Letaba
For those that do not know the Kruger Park, you are in for a treat. Taken for granted by the locals there is always something to see.
Letaba itself is one of the many rest camps within the Kruger. A short drive from the Phalaborwa Gate it offers a nice drive for a day trip.
Day Trip
Armed with our WildCards we headed off to the Phalaborwa Gate with the intention to see the Big Five.
Many tourists expect the park to be like a Zoo driving each minute spotting another animal. Boy are they wrong!
Letaba
Kruger National Park
The Park itself is vast in size, and you are limited to 50kph on most roads.
It truly does help increase your alertness as you search in all directions for wild animals, and birds.
Some roads are concrete main roads whilst others are sand roads. Often many visitors assume you will see more via the sand roads due to less traffic. Boy are you wrong.
As We Set Out
As we set out on our journey we were expecting to see plenty of Impala, which is usually the go to first sight for many.
We were even more lucky!
Our first sighting being a Giraffe sticking his head out from a tree as he munched away at the top leaves of the tree.
Letaba
Camera Set Up
As the designated driver my photography was to be limited for the day, leaving Ryan in charge of all the equipment.
Armed with a Canon 450d and 700d we thought what better way to practice.
The 700d itself was a pain with the AutoFocus facility, especially when filming HD so that was the initial setting to remove.
It gave Ryan a chance to get used to the settings of the camera ready for our next two night trip into the park.
What We Spotted
Although we did not see the Cat family we were very fortunate with our visit.
To the locals, and many tourists the Cat family or the full Big Five is the main aim.
For us it was all about seeing the true beauty for ourselves. We were fortunate enough to see:
- Impala
- Giraffe
- Zebra
- Elephant
- Kudu
- Buffalo
- Wildebeast
- Water Buck
And plenty of exotic birds.
Letaba
Lunch At Letaba
On arrival to Letaba, it brought back many memories from previous visits.
Having stayed here a few times and experiencing the restaurant time and time again it had not changed much.
A few days earlier and we had burnt in the blazing sun, so our skin was sensitive. Never too sensitive for a nice cold Chocolate Milkshake shortly followed by a Chicken Burger.
Getting Stuck
For our return to Phalaborwa, rather than taking the concrete main road we decided to take a loop.
Soon after realising it was a full loop back to Phalaborwa.
The road itself was a sand road, changing the terrain and the surrounding area.
Then we hit it… The sand got thicker and we weren’t moving.
Turning to one another we both laughed as the vehicle continued to spin its wheels on the spot.
Finally we managed to reverse back ever so slightly to get momentum moving forward.
Full Speed Ahead!
Letaba
Returning Home
On our return home we sat down for a sundowner and reminisced what can only be described as a fantastic day in the Park.
Many years have been spent here growing up, experiencing all sorts of wildlife and animal antics.
However this was the first of many for our next six months is South Africa.
