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Schutte Adventures, Mbombela (2026)

06/08/2026

Day 5 – The Final Day

Our last day.

It was an exciting day, just like all the others—not because of any spectacular sightings, but because of the little things. The kind of things most people overlook: beautiful skies, rainbows, colourful birds, and fascinating reptiles.

Although our hearts were saddened that our holiday was coming to an end, they were warmed by the incredible creatures, great and small. From the largest elephant to the tiniest jumping spider, we were reminded once again how blessed we were to experience it all.

We decided to make one final trip to Skukuza before stopping at Berg-en-Dal to see what the water levels looked like there, then exit through Malelane.

When we stopped at Berg-en-Dal, it started to drizzle again. By the time I had walked back to the car, the rain had turned into a proper downpour. I was absolutely soaked. As we made our way home, the storm seemed to follow us the entire way, almost as if Kruger was giving us one last farewell.

For our last day, I'll let the photos and videos speak for themselves.

09/06/2026

Day Four

We woke up and decided that we would first drive to Numbi to see if the lion was still there, and then make our way to Malelane to explore that side a bit. Little did we know, our plans would soon change completely.

It was a misty, rainy morning. We drove to Numbi but did not find the lion. We did, however, find some vervet monkeys and a hyena pup.

After that, we drove back towards Pretoriuskop and started making our way to Malelane. The road was quiet and eerie, as I like to put it. We did not see much when suddenly our bakkie friend from the Satara side came driving past us and pulled over very abruptly.

We stopped, still wondering if he was okay and what on earth had happened, when a mommy lion and her cubs suddenly appeared in the mist and disappeared behind the rocks just as quickly as they had appeared.

Unfortunately, I could only get a poor photo of one of the cubs.

We chatted to our friend in the bakkie for a bit. He said someone had told him they had seen wild dogs near Kruger Gate, and I got very excited. Right then and there, we decided our plans would change. He said he was heading that way, and we decided to follow suit.

Not much further along, there were a few cars parked off to the side of the road. We enquired about what they had seen, and they stated that there were a few lions off in the distance. We decided to continue on.

We made a quick pit stop at Skukuza for a loo break and then drove off in the direction of Kruger Gate. I need to add a note here — we were a little worried about the water levels at the bridge near Skukuza, as the water was very close to the bridge, but we continued on in hopes of seeing “my puppies,” as I like to call the wild dogs.

We did not see much along the way — a hyena, some impala, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest — but we did not find the wild dogs. I told Pieter that maybe they had moved over to the Phabeni side, so we drove down that road. We saw lots more zebra, impala, and wildebeest until we came across another grumpy elephant, to which Pieter simply stated, “Not today.”

We decided to turn around and head back to Skukuza for lunch and then back to Pretoriuskop to relax.

We had been driving for a while when suddenly a massive elephant came out of the bush onto the road and headed straight for us — and he did not look happy. We quickly decided that backwards was the only option, so Pieter started reversing while I panicked a little because this giant was on a mission and was not giving way to anyone or anything. Every time we moved too slowly, in his opinion, he would get a little too excited.

We ended up reversing almost all the way back to where the other grumpy elephant had been. Pieter then said he was not facing that elephant in reverse, so he turned the car around and we started driving forward slowly and steadily, keeping one eye on the giant behind us while also looking out for the other grumpy one in front of us.

Here, I would just like to make it very clear that my biggest regret from that day is not taking a photo of the giant that sent us on the most amazing adventure of our lives. If it were not for him, the next events never would have happened, and we would have missed it all.

As we drove along, keeping a watchful eye out, we suddenly saw something in the distance walking into the road. Pieter shouted, “What is that?!”
I immediately saw the white tip on the tail and squealed, “It’s a leopard!”

The elephant behind us was forgotten for a good few seconds as we spent time with this amazing beauty — just us and the leopard — for about fifteen minutes. Then Pieter looked behind us again, and we remembered that the big and bad was still lurking nearby. The leopard gave the elephant one more look before casually strolling off into the bush away from the danger.

We continued all the way to just before Phabeni Gate and decided to turn around to see if it was safe. A car came from the front, and we asked them whether the elephant was out of the road. They said yes, that he had moved into the bush.

We told them about the leopard and went back to see if we could find it again for them, but alas, the leopard was gone.
We continued on to Skukuza when we noticed a lot of cars standing around.

Remembering our lesson near Satara with that elephant, we stopped and waited to see what the holdup was. The next moment, wild dogs started coming around the cars straight towards us!

We started reversing and slowly following them, eventually turning around to join them on their little adventure, as it looked like they might have been on a hunt. We stayed with them for a while, watching them play and run around, until we realised the time and remembered that we were still worried about the water levels.

Pieter said we had to head back. Sad that the fun was over for the day, we started making our way back to Skukuza, finding two hyenas along the way that were slowly but surely following the wild dogs.

When we got to Skukuza, we decided to grab some lunch, and that is when we met Stephen Knott. What an amazing and talented individual. We chatted for hours, once again forgetting that we had been worried about the water.

Sadly, we eventually had to say goodbye for the day. We grabbed some waffles and headed back to camp. We did not see much on the drive back except for another leopard, but only for what felt like a split second before it disappeared into the bush.

We got back to camp, made some food, and could not stop talking about our super awesome, amazing day. I continued working through my book while Pieter played his games until we both fell blissfully asleep to the sounds of the bush after an eventful day that we will not soon forget.

04/05/2026

Day 3 we woke up with a mission. We had made up our minds that we were going to try again to see if we could extend our stay, because we were not giving up on our holiday that easily.

We packed the car and headed to reception to find out if there was maybe a possibility to move to Satara for the last two nights. When we got to reception, we were told that Satara was cut off because Nsemani Dam had flooded over the road.

So then we asked if we could move to Pretoriuskop, and they agreed and made the arrangements for us. Just like that, our plans changed again, but at least our holiday was still going. We headed out of camp for one last short drive in the area before leaving through Orpen Gate and making our way down to Phabeni.

After exiting the park at Orpen Gate, we drove down to Phabeni and made a stop at the mall in Hazyview. We needed to buy flip flops, or plakkies as you will, and stock up on a few supplies. We had quickly realized that packing sneakers for this trip was a terrible idea, because with all the water and rain our shoes were just wet and soaked all the time.

It was a rainy day, and not much of much was going on when we entered at Phabeni Gate. We booked in at reception, and I have to say again, I take my hat off to all the staff working during that time. Even with everything going on, they remained amazingly friendly, helpful and welcoming.

We got ourselves through the gate and set off towards Skukuza. The rivers were full, the land was wet, and the rain was still hanging around, but the wonderful bush still delivered in its own quiet way. It was absolutely stunning. Even though we did not see much animal wise, it was just beautiful to drive through. We saw warthog, zebra and impala, and had some beautiful eagle sightings. I even got one of my now favourite photos of an eagle and a vulture trying to dry off together.

We made a stop at Skukuza to see what the water levels were like, get a waffle and take a loo break before heading off to Pretoriuskop again. Along the way, we chatted next to the road with the few cars we saw, and some lovely people told us they had seen a big male lion in the road on the way to Numbi Gate.

So, of course, we decided to take a little detour.

We drove up to Numbi, and just before we gave up, there he was. A magnificent king, lying right there in the middle of the road as if the whole world belonged to him.

Now, fun fact about me: I have an irrational fear of lions. So Pieter decided he would drive past him and turn around on the other side. As we came past again, I stared that big boy straight in the eyes and went ice cold. But he was calm and chilled, barely even lifting his head, just looking at us with quiet curiosity.

After that, we headed to camp, unpacked, and decided to rest for a while. Later on, we went out again for a short drive to see if anything was to be seen, but the bush was quiet that afternoon, and our favourite dam, Sh*tlave, was unreachable.

So we decided to drive to Numbi again, and there he was, still chilling in the road. We spent some more time with him before heading back to camp.

That evening we decided to braai some wors and make ourselves hotdogs for dinner. After such a wet, uncertain and unexpectedly beautiful day, it felt simple and perfect.

That night, as we went to bed, we started hearing something playing around in the roof. We are still not one hundred percent sure what it was, but it kept me up for most of the night while Pieter slept peacefully. So I just read my book through the night, excited for the adventures that awaited us the next day.

And oh, did the next day hold some very good surprises for us.

23/04/2026

We set off on what we thought might be our last adventure for this trip.

Right out of the camp we found wildebeest with their little ones, zebra, impala and a few of our usual sightings. We did see elephants, but for some reason most of them were in a bit of a rude mood that day, so instead of taking photos we focused more on keeping a safe distance. The only elephants we felt comfortable around were the ones on the other side of the river, along with some buffalo and giraffe, but they were unfortunately too far for photos with my camera or phone.

Driving along, we noticed a car parked next to the road. Curious to see what they were looking at, we slowly approached and stopped in front of them. At first all we could see was something large in the grass, and eventually we made out ears — a lion. We pulled up next to them and asked what they were seeing, and they confirmed it was a lioness lying there.

We started to drive on, but after the other car left, I told Pieter to turn around and go sit with her for a bit — we weren’t in a rush and maybe she would surprise us and get up.

And she did.

Not only did she get up, but she walked straight into the middle of the road and lay down right in front of us. There were no other cars — it was just us and the lioness. We stayed with her for a while, took photos, and just sat quietly, taking it all in.

Eventually we decided to move on. Not long after, we came across another elephant that seemed to be in a bit of a mood, but not as bad as the others. We kept a respectful distance and watched it for a bit — it stayed calm. A bakkie passed us, and we took that as a sign that it was safe to continue.

A little further on, we saw a group of cars huddled together ahead. I immediately felt uneasy when I noticed most of them slowly reversing. I told Pieter to stop, and almost immediately we saw why — an elephant walking down the road straight toward the cars and in our direction.

The same bakkie that had passed us earlier came by again and said, “this is one you should be afraid of.”

Even though the Satara turnoff was right there, we decided not to take the risk. We turned around and headed back toward Orpen.

On the way back, we stopped again by our lioness friend, who was still lying in the middle of the road, and spent a bit more time there before continuing on to camp.

The rest of the drive was quiet, with mostly the same animals we had seen earlier.

Back at camp, we decided to rest for a while. We met two very nice people, and while we were chatting, a small water monitor came past and made its appearance. We spoke about our day, our sightings, and the trip so far. At that point, we had decided we were done driving for the day.

Later, we walked to reception to ask whether the entire Kruger was closing or just certain parts, and whether it might be possible to move the next day’s stay to Satara. We were really looking forward to this trip and didn’t want it to end early — it had been the first time in a long time that we had both properly switched off and rested.

The lady at reception told us to come back in the morning and she would be able to find out for us.

Outside reception we ran into Paul, who told us about rhinos not far from camp. They were heading out for an afternoon drive and checks, so we decided to go out for one last drive as well.

Only once we had already left did we realise we had forgotten the camera on the bed, so we had to rely on our phones. The rhinos were still there, but unfortunately too far for decent photos.

We still had some really nice sightings though — herds of wildebeest with their babies and zebra. We drove a little way down the Tamboti road to see if the small jackals were around. The road wasn’t closed yet, just blocked by wildebeest at one point. We didn’t find the baby jackals, but we did see what we think was the mother.

We turned around and worked out how far we could drive toward Satara with the time we had left, and headed off in that direction. Along the way we came across two hyenas walking toward us — one turned off toward Tamboti and the other continued straight.

Not long after, we saw a beautiful elephant walking calmly toward us. It came to the road and started moving in our direction, and we took that as our sign to call it a day. We turned around and headed back to camp.

On the way back we saw four or five hyenas in the road, some splitting off toward Tamboti and others heading toward Orpen. Our wildebeest and zebra were still there, settling in for the night, and the rhinos were still grazing in the distance.

Back at camp, we finally lit a fire and had our first proper braai that the weather allowed. Halfway through it started to drizzle again, but we carried on anyway.

We ate, relaxed, and settled in for the night, listening to the sounds of the bush and just taking everything in as we slowly drifted off to sleep, wondering what the next day would bring.

Side note — this stay will remain special to me for a long time. It was my first time staying at Orpen, and I have no complaints at all. The staff were incredibly friendly, patient, and helpful, and the sightings were truly unforgettable.

10/04/2026

Day 2

I woke up groggy to the sound of water — louder than before — and a soft drizzle tapping on the tent. Something didn’t feel right. I stepped outside and my stomach dropped. The water had risen overnight and was now past Tamboti’s fence.

I woke Pieter immediately and told him to come look. Our plan for the day had been simple: breakfast, then another trip to Satara to explore more of the tar roads. But that plan suddenly felt far away. My friends started sending photos of Letaba under water. That’s when I told Pieter to phone Orpen and ask whether we should consider leaving Tamboti before things got worse.

The woman on the phone didn’t hesitate. Leaving was not an option. The river over the road was full — wider and deeper — and we were officially stranded. We might have to stay until Sunday.

That news hit hard. The tiny stretch of road we were able to drive was short and eerily quiet, with no animals in sight. Eventually we accepted it. Maybe this was nature’s way of forcing us to rest for once.

We decided to shower, take a slow drive around Tamboti, and go look at the flooded road out of curiosity. The water was far deeper and wider than before. A SANParks vehicle approached from the other side and waved us back. We watched them carefully cross through the water and explained we were only there to look — we had no intention of attempting it ourselves.

Back at camp we made hug-in-a-mug drinks and toasted tomato-and-cheese sandwiches. Then we sat quietly, watching a little squirrel dart around our tent like it owned the place.

Those were our only sightings that morning: the squirrel and a troop of baboons causing absolute chaos near the bathrooms. After my shower I stood under the bathroom awning watching them for ages while Pieter showered. One baboon sat on someone’s caravan, eating something that was clearly making him sick — yet he refused to stop. It was gross and disturbing, but I couldn’t look away. The stubbornness of that baboon was unbelievable.

Later, back at the tent, we decided on an afternoon rest. I lay on the bed reading while Pieter played games on his phone. The rain and quiet made everything feel heavy and slow. Then we heard someone calling from outside.

A worker stood there with a clipboard.

The water had gone down. We needed to evacuate immediately.

Everything suddenly moved fast. We packed the car, locked the tent, and stood there for a moment wondering what was happening. Our holiday had barely started.

At the gate we waited for the SANParks es**rt vehicle and met a friendly man named Paul. We chatted while we waited. He reassured us the crossing was safe and said we didn’t have to wait if we felt comfortable driving through. If we were unsure, we could wait by the water with the convoy.

We decided to go.

The river had subsided significantly. We crossed carefully and stopped on the other side to make sure the cars behind us made it through safely too.

We drove slowly afterward, hoping to see the baby jackals again — but they were gone.

On the way to Orpen we spotted a few impala and wildebeest, but not much else.

At Orpen reception we were told the rest of our trip would be cancelled and credited. We spoke calmly and asked if there was any way we could at least spend the night and head home the next day. From what we understood, gates and camps were closing.

Thinking our holiday had officially been cut short, we went to our bungalow, unpacked… and decided we were doing that trip to Satara afterall.

08/02/2026

When setting off on our drive to Satara Camp, we decided to take a little detour around Tamboti to check the water levels from different spots. We’ve shared a few of the videos on our previous post, but seeing it in person was something else entirely.

After exploring Tamboti, we drove out and decided to make a fun little video driving through the deep water over the road. So many people had asked why the camp asked if we had a small car, and well… we couldn’t resist showing them! With cameras rolling, we carefully drove through the water and officially set off on our adventure.

As soon as we left the camp, we were blown away. In all my years coming to the Kruger, I’ve never seen so many animals in a single day, on one short drive, on just one road. But what amazed us even more was the sheer amount of water everywhere — the rivers, the streams, and Nsemane Dam. The beauty of it all simply took our breath away.

And now, about the animals… as we were leaving the camp, wildebeest, zebra, giraffes, and impala were right there next to the road. So many babies! It was heart-melting to see them. Elephants were nearby, and we spotted buffalo in the distance (too far for photos, unfortunately). Baboons were strolling around casually, and the birdlife was incredible — eagles perched in treetops drying off, while vultures and Marabou storks gathered by the dozens. I’ve honestly never seen so many together in one place.

We eventually reached Satara and had a lovely lunch before making our way back to Tamboti.

Did I forget to mention? We actually lost our number plate going through the water and only noticed it when we reached Satara. We had to retrace our steps to make sure it didn’t fall off while we were exploring Tamboti. We later realized it must’ve come off in the water and is probably floating somewhere in the river.

On the drive back, the sightings continued. More giraffes, impala, and elephants with the tiniest calves crossed our path. Then, out of nowhere, a hyena came running straight at our car! Pieter rolled his window all the way up, clearly worried it might come for him. (We had to drive with the windows mostly open because the Jimny didn’t seem to like the aircon, and the humid weather caused the windows to fog up.)

Soon after, we met two giraffes we jokingly named Spite and Full. A car ahead of us had been driving a bit too fast for their liking, so Spite moved out of the way. But just when we thought it was safe to continue, Spite decided to walk straight in front of our car — and stayed there for what felt like forever — while Full followed along. They effectively es**rted us for a good distance, and we couldn’t stop laughing, wondering if they were planning to take us to “bush jail” or what was happening. Eventually, the two long-necked policemen moved aside and let us proceed.

We then saw wildebeest getting their exercise in with a run and impala settling in for the evening.

Just as we turned onto the dirt road back to Tamboti, something small darted across the grass. Pieter asked, “What’s that? Is it a jackal?” I replied, “Not just a jackal — it’s a baby jackal!” My heart melted instantly. We stayed with the little one for a few minutes until it laid down next to a bush — and there, we noticed another tiny jackal already resting. We snapped a few photos, enjoyed the moment, and finally headed off again back to camp.

This time, the water crossing was even deeper. Concerned, I asked Pieter, “Don’t you think we should maybe check to make sure it’s still safe to stay?” He just laughed and said, “Noooo, it’s fine.” We carefully drove through without a hitch.

Back at camp, we enjoyed the view for a while and eventually turned in for the night, listening to the sounds of nature. We hoped the honey badgers might make an appearance — but they stayed hidden.

I was lying there reading my book when a hyena whooped nearby. It sounded so close, I thought it was right behind our tent. Pieter reassured me it was on the other side of the fence, but with the fence right next to us, I wasn’t entirely convinced. Eventually, we fell asleep, lulled by the sounds of the bush and the rushing river, which was so loud it could have been mistaken for the ocean.

Oh, but little did we know — our next morning would start in a very interesting way.

30/01/2026

Everybody warned us about the floods and the conditions in the Kruger, but we had been reassured that we would be contacted should it become unsafe to travel. Our original plan was to enter the park at Malelane Gate and slowly make our way up to Tamboti. As conditions changed, we considered adjusting our route and possibly entering through Phabeni or even Kruger Gate instead. However, shortly before our trip, the road between Skukuza and Tshokwane was flooded and closed, and with that, our destination became clear — Orpen Gate would be our point of entry.
The day before our trip, we tried repeatedly—without success—to get hold of SANParks. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, we contacted Orpen Gate directly that afternoon to confirm whether it was still safe to proceed. They assured us that Tamboti was open, as well as Letaba. To be extra cautious, we phoned again on the morning of our departure and received the same confirmation. With that peace of mind, we packed up and set off on our adventure.

Determined to be organised, we prepared a potjie the night before to enjoy for dinner the following evening. Feeling very proud of our planning skills, we packed the rest of our things and left early the next morning. It was only once we reached White River that we realised our carefully prepared meal was still sitting safely in the fridge at home. There was a moment of disbelief, followed by laughter—because really, what else could we do?

This trip marked Pieter’s first time entering the Kruger through Orpen Gate, and my first visit back there in many years. Despite the steady rain, the drive was smooth and the roads were in good condition. As we drew closer, the excitement grew, rain tapping softly against the windscreen.

We arrived at Orpen Camp to check in, where staff once again confirmed that Tamboti was open. Their only concern was the vehicle we were driving, as water lay over sections of the road and smaller cars might struggle. Once we mentioned that we were driving a Suzuki Jimny, we were given the go-ahead. With keys in hand and excitement building, we headed into the park.

Kruger wasted no time in welcoming us. Just outside the camp, our first sightings appeared — impala, zebra, and blue wildebeest grazing peacefully nearby. Spirits lifted instantly as we continued on toward Tamboti, a slight knot of nerves forming while we carefully navigated the waterlogged stretches of road. Relief washed over us when we finally arrived safely at our tent.

After unpacking, we took a moment to sit back with a cold drink, soaking in the sounds and smells of the bush, before setting off on a drive to Satara — our adventure officially underway.

21/01/2026

We found ourselves in Kruger during the heart of the 2026 flood season — when the bush breathes differently, rivers forget their boundaries, and the land feels alive in a way that’s both breathtaking and humbling. Roads shimmered under rising water, skies rolled endlessly with rain, and every corner held the promise of something unexpected.
We arrived with quiet expectations and left with stories written in rain, mud, roaring rivers, and moments that felt too wild to plan. The kind of trip where nature doesn’t just accompany you — it leads, challenges, and occasionally reminds you how small you really are.
We didn’t just go on holiday.
We stepped into a living, moving story — one that refused to follow an itinerary, demanded patience, rewarded curiosity, and wrapped every moment in wonder.

Schutte Adventures

06/08/2026

09/06/2026

04/05/2026

23/04/2026

10/04/2026

08/02/2026

30/01/2026

21/01/2026

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