Kruger National Park
About a Kruger National Park Safari
When you stay at a private lodge how much time do you spend in the bush on safari?
Staying in a private lodge for a 2N Safari stay gives you a total of about 12 hours of game drive bush time.
Some lodges also offer a short walking safari after the am game drive.
How long should you go on safari for ?
My suggestion is a minimum of 2 Nights however a safari is dependent on how much travel time you have, time, your budget, and interests.
If you have a special interest for eg birding, general photography, rhino darting conservation practices then I recommend 3 Nights and up.
Kruger National Park safari options:
1) Staying in a private lodge.
Since we custom design safaris we will take care of all the logistics ie flights, guides, drivers, safari reservations, special meals (if needed) and or road transfers.
You can create your safari around a lodge or use one of the pre existing itineraries that we offer that can be used as is or modified to meet your needs.
Sabi Sands Game reserve: Sampling of luxury/first class/moderate safari lodges.:
Timbavati : Sampling of Moderate/First class private lodges
Greater Kruger Park. Sampling of Moderate/First class private lodges
or a combination South Tour & Safari.
South Africa Tours South Africa tour packages that include a South or combination Southern Africa safari
2 ) Staying in the public safari camps in Kruger National Park.
Honest disclosure. I have become very partial and am a big fan of combining the private lodges with stays in the public camps within Kruger park
or
leaving out the private lodges and doing the safari utilizing the many camp spread out within Kruger Park.
Since we custom design safari we can be creative as you want it to be.
Skukuza rest camp in Southern Kruger National Park
Below are some advantages to staying within the public camps with a link to a page that will give you much more information.
- Cost. The Kruger public safari campgrounds are relatively inexpensive compared to a private lodge even taking into account meals which are all the camps offer a restaurant and or self catering option that many people enjoy.
- Location. The Kruger public safari campgrounds are located through Kruger National park making it easy to draw up a schedule of stays that can cover different areas of Kruger Park.
- Guided game drives. All the camps offer a am and pm and even a greater variety of guided game drives that anyone can join in given that space is available.
- Road infrastructure. There is a huge as in vast and varied tarred and dirt road infrastructure that can be explored in between the camps and or surrounding a particular camp…..more
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3) Privately guided Photographic safari
4) Private guide safari in Kruger National Park.
Sample 4N private guide safari within Kruger Park
This is a rough itinerary of what the privately guided vehicle safaris through Kruger National Park look like, followed by an example of what the day by day activities look like.
This is based on the the Kruger National Park rest camps below, dependent on availability:
o Lower Sabie Rest Camp area
o Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp area
o Letaba Rest Camp area
The Accommodation within Kruger National Park Rest Camps is a combination of self catering that many people like and or each rest camp has 1 or 2 restaurant options.
For the self catering option food items can be purchased before you enter Kruger or each camp has a store.
The other lodging that we use is a smaller retreat like setting right on the crocodile river ie the southern border of the kruger park. Accommodation is from basic to luxurious self-catering, and all nine of the units have views of the Crocodile River. The nearest town for dinning if you don't want to self cater is 12km's/about 7miles away
The general duration of this privately guided Kruger National Park safari is 3 to 5 nights with a minimum of 2 nights and they can be extended beyond 5 nights.
Vehicle used is a SUV vehicle for small Groups of 1-3 people and a 8-12 Seater Minivan for larger Groups.
If the travelers want the open the safari vehicle one can be arranged.
General activities.
- Guided self-drives around the Kruger National Park, mainly but no restricted to the Southern and Central areas.
The guided kruger camp activities such as night drives and morning walks can be arranged and included in the itinerary
Meals and Drinks
This is a fully catered safari with:
o Light breakfast, Mid-Morning snacks, Lunch, 2 course Dinner (Main Course and Desert) and All Alcoholic, Soft drinks, Teas/Coffees
Kosher, Vegetarian or Vegan requests can be accommodated.
Day 1
Depart Johannesburg early for Kruger National Park or fly into the kruger airport and meet your guide at the airport.
Arrive at lodging around midday,unpack,lunch.
Afternoon Drive Crocodile Bridge Gate in the Lower Sabie area of Kruger National Park.
Return at Gate Closure Time, Sundowners Dinner
Day 2
After a early morning wake-up,we eat a light breakfast and depart at 06h00 for the Morning Driveto Explore Lower Sabie area.
The mid-morning stop for Tea/Coffee and snacks will be at Sunset Dam, returning midday to our lodging.
After Lunch we have a rest time, a swimming pool is available and then depart for the Afternoon game drive.
Returning to our lodging for sundowners and dinner.
Day 3
After a early morning wake-up,we eat a light breakfast and depart at 06h00 for the Morning Drive.
We will drive 30-minute Drive to theMalelane Gate to explore the Berg-en-Dal area.
The mid-morning stop fortea/coffee and snacks will be at Afsaal Picnic Area,returning midday to our lodging.
After Lunch,we take a rest time a swimming pool is available and then depart for the Afternoon game drive.
Returning to our lodging for sundowners and dinner.
Day 4
After a early morning wake-up,we eat a light breakfast and depart at 06h00 for the Morning Drive.
Today we will take a leisurely drive through Kruger National Park to Letaba Rest Camp,a distance of about 190km.
with game viewing and frequent stops at various places of interest
The mid-morning stop for tea/coffee will be at the Tshokwane Picnic Area
We will lunch at Satara Rest Camp, and should arrive at Letaba Rest Camp +- 15h00 where we will spend the night.
Take a rest, a swimming pool is available and or visit the Elephant Museum.
We will have a short evening arrive along the Letaba River.
Returning to Letaba Rest Camp for sundowners and dinner
Day 5
After a early morning wake-up,we eat a light breakfast and depart at 06h00 for your final morning game drive heading for the Phalaborwa Gate with stops at various places of interest along the way.
We will have a late morning tea/coffee or lunch at Sanparks Phalaborwa Gate and then depart Phalaborwa Gate for the road trip back to Johannesburg.
Those that are flying out of the Kruger area will be transferred to the airport.
What is becoming increasingly popular as a way to experience more areas within the park is to do some nights in a private game lodge and then some nights with a private guide in the greater Kruger National Park.
The guide knows the park, they drive enabling you to immerse yourself in the bush.
The schedule and pace is yours.
The park camps offer moderate en suite lodging restaurants as well as park located game activities ie game drives, etc so you add some of these in as well.
You can stay in the public en suite bungalow camps within Kruger National Park park or in the smaller moderate to boutique lodging right outside the park gates.
When you stay outside the gates of Kruger National park, you access the park early in the am and can spend the whole day in the park covering lots of distance, leaving before the gates close.
My suggestion is definitely rather stay inside the park, however we will design your Africa safari as you want it.
5) Self Drive Kruger National Park packages.
Kruger National Park is a easy self drive activity, we will book the car/camps for you and give you point to point driving instructions for those who want the Independent safari experience.
Advantages of self driving:
- You covers more eco systems this way.
- The park camps are located right throughout the park offering services like Safari bush dinners,walking Safaris, game drives.
- The park camps all have restaurants or you can reserve a self catering bungalow
- All the park camps have shops to purchase supplies from.
- Park camps lodging are all en suite in quaint moderate bungalows.
- With a self drive you are not constrained by schedule or time,as we design for what you want to do.
- We prearrange all lodging for you.
- Reserve the car rental with full super cover(full) rental insurance.
- We give you point to point driving instructions, GPS rental available.
- When we do telephone trip review we will offer you ideas around your self drive ie places, restaurants etc.
An alternative to you self driving is where we hire a local safari guide who will drive you around the park, while still staying in the park rest camps, see # 3 above.
Self Drive Kruger National Park packages
6) Set departure group
Set departure group are fully guided and mostly not all stay outside the park with daily game drive into the park.
These set departures vary from budget/adventure where you may stay in tents and do some walking staying within the park to staying in a hotel outside the park gates and doing game drives ie no walking during the day. On Request.
7 ) A active approach which can also be combined with some game driving.
A walking Safari in Kruger Park.
8) Kruger National Park has some awesome birding
These will be with a specialized birding guide. Kruger Park Birding Safaris
9) We also offer Kosher safaris as well as Vegan safaris.
Weather in Kruger National Park.
The height of summer is during the months December, January and February.
The hot days – temperatures range from upper 20’s to mid 30’s Celsius – are interrupted by spectacular thunderstorms that are as brief as they are intense.
Whilst it can rain anytime during summer, each rainstorm is of relatively short duration and the total amount of rain during the entire season is a paltry 500 mm (about 20 inches) on average.
Most spectacular of all is the start of new life, during December the lambs of most of the antelope species are born and this is the time of sprightly young creatures finding their running legs and partaking in the bounty of succulent summer grasses.
Also, this the time of plenty for the predators and so the circle of life continues.
During April the deciduous tree leaves change color and the grass becomes more khaki in colour.
In May the temperature is markedly cooler – ranging from the mid 10’s to mid 20’s Celsius; cool enough for warm clothing on the early morning and late afternoon game drives, but delightful during the sunny days.
This is ideal walking weather. Surface water starts to disappear during this time and soon most pans are shallow muddy depressions; perfect for a mud bath, elephants, rhino and buffalo enjoy this activity.
June and July are the mid-winter months and not only is this the coldest time of the year (although we never freeze – this is sub-tropical Africa after all!), but by now most surface water has dried up and day-by-day it becomes drier.
August and September are the driest months of the year and it is during these months that the vegetation really opens up and allows for greater visibility into the bush. All animals are under greater water stress this time of the year and many congregate around the few remaining water filled pans and dams; making for spectacular game viewing.
During the month of September daytime temperatures start to increase, placing most animals under increasing water stress. And this time of the year more than any other is when the weak and old fall prey to the predators, the circle of life continues
The month of October is the month of anticipation, with great cumulus cloud formations, rumbling their promise, but not delivering on it, not yet.
By November the grasses and trees are green with fresh new leaves. Enough rain water starts to accumulate to fill the pans and dams and Summer is truly here.
Weather in Kruger National Park.
The height of summer is during the months December, January and February.
The hot days – temperatures range from upper 20’s to mid 30’s Celsius – are interrupted by spectacular thunderstorms that are as brief as they are intense.
Whilst it can rain anytime during summer, each rainstorm is of relatively short duration and the total amount of rain during the entire season is a paltry 500 mm (about 20 inches) on average.
Most spectacular of all is the start of new life, during December the lambs of most of the antelope species are born and this is the time of sprightly young creatures finding their running legs and partaking in the bounty of succulent summer grasses.
Also, this the time of plenty for the predators and so the circle of life continues.
During April the deciduous tree leaves change color and the grass becomes more khaki in colour.
In May the temperature is markedly cooler – ranging from the mid 10’s to mid 20’s Celsius; cool enough for warm clothing on the early morning and late afternoon game drives, but delightful during the sunny days.
This is ideal walking weather. Surface water starts to disappear during this time and soon most pans are shallow muddy depressions; perfect for a mud bath, elephants, rhino and buffalo enjoy this activity.
June and July are the mid-winter months and not only is this the coldest time of the year (although we never freeze – this is sub-tropical Africa after all!), but by now most surface water has dried up and day-by-day it becomes drier.
August and September are the driest months of the year and it is during these months that the vegetation really opens up and allows for greater visibility into the bush. All animals are under greater water stress this time of the year and many congregate around the few remaining water filled pans and dams; making for spectacular game viewing.
During the month of September daytime temperatures start to increase, placing most animals under increasing water stress. And this time of the year more than any other is when the weak and old fall prey to the predators, the circle of life continues
The month of October is the month of anticipation, with great cumulus cloud formations, rumbling their promise, but not delivering on it, not yet.
By November the grasses and trees are green with fresh new leaves. Enough rain water starts to accumulate to fill the pans and dams and Summer is truly here.
Options for a Kruger National Park safari:
Based on a tour of South Africa that includes a Safari with different number of nights free for a safari, some possible Kruger National Park safari combinations:
2 Nights free for a safari:
Kruger National Park private lodge or Kruger Park Public camp.
3 Nights free for a safari:
- 3 Nights Kruger National Park private lodge
- or 2 N Kruger National Park private lodge and 1 N Kruger park public camp ground.
- or 3 Nights Kruger Park Public camps.
4 Nights free for a safari:
- 4 Nights meander from Central Kruger down to Southern Kruger National Park staying in the Kruger Park Public camps,
- or 2 N Kruger National Park private lodge and 2N Kruger Park Public camp,
- or 2N staying in a private lodge in one area and 2 N staying in a private lodge in another area.
5 Nights free for a safari:
- 5 Nights meander from Northern Kruger down to Southern Kruger National Park staying in the public camp grounds,
- or 2 N staying in a private lodge in the North of Kruger park, 2N staying in a private lodge in the southern part of Kruger Park, and 1 Night transition transfer day out of the park( distances are to great and speeds to slow to drive from the south to the north in one day)
About the Kruger National Park
Greater Kruger National Park, is joint venture between the Kruger National Park and the Associated Private Nature Reserves. Together they have an area of more than 20.000.000 Ha (or more than 20.000 km²), under their joint conservation, and is one of the largest game reserves in Africa.
It covers an area of 19,485 square kilometers (7,523 sq mi) and extends 360 kilometers (220 mi) from north to south and 65 kilometers (40 mi) from east to west.
The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the “Biosphere”).[6]
The Kruger National Park is one of the great natural sanctuaries of the world and is home to an impressive number of species. The park has 10 main gates that allow entrance to the different camps, with an 11th in process to be opened in 2022.
The Kruger National Park is South Africa second largest wildlife park,(the Kgalagadi is South Africa largest park) however it is is the most popular and famous South African safari game park.
“We can be creative as you want it.””
“We are not set to any type of tour other than what you want”
Contact us: Africa Safari and South Africa Tour Contact form
Call Us: Call us at 541-482-6050
We design your Africa experience as you want it.