Kruger National Park for "Beginners"

[Roguemeister]

Very good idea as I have the tendency to free fall into a rabbit hole once its opened, that rabbit hole being camping in this case

Look ill fully get behind people going down the rabbit hole for camping especially considering im a firm believer that if you are already thinking about it, you’re guaranteed to love it.

But im coming more from the side of dont delay to next year in order to get all the equipment. If thats the case rather go this year and forgo the camping. Can always come back next year and camp!


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[wrm]

My conclusion so far is, Camp, Stay inside the park, 2 nights in a camp, take basically everything we would need...

You got it. Except three to four nights per camp, or just one camp because to strike a tent and put it back up is a pain.

And IMO you want to be in the circus because then it's not that far to a loo, and with kids... I'd say go camp in Lower Sabie. Up when the gates open. Breakfast in Skukuza. Lunch at Pretoriuskop or Berg en Dal or Crocodile. Then the other way around the next day. And then Shokwane Satara the next day :-)

[BBCT]

I've been visiting Kruger this week. We stayed outside at Kruger Park Lodge in Hazyview mainly because we had timeshare points to burn but normally we'd prefer to stay inside the park. We have a camping trailer so we would normally use that.

We entered and left through Paul Kruger or Phabeni gates each time. It only took us maximum around 15 minutes to get in each time (including filling in the forms for taking a firearm in). We have a SANPARKS Wildcard so we don't pay any day fees - look at this option as it might be worth your while.

A few general observations:
1) We didn't see anywhere near as many animals as I expected. This may be explained by:
a) They have been doing controlled burns (still some smoking tree stumps today) in "our" area of the park which scared the animals away, or
b) The bush is much thicker and greener than I expected so animals can't be seen, or
c) They have had so much rain that there is water everywhere so animals have no need to come to waterholes.
I'm leaning towards b & c
2) We tried to book accomodation in the park a year ago and there was nothing available at any of the camps except Mopane but when I consider how few people/cars we saw in the park, there is NO WAY that all accomodation is booked up. This is probably the emptiest I've ever seen the park. The friends that we met up with had already spent a week in the northern parts of the park and they had exactly the same opinion. I think that tour operators book up all the accomodation in the hopes of selling it on at a profit then cancel without paying/get a refund when they don't magage to sell it on. Everybody is struggling at the moment and people can't afford to go on holiday. Accomodation is probably available in the park and that would, in my opinion, be better than staying outside and driving in every day.
3) Everything in the park is looking a bit tatty. Bridges haven't been repaired since the last flood, roadsigns are faded and/or falling off their posts and we saw many of those stone "cairns" at the intersections with no signange on them at all. Mrs Google had to be called on a few times. Camps need maintenance work. We also noticed the same last time we were here 18 months ago when we camped inside the park for 2 weeks. Our buddies mentioned above also commented on general poor state of repair this time eg light bulbs missing/blown in ablutions, toilet door latches broken etc. This is not Kruger as I knew it in the past, so don't expect a first world experience. It wasn't unpleasant for me but it's very average. My wife has higher standards than me and voiced her complaints regularly.
4) The approach to the park reminds one that we are deep in the 3rd world. I can only speak for the area where we are from first hand experience but from what I hear, it isn't much different around the other gates. Red traffic lights are treated largely as suggestions by the locals, and if you plan to stop at one I recommend you check your rear view mirror before doing so. (I learnt this trick living in Durban in the 80's so this isn't a unique problem but I'm out of practise after living in Cape Town for a couple of decades). Overtaking on a blind rise is normal and if you are being overtaken, expect them to push you off the road if an oncoming vehicle appears. They also don't worry if their car is longer than the gap available - again just expect to be pushed off the road. Occasionally you'll even experience in the park too - today there was a very aggressive woman driving a V8 tan coloured Landcruiser double cab with a free flow exhaust and an MP registration that we encountered on the way to the park then again in the park. She truly didn't care about me and my family in my Ranger.

Would I visit Kruger National Park again? YES, DEFINITELY! ;-)

[Antlion]

Some good info in this thread. As annual KNP visitors, we generally found in the different camps the managers are receptive to complaints and were quick to respond to any serious issues. Camping and the self catering chalets offer their own experiences just as staying nearby the park does. What I regularly tell visitors, especially new ones is look beyond the Big 5. If you go to the park with the mindset that there's much more to come across and encounter besides the Big 5, the smaller sightings start becoming incredible. Be it the raptors, other birds, insects, smaller mammals , smaller carnivores etc. A lot of these can be spotted within and around the camps in the evenings too.

[gary-t]

Look ill fully get behind people going down the rabbit hole for camping especially considering im a firm believer that if you are already thinking about it, you’re guaranteed to love it.

But im coming more from the side of dont delay to next year in order to get all the equipment. If thats the case rather go this year and forgo the camping. Can always come back next year and camp!


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Something to consider are staying in Safari tents. They are about half the price of bungalow's. They have a fridge and a braai area and are quite neat. we have stayed in them at Croc bridge. At Croc, Lower Sabie and Letaba the safari tents are 2 sleepers but Skukuza has 4 sleeper tents which might be more suitable for your. For 2 adults and 2 children you are looking at about R1000 per night

Safari Tent (CTT4)

2023-03-17

2023-10-31

R800

1-2

4

R198

R99

They sleep 4. R800 for 1st 2 adults. Kids are R99 each

[oafpatroll]

Something to consider are staying in Safari tents. They are about half the price of bungalow's. They have a fridge and a braai area and are quite neat. we have stayed in them at Croc bridge. At Croc, Lower Sabie and Letaba the safari tents are 2 sleepers but Skukuza has 4 sleeper tents which might be more suitable for your. For 2 adults and 2 children you are looking at about R1000 per night

Safari Tent (CTT4)

2023-03-17

2023-10-31

R800

1-2

4

R198

R99

They sleep 4. R800 for 1st 2 adults. Kids are R99 each

That sounds like a winner to me.

[Spliffcat]

Steven also look at the Botswana option.
The best part is that you ate not fenced in and you can walk around.

[Roguemeister]

Steven also look at the Botswana option.
The best part is that you ate not fenced in and you can walk around.

While bots is amazing, and in a completely different league to kruger, it is also quite expensive compared to kruger for camping.

I would definitely advise a kruger trip for first time campers, where amenities are close in case youve forgotten something (shops, fuel) etc so you can figure out what you want to have with you and what you do /dont need to pack before heading off into bots.


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[Steven001]

So in a spontaneous decision I burnt some timeshare point and we are going to Hazyview on Friday-Monday.

Planning on just spending a day in Kruger, enter via Phabeni Gate, drive down to Pretoriuskop, Google shows that there is a Wimpy there so that should cover breakfast, then Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial lookout, next Mathekenyane Hill, Up to Skukuza maybe for lunch and stretching, and then back to Phabeni Gate...

I obviously have no idea what the roads look like, I am in a 4x4 though but like I said, I dont want top piss my 2 toddlers off too much, any advice of the area I have in mind? I dont want to spend the entire day in the car an my idea route should be about 4-5 hours of driving...

[wrm]

The lookout is, well, a lookout. Miles and miles of Africa to see. 4x4? Head over to Mpondo dam via Voortrekker, Afsaal and maybe Biyamiti. From there you can go up to Skukuza for lunch. And from there take the waterhole road back to PK and head north on Albasini. And if you have time, back on Doispane and take the river road back to Phabeni.

Or that's what I would do :-)