tanda Tula - Crested barbet on a birding safari, South Africa

Crested barbet

Tanda Tula - Nharhu male lion mating with River Pride lioness

Tanda Tula - Natal Spurfowl on a birding safari in South Africa

Natal Spurfowl

Tanda Tula - curious giraffes on a photographic safari in the Timbavati

Tanda Tula - tree squirrel on safari in the Greater Kruger

Tanda Tula - Timbavati sunrise on safari, South Africa

Tanda Tula - flying baboon on a photographic safari

Tanda Tula - African fish eagle on a photographic safari, South Africa

African fish eagle

Categories

Authors

View rates & promotions >

Find Us

We’d love to have you join the family.

Sign up for exclusive access to early bird promotions and other exciting offers, news and updates.




Booking Terms & Conditions

Rates are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR) and include VAT. Rates are reviewed quarterly and are subject to change.

PROVISIONAL:

Bookings can be held as provisional for up to 14 days, after which the booking is required to release or confirm. A 20% refundable deposit is required to confirm the booking.

CONFIRMED:

Once confirmed with a 20% deposit, the booking is held on a status of ‘confirmed with refundable deposit’ until any of the following becomes true:

  • The booking is cancelled in writing by the agent.
  • Another request is received with overlapping dates. At such a time, the 20% refundable deposit shall be required to be converted
  • into a 20% non-refundable commitment fee. At this stage, the booking status changes to ‘confirmed with commitment.’ • In such an event, Tanda Tula will contact the client and give them the option to either confirm with the non-refundable
  • commitment fee or reschedule their dates, or, failing that, to release the booking.
  • At 60 days prior to arrival, when the full payment is due, the booking status changes to ‘confirmed with full-payment.’

Final payment is due 60 days prior to arrival. Any outstanding balance on the total reservation value shall be required to be settled at 60 days prior to arrival.

All refundable deposits, commitment fees and full payments are held in a separate call account and do not become part of the operational cash flow until the guest has stayed.

The amount stated on the invoice is what must be received by Tanda Tula nett of bank charges.

CANCELLED

Cancellations must be received and acknowledged by Tanda Tula in writing.

‘Confirmed with refundable deposit’: bookings carry no cancellation fees up to 61 days prior to arrival.

‘Confirmed with commitment’ or ‘Confirmed with full-payment’: in the event of any reservation being cancelled after Tanda Tula has issued a confirmation, for any reason other than a WHO-recognised pandemic that impacts the booking, the following cancellation fees will apply:

  • ‘Confirmed with commitment’: if cancelled more than 60 days prior to arrival, the cancellation fee shall be equal to the 20% non- refundable commitment fee.
  • ‘Confirmed with full-payment’: if cancelled between 60 days prior to arrival, the full reservation value is forfeited.

All cancelled bookings that qualify for a refund, will be refunded less a handling fee valued at 5% of the refund amount.

PANDEMIC DISCLAIMER

Tanda Tula will allow postponement of a booking for up to 12 months, if travel is cancelled with a commitment fee or 60 days or less prior to arrival due to a WHO-recognised pandemic directly impacting the guests’ ability to travel (e.g. lockdown, no flights, guest not allowed to board a flight, guest falls ill due to a pandemic and unable to travel).

In the event of a WHO-recognised pandemic directly impacting the ability of Tanda Tula to meet its obligations with respect to the booking, all monies received, including the commitment fee, will be fully refunded (e.g. lockdown in RSA, government restrictions on trade).

Any refund is given at the discretion of Tanda Tula management and will be charge a handling fee valued at 5% of the refund amount.

All travellers are advised to take out fully comprehensive travel insurance with ‘cancellation for no reason’. This insurance must be able to fully cover cancellation of travel fewer than 60 days prior to arrival.

The Terms and Conditions are subject to change without notice.