This is something special, especially for people who have not had the experience of a safari from a boat, or a water-based safari. It is something quite unexpected to be in the wild region of the Kruger Park and add a river cruise to your safari experience, but at Nokana Safari Camp, it is a part of the weekly itinerary.
Every Sunday, guests at Nokana wake up in their own time before ambling down to the lodge for breakfast at about 9am. By 10h45, owner and host Michel Laforet has made home-made pizza, packed the cooler box with a variety of beers and cold drinks, and is ready to set off for lunch on the water. Please be reminded to bring your cameras – you’re going to want to remember this!
The drive to this section of the Olifants River takes about an hour. We knew we had entered the wild area outside of Phalaborwa town when we saw road signs warning cars about elephants crossing. We also saw waterbuck and impala grazing beside the road, and before we knew it we were parked between some elephants in the reeds. It was already an exciting ride and we hadn’t even boarded the boat!
Once we parked the car and climbed on board the boat, we took out our binoculars and cameras and didn’t put them away until we had returned a few hours later. Covering only a short stretch of the river, this cruise moves slowly and allows time to veer off course and approach the riverbank for, say, a basking crocodile, or a herd of buffalo.
(Watch the video of this crocodile moving towards the boat)
The birdlife along the Olifants River banks is prolific and pretty. We could hear the calls of African fish eagles, and spot the pied kingfishers, little bee-eaters and wire-tailed swallows that flitted alongside the reed beds. There wasn’t a section of water or land that wasn’t occupied by wildlife. From elephants, to hippos, to crocodiles; giraffe, impala, waterbuck, buffalo; the list goes on… The Nokana guests had come to the end of their week on safari and there couldn’t have been a better way to spend the day.
After a drink or 2, lunch was served at a table on the lower deck. The pizzas – handmade by Michel that morning – were warmed up on a ‘skottle’ (gas-powered pan) and served alongside some salad and wine. The river and all its wildlife drifted slowly passed us as we sat and enjoyed to our hearts’ content.
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