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Tony
GB
Visited:
September 2017
Reviewed: Nov 11, 2017
Email Tony | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wildlife galore
The standard chalet that we had was simple, but clean and had everything we needed. The fridge, kettle, toaster and microwave enabled us to have a good breakfast before driving out on safari each day.
We took a packed lunch with us each day, because the long drives meant that it was too far to return to Satara in the middle of the day. In the evening we ate in the restaurant which had good, filling food at a reasonable price.
The weather started quite cool and I began to wonder if it had been a mistake not to bring a coat, but luckily it warmed up as the days passed. There was one cloudy day, the rest were sunny with some lovely sunrises and sunsets.
On the way in we drove on the H7 to Satara and on the way out we took the Rabelais loop back to Orpen.
On
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our three full days, we drove the s100 - s41 - h6 loop twice and the s40 - s60 - s39 - s36 - s126 - h1-3 route once.Driving ourselves meant that we could spend as long as we wanted when we saw something interesting and we stopped frequently. We didn't feel that the park was too crowded, even though Satara is quite a big camp. At most animal sightings there were only 1 or 2 other vehicles present, while at bird sightings we were normally the only vehicle present.
We enjoyed the Sweni bird hide because there was always something happening. We spent a couple of hours there, on each of our s100 days, watching the crocodiles, hippos and all the bird life.
At the Sweni waterhole on the s126 we saw large numbers of elephants (100+) coming to drink in the evening.
One evening we joined a guided tour run from Satara. It turned into a long drive along the S100 to a reported leopard sighting, but was worth it as we had superb views of a leopard resting in a tree as the sun went down.
We saw all the animals that we hoped to see, plus lots more, with the exception of rhinoceros. The commonest sightings were impala, elephant, giraffe, zebra, kudu and wildebeest, plus lots of birds.
The highlights were the leopard sighting mentioned previously, the elephant and giraffe that walked right past us while we were sat in our car having lunch, the kingfisher slapping a fish on a branch to kill it, the lilac breasted rollers, the martial eagle and many others.
We thoroughly enjoyed our four days self driving in the Kruger, but it was a pleasant change to be driven on guided safaris for the remaining 6 days of our trip in the Sabie Sands and Klasserie reserves.
James Autry
US
Visited:
September 2017
Reviewed: Oct 25, 2017
Email James Autry | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mbabane Mike
SZ
Visited:
January 2017
Reviewed: Oct 2, 2017
Email Mbabane Mike | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our first trip in January 2017 was so great we returned in June and are going back a third time.
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.
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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.
PyLb29
FR
Visited:
January 2017
Reviewed: Sep 25, 2017
Email PyLb29 | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Impressive
The fact of traveling in 4x4 of 6-8 people is appreciable, the diversity and the landscapes there are an asset for who want to have fun with his camera. Indeed, we had the great chance to see the Big Five (Twice on two safaris .... incredible !!!).
What sets it apart is the immensity of the park as you can stay away from the wildlife by driving long distances, or take the cross-roads to get close to it. Each species takes ownership of its geographical area, you can also target the ones you want to see by contacting the Rangers who keep each other informed of their migrations, and their knowledge is a wealth of information.
If this is your first safari, this is the must-see park and it will be necessary to devote at least two days to fill up memories.
Balance sheet:
A true happiness, this park is immense, truly immense; so
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it all depends on how long you stayed there, or the luck you have.Trust the Rangers to understand and learn.
This park is necessary for the preservation of wildlife.
Little more, the month of January is calmer.
One thing is for sure, I would go back someday.
Nicolas
FR
Visited:
August 2017
Reviewed: Sep 2, 2017
Email Nicolas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
too many cars to enjoy the quietness we expect when observing animals
MiChaH
NL
Visited:
May 2017
Reviewed: Jul 29, 2017
Email MiChaH | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tom Friedel
AU
Visited:
May 2017
Reviewed: Jul 26, 2017
Email Tom Friedel | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The Kruger NP is one of the premier parks in the world for wildlife . This also applies to all the private concessions which abut the Kruger. It is an easy destination to get to (flying/car) and attracts around a million visitors a year. This is also reflected in the number of people visiting the private adjoin concessions, Hence the bush vibe which you get in some of the remoter parks and areas in southern Africa (eg Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania)) is not as pronounced. This may be different for some other South African areas
tobias.gebhardt
DE
Visited:
March 2017
Reviewed: Jul 16, 2017
Email tobias.gebhardt | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Have seen several lioness and a lion close to our car. That has been the highlight.
We have spent 2 days in that National Park but you can spend even more time because there is a lot to discover.
Princess Lindy
ZA
Visited:
March 2016
Reviewed: May 26, 2017
Email Princess Lindy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The most amazing and pleasant wild life experience
Being the largest game in SA, the beautiful land, which borders onto Mozambique offers a magnificent scenery, being situated in the warm par of SA, Mpumalanga, the weather is always great which is also favorable to all the wild animals hosted by the game reserve. There are many hotels and guest houses in and around the Kruger and the one we stayed in offered was rightly positioned on the border of the Krruger river and we could still see some animals wondering along the fence. Inside the game game reserve we was a host of wild animals, birds, vultures and reptiles. We were able to see 4 of the Big 5 animals, we didn't get to see the Rhinos. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.
Lilian Ruzius
BE
Visited:
February 2017
Reviewed: May 4, 2017
Email Lilian Ruzius | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The wildlife is great in Kruger and it was the only place where we saw the Lions and Giraffes. You can drive in Kruger for hours to see or don't see the animals as there is a thick vegetation and the terrain is flat. My advise take a game drive so you will have your views from a higher position and the rangers contact each other about the wildlife so you will see more on your trip.