Kruger National Park

Our first trip in January 2017 was so great we returned in June and are going back a third time.

When we moved to Swaziland we knew we'd be close to Kruger and we figured we'd make one or two trips before our time in this part of the world came to an end. What we didn't plan on was how much we enjoyed our first trip there (in January 2017). Because of this trip there was a second one in June, and another upcoming trip confirmed for December.

For the January trip, a three night stay, we opted to stay inside the park at Skukuza and we didn't regret this decision. The self-catering accommodation was comfortable, well built, located next to a river allowing for additional sightings of wild game, and secure. The weather was great for two of the days and a bit misty and rainy on the other, but that didn't slow us down. In fact, due to the recent history with the drought we enjoyed a bit of rain.

One distinct advantage of being inside the park is the ability to begin your touring earlier than those looking to come in from the outside. Despite having the option to join a guided tour we self-drove all weekend as it gave us flexibility and our own vehicle was better suited for my elderly father who accompanied us. One benefit of taking a guided tour is they know where the animals tend to hang out and they use radios to communicate.

Despite the fact we blindly drove around for two full days and half of a third we saw a large variety of animals and birds. People asked us, "Did you see the big five?", as if that was the goal. Our goal was to experience the park, see what we could see, and enjoy the memories that came along as a result. We saw four of the big five (missed a cheetah) but my lasting memory will be the two male kudus fighting for territory or a female on the other side of the river as we relaxed at the end of the day. A large herd of elephants crossing the same river the day before is also a lasting memory. On day two we had a young, solitary, bull elephant diplomatically tell us to back up was a bit of a wake up call that perhaps we shouldn't have lingered as long as we did taking his picture. I guess he didn't like paparazzi. These are the memories we went looking for and we found them.

I'm not much of a birder, but after you've photographed the big game, you start looking for something different. If you're a birder there's plenty there. The hornbill sifting through elephant feces remains my favorite from the first trip.

It's difficult for me to be enamored with the scenery at Kruger because I've been to places that are much more scenic. You don't really go to Kruger for the scenery, you go to see wildlife. The topography is unremarkable when compared to other parts of Mpumalanga Province.

Lastly, we had the opportunity to engage with other tourists and we found several who had a similar mindset and outlook about the pace as we did. In fact, everyone we spoke to was pleasant, relaxed, and willing to engage. You will meet people from all over the world there, and there's a reason for that, it's simply worth going to see.

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!

wonderful experience, we were blessed to see the big five within two days, cant wait to return!!

The weather was perfect. In total we saw 555 animals! 28 different species. We only did 10% of the park!
We started at Crocodile bridge, spent the night there, which was idyllic. I saw my first bush babies there. They were about one metre away and were not scared. The following day we went to Lower Sabie. Stunning!! Elephants , hippos, crocs, monitor lizard, water buck , we stayed at Berg en dal that evening. We had a wonderful time driving around and stopping off at different places for brunch etc. I love the Kruger National Park. We will definitely be returning, but for a lot longer next time!! Please look at my Flickr account to see my photos kaz3160.
If undecided, I would definitely recommend that you go!!!

Kruger National Park - The best place on earth

Kruger National Park, South Africa.
We have visited Kruger many times and can only report positive about the park and the facilities. But you have to comply with a few traits to enjoy this park, (and any other nature reserve). You have to love: nature, a peaceful environment, absence of city life, no traffic lights, tranquillity and spotting and observing animals (including birds).
The park is large, about 400km long by 60km wide and is dotted with many so called rest camps for the lower budget travellers and lodges for the more upmarket visitors. All camps are fenced, so one can freely walk around. Most camps have a shop where one can buy groceries and other goodies as well as a restaurant. The restaurants used to be mediocre, but this has greatly improved lately now that Kruger no longer operates most of them, but rather commercial restaurant chains. Also most camps have a swimming pool. At various locations in the Park you will find picnic spots (also at every camp) where you can even hire a gas bottle and pan to prepare your own breakfast.
Accommodation in the camps varies from camping to chalets completely fitted with all requirements with various options in between like permanent tents, basic huts (with communal ablution) and more advanced huts. We only encountered neat and clean accommodation.
The occurrence of games varies, but Kruger is well stocked and there are also various waterholes where one can leave the vehicle and wait for the animals to come. The big five are there of course.
In case you go with a tour operator everything is organized for you. But if you want to do it on your own, here some tips:
Book in advance via this website http://www.sanparks.org/tourism/reservations/
One can drive by car (about 400km from Johannesburg airport, excellent road) or fly directly into Kruger to Skukuza airport with daily Airlink flights (from Johannesburg and CapeTown) and rent a car on arrival. (Avis) http://flyairlink.com/
There is a daily entry fee for Kruger of R280 for foreigners, which at the current exchange rate is about USD18, which you pay when entering the Park. If you go many nights you can buy a Wildcard making it cheaper. At the gate staff can advise you.
Don’t forget to buy a Kruger map at the gate where you enter, makes travelling so much easier.
Don’t forget your binocular and that long lens in case you like photography.
Every camp has one or more communal kitchens where you can cook a meal in case you want to skip the restaurants and stay in a tent or hut without kitchen.
Search for the Facebook page “Kruger National park – Best Place on Earth” if you want to see and read how others experience Kruger.
And once in Kruger you can follow other people’s sightings on your tablet at https://www.facebook.com/latestsightingskruger/
Kruger is large and the max speed 50km/hour, so don’t book one night in the South and the next in the far North, you won’t make it.
The southern part of Kruger is busiest as far as cars and people are concerned. The camps in the far North, like Punda Maria, Mopanie and Shingwedzi for example are much quieter.
In every camp you can book a game drive with an experienced game ranger, during the day or the evening. They mostly know where the animals are by talking to their colleges via radio.
All in all, Kruger is a fantastic place, it’s a place that missed most that we call progress !
And finally, having been in Kenya as well with its hectic traffic, corrupt policemen and parks costing USD70-UDS90 a day just to get in we can only conclude that Kruger is a visitors paradise.
Tjeerd en Diny de WIt

Excellent experience!

I booked through krugerpark.com, stayed at Tydon Safaris, and visited both Sabi Sands and Kruger Park.

What an awesome experience. Everything was perfect from the booking through the whole adventure.

I worked with Donna at krugerpark.com to book. I waited too long to actually book a safari and I was rushed to line up my travel for the safari with my work travel when I finally contacted Donna. It was basically 36 hours from the time I first called and talked with Donna until my trip was booked. She was excellent, working through a 6 hour time difference. We emailed and talked on the phone a few times. She even logged back on to finalize some things from home after work hours because I needed some time in the afternoon in my time zone to verify some things before booking. She wanted to finish the booking on her end as I finalized my international travel to be sure everything lined up correctly. Thank you Donna!

Donna books for multiple outfits throughout the park. She selected Tydon Safaris for me, and we settled on the 5 day Kruger Park and Sabi Sand combination. I didn’t know about Sabi Sand before now, and Donna suggested that the combination of the public Kruger Park with the private Sabi Sand reserve would be a great experience, and she was right!

I reached out to the owner Gavin with a couple of emails before the trip, and he was quick with responses and helpful. I worried about taking too much to the camp since I was traveling for business before the safari, and I worried about security for my laptop. He assured me that bringing extra luggage and keeping my laptop safe would be no problem. I flew to the airport about an hour away in Nespruit, and Gavin picked me up.

I thought I was going to stay at the Tydon Safari Camp, but I was at the Tydon Bush Camp instead. Although both are great, I really lucked out with this change! I did spend one day at the Safari camp when we went into Kruger, so I’m glad I experienced both. I talked to one couple who was splitting their nights between the two camps which is another idea to consider.

The Safari camp is small but bigger than Bush. It has about 6 tent cabins, whereas Bush has 3. Both have excellent staff including wonderful cooks who overfed us often! Safari sits between Kruger and Sabi Sands, so you are about 20 minutes from either outing. Bush sits right in Sabi Sands, so you are about 40 minutes from Kruger and right in Sabi Sands. Safari has a small swimming pool and more people; Bush doesn’t have a pool and is smaller. Again, both have pros and cons, but I would definitely pick Bush. You can hear the animals close by (and some stop in the camp!), you wake to the birds, and you are RIGHT THERE! And you might even get an extra outing. We had come back for the evening and were getting ready for dinner when our guide heard that two female lions were nearby… so he asked if we’d like to go take a look. Well heck yes! So we found them at night. Cool!!! People at Safari couldn’t do that. Also, I believe that Bush is adults only which is also nice in my personal opinion.

The tent cabins are very comfortable. I think the Bush tents are slightly smaller. You have two twin beds (but I think one had a single double bed), which were very comfortable. And you have a full private bathroom with shower. Each has an air conditioner and heater, but I didn’t need either.

The staff was awesome. I met staff at both camps, but I was mostly with the smaller staff at Bush. My guide was the amazingly awesome Jared. He knows so much about the parks, the animals, South Africa in general… he educated us on so many of the animals including their culture. It was great to go on outings with him and then later sit by the fire and just talk. He really made the experience extra special. Angie was our cook who prepared amazing meals (and I thought she was always expecting double the people… so much food… so good…) and Abigail was the house cleaner. Just really excellent staff.

The two parks are really different. I agree with Donna that it was a great experience to see both. Kruger is bigger, you drive on the paved and dirt roads, has more rivers and water, but has LOTS more people and vehicles. Sabi Sand is smaller, less people, and you can drive off road to get a better view. And the only vehicles are safari vehicles which look much better in pics than just another car! And each evening we watched the sun set in Sabi Sands with a glass of wine watching the animals, but there is no alcohol or getting out of your vehicle in Kruger. I liked the mix, but if I could only have one, I would definitely pick Sabi Sands. It was just sooooo special.

What is a typical day like? I was there in winter, so you get to sleep alittle later. Staying at Bush Camp and visiting Sabi Sands was basically: get wake up greeting at 6, quick coffee and snack, out at 6:30 for a ride, back around 9 or 9:30 for a huge breakfast and talk about the morning, then nap/read until lunch at 2, then back out at 3:30 including wine with sunset followed by a night hunt, then back to the camp for dinner and wine around the fire, then bed, then start over! Summer schedule is a bit different… I think you are up earlier and have more afternoon time (when it is hot).

I really liked the winter experience. Although things weren’t all green, it was still beautiful. You could see the animals in the bush, but they also blended really well with the browns of winter. That surprised me a bit. In summer, I’m guessing they stand out more against the green, but you can probably only see them when they are in front of the bush. I’d like to go back some day in the summer to see the difference.

My best advice would be to just enjoy what you see. Every corner can bring an wonderful animal or a beautiful landscape. Just enjoy it all. If you go with your mind set on seeing a specific animal, you will miss out on everything else. Just enjoy it… it is nature… you don’t know what you will or won’t see. On one outing, we were with a guy who just wanted cats… and it felt that he missed all of the other beauty just waiting for cats. Relax… enjoy it all!!!

You never know what you will see. Unfortunately we only saw a couple of cats while two friends in other parts of the park (different parts) did see lots of cats. My guess is that it was because they were close to a big river and we weren’t. And this part of Sabi Sands was somewhat dry in the winter, but I think there are more water areas in the summer. Again, my experience was awesome, but just wanted to mention that there might be more cats elsewhere in the winter if that is all you want to see. (But my favorite was the elephants… I could watch them for hours!)

So how long should you stay? I would suggest no less than four days. Some people were there for fewer (including the guy who was just wanting cats), and less than four days doesn’t give you enough outings to see a variety. Remember, this is real nature… If you want to be sure of what you will see, go to a zoo… this can be so different every outing and around every corner. That is the beauty. I stayed five days which was great, and as I was leaving I talked with people staying for six. So, minimum of four, but I would recommend five, but as I left, I thought one more would have been nice!

I was worried about malaria… and I even got some of the prevention drugs from my doctor. You really have to decide this personally. When I was there, there were no mosquitoes. I decided not to take the meds because of the terrible side affects and I was happy with that decision. Just spray on some OFF in the mornings and evenings.

If you go in winter, bring lots of layers. It can be cold in the morning, you are out before sunrise, and there is a wind chill in the open vehicles. And the temp drops again after sunset in the evening. I took safari pants that transition to shorts and then back to pants, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved pull over, and jacket. Oh… and definitely bring a hat. I wore my winter cap in the mornings and it definitely helped to keep me warm. They provide blankets in the jeep, but keep your head warm.

I traveled solo. I was in SA on business so I wanted to take advantage of this. It was no issue at all being a solo traveler. I got my tent to myself (I think there was a slight extra charge, but very low), and it was nice to meet other people. So if you are considering going alone, you will still have a great time.

There is no internet access. Yes, I was worried about being so disconnected, but that actually helped me to let go. My cell worked with international roaming in the Bush camp but it didn’t work in the Safari camp. They also give you a number so people can reach you if there is an emergency at home.

So…. Just book it now! You won’t regret it! It is a terrific experience! Oh… and keep a journal. Write in it after each outing. I really enjoyed looking back at my thoughts as I reviewed all of the pictures. Oh and there were soooo many pictures!

Serene, immersed in natural life

August is a prime time to go, as the animals come out in search of water. We saw lions on five different occasions, including right next to our car, twice! It is mating season for the primates, we saw a lot of monkeys and baboons - very cute and beautiful to see the similarity in behaviour, with humans. Many different buck/antelopes, so beautiful. Giraffes, zebras, hyenas eating, rhinos on the road, huge herds of elephants right beside us, so many hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and we even saw a wildebeest crossing of about 500-1000, all to ourselves on a side road! On the very last day, we were very lucky in seeing a leopard right next to our car, on the side of the road - they are extremely rare to see, elusive, and travel alone - so it was a spectacular and rare experience! We saw many birds too - stalks, eagles, hawks, etc... as well as smaller, prettier, colourful birds. The scenery is magical, a surreal environment, it is so utterly beautiful, you can feel that you're alive, connected to nature, a part of this natural space. You rise with sun, and sleep when it sets. The trees are like lightening, naked branches bolting in all directions. It is a truly beautiful place. The weather is a little windy/cold in August, but a fleece will do, not much else necessary, especially when driving with the sun shining down throughout the day. Accommodation options vary - there are camps situated throughout the park, as well as the Protea Hotel just outside one of the gates. Satara, Skakuza and Lower Sabie are three of the big camps, with nice bungalows - all always clean. Malalane is the most primitive of the camps, with only a few bungalows, and the rest camping. I found it the most beautiful camp, situated on the border of the park, with a view of local farming and mountains. Most camps now have restaurants and almost all have shops, which is partly a shame, as commercialisation is not really in line with what is meant to be an untouched, natural environment - this is especially in reference to all the mug & bean franchises that are there. Having said this, we still found food options to be pretty basic, especially if you're not planning on eating at restaurants for every meal. The shops (including at the main, big camps) have very little healthy food options. We found only a couple cucumbers, capsicums and tomatos in the fridge at Satara, which is a main camp. Protein options were also very minimal. I suggest taking your own food with you, if you are driving, unless you don't mind living off of packaged food. We rented a car through avis, which we picked up at Skakuza airport.

The possibility of seeing virtually any animal is always exciting. The fascination of being able to see just about any behaviour is also a bonus.
The park is so immense that it is impossible to rate all of it's scenery. There are certainly parts that are exceptionally beautiful, but others that can be monotonous.
The vibe can vary from completely brilliant to very frustrating, depending on the tourist season and business. There always parts where one can get away though and be alone in the bush.
The birding can be absolutely exceptional, again always with the excitement of the possibility of virtually anything turning up.

Well run and organized. Felt safe and comfortable with the services.

In two days we got to see the big five and a lot of beautiful animals!

The parks we visited during our stay were varied. The first evening safari we didn’t see the animals we hoped. However the full day drive the following day made up for this. We saw everything we hoped to, mainly the Hippis and Giraffes. Was a wonderful experience.