Kruger Park Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- Southern Africa Tourism Services Association
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $108 to $271 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Claire | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Make-A-Wish Trip with Kruger
I cannot say enough positive things about Kruger Park Travel! I am a Wish Coordinator for Make-A-Wish Colorado and came across Kruger Park Travel when we had a wish for a young girl whose wish was to visit Victoria Falls. I reached out to Kruger about some potential options and immediately got a supportive and excited response. They sponsored our wish child's wish and planned an amazing trip for her family. Kylie was so easy to work with and helped me with every question that I had. I wish I could use Kruger for every wish!
Friendly and Professional.
We had a wonderful time in South Africa thanks to Kruger Park Travel and especially the amazing Kylie. She co-ordinated internal flights, accommodation, pick ups and safari tours for us and the whole trip went off without any problems at all. Kylie did it all in a friendly and professional manner. I would highly recommend this organisation.
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Email Erica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Program, Great Staff, Very Professional and Organized
Throughout May and June I traveled to Kruger National Park for weekend trips with 3 groups of 30 students and lecturers with Kruger Park Travel. Kylie and her team were extremely accommodating and made sure everything ran smoothly. Pre-program questions were answered in a very timely manner. Kylie was willing to make changes to the schedule to help fit the specific interests of our students. Food, travel, and accommodation were tasty and very comfortable. They were able to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, nut allergies, as well as gluten and lactose intolerant individuals. The game drives were absolutely incredible. We saw more wildlife that I expected and the guides were knowledgable and very fun to be with. They took time to explain even the little things and kept the students very entertained throughout the day. Kylie organized local dancers to put on a show for us after dinner at the lodge as well as a trip to a nearby cultural village to help make the most of the experience. I will certainly be using Kruger Park Travel in the future and would recommend them to other tourists and travelers.
GR
Email Venizelos Stagakis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 Days Safari - Sabie River Bush Lodge
I would like to express my gratitude to Kruger Park Travel operator for high caliber of services provided during my trip at Kruger National Park. From the first point of contact till the end, Kylie was really helpful and supportive regarding any question or special request I asked for. The safari experience exceeded any expectation I had before getting there, as in only 3 days we managed to spot plenty of animals (all big 5) that I have read on books since I was a child. My guide Steven was outstanding and I would suggest to anyone visiting Kruger Park to go with him. His knowledge for wildlife is beyond imagination and apart from that he is kind and nice person to spend your time with pleasure! Sabie River Bush Lodge is such a nice location to relax after your safari and all personnel is more than welcome to serve and provide excellent guest experience! I suggest Kruger Park Travel to anyone who is willing to live the Kruger Park safari experience without second thought!!!
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Email Lacy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My favorite part of our 3 week South Africa vacation
Booking with this company was so easy. They were very responsive through email and answered all the many questions I had. The service was great from transfer to the lodge to the safari itself and everything in between. We had one little hiccup, as we requested a private tour but were placed with other travelers on day 3 of our safari. The guides quickly solved the problem and consolidated other groups so we could have the private safari. Our included night at the Outlook Lodge was so much fun. We were there on Christmas night and enjoyed a delightful dinner with fellow travelers. Francois made our night there super enjoyable. I would highly recommend this company to anyone traveling to Kruger.
Email Paul | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent communication and delivered on promises from start to finish
From the moment we booked and until we headed home the team at Kruger Park Travel made life so easy and delivered on all their promises.
Having stepped off the plane from Cape Town we were looked after all the way, tour of Soweto was amazing, trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana eye openers, and many times mouth openers, with the Kruger the icing on the cake.
All accommodation was excellent, tours were fun from start to finish, I thought the itinerary of the 9 day tour is well put together and certainly allows you to enjoy your time and not worry about what to do next.
I found the whole experience worth every dollar we paid, In fact I was surprised at what we got for the money, action packed excitement!!
I would certainly recommend booking with the team and enjoy a stress free exciting holiday
PH
Email Maj | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Safari Trip at Kruger Park
Despite the time difference between Asia and Africa, Kruger Park Travel answered our queries promptly and patiently (we had no idea what to expect as it was our first time to go on a safari).
They were very helpful with all our questions.
We chose to stay in the Sabie River Bush Lodge which was extremely comfortable (even the tent!).
The lodge is a bit of a drive away from Kruger Park so if you want to save on travel time and sleep (call time for the morning safari drives/morning bush walk are really early) you might want to stay in Skukuza instead (It's inside Kruger Park and nearer the souvenir shops but it's also busier). What we loved about the lodge was the intimate feel- it doesn't feel crowded plus the view of the river is superb. We saw a herd of elephants playing in the river on our last day.
We were in the tent the first night and the rooms on the succeeding nights. We chose this set up because we wanted to be adventurous and try the tent for at least 1 night.
The tent was much bigger than we expected but the lights were pretty dim but overall very comfortable with a huge bed and we had electricity inside. It was not what i envisioned a tent would be! I would have chosen the tent for our entire stay if I'd known how comfortable it would be. The view of the tent is also better compared to the rooms.
But the rooms were cosy and comfortable also. The staff were courteous and helpful. We also loved the food served to us.
But most of the rooms are strictly for 2 people only so clarify how many rooms you'll be getting.
For our first safari trip, our experience was incredible. The guides were very knowledgeable, helpful and courteous. We were able to see the Big 5 and then some.
Our sunset safari drive was with a big group (more than 20pax) so pick good seats for a great view of the animals (and unhindered photos!). It started at around 5:30pm and we ended at around 8pm.
If you don't mind long walks, go for the morning bush walk. It's worth the experience. We saw a herd of more than 30 elephants marching right ahead of us and a rhino sun bathing. But if you do this, wear earth colors (browns and leafy greens) so you won't scare the animals. We started walking at around 5:30am and our tour ended at around 8am.
We also had the all day safari (5:30am to 3pm) where we saw a leopard up close. The hard to find animals (leopards and lions) usually come out in the early morning when it's cooler so go for the morning safaris rather than the afternoon if you can only choose 1.
Try to visit the viewing deck also and be patient. While we were watching the hippos, an eagle swooped in, caught a fish, perched on a nearby branch and started eating it right in front of us.
You don't usually need binoculars to see the big animals unless they're really far but you'll need them to see the birds better.
The weather was tricky though- it's pretty chilly in the early mornings and it gets hot during the day but on our first night, we experienced strong winds and it got pretty cold. The next day, the evening was humid so it's smart to wear layers so you're prepared for any weather changes.
And do tip your guides as much as you can afford (or more if you're generous haha)! They'll appreciate it. :)
We appreciated the set up in Sabie River Bush Lodge because there's a tipping box at the Reception where you can give and they divide it equally among all the staff, not just the staff you often interact with (you can also tip via credit card).
Overall, a huge check in our bucket list and we'd definitely love to go back!
Email Matthew | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience with top quality communication throughout.
I can not recommend Kruger Park Travel highly enough. We booked a 6 day safari trip staying at Kruger Park Lodge. Kylie was our point of contact and we exchanged many emails prior to our arrival in South Africa. She was always willing to answer our questions and went above and beyond helping me sort a private safari for our planned engagement (she said yes btw). The accomodation was very nice and great value for money. I had reservations over the restaurant quality prior to our visit as it seemed to be the one downside people highlighted on previous reviews, however, we found the food off the A la carte menu was of decent quality and was available every night upon request. So no complaints from us. The company used for the safari had very knowledgable staff and gave us the best opportunity to see the wonderful wildlife on offer. All in all we had a fantastic trip, the highest compliments go to Kylie for her organisation, she is a credit to Kruger Park Travel. We are sure to use the company again on our next visit to Kruger.
BO
Email Rene | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Marvelous Safari Experience at Kruger
The hotel is placed across the river where you will see wildlife coming to drink in the mornings/evenings. Specialized personnel will take you around the private park and if you have scheduled visits to Kruger, they will take you and guide you through it. I must say my wife and I were really delighted by the attention and the service in every aspect and would gladly return if we have the chance. The agency timely worked out all problems that we experienced, which were not serious anyway (the drive did not show up timely at OR Tambo airport and things like that). Overall, five stars to the experience and to how it was organized.
5 day safari experience
This is the first time for us to be on a safari trip. We slept the first 2 nights nights in the very basic, but comfortable shalet we had ordered in Skukuza, the "capital" of the Kruger National park. The crew took very well care of the group (about 20 people). The late breakfast (9 am. after the morning drive)and dinner (7.30 pm after the afternoon drive) were delicious. Before leaving Skukuza on the jeep at 6.30 am. we had just coffee and something small to eat.
Like for all partipants of our group, this was our first safari and we were fascinated each time we spotted an animal. The driver stopped each time someone called out which animal was there to see. He would explain about the animals lives and tell us interesting facts. Each time we encounterd an other jeep, the drivers would exchange information about which direction to drive to find certain animals, that we had not yet seen.
On the first day we started immediately after we arrived at 3 pm. with an afternoon ride till almost sun down.
We had been picked up from our hotel in Johannesburg at 7am. and were supposed to arrive in the Kruger national park at 2 pm. but we arrived 1 hour later.
We regret to have missed the "meet and greet" session, ment in the itinerary, for the start of our stay. Therefore we had no idea what we were going to do or where the different facilities were located. We could have used more general information and we felt a bit lost on the first day.
Altogether we had a wonderful time at the Kruger park and we saw and photographed many wild animals in their natural surroundings.
On the third day after breakfast we were picked up and driven to our next destination: Kapama private safari.
The luxury of the Southern Camp at Kapama was a complete surprise to us. We had no idea that such beautiful hotels do exist on safari grounds.
Except for the 5 stars accomodation and meals, also the drives on the open jeeps were more luxurious. For example, after 2 hours driving, the ranger stopped the car in a safe, open area and we were allowed to get off the jeep. A small table was set up with drinks and snacks and we could strech our legs for 10 minutes, walk around and enjoy the view from ground level, before continuing with the drive. After dark we continued for an hour and with a flash light we could see different animals, like hippos or an owl.
Besides those jeeps, no other cars are alowed to be driven through Kapama. The many driveways are unpaved and go criss-cross through the area. You can get closer to the animals than in the Kruger park, where you stay on the paved road and have to use more the binoculars. There we sometimes were waiting in line, like in the regular traffic, to get to a point where something interesting could be watched.
There has been a draught for over two years. The safari looks very dried out with not much green on the trees. It is hard to find grass and only under dry riverbeds there is some moist ground. An artificial lake is formed by a dam. Small lakes have dried up and when there is some water in a stream it is filled with islands that normally are covered with water.
It is easy to see what is going on from long distances through the dried bush without leaves. That is the only good thing about it. Piles of grass had been dumped on the dried out soil so the buffalos, zebra's, rhinos, etc. would not starve. The carnivores could take care of their own food since there are great numbers of small deer-like animals, who multiply fast.