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Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

  • You'll be collected from the airport.
  • Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Day 1

Depart for Kruger to enter at Malelane Gate, game drive to Pretoriuskop through rhino country

Depart for Kruger to enter at Malelane Gate, game drive to Pretoriuskop through rhino country

There is little doubt that if you want to see rhinos, then the Pretoriuskop and Berg-en-Dal areas of the park are a must. We have seen more than 18 rhinos in 1 day in this area of the park, including the white (square-lipped) rhino and the rarely-seen black (hook-lipped) rhino. We will likely see a lot of plains game such as zebra, blue wildebeest and other antelope, as well as giraffe, elephant, and buffalo. We will enjoy a scrumptious lunch at the lovely Afsaal picnic site before heading up to Pretoriuskop via Jock of the Bushveld’s birthplace.

The rest camp at Pretoriuskop is excellent and there is a swimming pool to cool off on hot days. Mestel Dam is a great place to go for our afternoon game drive where we will most likely spot hippos and crocodiles. Here, we have often seen elephants swimming and cavorting in the dam, sometimes totally submerged. There are some very rare antelope like the roan and sable which are always a lucky spot. We will have a full dinner at the camp.

Main Destination:
Kruger National Park
Best Time To Visit May to September (Dry season)
High Season December to January and July to August
Best Weather Apr-May and Sep-Oct (Mild and little rain)

Wildlife in Kruger NP

ElephantCommon
GiraffeCommon
BuffaloCommon
ZebraAbundant
HippoCommon
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HyenaCommon
White RhinoOccasional
LionOccasional
Black RhinoVery Rare
Wild DogVery Rare
Accommodation:
Skukuza Rest Camp
  • Mid-range bungalow located inside Southern Kruger
Meals & Drinks:
  • Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
  • Drinks not included

Day 2

Pretoriuskop to Skukuza through the Southern Kruger which teems with game - big and small

Pretoriuskop to Skukuza through the Southern Kruger which teems with game - big and small

After a delicious breakfast of rocky road muesli with yogurt and rusks, we head for Skukuza. The park's head office has a great shop where you can peruse books, clothing, and souvenirs. There is a delightful area in the camp that overlooks the Sabie River. En-route to Skukuza from Pretoriuskop, we will stop at Lake Panic where we can go into the Timber Hide, a birder's paradise. Here, we often see the hippos yawning and grunting in their unusual way and there are often bushbuck to be seen as well.

We will arrive at Skukuza in the late morning, in time to book in at our accommodation where we will prepare a full lunch. We spend the hottest part of the day in camp around the pool. In the afternoon, we head out for a game drive after consulting the camp's sightings board to see what has been spotted and where. If there are any great sightings, then we go in search of them. We again have a gourmet dinner in camp around the fire.

Main Destination:
Kruger National Park
Accommodation:
Skukuza Rest Camp
  • Mid-range bungalow located inside Southern Kruger
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinks not included

Day 3

Skukuza to Satara area, known as "cat central" in the park with the S100 route to Nwanetsi

Skukuza to Satara area, known as "cat central" in the park with the S100 route to Nwanetsi

We drive from Skukuza to Satara via the Tshokwane picnic site where we will prepare lunch for the group. It is a rather long game drive this morning (nearly 100km), but usually a very fruitful one. We follow the Sabie River road where the animals congregate along the water courses. There are numerous natural dams and man-made waterholes that attract game. There is a spectacular viewpoint at Orpen Dam where we can exit the vehicle.

The Mazithi and Kumana Dams often offer great sightings of plains game, elephants, hippos and crocodiles. After booking into the rest camp, we spend the midday period either at the swimming pool or at a shady area of the camp overlooking a waterhole. Satara is well known as "cat central" and lions, leopards and cheetahs are often seen close to the camp. Time permitting, we will do the S100 N’Wanetsi River road. At night, we will most likely be visited by the resident wild cat and spotted hyena. We will enjoy a scrumptious dinner around the fire in camp.

Main Destination:
Kruger National Park
Accommodation:
Satara Rest Camp
  • Mid-range bungalow located inside Central Kruger
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinks not included

Day 4

Satara to Tamboti Tented Camp along the famous Sweni Road and H7 Route along Timbavati River

Satara to Tamboti Tented Camp along the famous Sweni Road and H7 Route along Timbavati River

En-route from Satara to Tamboti Tented Camp, we will do the Sweni River road. Rhinos and lions are often spotted in this area. This road has been a very fruitful road for us on more than one occasion. We will have lunch at the Muzandzeni picnic site, arguably our favorite. There is also the Muzandzeni waterhole where we have seen large herds of elephants. There is a resident scops owl which we often see. Being only 15cm in height, they are just the cutest owls.

From Muzandzeni, we make our way north back up to the H7 Orpen road, stopping at the Bobbejaan Krans viewpoint. This section of road follows the Timbavati River. We often see various game in the riverbed and have often spotted nyala and kudu along this route. As we near Orpen to book into Maroela restcamp, we may see ostriches. Due to the flat open savannah, we very often hear lions roaring at night. Their roar can travel as far as 5km. Our last dinner will be in this quiet camp far from the madding crowds.

Main Destination:
Kruger National Park
Accommodation:
Tamboti Satellite Camp
  • Budget tented camp located inside Kruger NP
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinks not included

Day 5

Tamboti Tented Camp to OR Tambo via Nelspruit after a last game drive to ease us back into reality

Tamboti Tented Camp to OR Tambo via Nelspruit after a last game drive to ease us back into reality

We utilise the back wall of the safari vehicle as a whiteboard to track the daily game sightings we have had on safari. By now, it usually looks rather impressive. Take a snapshot of the sightings board with your mobile phone or camera to remind you of exactly what we have seen over the last 4 days. This will jog your memory when you are back home telling stories of your African safari to your friends and family. We will squeeze in a last game drive before exiting the park at Orpen Gate. We then head south to Nelspruit and proceed to Johannesburg where we say our goodbyes.

Main Destination:
Johannesburg (City)
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
  • Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
  • Drinks not included

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

  • Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
  • You'll be dropped off at the airport.
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Disclaimer

  • This tour is offered by Armadillo Overland Safaris, not SafariBookings.
  • If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
  • The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
  • If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.