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Michel Rademaker
NL
Visited:
June 2015
Reviewed: Feb 3, 2016
Email Michel Rademaker | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kruger Still Has It!!
For 2015 we had decided to revisit South Africa and Kruger National Park was one of the reserves we wanted to explore some more and we were very curious if we would still enjoyit as much as we did in 2010 after visiting those other famous parks in the previous years as some of them are much more adventurous and/or wild than Kruger. We had booked 9 nights in 4 different camps (Lower Sabie, Satara, Shimuwini & Berg-en-Dal) and I can honoustly
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say we again had an amazing experience and still loved every minute of it!! Of course Kruger can be busy, especially when you come across a big pride of lions on the tar road between Lower Sabie & Satara but if you know where to go and count to 10 sometimes it's still one of the best reserves to see the Big 5. We had 4 leopard sightings, multiple lion sightings, we saw hyena's, wild dogs and even a pangolin!! Some sightings were hectic, those on the tar main roads mostly but we had several amazing sightings with no (with the pangolin) or only a few other people around. We also liked the fact that we could chill in the fenced camps for once as it can be very relaxed and enjoy a good meal at one of the restaurants so we didn't have to cook ourselves. That's something you can't do when your at an unfenced camp in Moremi or Chobe in Botswana or the Kgalagadi. That's awesome as well of course but like I said before, we still loved Kruger!!
Matthew Tester
Wonderful - we could not have asked for more.
What we saw was amazing - within an hour of arriving we saw a baby elephant only a few days old, the hind legs of its mother still stained from the birth. By the end of the time we had seen just about everything except Cheetah. We even saw a pack of wild dogs.
The accommodation was very comfortable, in spacious bungalows with flushing loo and full shower. Simon cooked well for us and really looked after us. Out at 4.30 each day for the morning drive in an open sided vehicle, out again at 3.
Three things became clear - you need to be with an experienced guide; you need to be in an open-sided vehicle and you need to be based inside the park. Anything else and you are short-changing
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yourselves.Bring binoculars, a good camera with a zoom lens and you will leave with a bright heart and a lifetimes of memories. We could not have asked for anything more.
garrellmillhouse
GB
Visited:
November 2015
Reviewed: Jan 21, 2016
Email garrellmillhouse | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
How lucky I am to have experienced this.
The main roads in the park and tarmac and ones we traveled are well maintained. The other roads are dirt but are good although in a small car could be tricky especially in wet weather. We were there in the rainy season but chose not to go to the park when the weather forcast was bad.
There is wildlife everywhere but you have to look for it. Driving slowly is the best bet and when you see something pull to the side of the road. The next vehicle along is likely to stop and ask what you are watching, unless it is obvious - elephant, giraffe, rhino!
Lots of people seem only to be interested in the big 5 and the larger animals but, in my opinion, you will be missing a great deal. I was pleased to have spotted a dung beetle rolling
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his dung and a tortoise. There are also lots of birds and some with amazing plumage but again you have to look for them. We did not see and lions or cheetahs when we visited which was disappointing until you consider what we did see.Watch when you see elephants - they sometimes decide that you are too close - they will let you know and then back away slowly. They are bigger than you!
Plan your route so that you can leave the park before the gates close. We did not use a guide but next time I think I would try that.
We went to Skukuza camp for breakfast - really terrific and good value.
We have booked again for November 2016.
Amazing mammal and bird obersvations, an absolutely once in a lifetime place to visit!
The scenery at Kruger is dry and vast. It's also very hot when I was there in November. Most all the observations of birds and mammals is done from inside a vehicle driving around on the roads. The few days I spent in the park birding and photographing mammals was an absolute highlight of all my travels. The accommodations were nice, and the food was great.
Sarah
US
Visited:
November 2015
Reviewed: Jan 13, 2016
Email Sarah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
All of the Big 5 in one day!
As far as viewing wild game, few places come close to Kruger. From the minute we entered the park we began to see game, and it continued for the next several days. It was amazing. The campsites are clean and well appointed, the guides are professional and knowledgeable. The scenery is beautiful. Our group went in November and the weather was quite warm and was lovely. There wasnt much of a true "bush" vibe as Kruger accommodates a lot of tourists, but it was still quite lovely and didnt really detract much from the overall aesthetic.
Coco
FR
Visited:
November 2015
Reviewed: Jan 11, 2016
Email Coco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing place, unique in the world. It's so huge, so beautifull !! You can spend weeks in it without using the same tracks twice. So many crazy animals.
The facts that you can drive you car yyourself changes everything. landscapes are amazing too. For me it's THE place to gove for safari.
Gavin Edmondstone
CA
Visited:
November 2015
Reviewed: Jan 10, 2016
Email Gavin Edmondstone | Experience level: first safari
Kruger offers excellent game viewing from your own (rental) vehicle.
We were in Kruger for three nights staying in a riverside bungalow in Skukuza Camp. The AC was well able to cure the 40+ degree heat upon our return at the end of each day. The beds were comfortable and the plumbing worked. Cooking facilities (not used by us) and refrigerator were outside. The nearby Cattle Baron restaurant serves good food but the one time we ordered red wine it was absurdly warm...stick to beer.
We were on a private birding trip organized by Rockjumper Birding Tours with our guide Greg de Klerk. Prior to joining Rockjumper, Greg had 13 years experience guiding in the Kruger area so we had a great advantage over first-timers driving themselves around. We saw almost all the mammals that one could expect to see and lots of birds too. I was very impressed at how close we were able to view the mammals; make sure you have a short to medium length lens because very long lenses suitable for birds will very often be too long for mammals.
Tobie Schalkwyk
ZA
Visited:
November 2015
Reviewed: Jan 9, 2016
Email Tobie Schalkwyk | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Undoubtedly South Africa's best safari destination!
I usually enter the park at the southern Malelane gate and sleep over in a different camp every night, exiting the park at one of the most northern gates (eg. Pafuri) on my last day. That gives me the opportunity
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to cover all of its habitat ( bushveld in the south, mopani bushes upper middle and raw bushveld north) and animal variety (from my experience rhinos and raptors occur mostly in the southern half of the park and smaller bird varieties in the north-most parts).Lower Sabie is a good choice to start off your tour but avoid the tent-chalets in case you run into bad weather and and 'adventure' ends up in a sleepless, worrysome night! Lower Sabie has a beautiful restaurant with river view. Skakuza is also a well established camp - just make sure that utensils are supplied as some of the booking options don't. Satara is also well established and my favourite camp in the park. All your needs are catered for in the chalets and it also has a nice restaurant if you do not want to self-cater. The roads around Satara cover my favourite routes - make sure you get onto the S36 just north of Skukuza on your way to Satara. It's a reasonably long drive along a dirt road so pack a picnic basket and enough drinks for the day and start your trip as early as possible (6:00am at the latest). When at Satara, ensure that you drive along the S100 closeby - early morning as well as at dusk. It always has a surprise in store as far as lions / leopards are concerned! I suggest staying over at Satara for more than one night due to the abundance of wildlife in its vicinity and ample roads to go and look for them.
Take the S40 further north and keep your eyes open for the big cats. Stop for a rest at the Timbavati picnic spot and be aware that similar to the other official picnic spots in the park, you're proveded with free gass barbeques here if you have the ingredients for breakfast with you. And you don't even have to clean it yourself after use!
Sleep over more than one night at Elephants Camp. It has a great restaurant if you don't want to self-cater and the view is the most beautiful in the KNP - overlooking the Olifants River from a hillside. Raptors patrol the hillside in abundance from early to late so if you want to photograph Yellow-billed Kites, vultures and other eagles then this is the place to be. The bats enter the scene in droves at sunset and the kites actually wait for that moment, catching a snack just before bedtime!
I have not slept over at Letaba yet but it's one of my favourite stops for brunch / lunch at their restaurant overlooking the Letaba River. I have not slept over at Mopani yet but I usually drive through to Shingwedzi. This has a few nice dirt roads to be discovered in the area. Travel the S52 a bit to the south to Red Rocks. It has another official picnic spot close by with a nice river view and again - free cooking facilities.
The last sleeping spot is Punda Maria. But be aware - you have only community cooking facilities here and a little less privacy as all units are in 'barack' format. In other words, your room is adjacent to two other rooms on your sides. The roads in the vicinity do not disappoint yet again and be on the lookout for the big 5.
Pafuri is the northern most and one of my favourite areas in the KNP. Ever wished you could travel roads reminding you of the old Tarzan movies? This is the place! Unfortunately the Pafuri camp had not been restored (yet in 2015) after heavy floods in 2013 so if you want to sleep over in this area (which I highly recommend!) then book into the Pafuri River Camp 4km outside of the park and drive into the park early in the morning (and thank me for recommending the wildcard!). Drive along the S63 as early as possible and be prepared for something you'll never see again in your life! Up to about 8h30 thousands (I'm not kidding!) of crocodiles lay on the river banks waiting for heat from the rising sun. Just as many hippos show themselves and move along the shifting tree shades until it gets too hot, after which the croc's and hippo's disappear below the water surface and you'll never guess that the river is infested with them!
In general I'm not too fond of official day drives but do it once or twice just to say you've done it. The field guides provide great information about anything around you and who knows - you might just bump into a big cat feast or even witness a kill. Do a night drive as well as you'll see some nocturnal animals.
A Park Everyone Should Visit At Least Once In Their Lifetime
I visited Kruger National Park in September 2015. As this was a lifelong dream, I can honestly say I was not disappointed with my experience. I booked with Themba Lodge Tours (who were absolutely excellent) and they were more than accommodating. Their guides were very knowledgable and we were able to see 4 out of the big 5 safari animals.
I was disappointed that we did not get to see lions, but the abundance of other wildlife in which we saw most definitely made up for that. Some of the animals I remember seeing are: water buffalo, elephant, leopard, rhino, cheetah, baboon, zebra, giraffe, antelope, monkeys, many different bird species, plus more.
As for scenery, I took it for what it was: the African bush. A lot of flatlands as far as the eye can stretch. It was a bit baron as I expected a few more high up viewpoints for it being a National Park, but I guess I didn't know what to expect really.
All in all, I would highly recommend going to Kruger National Park at least once in a lifetime. An absolute destination.
A magical experience
The Kruger National Park is a modern remnant of the Africa of old. Wild animals continue to roam and live freely in the area, and the entire cycle of life is on display for the visitor to see. The diversity of the scenery, fauna and flora is incredible. One can experience dramatic changes when travelling from the northern, arid mopane landscapes to the greener south. The roads are well maintained as are the rest camps. Key to maintaining places such as Kruger are the people working there, and as a South African used to mediocre service levels, I was very impressed by the friendliness and professionalism displayed by all the staff I had dealings with. Every time I return to Kruger I am reminded just how special this place is, and what an asset it is to not only the country, but to every person who has a love for the great outdoors.