When you drive North from Shigwedzi, towards the Babalala picnic site, you have two options – you can stick to the tar road, or take the Mpongolo loop. The tar road runs through a wide, marshy flood plain, with several waterholes where you are almost guaranteed to see Elephants. The Mpongolo loop is a gravel road that runs through the riverine forest along the banks of the Mpongolo river, offering several beautiful viewing points over the river.
We took the Mpongolo loop. It was a fairly quiet drive, but the beauty and birding kept the boredom away.
The area was extremely wet, and several streams flowed under the tar road on our way back to camp.
And the big, beautiful boy was hanging around the Boyela waterhole.
