Kruger National Park

Kruger is great , but it is better to stay for a longer stay , and vary the places you stay inside, to appreciate this huge park.

Kruger lived up to the hype for wildlife and birding... In three days we saw an exceptional amount of game and birds. Highlights were Hyenas right outside the fence at Balule Camp (high score for bush vibe), Southern Ground-Hornbills, and a leopard right by the roadside near Satara.

A very comfortable access to wildlife

We planned a whole week in the park and we were not disappointed. We changed rest camps every night which means that we could see a lot of different areas. This park is diverse, it was definitely worse it! While the larger rest camps offer a more comfortable stay, we felt closer to nature in the smaller facilities. The game drives proposed by the rest camps are excellent value and complement your own drives.

Kruger National Park never disappoints

The Kruger National Park remains my favorite destination for a self drive african safari. Wildlife vis abundant, ample bird species, plentiful rest camps to take a break and spectacular scenery.

The highlight of our trip was a leopard kill in the lower Sabie area. We passed a fresh kill that was anchored between two branches in a tree. It was obvious that the leopard was regaining strength as it was nowhere to be seen. We decided to leave the sight and took a coffee break at Lower Sabie Rest camp about 20 min drive north. We were delighted by the leopard feasting on the kill when we returned a hour later.

Life Time Experience

A safari, by far, is one of the best adventures you will ever make. I have been on 5 safari's in South Africa and Botswana, including a river safari and each one was a fantastic experience. I spent 4 days at Kruger but a Safari experience is an adventure that cannot be measured in time alone. Driving through the park and taking in the scenery and wildlife is like traveling through the past. I stayed at Skukuza Rest Camp where the accommodations are nice but simple. I think the simplicity helps with the overall experience of a time long gone when the animals roamed a far greater portion of Africa than they do today. Take your camera and enjoy the drive.

Excellent spot, especially for accessibility and ease of stay

Kruger is an easy place to reach, to stay in, and to get around. Lots of paved roads, though you can also get out onto the less-traveled dirt roads, even with a 2wd hatchback when it's dry.
It's easy to see game, especially if you drive slowly. I got great hyena, kudu, ostrich, zebra, girrafe, and hippo sightings. It was easy to follow cars to the roadside predators, too, though the crowds take away from the wilderness feel some.
Definitely stay in the tented safari camps. Much more peaceful and quiet than Skukuza was.

Great safari destination

June was the perfect weather to visit the Kruger National Park since it can be extremely hot in the summer months (September - April). The weather was perfect with clear sunny days. We stayed in the Fish Eagle Guest House in the Letaba rest camp. The guest house was large and modern (rooms were more basic compared to the rest of the very modern house) and even had its own bird hide with a view of the Letaba river. Birds and buck would wander into our outdoor area making it possible to not even take a drive to see animals. The scenery were beautiful and lush. We saw a lot of animals especially elephant and impala in the middle/northern part of the park. The Letaba River runs next to the road which makes spotting animals sometimes very easy. The south of the park (south of Skukuza) was very dry but the lions, leopard and other cat species were more predominant around Skukuza. We had some lovely food at two of the park’s restaurants. We used our own Kombi to drive around the park. The tar roads are in a great condition and the dirt roads can be a little bumpy sometimes but really worth it to see all the different animals. The camp shops were well stocked and carry a lot of souvenirs that can be bought for someone back home. We saw a large variety of animals and birds and will definitely be returning next year!

Excellent introduction to South African wildlife

We visited the Kruger National Park with a guide, as part of a more extensive South African safari holiday. Our experience at the Kruger set us up very nicely for the rest of our trip, as it provided us with a relatively 'soft' start in viewing the animals and birdlife from the safety and comfort of an air-conditioned car. Our game sightings were excellent, with up-to-date local information points helping us to make and photograph some wonderful wildlife encounters. Beyond the 'big five', much of the pleasure was in time spent close-up with 'common' animals such as zebras, and although I'm not a 'birder' as such, we were also guided into spotting a varied selection of colourful and fascinating birdlife. The Kruger National Park may not be sufficient for a whole safari holiday, but it is definitely an excellent way to get accustomed to some of the wildlife you may see elsewhere in South Africa.

Another amazing trip to Kruger

I realised on Wednesday evening that I had nothing planned for the upcoming weekend, and booked 4 nights of camping in the Southern Part of the Kruger Park,1 night at Berg-en-dal and 3 nights at Pretoriuskop.

I've been going to the park since I was a child but it had been a few years since I was last there as I've been travelling Asia for the past 2 years. It was magical to go back, and this time with my new hobby of photography. Magical warm weather (despite it being winter) and great sightings being the bush is truly my happy place.

If you'd like any more info or to see some of my photographs please feel to connect with me www.thefreedomfighter.net.

Kruger - a remarkable and life-changing place on this earth

We stayed at Lion Sands Resort, which shares borders with Kruger National Park: same wildlife, closer views, fewer potential interruptions via too many people on the dirt roads at once. Our guides made sure that we were always the only range rover on a particular unpaved track and this fostered a very intimate vision of the beauty of Africa...almost a dream.

Our guides were extremely knowledgable about this wonderful place and creatures and took great care in moving about quietly. They really knew where to look for amazing animal sightings including gazelles, elephants, lion prides, giraffes, hippos, Cape buffalo, all manner of incredible birds and on and on.

One of the most rare sighting was of a female leopard and her two young kits; watching her pad down a dry wadi and call her kits in a strange feline cry was amazing...they will only emerge from their hiding spot when they hear their mother's specific voice and sure enough, they bounded out and we watched for quite some time as they rebounded and moved on to the local watering hole.

Venturing out three times a day - for about 2.5 hours each trek - ensured that we would see the beauty of the land and it's inhabitants in a realistic variety of ways, not just a standard zoo-like single and contrived view (we actually visited a "game reserve" on the south eastern coast of Africa a week or so later and it is unworthy of camparison (we are mad for wildlife so we did this day trip too; 'recommended only for those who can't make it for a full safari or just passing through - otherwise, no thanks, we were irrevocably spoiled by Kruger!

The scenery is a mix of plains, jungle, rivers...all of the things you may have dreamed about Africa. Our accommodations were quite comfortable with all amenities, located on the edge of a river so we could view various creatures making there way to the river's edge to eat, drink and bathe.

The cuisine was quite good - getting a lot of face-time with the real Africa takes some energy and after three jaunts, you really enjoy a nice meal and a good glass of wine. Lion Sands is absolutely superb in this manner of hospitality - it's a mannered, hospitable place and very relaxing - highly recommended.

Seeing something so rare like Kruger - this beautiful and remarkable place - is life-changing and this is a feeling we will always carry in our hearts and minds. We wish the same for you in your safari. Jambo!