We started our trip in June 2016 in Swaziland, where we stayed at the Sondzela Backpackers in Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. It is one of my favourite places on earth.

The mountain on the left is called Executioner’s Rock. In ancient times Swazis suspected of witchcraft or criminals were forced to walk off the edge at spear-point for their crimes.

This is what our accommodation looked like:

Next we visited the Kruger National Park for twelve days, staying in three different campsites: Berg-en-Dal, Lower Sabie and Skukuza. Not a day went by when we did not have many sightings of a large variety of animals.

Giraffes at waterhole. There is an interesting article at http://www.animalanswers.co.uk/animals/how-do-giraffes-drink-without-passing-out/   which explains why giraffes don’t pass out when they drink water.

The animals have right of way.

This buffalo was the victim of lions or a leopard.

The sunsets in the Kruger Park are often stunning.

These lions ignored the tourists with disdain. They like lying in the road towards the end of the day because the road stays warm for a while after dark.

Waterhole with zebras, hippopotamuses and a crocodile

White rhinos. In the three years from 2012 to 2014 1,858 of these magnificent animals were killed by poachers in the Kruger National Park.

A kudu and impalas at a waterhole

A large herd of elephants arrived while we were waiting at this waterhole. The one on the left kept a wary eye on us.

A hyena scavenging on a very smelly carcass

We saw many giraffes every single day that we were in the park. They are the most graceful of animals and we never tired of seeing them in their natural environment.

A zebra with her baby

After the Kruger National Park we travelled to Namibia to visit the Etosha National Park in the north of the country. The park borders on the Etosha Salt Pan, which is 40 kms wide and 175 kms long.

We were surprised at the variety of birds and animals living in Etosha’s dry landscape. This bird is called a Kori Bustard. Not a bad name to call someone who gives one grief, I reckon.

There were many large herds of springboks in the park.

Blue wildebeest – a common sight

An oryx. They thrive in dry areas.

Not a blade of grass grows on the Etosha salt pan. It is an endless vista of nothingness.

Finally we travelled to Cape Town and to Hermanus (see picture below), where we suffered from culture shock when confronted by the sea and the green landscapes after the barrenness of Namibia!

Tim Bruwer