Spread across 10 000ha of pristine African bushveld, providing exclusive access only to guests staying at Hamilton’s Tented Camp, Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge, and Imbali Safari Lodge. This area offers a unique secluded and private Kruger National Park concession experience. Set over the basalt plains of the Satara region, this is said to be the ultimate Kruger experience! On this magnificent basalt range, we find a well-established mixed bushwillow woodlands eco-zone. This eco-zone features some iconic trees of the Kruger National Park, which includes the following trees:
Baobab, marula, leadwood, a variety of bushwillow trees, wisteria, jackal berry, fig trees, knob thorn and a variety of acacia species. We are privileged enough to offer sweet grass (in low-lying areas) as well as mixed grass on our mid-slope to upper crest areas. This attracts a wide variety of plains game (from duikers to elephants and everything in between) which provides the perfect variety of food on offer to all the flagship predators of the Kruger.
A new male has displaced the original dominant male in the Hamiltons pride, this new young male was seen leading the pride and heading Southeast down S125.
One young male and female have moved closer to the Concession, while another male lion, who is missing a tufted of hair on the tip of his tail, is often seen around Suitboy’s Link, with several females. This is on the North eastern side of our Concession.
Cheetah have been spotted just North of the Concession on S36, including a sighting of a male with kill.
Several sightings of cheetah have also been spotted on the Western boundary of our Concession.
Female Leopards are often spotted at Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge. The first leopard, for the welcoming of the season changes, was spotted resting in a tree, a sign of the warm weather ahead. In the hot summer months, leopards prefer spending more time up in trees, enjoying the cool breeze, out of reach from rival predators.Buffalo herds have been sighted moving around consistently between the S36/S145 and Nkombe Drive. While elephants have been moving East to West through the Concession in the afternoons.
We have spotted one lone African wild dog regularly around the Southern cutline. The pack has been spotted several times along the S36, with a single new pup.
Guide story of the month
“Lions make a successful kill in our garden” – Head Guide Warren Deyzel
One night, while I was getting ready for bed, I heard a distress call from an impala ram. Shortly after this I heard it make contact with the fence in my garden, I heard a “TING!!” and knew something amazing was about to go down.
Moments afterwards I heard snarls from several lions, just then I heard the last bellow from the impala, as it took its last breath. Two lionesses had managed to break through the fence line and successfully take down the impala. Another six females sat just outside the fence line and watched, as the two females devoured the impala.
It was such an incredible experience to witness the entire kill and to be just a few metres from my bedroom window, life in Kruger.
As soon as daybreak came around, the lion’s departed the staff village and the fence line was repaired. Nature has no boundaries…
Iconic Trees of the Mluwati – Adansonia Digitata – Baobab
Many Southern African trees are edible and often taste delicious. It seems strange that none of them, including the baobab have yet been developed into a commercial crop. The marula is perhaps the closest of them all to being domesticated, but many others are already being grown on an experimental scale. The bark fibres are used to make mats and other craft items.
Latest News – What’s Happening Behind the Scenes
Controlled burns have been completed around the region, this ensures fresh and highly palatable grasses will be sprouting within the next few weeks, which will attract a mass of plains game to our region, followed by the predators. September is sure to welcome lots of exciting sightings!
The Mluwati Concession Guides were selected for a rare training opportunity with the renowned master tracker Renias Mhlongo recently. Consistent guide training and mentoring is an essential key to unlock and grow the potential our team of guides by equipping our guides with special knowledge and skills by in various disciplines.
Motivating our guides to reach for higher values, norms and standards requires mentoring and coaching from the industry’s best.
In this discipline (TRACKING) it was only natural, that Renias Mhlongo the industry guru was available to lead the guides. Renias, was born and raised in the Southern Kruger National Park, and has worked at Londolozi Game Reserve as a professional tracker, trainer, and evaluator for the past 36 years. He played a pivotal role in habituating the now-famous leopards of Londolozi. Renias became a certified tracker in 2002 and, in 2010, he became the principle trainer at the Tracker Academy at Londolozi. In 2013, he qualified as a CATHSSETA-accredited Lead Tracker (NQF4). Renias is also the co-author of two books, “Changing A Leopard’s Spots” and “Tracker Manuel”, with his long-time colleague, Alex Van Den Heever. Alex and Renias conduct motivational workshops in South Africa and abroad, with their inspirational presentation, “The Power of Relationships”. Renias also travels the world, hosting workshops to teach people the traditional art of tracking animals.
It was a great honour to have Renias spend time with our team of guides, sharing his deep knowledge and passion for the African wilderness. He truly inspired us to aim for the highest standard in our guiding.
Thank you for reading our latest news! Until next time, enjoy Spring!
Good Bye, Hamba Kahle, Totsiens, Au Revoir, Adios.
