Africa on Foot in the Klaserie
Experience a Kruger Walking Safari with Africa on Foot. The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve is part of the Greater Kruger Park and shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park. It is here that guests can take part in incredible walking safaris.
On a walking safari guests will be led by experienced and professional game rangers through a wildlife area rich in game including lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo as well as hyena, hippo, giraffe, zebra and a whole host of other wildlife. In addition to walking safaris, Big 5 game drives and night drives are offered allowing guests to participate in a full spectrum of safari activities.
Africa on Foot Camp has five chalets ensuring an intimate and personal safari experience, as well as a pool, lounge and dining area and the traditional boma where guests can enjoy evening camp fires and traditional South African barbecues called “braais”.
Maroela is a family chalet and has a double bed, twin beds and an en-suite bathroom. The chalet is two-roomed, with a dividing wall and suitable for parents with children under 16, or two adults.
Ghwarrie has one double bed, en-suite toilet and outside shower. It sleeps a maximum of two guests.
Rooibos has one double bed and an en-suite bathroom. It sleeps a maximum of two guests.
Hardekool is a family chalet and has a double bed, twin beds and an en-suite bathroom. The chalet is two-roomed, with a dividing wall and suitable for parents with children under 16, or two adults.
Tjankbos has twin beds, en-suite toilet and outside shower. It sleeps a maximum of two guests.
The Treehouse has twin beds and an outside bathroom and shower. It sleeps a maximum of two guests.
Please note
The family chalets are not really suitable for four adults sharing. Four adults travelling together will be allocated two chalets.
As with alot of safari camps in Africa, the en-suite facilities are separated from the main room area by an open doorway. This could obviously be uncomfortable for guests travelling together who are not that familiar with each other. Please bear this in mind.
Africa on Foot facilities include a main area which houses a comfortable lounge area with two sitting areas and a library. The dining room has a large table where, as per safari tradition, everyone dines together to enjoy each other’s company and share stories of the day’s game sightings.
There is also a boma area with camp fire, perfect for warming you up with your coffee before the morning walk, or for enjoying evening drinks around the fire. In addition guests will experience a traditional South African braaivleis (barbecue) cooked over the open fire.
The Greater Kruger area can get very hot in summer and thankfully the camp has a beautiful pool with decking area where guests can relax and siesta during the midday heat between game activities.
To truly immerse yourself in the rustic bush experience, all chalets are equipped with lanterns while plug points in the main area can be used to charge your camera batteries.
Africa on Foot is unique in the Kruger for offering proper walking safaris. Most Kruger safari lodges only offer an optional walk after breakfast where the guide normally assigns his tracker to take the guests on a gentle stroll in the lodge vicinity. Africa on Foot focuses on proper two to four hour morning walking safaris (depending on the level of fitness).
Walking Safaris
Each Walking Safari begins with a comprehensive demonstration on how to behave when encountering animals. All Walking Safaris are led by qualified rangers who have had intensive specialized training in approaching dangerous game. In addition to allowing you to view the larger mammals on foot, the rangers will give you an insight into the bush that will surprise you. They will explain the animal tracks and what animals passed through during the night, in addition to the sophistication of termite mounds and other interesting facets of the bush that go unnoticed on game drives. The chance to walk amongst wildlife allows you to fully immerse yourself in African smells and sounds. The main aim of a Africa on Foot Walking Safari is to help you appreciate the nature around you, and to provide you with detailed explanations of spoors, vegetation and the ecology in general – an unmatched wildlife experience that you will remember lifelong.
Game Drives
One of the main aims of going on safari is to go on a game drive. On game drives you are able to get a lot closer to big game. The animals are generally habituated to the vehicle. This means that they are used to the vehicle approaching them and know that it never causes them harm. This enables to you to get within five to 10 metres of the large animals – and safely! All game drives are conducted in open 4 x 4 Toyota Landcruisers. No roof allows you 360 degree views, perfect for wonderful photographic and video opportunities. The afternoon game drives generally leave at 4pm and stop for sundowners, and then continue into the night drive on your way back to camp.
Night Drives
The night drives allow guests the opportunity to see the nocturnal animals not encountered during the day. Your chances of seeing leopard in particular are a lot higher at night and with a bit of luck you might even encounter the predators such as lion and leopard hunting. During the night drives, your tracker uses a powerful spotlight to search for nocturnal animals. Expect to see a wide variety of animals not normally seen during the day, including leopards, hyenas, aardvarks, bat-eared fox, porcupines, bush babies, bushbucks, mongoose, genet cats and nocturnal birds like owls and nightjars.
Daily Schedule
One of the unique advantages of Africa on Foot safari camp is that the activities can be tailored to your specific needs. For example, if the guides hear lions roaring close to camp at night, they will often knock on your door and ask if you would like to go and find them. In addition, if guests want to only go on game drives this too can be arranged.
However, a typical day at Africa on Foot would be as follows:
05h00 – Wake-up call
05h30 – Coffee and a light breakfast
06h00 – Depart on morning game walk or game drive
09h00 to 10h00 – Return to camp
11h00 – Brunch
15h00 – Tea and a light lunch
16h00 – Depart on afternoon game drive and night drive
19h00 to 20h00 – Return to camp and drinks at the bar
20h00 – Dinner