The second part of my Africa visit was to fly from Kimberly to Hoedspruit airport (Kruger). I arrived back at the tin-shed like building where the airport lady confiscated my lighter (?) and was looking forward to the tiny jet flight back to Johannesburg with Cem Air. It turned out to be not so pleasant as I started walking across the tarmac to a plain white old looking plane with propellors. We were greeted on board by the pilot and sat in a 1 – 1 configuration in some very old seats. I was glad to have a row to myself…..Lucky I had been to the toilet because there wasn’t one on board. I turned around and said to another passenger – going to J’Burg right? To which he giggled and said yes. The whole hour flight to J’Burg was very loud and I could see the cockpit the whole time, Nonetheless, the flight went smoothly. In J’Burg, I switched to another ‘Cem Air’ flight to Hoedspruit, I thought it would be a lot better, seeing as this is THE tourist route. Upon walking across the tarmac the plane looked ok, but it was “Caribe Air” or something. I don’t think the seatbelt sign was working properly. We were an hour late departing due to weather and we got a meal on the 45 minute flight with the flight attendants stressing to get everything done in that time. On landing in Hoedspruit was an unexpected slam touchdown, i screamed, others screamed and then seconds later nervous laughter….Hmm im not sure if I trust this airline……
Hoedspruit airport seems to service like, 97% tourists (no actual research done), with all the lodge pick-ups standing in a long line at the very quick arrivals. I found my name and along with another Swedish visitor we transferred to the Tremisana Lodge. I was supposed to be camping and a treehouse stay but I was in the mood for something a bit better, aircon, power, private bathroom, I got the private bathroom, but lo and behold, the power was out. Surprise! Powerbanks!
I chilled in the lodge and my room and found bottled water before heading out for a sunset game drive and dinner. In Kruger it seems that parcels of land In Kruger are owned privately as long as the owners manage it as a conservation park with tourism and they do their own game drives. We bumped into a lot of other vehicles from other lodges though. The guides stop to chat with each other about where animals have been sighted, There is a driver and there can also be a spotter who sits on a small chair hanging off the front of the vehicle. We saw lion mothers and their cubs and some elephants. The 4WD’ing was pretty hectic. Myself, the Swedish tourist and two Brazilian tourists ended up on the sunset drive and then we stopped in the middle of nowhere at a little house and shed for a traditional yum yum BBQ and beers by candlelight. Something was scurrying around the shed, probably a hyena and the guides giggled at me, nevertheless they still escorted me to the toilet.
I was knackered by the time we got back to the lodge and then they announced that we were heading out to Kruger National Park (from the Orpen gate), leaving at 5am. breakfast at 4.30am and would be about a 12 hour day. Okay. So the next morning it all started and we drove for about 2 hours in the open viewer jeeps on the main roads for about 2 hours before we got to the Orpen Gate, which is a main tourist gate and a bitumen road! Kruger NP from here is like a 5 star safari, it was lush and green season and there were lots of HUGE elephants, herds of elephants, birds, impala, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and they always seem to want to be crossing the road. At the end of the bitumen road is a restaurant and gift store. Many people here are able to just drive themselves here in their vehicles, 2WD ok. I found it amusing that lots of people at the restaurant were dressed in very casual clothes, even thongs and dresses. I wouldn’t want to break down in there, Im glad we had guides and 4WD vehicles. Crazy enough we saw someone in a little 2WD on one of the dirt roads…..
After lunch we headed back to the gate entrance via some maintained dirt roads. It did become a very long day by the time we got to the gate and then realised that it was another 2 hours on the main road. Very long day but lots of wildlife and green scenery, it was definitely the most comfortable of all safari parks (that were yet to be experienced).
On the last morning was a sleep in – 7am! sunrise 4WD, didnt see any animals except about the 300th elephant. Boo, Several of us had a one way 6 hour transfer back to J’Burg via the Drakensburg Ranges including lunch. I wont lie it wasnt pleasant it rained and the roads were potholey. Much better to fly when you can in Africa and avoid roads (as I would further find out) we saw two major crashes due to the rain and we were stuck at one for about 45 minutes before the driver took a gamble and drove past the accident in a ditch narrowly missing a truck by centimetres. As we drove into Johannesburg there were fluro road signs telling people not to park or visit certain places because they were dangerous, so I’m very glad I decided to not bother with any city visit. I’m actually glad that I survived the whole Kruger visit as well!!! In summary, I wouldn’t book Cem Air again, the lodge is probably reasonably cheap priced and includes meals compared to many of the other lodges in the area, the scenery, guides and animals were great, the bitumen road was 5 star but maybe don’t drive too far on African roads, catch a plane – Airlink.
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