Kruger National Park

An amazing experience

Whilst staying on a local private game reserve we went into the Kruger on 2 days. I don't know whether we were just lucky or if its always like this, but we saw so many amazing sights on both occasions. We were helped hugely by having an excellent guide and driver on both occasions. I really think this is key to having a great experience. They know the animal behaviour and can spot so many animals we would have missed if we were on our own. Their knowledge of the park will have also helped massively. On both occasions we found the park to be quiet with not too many other vehicles to contend with. This was a concern of mine before going. We did find a few crowds where there were 5-10 other vehicles, but these were on the main paved roads where there were leopards, cheetah or elephants in water holes. The rest of the time we just explored and mostly were the only vehicle watching the animals. On both days we were there we saw the big 5 and so much more. A brief list of animals we saw whilst there includes: Lions, Cheetah, Leopard (3 in trees, one hunting), Jackal, Wild Dogs, Hyena, Elephants, Zebras, Giraffes, Buffalo, Ostriches, Vultures, Birds of Prey, Kudu, Impala, Steenbok, Nyala, Wildebeest, Warthogs, Waterbuck, Crocodiles, Hippos, countless birds, a couple of species of mongoose, baboons, monkeys, white rhino. We were also fortunate enough to see a black rhino. One thing to note is that it is well worth arriving as the gates open and leaving just before they close. The animals are out and moving around best when its a bit cooler and tend to stay out of the heat of the day a bit. It can be quite chilly at this time so warm clothes are advised and it can get stiflingly hot in the middle of the day. The area we visited was entering through the Orpen gate and heading North and South from Santara. It was September and incredibly dry which made viewing animals easier. All in all we found it a wonderful place and are thinking of saving for another trip, perhaps in a different season.

Wildlife is definitely better than Balule, but there are more tourists as well. All roads are paved.

It's easy to spot the animals. I saw several endangered species incl the Big 5.

The area is very clean which is nice.

Nature untamed and in all its glory

We stayed at the Kruger Park Lodge Golf Club and the accommodation and service was excellent. Its close proximity to the Kruger National Park meant we could take several days to explore its fantastic scenery and magnificent wildlife. We did several day trips by ourselves and then opted for a guided tour. The guide picked us up early in the morning and we started yet another adventure. The guides are brilliant and often talk to each other to find out where the best animals are able to be found. Fantastic and well worth the cost. We even managed to see the big 5. Amazing and would love to go again

Check off the Big 5 bucketlist

I took part in a long game drive from morning to afternoon and then two shorter game drives in the morning and then the afternoon. The park is expansive. In January, the landscape is green but you can still spot the wildlife. Ample impala sightings everywhere! The prize of the long day was a leopard sighting. The roads are well paved and comfortable. You never seem too far away from amenities even though the park is so expansive. Other rare sightings included African wild dogs. A great experience!

The wildlife is abundant and amazing, the camps are comfortable and have a range of accommodation to suit all budgets, the facilities at the camps - shops etc are first rate.

Plenty of wild life in the park. Relatively easy to spot the big five.
All elephants have tusks, kudos to South African conservancy programs.

If you want to see the "Big Five" up close, this is the place! We saw them all, plus so much more.

There is a surprise behind very corner of the road!

Excellent Trip

We went to South Africa on a rock climbing trip so went to Kruger for a couple of days when we were resting. It did not disappoint. We started off at the Malanane entrance driving over towards Lower Sabe and then onwards to Pretorioskop to stay overnight.
The Bridge at the Malanane entrance is a great place to spot birds and crocodiles and we spent quite a long time there.
I liked the way that you can drive yourself around and you are pretty much guaranteed to see wildlife. You probably may see a bit more if you go with a guide but there is so much to see that it is not essential to be guided around especially if you like your independence
The birdlife was pretty interesting with lots of species that you will never have seen before if you are a European.
The camp at lower sabe is a really nice place to stop for lunch as the open air restaurant looks out over the river and we saw hippo and giraffes while we ate our lunch.
We had brilliant stay at Pretorioskop in really smart bungalow accommodation. Not all the accommodation here is the same we were lucky to be in a really smart place that exceeded our expectations but there is accommodation of varying standards so if you want something smart it is best to check carefully what you will get for your money.
I got some pretty good photographs and only had my 125mm lens with me. I really regretted not having my telephoto with me but was pretty pleased with quite a few of the photos I took
Overall a good couple of days