5-Day Kruger NP Guided Self-Drive Mid Range Tour

• A transfer from the airport is not included. You can use a taxi, request your hotel to arrange a transfer or prearrange a transfer yourself.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrive in Pretoria, meet your guide and drive in convoy to Awelane Lodge

Awelani Lodge is situated near Pafuri Gate (just 10 km away) at the northern section of Kruger National Park in South Africa. You will be treated to breakfast and dinner in the on-site restaurant. A pub is available for you if you want to relax with something cold. Situated in a 1700-hectare conservancy, Awelani provides visitors with an outstanding opportunity to walk or mountain bike through a wooded conservancy with a remarkable arrangement of trees; Baobab, Mopani and Lobombo Ironwood to name a few.

Sandstone outcrops hide San and Khoi rock art and traditional Venda grain storage units. A purpose-built bird hide and waterhole offers outstanding bird watching. This Pafuri area destination is an excellent site for twitchers.

Your guide will discuss the adventures ahead over a meal in the restaurant.

Please note: Refer to our company profile for a summary of the benefits of driving your own vehicle. A quotation for the rental of your vehicle will be provided separately.

Main Destination:

Northern Kruger National Park

Best Time To Visit May to September (Dry season)

High Season December to January and July to August

Best Weather Apr-May and Sep-Oct (Mild and little rain)

Wildlife in Kruger NP

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

BuffaloCommon

ZebraAbundant

WildebeestCommon

HippoCommon

Show more

HyenaCommon

White RhinoOccasional

LionOccasional

Black RhinoVery Rare

LeopardRare

CheetahRare

Wild DogVery Rare

Accommodation:

Awelani Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Northern Kruger NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Expore the Pafuri Region and drive to Crooks Corner via the Fever Tree Forest

After breakfast, we depart for the Kruger NP and enter the Kruger NP at the Pafuri Gate (the most northern gate of the Kruger NP). We drive slowly to the Pafuri Picnic Site on the banks of the Luvuvhu River, surrounded by tall Ana trees and thick riverine bush. It is something of a mecca for South African birders. Among the rarer birds that may be seen at Pafuri and along the Luvuvhu River, are the thick-billed cuckoo, racket-tailed roller, Narina trogon and trumpeter hornbill.

From here we follow the trail that winds through the fever tree forest to Crooks Corner. Crooks Corner got its name from the outlaws who lived there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

You are in a big-5 area and be on the lookout to spot some of the big-5 amongst the trees and bushes. Keep in mind that it can be hard to spot all of these wild animals, especially in one single game drive. Your goal is to experience being in the bush and see all African wildlife in their natural habitat.

Main Destination:

Northern Kruger National Park

Accommodation:

Awelani Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Northern Kruger NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Join a guided trip to the Thulamela Iron-Age Kingdom Site

Thulamela Iron-Age Kingdom. Thulamela, an ancient fortress overlooking the Luvuvhu River, was the political capital of an Iron-Age kingdom between 1200 AD and 1640 AD. The name is derived from the Shona phrase meaning "giving birth". Thulamela was "discovered" by a Park ranger in 1991 and much of the site has been restored.

The rulers of Thulamela are believed to have controlled a far-reaching trading network between the Mozambican coast and the South African interior. Excavations have yielded traces of gold artefacts from Zimbabwe, glass beads from India and porcelain from China.

You are still exploring areas within the Kruger NP and be on the lookout for animals behind bushes and around corners. Who knows, maybe you see more of the big-5 today.

Back at Awelani Lodge, we visit some of the San and Khoi rock art sites as well as traditional Venda grain storage units.

Tonight you will be treated to a "Cave Braai" at Awelani Lodge.

Main Destination:

Northern Kruger National Park

Accommodation:

Awelani Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Northern Kruger NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore Makuya NR or drive to Punda Maria

Option 1: We explore the wild Makuya NR bordering the Kruger NP. No fences between Makuya NR and the Kruger NP allow the game to migrate across the border between the nature reserve and the national park. It is an untamed area with basically no infrastructure. The 4x4 trail is challenging but you are rewarded with amazing views including the World View, the Luvuvhu Gorge where the Luvuvhu River carved its path through the mountain and the Mutale Falls and Potholes.

Option 2: If you do not want to drive the challenging 4x4 trail in the Makuya NR, we enter the Kruger NP again and drive to the Punda Maria Rest Camp where you can buy yourself lunch in the restaurant. After lunch, we drive slowly back to the Pafuri Gate and Awelani Lodge. Who knows what surprises from nature await you along the way?

Main Destination:

Makuya Nature Reserve (Greater Kruger)

Accommodation:

Awelani Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Northern Kruger NP

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Pretoria to your next destination

As our time together draws to a close, we say goodbye to our new friends and head back home. You will continue your journey to your next destination on your own, whenever you feel ready to leave. We hope that you will cherish the unforgettable memories you have made during your time with us and that you will have plenty of beautiful photos to share with your loved ones and friends.

Main Destination:

No major destination visited

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• A transfer back to the airport is not included. You can use a taxi, request your hotel to arrange a transfer or prearrange a transfer yourself.