In June 2024 we visited this beautiful little reserve where we stayed in a delightful camp overlooking a waterhole.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/2f3b73c1-b77b-4631-9bbb-6429505af791_rw_3840.jpg?h=4431bda6964b282472d86271a9064bce)
Impala drinking at the waterhole at Thawale Lodge
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/2722e183-7251-4e8f-b65c-e28a2d8fcb36_rw_3840.jpg?h=dd49579e965c78a3d1b814ac7d28f349)
Giraffes are apparently an unusual sight in this park - this is the South African subspecies.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/c14bb567-a905-4a8c-9f05-8eae3498465b_rw_1920.jpg?h=70906077f4383598040f13f38076d382)
Is this my best side? A hippo in Shire River
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/17a1ee2f-80da-4272-8920-6a01a021e2e1_rw_3840.jpg?h=c3b64a91eb4b111c01937742357140b0)
Our tent at Thawale Lodge
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/3d100021-a01e-4c42-bd7d-0f0e27b4f108_rw_3840.jpg?h=b2e2aa732fc14a8842a9ad8ecbbf5d18)
African Darter
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/a81f0705-ecd6-4764-9c6d-557ccb83c6d0_rw_1920.jpg?h=d562f2368989b3ac6d68fba900548cd1)
Nile Crocodile
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/38afbb45-ec95-47c0-bda9-09c448802553_rw_1920.jpg?h=331480becd0e88b4c5d2465c9436c39e)
Böhm's Bee Eater
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/bc150758-9457-4242-8634-a6ac2a784ab3_rw_3840.jpg?h=1adb4b38d51442b8e362878d5750bfd6)
Cheetah
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/663933e7-3674-4882-a13f-32b12839cfc3_rw_1920.jpg?h=696efa3512e8afaefa999126c295ee13)
Pied Kingfisher just about to dive into the river
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/e26b3d08-923b-4a3f-9a75-1cb3b0a31107_rw_1920.jpg?h=b8557f09526084cb090a714baea93199)
Little Bee Eater
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/110b005f-d458-4d06-aabf-2086e90584ac_rw_1920.jpg?h=51f50620499f1f915b1f3f8c96db6aae)
Hippo out of water
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/8e2034e8-9a4f-4064-bf76-7705055fa0c5_rw_3840.jpg?h=c096f6fbe4971ce12c7c6245254fccd3)
ASrnot's Chat
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/5e7c4f92-bc39-4a60-adc8-8f7f1fe51231_rw_1920.jpg?h=76b48d0482369a0edfe9054eba7f4f7d)
Fork Tailed Drongo
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/b7395572-6545-496c-840f-8a792345f12e_rw_3840.jpg?h=2e8d0444686f43b934861ab7c5f33738)
Warthog
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/c171addb-1c36-4bbb-bce5-c197b79c3bbc_rw_3840.jpg?h=c15f1c8424d3cd9f81fba5b2985f356e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/c9a9f663-fd39-4a27-83c0-50a2ecda45cb_rw_3840.jpg?h=4acab65130d0aef28507cb095eec52a1)
Warthog drinking
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/88a425b6-dba1-4002-947d-288241e380f9_rw_3840.jpg?h=1ee52a15e1ee272299ad8ebd23ee61fe)
Nyala at the waterhole
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/a34c74b4-f6bf-46f5-bf59-e5b8b07387df_rw_3840.jpg?h=87ae6e4d49f25fe0b09dceff49dda99c)
Nyala drinking
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/f8d3dfc1-e87e-4774-92a6-f983ad592583_rw_3840.jpg?h=669542a725936debd111f261b25619ce)
Nyala suckling
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/cbe0de20-20b5-4435-af79-96b1e48b4086_rw_3840.jpg?h=d35b10bd76100d518621feb080d9c90c)
Young Waterbuck
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/e2f99d35-98d1-4d6d-b46a-a7fe588ef203_rw_3840.jpg?h=5c03733f9fc88af3a9d897efac09e2fc)
Waterbuck drinking
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/d2c3d0f9-f009-4a22-b6b9-71e439db36f2_rw_3840.jpg?h=8648d9b0eacf55d91e0fb52f707b8a04)
Close-up of Waterbuck
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/a5ce61fa-ff18-48d2-9819-d354be188c07_rw_3840.jpg?h=677e84e7d69a7cb9c61600c601798827)
Elephants
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/4b0d40ac-2957-4d13-bfdf-ad4203062b7e_rw_3840.jpg?h=96a980f72cc857d3adacb360f77031ba)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/f0314048-6326-4ea4-bc6a-0a62e886a4f4_rw_3840.jpg?h=fe12d2a5c89da9d4ab2462c9c69febaa)
Greater Kudu
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/e8c67c27-1112-4d04-b88e-db99bc9bb889_rw_3840.jpg?h=a4ac4cd5809b23d9be4532fa2c3a3e9e)
Lion seen on a night drive
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/6e2396c2-6100-4879-aaed-1df197ff69d1_rw_3840.jpg?h=0d54856d2ac689fb31f6476b6f3c9c90)
Marabou Stork
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/d5a63afb-ed07-40bb-bdc4-76bd1c39b643_rw_3840.jpg?h=9c3b096b951a703aa489594163d74aac)
Nyala with wonky horns
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/803d2187-ff56-4075-aff2-6adca6a1c842_rw_3840.jpg?h=2faaeaac0e82513c9a306079bbf65744)
Nyala with perfect horns
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/c3ab9f31-56e9-4f0e-a3e4-b4dfaf4ee5a3_rw_1920.jpg?h=f3cac0e79f492d269bc173967050a0ef)
Nyala - a tender moment
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/74e4c310-f128-40a0-88c0-61479699ecd5_rw_3840.jpg?h=edaf533de85d45a34ec68f68589f1352)
Verreaux's Eagler Owl
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/91a8fcd6-afac-4da7-9021-68f531a9ea06_rw_1920.jpg?h=13f046ace32dafa6f11cdffe98371ea2)
Yellow Baboon
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/9c859171-519d-4cd4-8c17-5e0d53a4378e_rw_3840.jpg?h=d31f07f247d3cd16209eafc9ecf4298b)
A young Yellow Baboon drinking
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/e216b9b0-c8e7-431c-a06b-b664f06a4042_rw_1920.jpg?h=2da8f1422a03660c13841d2502c9d6e5)
A very young baby baboon
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/85cd042b-d24c-46ec-8d13-6683a82ec2b8_rw_3840.jpg?h=0401e3530c2731d276d8855e5b754409)
Bateleur Eagle with nest
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/6a186ded-c957-461c-99e1-d18537793597_rw_3840.jpg?h=d63dfa5eaa3545023aba558c519d4990)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/cfdbe75a-7981-4460-ae19-becf3266473c/66c5fd23-437d-437d-bdbd-aed821cdb63b_rw_3840.jpg?h=8b9dc7f06a51b509ee105e991ee92f15)