Mkuzi scenery, hides and camp life

One of the things that stood out at Mkuze was just how beautiful the scenery was, even when there weren’t many animals around. The hides were excellent, especially the one overlooking Nsumo Pan. The water was so still at times that it perfectly reflected the clouds and trees around it, creating an almost double landscape. Sitting there quietly, watching the changing light and reflections, was one of the highlights of the trip.

Kumasinga Hide was particularly memorable at sunset. The cloudy sky and scattered trees created an incredible scene as the light faded across the pan. The combination of the water, the silhouettes of the trees, and the changing colours in the sky made it a place you could easily sit at for hours. Mkuze has a calm, understated beauty that really stays with you.

Map of Mkuzi

Kumasinga hide

The incredible reflections at the Insumo Pan

Stunning trees

The trees in Mkuze were one of the most striking parts of the park. Huge fever trees, acacias, fig trees and dense riverine forest gave the reserve a very different feel to many other game parks. Against the cloudy skies they often looked dramatic and sculptural, especially in the late afternoon light. Even while driving between sightings, the landscape itself constantly drew your attention, with beautiful tree-lined roads, open pans framed by scattered trees, and thick green bush creating a strong sense of wilderness.

The full moon

Driving

Mantuma camp

Mantuma camp was unfortunately quite run down and there was no shop facility. Thankfully we had done a big shop on the way so we ended up having plenty of food. Our accomodation was not perfect but it was considerably more comfortable than camping which I did last time I was here in 1989.  There was no coffee plunger but Antony and I improvised with the use of a sieve and were much relieved that it worked quite well!

Monkey Oranges

In our accomodation