Category: Things to do in the Kruger

Like most caterpillars, the Mopane Worm’s life cycle starts when it hatches in the summer, after which it proceeds to eat the foliage in its immediate vicinity, growing considerably through 5 moult stages. It then burrows underground to pupate, the stage at which it undergoes complete transformation to become the adult moth. This stage happens over winter, for a duration of 6 to 7 months, after which it emerges at the start of summer in November. The large adult moths, with their distinctive eyespots on the hindwings, live only for three to four days, during which time they mate and lay their eggs. Eggs are laid in clumps, and after hatching small caterpillars tend to aggregate together, but they become solitary as they grow and age.

Mopane Worms can be bought at most rural markets in the region. Dried worms can be eaten raw as a crisp snack or can be soaked to rehydrate, before being fried until they are crunchy, or even cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices and then served as a stew with maize meal. The harvesting and sale of Mopane Worms is actually a multi-million dollar industry in southern Africa, with an estimated 2 million kilograms of worms traded annually! They are even found in some high-end restaurants as an expensive delicacy!

Go on, be brave and try these interesting snacks next time you visit the Kruger National Park with us. And if you don’t want to try that, it is still fascinating sitting next to a Mopane tree and watching hundreds of Mopane Worms eating the leaves – you can actually hear them crunching away! One of our best trips is our Kruger Grand Safari, a 12-night safari highlighting the absolute best that this world class park has to offer. On this trip we guarantee Mopane Worms (in early summer!), along with the Big Five and hundreds of bird species, with incredible landscapes and stunning African sunsets thrown into the mix.

Get in touch with us on info@naturetravelkruger.com for more information.

This 43 kilometre long road is sometimes called the “Piccadilly Circus” (after the equally busy road in London) due to the high numbers of visitors that drive it. The nickname is quite apt, but remember, if you have more visitors’ eyes staring into the bush you have a higher chance of seeing something spectacular.

The road follows the course of the Sabie River, and boasts a mix of riverine forest, woodland and thornveld, attracting a wide variety of bird and animal species. There are many small gravel loops turning toward (and away from) the river, and the road also has the famous Nkuhlu picnic spot, N’watimhiri dam and Sunset dam alongside it.

The H4-1 is especially famous for its large herds of African Elephant and Impala, as well as some of the best Leopard sightings in the entire park. It is also virtually guaranteed that you will see lots of Chacma Baboons and Vervet monkeys along this road, along with avian specials like White-crowned Lapwing, Black Cuckooshrike, Half-collared Kingfisher, Red-faced Cisticola and maybe even an African Finfoot!

One of our guides had the best wildlife encounter of his life recently, when he saw a Martial Eagle attack and kill a Steenbok (by diving into it at high speed) and then promptly fly off with its prize in its massive talons!

Piccadilly Circus features prominently in many of our Kruger itineraries, including our 9 day/8 night Kruger Lux Safari, offering the perfect South African safari experience. We have combined two great camps (Skukuza and Satara) in Kruger with a lodge in the adjacent luxurious Sabi Sands Game Reserve, offering you the best of both worlds and a chance to see the Big Five and so much more.

For your chance to see something spectacular along the Piccadilly Circus, join us on one of our fantastic Kruger trips. Enquire directly at info@naturetravelkruger.com or browse to the website on Nature Travel Kruger for more information.