How To Design Your Own Self-Driving Safari In Kruger National Park

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Tara

If you are planning to visit Kruger right after Magoebaskloof I want to point out a better route. I usually rely on Google maps and they will recommend the route I outlined in red. However David Letsoalo said the road was in poor condition and slow going and it was much better to go via Gravelotte and Hoedspruit as shown below.

Kruger National Park is HUGE and there is so much to see there. It’s impossible to see it all in one trip and odds are that you will make several trips there over your lifetime. On previous trips going back to the 90’s I have been to Lower Sabie, Olifants, Pretoriuskop and Skukuza. In 2009, my husband and I went to Punda Maria in the north since it was recommended for birding. What I really love about Kruger is that is is soooo easy to DIY your own safari in your own car! The roads are very well maintained and although it can get crowded in peak season, if you go in the off season you won’t have to deal with crowds. You don’t need a 4WD, a sedan car will do just fine. Look here for how to find the best deal on a rental car.

Since this trip was just a whistle-stop tour as part of a major trip all over Africa, we only had 2 days to spare so I had to choose wisely. Here’s how to make the most of your time in Kruger, no matter how little it is!

1. Use the SANPARKS website to study the park. Make sure the driving time is realistic if you will be leaving the park and going straight to the airport. I decided Orpen Gate was a good entry point from Magoebaskloof and leaving via Malalane Gate would give us a nice safari on the way out of the park and back to JNB.

2. If you know what species you are targeting, see if any camps are known for that species. You will probably have to look at each camp individually so make the time to do your homework! I was targeting Brown-headed Parrots (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus) in particular, then just birding in general and of course any mammals in the area. Voila, there they are, right in the top 5 for Pretoriuskop!

We had 2 days and Pretoriuskop was too far to drive considering a half day of birding in Magoebaskloof first so we needed one night a bit closer. After spending some time on Google and reading birding trip reports I saw that several people reported seeing the parrots in Satara Restcamp which was an easy drive from Orpen Gate. Satara is also known for lion and even the most devoted birder likes to see lions in Kruger!

3. Book everything in advance on SANPARKS website. You can even pay the conservation fees in advance so you can just breeze right through the gate. Bring your printout to show the rangers.

4. Never pass by a public restroom! You will find them at all restcamps, entry gates and picnic areas but they can be 2 hours away in some areas and you are not allowed to leave your car outside of picnic areas.

5. Fill up your car before entering the park, also stock up on supermarket goods such as snacks and drinks. You can either self cater in the camp kitchens or braais (BBQ) or eat in restaurants which turned out to be pretty reasonably priced. I will review camp facilities later.

6. Do at least one night safari with the camp rangers! We did one at Satara and it was awesome! What I liked about Satara’s safari is that it left at 8pm whereas some camps only have sunset drives which leave around 6pm.

Here’s a teaser shot of what’s to come on my night safari post!

How To Find Birder-Friendly Accomodation In South Africa

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Tara

I stumbled on this website while searching for something else. Since I didn’t go everywhere in South Africa to give personal recommendations it’s a nice little resource to keep on hand. Kurisa Moya is listed under Limpopo. The other lodge we stayed at – 2 Oaks in King William’s Town isn’t on the list but they really should be as they are definitely birder-friendly.

“Birder Friendly Establishments” are registered with BirdLife South Africa. They are committed to supporting BirdLife South Africa’s vision, which is to conserve South Africa’s birdlife and their habitats by promoting Avitourism.

These establishments will do their utmost to ensure that birding guests have the best possible “birder friendly” experience. They offer flexible meal times or packed meals when requested, information on birds in their area, and advice on where to pick up local bird guides.

There are certainly a number of other establishments in each area which offer excellent birding, but this section shows specifically those establishments registered with BirdLife South Africa.

Samango Monkeys & Other Birds – Magoebaskloof

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Tara

Although we only had one day in the Woodbush Forest and we spent most of it on the Grey-headed Parrots, we still managed to see some other birds and the elegant Samango Monkey! Kurisa Moya has a bird list.

This Olive Woodpecker was in the same tree as the Grey-headed Parrots.

After the Grey-headed Parrots, Narina Trogons and any Turacos were next on my wish-list so David did his best to find them. We did hear them but never saw them.

I think this is a Dark-backed Weaver

These Samango Monkeys were a few metres down the road from the Grey-headed Parrots.

So was this pretty butterfly.

Little Sparrowhawk

We drove around in the forest still hoping for Trogons & Turacos but no luck.

Either an Amethyst or Malachite Sunbird

Jackal Buzzard

Not sure about this raptor.

Duiker

The Cape Parrots Of Magoebaskloof

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Tara

I have already blogged about my encounter with the Cape Parrots in King William’s Town. This post will be about the Cape Parrots in the Woodbush Forest in Magoebaskloof.

I should mention that there is another similar species found in savannahs further north called Grey-headed Parrots (Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus). They were once a subspecies of Poicephalus robustus but have now been separated out into their own species. If you look at maps in field guides, it can be very confusing as they aren’t very detailed as to which species is near which town. Scientific taxonomy is not my field of expertise so I’ll refer you to Dr Steve Boyes’ explanation on Safari Talk. There are also a number of researchers and biologists in the Cape Parrot Group on Facebook who can help if anyone needs more information.

: .

After a good night’s sleep at Kurisa Moya, David Letsoalo picked us up in his jeep. There was no way our little car would be up for the bumpy roads in the Woodbush Forest so we paid extra to hire David’s jeep.

I knew it would be interesting to see the birds at a different time of year as the last time it was so foggy, we could barely see the Cape Parrots. We were lucky this time and the weather was clear.

This time we didn’t have to hunt around for the parrots. It was breeding season and David knew exactly where a Cape Parrot family could be found. He said there were 2 chicks but we only saw one at a time so I can’t say for sure we saw them both, it could have been the same one poking his head out. He wasn’t fledging age, he was actually a few weeks younger than the King William’s Town youngster. We were there on 4 Nov 2014 and I was glad I had brought the trip forward. If we had gone as planned in Sept 2015, the babies would still be in eggs, not nearly as cute as seeing youngsters!

See the little head poking out!

At this point the parents flew off to get more food leaving the chicks in the nest. They were gone around 45 minutes so we looked for other birds while waiting for them to return (will blog this part tomorrow). When the parents returned, the chicks heard them right away and at least one poked his head out in anticipation. One perched as a sentinel while the other went down to the baby.

The parent feeding the chicks in the nest.

I only managed one flight shot.

Now it was getting later and David said the parents might not be back for awhile so we left the area to look for other birds. I’ll post those pics tomorrow.

Revisiting Kurisa Moya – Magoebaskloof

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Tara

It’s rare that we go back to the same place twice, mostly because I just don’t have enough miles to go back to places we have already been to. We were extremely lucky that this trip to Africa gave us the opportunity to revisit the wonderful Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge in the Magoebaskloof area! Although I have already done a detailed review on Kurisa Moya, sometimes things change to the point where I would do another one. I am very happy to say that nothing has changed and that nothing needed to! The location is amazing and the wonderful birding guide David Letsoalo is still based there. We even had the same cabin we had the last time which was awesome!

Getting there from JNB was very easy once we figured out how to get on the main highway headed north. The only difference from last time is that the toll booths in the Jo-burg area are now electronic and you have a beeper in your rental car. We used Avis after doing a lot of research and were happy with them. They didn’t mark up the tolls or add a service fee. They just billed them to my credit card a couple days after we returned the car. As usual, I did an inspection of the car and took photos to avoid problems when we returned the car.

The motorway is in excellent condition and we made good time to Polokwane where we stopped for a quick meal and bought food for self catering in our room. There are a couple supermarkets in town.

The roads pass through several rural villages enroute to Kurisa Moya.

There are signs to point the way. Print the detailed directions on their website to make sure you don’t get lost.

The access road leading to the property itself is still a shocker, especially in a sedan car but it’s doable. Just take it slow.

We arrived at the farmhouse around 5pm and David was waiting for us. He escorted us back to our cabin and kindly helped me with my backpack.

It felt like a homecoming to be back in the same cabin! They even still had the same guestbook I had already signed back in 2009!

In this photo you can see the loft above the kitchen. No wifi, you are in the bush!

In April 2009 it was cold enough we needed the stove but this time (Nov 2014) it was warm enough without requiring heating.

This was a quick one-night stay so no time to BBQ. We were really just stopping by on our way to Madagascar.

David gave us our wake-up time and I set my iPhone. It was early, around 5am-ish but worth it as you will see in the next post!

Airline Review: Comair (British Airways), South Africa

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Tara

Considering what a bargain these flights are with Avios, I was very pleasantly surprised at what a great airline South Africa’s Comair is!

Business class is basically Euro-business, a normal economy row with the middle seat blocked. You do get better food though. Since these flights are never more than a few hours, unless you really want to burn some Avios, I would stick with economy which is also very comfortable and has decent meal service.

In most cases, you will be boarding and dis-embarking via staircases so plan your carry-ons accordingly. We use backpacks so this was no problem.

Bargain Flights Around Southern Africa With Avios

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Tara

If you are heading to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia or Mauritius, Avios are your best friend! British Airway’s subsidiary, Comair has a good network in the region.

Use GC Mapper to find out the mileage on each route.

Use the Avios Award Chart to see how many Avios for each segment. In the example above, you can see that Jo-burg to Durban, Port Elizabeth, Victoria Falls and Harare are in the 1st zone and cost 4500 Avios. Jo-burg to Windhoek or Cape Town cost 7500 Avios and Mauritius costs 10,000 Avios. All flights are easily booked online.

2015 – A Year To Rest & Replenish

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Tara

After a hectic but fulfilling 2014 in which I brought forward two trips I had originally earmarked for 2015; I now find myself with decimated mileage accounts and a need to rebuild. I’d say that I not only met but I exceeded last year’s goals! Those trips were also extremely stressful as you saw in my 2014 in Review post so I need a trip that won’t be mentally stressful. I also need to pay off the credit cards which made it possible to bring those trips forward a whole year and do some home renovations so this year needs to be cheap & cheerful.

TRAVEL PLANS

This year, we need to be more economical but I don’t want to give up on travel for birding altogether. I used the last of my United miles (with an infusion from Ultimate Rewards) to book a fantastic itinerary that will allow some fantastic birding in Thailand & Malaysia and a week in Rarotonga so my husband can visit friends and family. This 4 week trip is already booked for the first half of 2015.

Trip #1

Brisbane – Bangkok – Chiang Mai on Thai Y class: Birding in Doi Inthanon & Doi Lang

Chiang Mai – Bangkok (morning birding in Khao Yai) – Koh Samui: A couple days for R&R

Koh Samui – Surat Thani by boat, then to Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia since I found a super-cheap flight during their birthday sale last month. Then bus to Taiping. Birding in Taiping Lake Gardens.

Taiping – Cameron Highlands – Taman Negara by bus or taxi: Birding in Taman Negara.

Taman Negara – Kuala Lumpur by bus: Visit KL Bird Park.

Kuala Lumpur – Bangkok – Shanghai on Thai; layover for a quickie peek at Shanghai.

Shanghai – Auckland – Rarotonga: R&R for me, family visits for my husband.

Rarotonga – Auckland – Brisbane on Virgin Australia

This will be a much more relaxed trip than the frantic pace of especially the Europe and Africa trips of last year. It will also be a lot cheaper! We will be looking for some great Asiatic bird species in the parks highlighted.

Trip #2

I also want to start doing at least one annual domestic birding trip to start building my expertise with Australian species. This year (bearing in mind our budget) it will be a road trip to Lake Coolmunda. I saw an article on the Birdlife Australia Warbler e-mag and it looks amazing! We may stop off at Girraween for a day or two on the way back. This trip will probably be in Sept or Oct-ish.

MILES & POINTS GOALS

You can’t really set your goals unless you have a bucket list of some sort. I have a couple of posts on how to do that HERE & HERE. So what’s on my bucket list? And how do I prioritize it?

Since I met some goals early by bringing the French Polynesia & Africa trips forward, I had to redo the bucket list.

A – NEXT 3 TRIPS

2016 – Peru, Bolivia, Puerto Rico & USA

2017 – Indonesia, probably Seram, Buru, Tanimbar, Bali for R&R

2018 – Next World Parrot conference in Loro Parque. Maybe a day stop-over or layover in Dubai for shopping enroute then fly to Tenerife for conference, then fly to Caracas Venezuela for birding, maybe also some Caribbean Islands such as Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent, then home via Chile.

We also plan for one domestic Aussie trip per year which can either be a road trip from Brisbane or fly somewhere using Avios, Qantas, Virgin or AA miles.

B – OTHER POTENTIAL SHORT-HAUL FROM AUSTRALIA

It would be easy to get the miles using our Aussie credit cards for trips to these places. Even cash fares can be cheap if there is a good promo running. In the case of PNG, we will need to save a fair amount of cash as it is expensive to travel there. Princess has cruises to some PNG places from Brisbane so that’s another option.

Papua New Guinea
Fiji & Samoa
Vanuatu
New Caledonia
New Zealand & Norfolk Island
Indonesia – Halmahera, Sulawesi, Sangihe
Rarotonga every 3 or 4 years

C – OTHER POTENTIAL LONG-HAUL FROM AUSTRALIA

This is where I REALLY start dreaming! Most of these won’t be possible unless we win Lotto or have some kind of windfall. MAYBE I can get enough miles for one of these trips with 4 years of saving and that’s IF mileage programs continue in their present form. But since you never know when dreams may come true it doesn’t hurt to have SOMETHING prepared!

1. Brazil – Lears Macaws, other birding areas in Eastern Brazil
2. Colombia & Ecuador
3. Mexico (paired with a visit to the USA)
4. Africa – Namibia, Zambia, Congo, Ethiopia (depending on political and safety situations)

PRIORITIZING THE NEXT 3 TRIPS

In 2016 I want to do a major trip to Peru (Manu & Heath River), Bolivia (Blue-throated Macaws, Red-fronted Macaws) and Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Amazon Parrot), then visit family in the USA. Here’s what I need:

1. Brisbane to Cuzco (where the Manu trip begins). I have enough AA miles to do this using Oneworld airlines such as LAN or Qantas. CHECK!
2. Puerto Maldonado to La Paz or Santa Cruz, Bolivia (after the Heath River trip). Can be done on either Avianca using Lifemiles or LAN using Avios and I have enough miles for either one. CHECK!
3. La Paz or Santa Cruz to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Best done on COPA using either United or Avianca Lifeliles. CHECK!
4. San Juan to Vegas. Oddly enough, this will be the hardest one since my practice runs indicate availability can be an issue no matter which airline I use. I would have enough miles for United or American but can I get the flights? I am toying with using SouthWest for this leg. I can source Ultimate Rewards or get the credit card. Not ready to give this leg a CHECK yet.
5. Rental car Vegas – Mom’s house – LAX, no problem to get deals online. CHECK!
6. LAX to Brisbane. I have enough AA miles to do this in economy but I would prefer business as we will be doing major shopping in the USA. Qantas can be stingy with award seats, might need to look at Fiji, Hawaiian or Air Tahiti Nui as options. But I do have the miles so CHECK!

In 2017 we will do another birding trip to Indonesia. We have loads of options and plenty of miles in Qantas & Virgin for the short-haul to DPS. We can then use Aussie Amex to SPG to Flying Blue for domestic Garuda flights. I have sufficient points banked so this is a CHECK!

In 2018 we have:

Brisbane to Dubai, preferably on Emirates, Etihad or Qatar in business class. Or if we have to do it in economy then preferably a day flight so Emirates is the only option. Need to build up Aussie Amex points.
Dubai to Tenerife will have to be OneWorld with Iberia on the final legs. Need AA miles, Avios or SPG.
Tenerife to Caracas can be done on Iberia so once again need AA, Avios or SPG.
Caracas to Caribbean will probably have to be cash flights on small airlines like LIAT.
Trinidad to Santiago is probably easiest on COPA so need either Lifemiles or United/Ultimate Rewards.
Santiago to Puerto Montt is best done using Avios on LAN.
Santiago – Sydney – Brisbane needs to be LAN or Qantas best booked on AA.

So now I can see what the priorities are. I need to concentrate on Ultimate Rewards and SPG (via my Aussie Amex). I also need to find the best option from Brisbane to Dubai and start saving for it.

CREDIT CARD GOALS

I am running out of cards I can get for bonuses although maybe my Chase cards can be churned in a year or two. I already have a Freedom, CSP and Ink. I could try for a United business card or wait until 2016 and try for a repeat bonus on the United Explorer.

I could get a SouthWest card if the bonus is good, that would cover the SJU – LAS leg with leftover points. But what do I do with the leftovers when I live in Australia? Here is what I think I will do.

1. Wait for CSP annual 7% bonus posts, then apply for either SouthWest or United Business card. Use CSP as leverage if needed, then cancel it so I can try to get it again in 2017.

2. Apply for either SPG business or AMEX BRG if there is a good bonus. I can use USA AMEX points for Flying Blue or Avios. Cancel current SPG personal as it doesn’t have any category bonuses I can use.

3. LAN Visa from US Bank only if they have a good bonus deal.

4. Grab any Aussie credit card that has a good bonus and annual fee waived for both myself and my husband.

BLOG GOALS

1. Do technical upgrades I have been putting off as I didn’t want to deal with any potential issues coming up while I was traveling.

2. Finish blogging all trips that we have done since this blog began in 2012. Still to do: Africa, Queensland.

3. Start blogging trips we did prior to opening the blog: Pantanal, Cristalino, Philippines, Singapore, Cruise ship Birding

4. Merge Feathered and Free to this site and get rid of GoDaddy site which I never update anymore as I hate their platform. Feathered and Free will remain focused on conservation and worthy causes that involve birds.

Whew, that’s a lot of goals! Maybe I should re-think the “Rest” part of this post’s subject! What are YOUR travel-related and birding goals for this year?

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Tara

May 2015 be full of adventure, travel and beautiful birds!

My Top Thirty Bird Sightings Of 2014

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Tara

Most other years this would be a top ten, but with 3 major birding trips this year I am struggling to make it a top thirty! If you want to see last year’s birds click here. There is no way I could single out one top bird with so many to choose from so they are being presented in chronological order. I haven’t finished blogging the Queensland road trip or the African Adventure so I have to cheat a bit with the photos. They are my photos but just pasted in.

1. Carnaby’s Cockatoo – seen at several places in Western Australia, Feb 2014.

2. Western Rosella – seen at Dryandra and Stirling Range in Western Australia, Feb 2014

3. Purple-crowned Lorikeet – seen near Fitzgerald National Park, Western Australia, Feb 2014

4. Western Bowerbird – seen at Nallan Station, Western Australia, Feb 2014

5. Splendid Fairy-wren – seen at Yanchep, Western Australia, Feb 2014

6. Orange-bellied Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

7. Eastern Ground Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

8. Swift Parrot – seen on Bruny Island, Tasmania, March 2014

9. Major Mitchell Cockatoo – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

10. Cockatiels – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

11. Satin Bowerbird – seen at Girraween, QLD, March 2014

12. Ultramarine Lorikeet – seen on Ua Huka, Marquesas, French Polynesia, June 2014

13. Rimatara Lorikeet – seen on Rimatara, French Polynesia, June 2014

14. Cape Parrot – seen in King William’s Town and Magoebaskloof, South Africa, Nov 2014

15. Lilac-breasted Roller – seen in Kruger Park, South Africa, Nov 2014

16. Echo Parakeet – seen at Black River Gorges, Mauritius, Nov 2014

17. Vasa Parrots – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

18. Schlegel’s Asity – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

19. Hoopoe – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

20. Paradise Flycatcher – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

21. Red Malimbe – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

22. African Grey Parrot – seen (fleeting glimpse) in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

Didn’t click fast enough!

23. Senegal Parrot – seen in Shai Hills, Ghana Nov 2014

24. Tacazze Sunbird – seen at Addis Ababa Hilton, Ethiopia, Nov 2014

25. African Red-bellied Parrot – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

26. Cordon Bleu Waxbill – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

27. Meyer’s Parrot (Brown Parrot) – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

28. Red-and-yellow Barbet – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

29. Superb Starling – seen all over Tanzania, Nov 2014

30. Lovebirds – seen in Madagascar (Grey-headed), Tarangire (Yellow-collared) and Ndutu (Fischer’s). Just couldn’t choose between them! Nov 2014

These aren’t necessarily the rarest birds but they were birds that made a major impression on me. Maybe for their rarity, maybe for their beauty or maybe for their behaviour! Apologies for not having profiles up on about half the birds but I still have a lot more to blog about!

Miles To The Wild

Create unforgettable eco-tourism and birding adventures using miles & points!