We were up early for our flight east to Hoedspruit, about 45 minutes from our Thornybush Lodge. When we arrived, we didn't see the usual signs for OAT, so we gathered our luggage and congregated near the airport entrance. Normally someone is there to greet us with an OAT sign, usually our tour leader. However, here, a guy looking for 9 travelers asked us where we were staying and I confirmed that it was the hotel he had the info for, so we moved the luggage to the bus and headed east to the reserve, which is on the northwest side of Kruger National Park.
At the lodge, we were shown to our rooms, which were much better appointed than I suspect the tented camps will be. We had an elegant lunch and a bit of time to settle in for our first game drive, which typically lasts about 3 hours looking for wild game to photograph. Before we even left the lodge, we encountered this beast, a nyala, just outside our room. We were served tea and snacks at 3 and headed out at 3:30.
Our vehicle is a modified truck with three rows of seating for nine people.
We saw waterbuck, zebras, birds, and elephants before stopping for libations and snacks, served from a table attached to the truck.
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| Waterbucks |
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| Starling |
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| Snacks on the truck. Liam (left, guide) and Eleck (right, tracker) serving |
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Elephant. All animals have the right of way, sort of like
people in California, tho less theoretical. |
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| Tawny Eagle |
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| Nile crododile |
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After the game drive, we had another elegant meal and settled down for the night. Because the lodge (and all the other camps we will be in) is not fenced, we need an escort during the hours of darkness to leave or return to our rooms to ensure that we do not become a snack for a lurking predator.
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