Karula Hotel, White River

02/03/2023

31/12/2022

26/12/2022

May the high spirits and wonderful celebrations of Christmas not end.
Wishing you a very Happy Boxing Day.
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25/12/2022

Our family wishes you love, joy and peace … today, tomorrow and always.🌟🎄
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24/12/2022

Wishing you on Christmas Eve, joy and happiness and May you be blessed with peace, love, and joy.
www.karulahotel.co.za

23/12/2022

20/12/2022

A medium-sized iridescent blue-green glossy starling that lacks dark ear patches and has greenish flanks and belly, giving it a more uniform appearance than the “blue-eared” starlings. Pairs and small groups occupy high-altitude grassland, Karoo, and savanna, including drier habitats than other glossy starlings. The species feeds on the ground and in trees on fruit and insects; often it scavenges from people. It gives a rolling “turrreaau” flight call and harsh “karrr” alarm notes. Similar “blue-eared” starlings differ from Cape Starling by being smaller and having blue-magenta flanks and belly that give them a less uniform appearance.
https://ebird.org/species/capgls1?siteLanguage=en_ZA

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16/12/2022

“If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, then there are also roads that lead to those goals”,- Nelson Mandela on 16 December 1995

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14/12/2022

"The South African National Park; Kruger National Park is the largest safari park in South Africa and is home to the Big Five as well as all of the country's large carnivores and boasts the largest populations of a number of game species including White and Black Rhino, Savanna Buffalo and Savanna Elephant.

The massive expanse of the Kruger National Park is home to over 147 species of mammals, 114 reptile species, 51 snake species, 49 fish species and a massive 508 species of birds, a number unrivalled anyway else in South Africa. Home to the Big Five of the African animal kingdom, the Kruger National Park is South Africa's largest conservation area, covering an expanse of 19 455km2."
https://www.krugerpark.co.za/Kruger_National_Park_Wildlife-travel/krugerpark-wildlife-natural-beauty.html

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11/12/2022

"The Montrose Pass is a short tarred pass on the N4 approximately midway beween Ngodwana and Nelspruit. The highlight of the pass is a stop at the Montrose Falls where there is a small hotel and where you can see the Crocodile River plunging over a solid rock sill. The pass only rises 61m over a distance of 3,74 km producing an average gradient of an easy 1:61, but there are steeper sections at 1:10 just before and after the summit.

This long and beautiful pass is one of the hidden gems of the Lowveld and provides an alternative route to Nelspruit to the N4. It joins Nelspruit with Ngodwana at Sappi's massive paper mill and in the process bisects the little mountain top village of Kaapsehoop (originally Kaapschehoop), from which the pass gets its name.

The pass summits at 1653m ASL and ascends from just south-west of Nelspruit, gaining 736m of altitude over 20 kms, producing an average ascent gradient of 1:20 with the steep bits measuring in at 1:10. Stop at the village near the summit and explore the peaceful charm of the free range horses, Anglo-Boer war and mining history, quaint architecture and the walk in the nature reserve. The western descent of 12 km ends at Ngodwana and forms a T-junction with the N4."
https://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/find-a-pass/mpumalanga/itemlist/tag/nelspruit.html?start=10

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10/12/2022

https://www.sanparks.org/groups/birders/hornbill.php
Ground Hornbill Census
Southern Ground Hornbills are one of the most easily identifiable and most cherished bird species associated with trips to the game reserve.

Often erroneously called Turkey Buzzards, they are the largest members of the hornbill family. Formerly far more widespread, they are now an endangered species, seldom seen outside conservation areas. There booming calls are often mistaken for roaring lions. They are also birds of great superstition in African culture.

In SANParks they are still found in Kruger and Mapungubwe NPs and excitingly have recently been reintroduced to Marakele NP and even more excitingly some wild birds have been seen in the area of the park of their own doing. The introduced birds left the park, but then returned. It is hoped that a stable sustainable population will start to regulate itself. There is also a possibility Ground Hornbills could be found in Addo Elephant NP, as there are small populations in the Eastern Cape.

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