It might have been made famous in recent times by YouTube and the battle of Kruger but for the first time in Africa someone actually let us hire their car. Naturally we decided to take it off road and chase Elephants.

This is our battle at Kruger in search of the big 5!

Facts not Fiction
To this point, we’ve shown parts of Africa that people don’t know much about. One thing everybody knows is that Africa is home to spectacular wildlife so we couldn’t miss the big one – Kruger National Park. It’s 20 000 square km’s in size and the brochures like to say about the same size as Israel. It’s the world’s oldest National Park opened in 1898 and it’s home to the ‘Big 5’ along with almost every other animal under the sun.

Forget all the fuss – what’s actually there?
Pretty much everything but as always we arrived unprepared – driving around with no map or directions in a hire car for the first time in Africa. Never ones to miss an opportunity we cut a deal at the gate and managed to get a few hours of aimless dirt track driving in before sunset. Of course we also returned the next morning for a sunrise session.

A gigantic warthog was up first and although he didn’t sing Hakuna Matata he got us into the safari rhythm. 5 minutes down the road and we were amongst monkeys, deers and zebra but we were here for one thing the Big 5 (Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard & Black Rhino). We didn’t think Buffalo were that exciting so we opted to search for the elusive Giraffe instead on our list of must sees.

So did we have any success?
“Is that a big (insert obscenity here) Elephant?” was how we marked our first sight of one of kings of the safari plain before slamming on the breaks on the dusty track in awe. We know – we’ve all seen an elephant either at a zoo or ridden on one somewhere in Asia but to see one in the wild for the first time – well, it’s definitely one of those amazing moments you’ll never forget. The sheer size of the African Elephant up close and personal is mind blowing and they wandered across the road in front of the car like no bodies business creating the most impressive road block we’ve ever come across.

A few kilometres down the road there’s a tribe of Baboons making the most of the paved road and amongst the vegetation of the savannah standing tall amongst the trees were Giraffes on sunset. Saving the best till last – two Rhinos jostling for 20 minutes as each blow sent sounds thundering through out vehicle.

Back on Track, Day 2 – We hung out with hippos, got a glimpse of Leopards relaxing in the trees on the edge of a lagoon and were amazed at the size of the Buffalo. For a highlight it was hard to go past hearing the sounds of bones snap as an Hyena relentlessly devoured the carcass of an unlucky Antelope. Of course we saw herd of Duke, varieties of Antelope, incredible birds, flamingo like stalks and other animals that we didn’t even know the names of.

We should also mention the countless herds of Elephants, additional Rhino’s, Hippotamous, types of Baboon’s and most other things made famous by the Lion King but that’s just Kruger and that’s just what you’ll see driving around aimlessly any time of day – so we won’t bore you with that.

There was slight frustration though, as the search for the King of the Jungle continues. Try as we might, we just couldn’t find the big cat. We followed the river, went to spots where there had been reported sightings but it wasn’t to be. We will have to try our luck in Tanzania and Kenya to find this beast but we can tell you – they are there somewhere.

Why don’t you just do an organised Safari?
In a sentence we don’t like to spend money. You might think not seeing the king of the jungle gives enough reason to jump on board an organised safari, but there is still no guarantee you’ll see the big 5. Of course you will be with people who know the park well so you’ll have a better chance, but there are boards at rest stops in the park dotted with the day’s sightings.

It might be worth it if you do a bit of research and can stay in the park for a few days which would be incredible but as usual our bank accounts said no. It is about 500-600R ($80-$90) for these safari’s on top of the entrance at 160R ($26). One tour that would probably be worthwhile would be the night time safari which would undoubtedly be an unbelievable experience. For us though, there is just something a bit special about being able to cruise around on your own, with a map and see what you can find.

With no real research after an hour in the park we were driving alongside Elephants and for a couple of amateurs we think we did pretty well for our first crack at this whole wildlife thing so if you’re out there and know a Cheetah or a Lion let them know we’ll be hot on their trail.

Traditional, small and nestled somewhere near South Africa is about all most people know about this tiny Kingdom. Swaziland has managed to maintain many traditions but it also has the unwanted record of having the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. Don’t let this put you off, this is It is one of those up and coming stars of the tourist trail with a remote allure and when you’re down in southern Africa it’s a must.

Swaziland
Capital: Mbabane
Population: 1.2 million
Economy: GDP (PPP) $5 874 billion- 145th; Per Capita $5709- 107th
Human Development Index: .572- 142nd
Sporting Trivia: Have only ever recorded one victory in World Cup Qualifiers defeating Togo 2-1 in 2008. Three of their national team play in the South African league the rest turn out for clubs in Swaziland.

>>>> Traveller Info
Swaziland is home to a number of NGO’s and volunteers and combining this with it’s location landlocked between South African and Mozambique you’ll find a great mix of travellers from all over the World – there’s plenty of fun to be had.

Visa Requirements: Gold medal performance, fast, simple and easy. Basically Swaziland’s requirements are the same as South Africa’s, if you can get into South Africa no worries then you’ll be able to enter Swaziland.

Learn the Lingo: 85% It’s an English speaking country so you should have no hassles here getting around but if you learn a few words of Swahili they’ll go a long way with the locals.

@ Manzini & Lobamba Valley
Cruising in past the sugarcane lined roads of the north you’ll feel the tranquility across Swaziland. Manzini is the economic heart of Swaziland and it’s surrounded by a towering mountain range and valley. You can hike in this area and also head off the beaten path and get an insight into traditional Swazi lifestyles and game reserves.

How did we get there: We came in from Kruger National Park in South Africa and it was a pain free crossing. Somebody actually hired us a car – so crossing with a vehicle set us back 50 Rand ($7) in fees. The drive from the border crossing here is pretty straightforward with decent road conditions from to Manzini or Mbabane. If you’ve got a hire car you’ll have to drop it off at the airport just southwest of Manzini. It’s not easy to find so keep an eye out for the tower on top of a hill nestled in the Valley.

Where did we stay: Lidwala Backpackers Lodge. Situated in just off the main highway through the valley. In a word this place is – epic. It’s one of those places where people come for a night but stay for 5. The kind of hostel that’s got that vibe and it’s a winner for budget strapped backpackers as it’s BYO food and drink. There’s always someone in the common area and the local staff bend over backwards to help you out. If you’re there on a weekend the guys run a shuttle to and from the region’s best nightclub – jackpot. In terms of accommodation, there are a variety of options, we went for the dorm option which is basically just a big undercover tent for 120Rand ($18).

Getting a feed: If you’re on a budget head to Shoprite supermarket. We don’t need to tell you what you can buy at a supermarket, but in this part of the World supermarkets have an impressive array of hot foods ready to go at their deli’s.

Out on the town: Superior for Southern Africa. You’ll need to ask around but there is a pretty special tiered nightclub somewhere between Lombamba Valley and Mbanbane. Yes – it was so good we rejoiced in mass celebrations and can’t remember the name. If you stay at Lidwala they’ll know the one and you can almost bet the entire hostel will jam into a taxi with you to get there.

Learn from us: Give Swaziland some more love than we were able to. We could only give it a day of our time before we had to hit the road. It is the sort of place that you could easily see yourself enjoying at a leisurely pace away from the hectic nature of its larger neighbours South Africa and Mozambique and as for the people, well, they’re incredible.

>>>> Amateur Low Down

Highlight: Can’t go past our one and only night in Swaziland. For a backpacker there isn’t much better then when the dynamics at a hostel just work. Collectively the decidion is made to go large and it’s on? This is Africa so what other way to make new friends than to cram into a minivan on route to a random club in the middle of nowhere. Beats in the club and songs outside it’s just one of those nights you’ll always remember ending as it began with boisterously songs such as “The Bonny Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond”.

Biggest Surprise: From most of the main highways you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in North Queensland with the copious amount of sugarcane lining the road. The marketing of Swaziland suggests a completely traditional society, these traditions from our small glimpse remain strong but the Swaziland we encountered was also modern in many more ways that we expected.

One thing you can do to break down a barrier: In Swaziland it is impossible to ignore the impact of AIDS. A driver we spoke to mentioned it as the biggest issue facing Swaziland and he listed a number of people he knew who’d lost their battles with it. This indiscriminate killer threatens Swazi’s and the very social structures that make this the place that it is.

The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate here sits at a heart wrenching 26%, the highest rate in the world. Swaziland sits next to the country, South Africa where nearly 6 million people live with the AIDS. It’s a global killer and every day more than 7000 people contract HIV. This pandemic has torn apart many African communities.

Support the global effort to fight AIDS at World Aids Campaign and demand that our leaders keep to their commitment to stopping AIDS. The focus of this year’s World Aids Day – December 1 is ‘Light for Rights’ to keep the draw attention to HIV and its impacts on human rights.