Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (South Africa)
- The breeding of endangered, vulnerable or rare animal species
- The release and establishment of captive-bred cheetahs to the wild
- The treatment and rehabilitation of orphaned or injured animals which are brought to the Centre
- The education of learners, students and the general public in conservation and conservation activities
- Eco-tourism
- A hands-on Student's Programme to conservation and adventure enthusiasts from around the world.
The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre focuses on the conservation of rare, vulnerable or endangered animals. Cheetah Conservation is one of their core disciplines.
Kruger National Park (South Africa)
A very short drive takes us to Orpen gate which is the most central gate to Kruger national park, where we arrive as the gates open. Kruger is home to 147 mammal (including the Big 5), 114 reptile & 502 bird species. You will be transferred to open sided 4 x 4 game viewing vehicles (on arrival at the park) in which we will do game drives. Kruger national park is the same size as Israel, Wales or Netherlands and contains different vegetation types that attract different animals to different areas of the park. Therefore we spend as much time on game drives as possible, so that we give ourselves a better chance of seeing different animal and bird species. We concentrate the game drives around the central region of the park, where we have a better chance of seeing the big cats and a large variety of other animals. Breakfast and lunch will be prepared by your guide and enjoyed at one of the many picnic sites inside Kruger national park. The guides will also stop at various view points and hides inside the park. At sunset you will start with a 3 hour night drive, done in a Kruger national park open sided game viewing vehicle with a Kruger guide.
Blyde River Canyon
Blyde River Canyon is the third largest in the world and one of South Africa's scenic wonders. The scenery of the 25 000 ha reserve is unsurpassed, its vegetation both varied and lush and the rich selection of birdlife includes a breeding colony of the rare bald ibis. The Blyde River Canyon can be reached from Graskop via R532. The Canyon starts at Bourke's Luck Potholes and ends at the Three Rondavels. From many well-positioned vantage points one has a view of the 33 km long gorge. A public road runs along the long western boundary and there is easy access to beauty spots like The Pinnacle, God's Window with its kloof-framed view of the Lowveld, Bourke's Luck, and a lookout point pointing on The Three Rondavels. These are unusually shaped hillocks that are also visible from the Aventura Blydepoort Resort, a short distance to the north. Anyone wanting to explore the upper level more carefully should take to the trails from this resort. Where the swift-flowing Blyde River is joined by the Ohrigstad River from the west engineers built an unobtrusive dam wall in a bottleneck below the confluence to form the Blyde Dam. Wildlife in the canyon area is as varied as the habitats. There are mountain reedbuck on the escarpment, dassies on the canyon walls, hippo and crocodile in the Blyde Dam, and impala, kudu, blue wildebeest, waterbuck and zebra on the Lowveld plain near the canyon's mouth. At Bourke's Luck a network of pathways and footbridges allows visitors to explore the potholes (some of which are 6 m deep) at the confluence of the Blyde and Treur rivers. The Potholes are very impressive rock formations that were shaped millions of years ago by erosion. The bizarre swirl holes developed when the once rapid river carried masses of sand and debris. Another attraction at Bourke's Luck is the visitors' centre, which has numerous interesting displays. A 180 m circular trail, accessible to the physically disabled, starts at the visitors' centre and has as its main theme the lichens found in the area.
Additional Information
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants (known as campers) leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no shelter at all. In many parts of the world 'camping' refers exclusively to the use of tents or similar portable structures[
Camping as a recreational activity became popular in the early 20th century. Campers frequent national parks, other publicly owned natural areas, and privately owned campgrounds. Camping is a key part of the program of many youth organizations around the world, such as scouting. It is used to teach self-reliance and team work.
Camping is also used as a cheap form of accommodation for people attending large open air events such as sporting meetings and music festivals. Organizers often provide a field and other basic amenities.
