This package combines plains game hunting with a photo safari in South Africa's Kruger National Park.
The 10 Day Plains Game and Kruger Package offers clients the opportunity of combining an African Hunting Safari with a photographic safari to the world-renowned Kruger National Park. The package includes four of the most sought-after plains game trophies in South Africa and is a very affordable way of experiencing a quality African hunt. Our hunting packages contain no hidden costs. The only safari-related costs which are not included are the dipping, packing and shipping of trophies and taxidermy work.
You will be met and welcomed upon arrival at OR Tambo International by your professional hunter or hunters, who will be holding a sign with your name on it as you enter the arrivals lounge. From here the safari travels to the hunting camp, which is located in the bushveld. The afternoon is devoted to sighting of rifles and, time permitting, the first afternoon hunt.
Species which are available in the Limpopo Bushveld area include:
Blesbok (Common), Blesbok (White), Blue Wildebeest, Buffalo, Bush Pig, Bushbuck, Common Reedbuck, Eland, Gemsbok, Giraffe, Grey Duiker, Hippopotamus, Impala, Jackal, Klipspringer, Kudu, Nyala, Ostrich, Red Hartebeest, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Steenbok, Tsessebe, Warthog, Waterbuck, Burchell's Zebra.
You are welcome to take trophies in addition to those included in your package, should the opportunity present itself. All dangerous game has to be pre-booked. Additional trophies are charged at list prices.
The morning is devoted to hunting in the Limpopo bushveld before traveling to Pretoria during the afternoon where clients will spend the evening at the five star
Castello di Monte Guest House
.
From Pretoria the safari travels east, crossing the escarpment which forms the barrier between South Africa's inland plateau and the lower lying coastal plains. After passing through the town of Nelspruit, the economic hub of South Africa's lowveld, the forested hills gradually give way to African bushveld, as the safari reaches the Kruger National Park. The park is 22 000 square kilometers in extent and is revered as the most important conservation area in South Africa. The Kruger Park is one of the three most visited national parks on the African continent. The late afternoon is devoted to your first Kruger Park safari.
The day is devoted to two safaris in search of Africa's legendary Big Five. Your experienced guide's intimate knowledge of the habits and behavior of the different animals is sure to add to the enjoyment of the experience. There are sixteen different eco-zones in the Kruger National Park, each one characterized by specific vegetation, geology, soils, rainfall, and temperature. The different eco-zones influence the distribution of various mammal species, with each species favoring a certain type of habitat.
Your experienced guide will conduct your morning safari. They will check the previous days' sightings, which are logged by various groups, as this will increase your chances of seeing a pride of lion on a recent kill or finding the imposing white rhino or rare wild dog. During the late afternoon, guests embark on a night safari with a Kruger Park ranger.
The night safari makes sightings of creatures like the Genet, Serval and Aardvark, which are seldom seen during the day, possible. The large predators are typically nocturnal hunters and are also more likely to be spotted at night.
A last morning spent in the Kruger National Park is followed by a journey to Pretoria and the ASH Adventures office. Some time is devoted to paperwork and is followed by a late lunch, after which guests are transferred to the airport where their memorable African safari ends.
Clients are met upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and are returned there upon completion of the safari. Accommodation is in first rate hunting camps and lodges where all modern amenities are available. Food is prepared to the highest standard and a large variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available and included in the package.
The success rate on the trophies is close to 100%. If, however, you do not take one of the trophies which is included in the package, 90% of the list price of the trophy is deducted from your hunting safari price. A deposit of 20% is payable upon booking your hunting package. The balance is payable upon completion of the safari.
If your flight arrives after 13:00, we suggest that you overnight at the Castello di Monte Guest House on the day of arrival and start the safari on the following day. A cost of $200 per person includes accommodation, meals and a transfer to the hotel from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. If you do not wish to bring your own rifles, you are welcome to hunt with one of the rifles of your professional hunter. The only cost involved is the replacement of ammunition (About $100).
The hunting areas in the bushveld range in size from 800 - 7 000 hectares (approximately 2 000 - 17 300 acres) and all provide an exceptional hunting experience. Our primary focus is ensuring that you take the trophies which are included in your safari. We make a determination on which camp to use based on current conditions prior to the starting date of your safari. Our success rate is very close to 100%.
In all cases the camps and lodges we use are luxurious, with en suite bathrooms, electricity, stylish decoration and sumptuous food - places where families acting as observers would also feel at home and comfortable. Each of the camps and lodges we use feature on our website in the areas and camps section. We can provide an extensive list of references in your area who have hunted with us and who can bear testimony to the quality of accommodation.
A typical hunting day starts just before dawn at which time coffee and rusks are enjoyed. A selection of breakfast cereals, yogurt and juice is also available at this time. We then embark on the morning hunt. We normally hunt until about 11:00 at which time we return to the camp for brunch (a full meal which is a combination of breakfast and lunch). Some time is then devoted to relaxing in the camp. The hunt is resumed at about 14:30 and continues until sunset.
The method of hunting employed depends on the preference of the client and can consist of either walking and stalking, hunting from blinds or special vantage points from which we glass and ambush animals. The option of hunting from one of our well-equipped vehicles is also available should you have any medical problems, or are limited by not being able to walk long distances. Your Professional Hunter will discuss these options with you after arrival. All of these options are always available. It is not necessary to let us know which method you prefer prior to your arrival.
Observers are welcome to accompany the hunters on safari or relax in the camp. Should the observers in your group be interested in visiting some of the highlights in the area while the hunters are in the field, this can be arranged at an additional charge of $280 per day. The additional cost is incurred as we need to send a dedicated guide and vehicle to attend to the observers. On a typical safari, observers normally prefer to accompany hunters, which does not incur any additional charges.
Like a human fingerprint, no two zebras share exactly the same pattern in their distinct black and white stripes. This means that your trophy will always be unique and the only one of its kind ever taken on the African continent.
The impala is a water-dependent species, a fact that makes him fairly easy to locate. Though common, they are, however, very skittish by nature, especially in areas where they are being hunted on a regular basis. Do not expect an easy hunt.
The wildebeest can be one of the most difficult antelope to hunt. In the bushveld areas where they are hunted, blue wildebeest tend to be elusive and shy. Getting close to a herd can prove to be very difficult.
Warthogs can be very difficult to track down and hunt, as they do not delineate a clearly defined home range. The hunt would normally be successful if it starts with a search for feeding grounds that are favored by warthogs.
