Upon arrival at the Kruger Airport, we were to take a tiny plane to our first safari camp, Tinga Narina. The weather was socked in...so, a driver met us and drove us to this camp. Approximately 2 hour drive.
Wow! Tinga Narina exceeded any expectation we could have dreamed of! It is comprised of a large thatched roof main property (gorgeous! Once again, I will show pictures when I figure that out.) 9 thatched houses/suites are for the guests. You walk along planked bridges to get to your suite. In the evening, a security guard escorts you because you are amongst wild animals. One day, Tim almost stepped on a snake. He hasn't moved that fast since he was a high school quarterback!
Our first animal sighting was within the first 10 seconds. There were 3 hippos in the Sabi Sands River, bordering the main property. I squealed...I was so excited!!! We arrived on Wednesday and it is now Friday. By the end of our stay here, we will have been on 6 safari drives - our final is tomorrow (Saturday) morning. We have seen all the "big 5" (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, elephant) plus, hippos, hyneas, wildebeasts, zebras, giraffes, wart hogs, kudu, impala...it goes on and on. We have well over 400 pictures at this point.
Every safari ride is an absolute thrill for us! It got a little scary when an elephant directed a "mock charge" at our vehicle. All of our stomachs were in our throats at that moment. Our guide, William, challenged the elephant verbally and thankfully the elephant backed down. There were also a couple of potential close calls with lions. We had to quickly jump back into the Land Rover and get out in a hurry. It is so exciting! There is a family riding with us. They are quite nice and they have 2 adorable daughters. Hearing them jump and squeal every time a bug lands on them and their energy levels has made this trip extra special. Heather, the youngest (she's 15) nearly leaped over all of the seats when we had to move quick to get away from a lion. It's been great fun!
By the way- absolutely stunning birds here, as well. It is a bird watchers paradise.
Tinga Narina takes care of every detail. There is morning coffee/tea before a 5am safari drive. 3 hours later when you return, a full breakfast. Then, a 4-course lunch followed by high tea and snacks at 4:00. Then you go on the evening safari drive. Your evening ends around 8:30 when you return to a multi-course dinner.
We have had a great time. Tomorrow we leave for another safari camp. Thanks for reading our blog!
Wow! Tinga Narina exceeded any expectation we could have dreamed of! It is comprised of a large thatched roof main property (gorgeous! Once again, I will show pictures when I figure that out.) 9 thatched houses/suites are for the guests. You walk along planked bridges to get to your suite. In the evening, a security guard escorts you because you are amongst wild animals. One day, Tim almost stepped on a snake. He hasn't moved that fast since he was a high school quarterback!
Our first animal sighting was within the first 10 seconds. There were 3 hippos in the Sabi Sands River, bordering the main property. I squealed...I was so excited!!! We arrived on Wednesday and it is now Friday. By the end of our stay here, we will have been on 6 safari drives - our final is tomorrow (Saturday) morning. We have seen all the "big 5" (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, elephant) plus, hippos, hyneas, wildebeasts, zebras, giraffes, wart hogs, kudu, impala...it goes on and on. We have well over 400 pictures at this point.
Every safari ride is an absolute thrill for us! It got a little scary when an elephant directed a "mock charge" at our vehicle. All of our stomachs were in our throats at that moment. Our guide, William, challenged the elephant verbally and thankfully the elephant backed down. There were also a couple of potential close calls with lions. We had to quickly jump back into the Land Rover and get out in a hurry. It is so exciting! There is a family riding with us. They are quite nice and they have 2 adorable daughters. Hearing them jump and squeal every time a bug lands on them and their energy levels has made this trip extra special. Heather, the youngest (she's 15) nearly leaped over all of the seats when we had to move quick to get away from a lion. It's been great fun!
By the way- absolutely stunning birds here, as well. It is a bird watchers paradise.
Tinga Narina takes care of every detail. There is morning coffee/tea before a 5am safari drive. 3 hours later when you return, a full breakfast. Then, a 4-course lunch followed by high tea and snacks at 4:00. Then you go on the evening safari drive. Your evening ends around 8:30 when you return to a multi-course dinner.
We have had a great time. Tomorrow we leave for another safari camp. Thanks for reading our blog!
WOW! This sounds incredible! I'm so excited to see your photos. It must be a thrill of a lifetime to see these animals exactly as nature intended; instead of at a zoo - or only frame of reference.
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