From the early morning pick up at our Johannesburg hotel until our return the following evening we had a fantastic time. Our driver Thabo made the 5 plus hour drive to Kruger fly by with his friendly demeanour and knowledge of locations along the way. Mr Bongani was on hand for our check in at Timbavati Lodge. After settling in, we were soon on the road for the short drive to Kruger (or the Manyeleti Game Reserve to be more precise). From the very start it was clear that Mr Bongani was a master of his craft - he was entertaining and knowledgeable, he had an uncanny knack and relentless approach to finding various animals. On day one and in less than three hours he had found four of the Big Five and many other animals. We enjoyed a sunset glass of wine near a waterhole - nice touch.
Day 2 started early - pre dawn. My wife and I had the good fortune of being the only people in the tour group this day. Onward to Kruger. Again Mr Bongani didn't disappoint. Using local knowledge and information shared with other guides he ensured that we were "in the right place at the right time". By the end of the day we had seen four of the Big Five again. Over the course of the two days we had seen all of the Big Five, including the elusive leopard and rhino (night spotting).
Our weekend at Kruger was fantastic and beyond our expectations. If you can join a tour with Mr Bongani do it, do it, do it!