Comments on: Satara Rest Camp, Kruger National Park

By: Hazel

Hazel — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 23:33:04 +0000

No, never had Amarula but had ‘pombe’ a number of times – the first time drunk from a kudu horn at a wedding…….and handed round the circle of African men seated on the ground.

By: Lower Sabie Rest Camp, Kruger National Park | SA to SA

Lower Sabie Rest Camp, Kruger National Park | SA to SA — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 08:17:08 +0000

[…] going next. We just sat and waited until it was safe to pass him. In the comments section of the Satara Rest Camp post, our friend Hazel warned us about marula-eating elephants, and we’ve seen a youtube video of […]

By: Judy

Judy — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 12:31:24 +0000

No, I haven’t eaten one, Sal. I don’t like most fruit, so haven’t felt at all tempted. It looks a lot like an apricot.

By: sally

sally — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 10:57:20 +0000

Really interesting Jude . Have you eaten one ? It certainly is a beautiful tree ! x

By: greg

greg — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 07:02:27 +0000

It is pretty tropical here. Most of Krugers rain comes in the summer. The average rainfall for February is 120mm . We also noticed that there is no sign of fires in the “bushveld”. It just never gets dry enough for a fire.

By: Judy

Judy — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 06:21:24 +0000

Ah, thanks for clearing up the Amarula questions, Hazel. Did you ever have any ‘homebrewed’ versions while you were in Kenya? Glad you’re travelling with us xx

By: Judy

Judy — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 06:16:42 +0000

I was surprised at how green everything was when we were in Joburg, Ron, but I’ve got used to it now. Seems like it doesn’t get as hot here, and it rains more in summer. When we were in Botswana, the locals complained when it was 34C, and looked amazed when I told them that it got up to 47C where we came from. At the moment it’s 20C and Greg is complaining about the cold!

By: Hazel

Hazel — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 04:34:34 +0000

I’ve just caught up with your blog, as I didn’t read for a few days. I’m positively all nostalgic – Africa is a world apart although I never experienced a tent during my years there!! By the way, avoid Amarula eating elephants – the amarula lies on the ground, starts to ferment, the elephants eat it and it gives them a shocking hangover…….

By: ron spurgin.

ron spurgin. — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 03:32:58 +0000

People this does seem quite some holiday if this is there summer why is everything so green or are there temp not as hot as ours you went see wild life and you are sure getting a good covering of that as for extra names will give them a miss Greg yesterdays bush fire was nowhere near you place .

By: Judy

Judy — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 17:07:16 +0000

Char, I feel like I should take up doing crosswords or word puzzles with my new knowledge! xx

By: Judy

Judy — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 11:33:36 +0000

I've gotta admit, I hadn't realised it was as big as it is until we got here. It's divided into 4 regions (Far North, North, Central and South) across 2 provinces. Each has its own micro-climate, geology and certain flora and fauna groups favour one region or another. For example, lions and rhino are more prolific in the south than further north. Sal, I've found HEAPS of marula trees! They are planted all around the swimming pool here, and the fruit has been raked into a pile. I wonder if someone is planning on making some liqueur with them. They seem to fall off the trees unripe, then ripen on the ground. They smell sweet, like the liqueur, but not fermented ...yet! And here's the Wikipedia article on them

By: Judy

Judy — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 11:18:51 +0000

That’s interesting, Grant. In this case, it was a misspelling of ‘satrah’, meaning seventeen, the name given to this farm by the land surveyor and his Indian assistant in the late 1800s. It was never used for farming, but in the early 1900s became a ranger’s post, and the tourist camp was added in the late 1920s.

By: sally

sally — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 10:19:25 +0000

I’m the same . I had no idea the size of Kruger .I thought it’d be like Dubbo Zoo !
The only animal grouping I know is … a gaggle of geese . So I’m learning lots and loving your BLOG ! x

By: Grant Cary

Grant Cary — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 09:10:07 +0000

Satara is ancient Persian for star (Farsi). It was my choice for a name for Maisy actually. Interesting how far words travel also. Pictures are great!

By: Char

Char — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 08:25:34 +0000

Love all the animal names and wonder where some of them came from, some are obvious and others are a mystery. Good quiz questions and answers among them.

By: Judy

Judy — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 08:17:05 +0000

I agree about the animal names, some of them are just perfect for the animal they are describing. I love trivia like that, & we love going to Quiz nights, so long as there aren’t too many sport questions. xx

By: Margaret & Derick Smith

Margaret & Derick Smith — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 07:47:06 +0000

Thank you for explaining about the size of the Kruger Park Judy and what camp sites there are . I don’t have a lot of knowledge about South Africa. Very interested in the names of groups of animals . I hope to remember some as these come up in my favourite TV quiz program
called POINTLESS. Which comes on at 5-15 every afternoon when it’s my time to sit and relax with a Latte . Enjoy your day and I think you are so lucky to see animals in their natural habitat.x