Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park never disappoints

The Kruger National Park remains my favorite destination for a self drive african safari. Wildlife vis abundant, ample bird species, plentiful rest camps to take a break and spectacular scenery.

The highlight of our trip was a leopard kill in the lower Sabie area. We passed a fresh kill that was anchored between two branches in a tree. It was obvious that the leopard was regaining strength as it was nowhere to be seen. We decided to leave the sight and took a coffee break at Lower Sabie Rest camp about 20 min drive north. We were delighted by the leopard feasting on the kill when we returned a hour later.

A very comfortable access to wildlife

We planned a whole week in the park and we were not disappointed. We changed rest camps every night which means that we could see a lot of different areas. This park is diverse, it was definitely worse it! While the larger rest camps offer a more comfortable stay, we felt closer to nature in the smaller facilities. The game drives proposed by the rest camps are excellent value and complement your own drives.

Kruger lived up to the hype for wildlife and birding... In three days we saw an exceptional amount of game and birds. Highlights were Hyenas right outside the fence at Balule Camp (high score for bush vibe), Southern Ground-Hornbills, and a leopard right by the roadside near Satara.

Kruger is great , but it is better to stay for a longer stay , and vary the places you stay inside, to appreciate this huge park.

Vista Safaris through Budget Safaris. Incredible - well recommended!

I visited Kruger with my wife as the first part of our honeymoon. The park itself was amazing. We were fortunate enough to see The Big Five in one day which was truly incredible. Our tour guides and trip was organised through Vista Safaris and I couldn't be happier with the service they provided. Their knowledge of the animals and area (and ability to spot animals) was second to none, their attitude toward customers was welcoming and they went out of their way to ensure we had a great time. Kruger itself is a huge park with diverse and fascinating wildlife. You get to see a vast array of animals within a relatively short distance within the park.
We stayed in Balule Nature Reserve at the Tremisana Lodge and would definitely recommend it. The sunset safaris and the night time safaris were amazing, and the highlight for us was seeing elephants at night beside the old land cruiser. The food was great and the evening vibe at the lodge was really good fun. We were there for 5 nights and spent each evening talking about what we had done that day with other guests over dinner and a couple of beers.

Amazing to experience the wilderness of Kruger that's led by animals!

Kruger is one of the most amazing places I've ever been. I expected to go there just for the wildlife, but ended up admiring not only the animals but the beautiful and expansive nature and even started to appreciate all the beautiful birds. One of our greatest experiences was the wilderness walk we made. We stayed in a beautiful small camp in the middle of nowhere, were no cars and tourists can come. We slept just a few metres away from a waterhole with elephants, buffalos, rhinos and other animals around us throughout the day. Walking with the rangers was a once in a lifetime experience that you shouldn't miss when you visit Kruger. It was a great change after a few days of wildlife spotting in the car. However, I can recommend driving through Kruger as well. It's a great way to spot animals and enjoy the beauty of the park. We stayed at .. and .. and drove every day from 06:00 - 18:00. These early and late moments of the day are the best since animals you don't see during the day show themselves and give some spectacular viewings. I always thought that going to Kruger was only for 'rich people', but it's very affordable if you just go there with your own car and stay in a tent or small cottage in one of the camps. A must do when you're in South-Africa! And please bring your binocular and camera, but don't forget to enjoy the moments and don't just see the animals through your camera :-)

A fantastic, memorable experience of South Africa's wildlife

We first visited the Kruger in July 2015 with Wildwings Safaris (staying at Skukuza and Satara) and had such an amazing time that we visited again in August 2016 (staying at Letaba, Mopani and Shingwedzi). Kruger is huge (about the size of Wales or Israel) so there is plenty of habitat to support a wide range of wildlife. We had excellent views of the 'Big 5' and other great wildlife such as Wild Dogs, Honey Badgers, Sable, Roan antelope (north of Shingwedzi) and Tsessebe. Both visits took place during the southern winter (dry season) and the weather was dry, warm and sunny with game viewing easier then due to the drier vegetation. We stayed in the SANParks rest camps and these were an ideal base, with handy shops for buying your own groceries if self-catering or restaurants if not. There was also a petrol station at each camp. Our guide with Wildwings Safaris (Simon) was excellent and really enthusiastic - it was like he was on holiday with us! He was also a keen birder (as am I) so it was great to be able to stop and enjoy plenty of Kruger's varied birdlife too. They also arranged our other accommodation in South Africa flawlessly - I can't recommend this company highly enough. We also enjoyed the SANParks evening/night game drives and bush walks, which provide an alternative way to see the bush after the gates have closed and a chance at seeing something unusual, such as Porcupine, Genet and Side-striped Jackal. We love Kruger and will definitely be back again.

Outstanding experience

We stayed at Skukuza camp in company of Outlook Safaris. I do not have words to describe our experience during range drives, accommodations and Outlook Safari services. They are really prepared and organized to offer best experience during your visit, since transfer from airport to Skukuza everything were made by professionals. Breakfast, branch, dinner, game drives, animals information etc., were perfect.

Splendid trip

Went to Kruger in dry season so game viewing was excellent. Saw all Big Five as well as many antelope, hippos, crocodiles, birds, wild dogs, porcupines, hyena, apes, and variety of other stuff. Only missing was young but not the right season.
Was very dry and brown so lot of good sightings around Sabina river and waterworks.
Camp Skukusa was excellent, guides were knowledgeable, food was good and roads were good. Good time to visit SA with exchange rate.

The best wildlife experience

I have been to Kruger a couple of times and already have reservations to return. The wildlife viewing is exceptional, I have seen the big 5 on most days. The terrain is varied from area to area and you can have many up close encounters along the roads. There is always something new and unique to watch and see and no day is the same. I prefer self drive. I like to stop when and where I want for as long as I want. For instance sometimes I watch a pride of lions for a couple of hours. Kruger is a special and unique place and an excellent value, I believe the best in Africa. For me Safari is all about the animals and Kruger has it. I prefer to rent self catering accommodation and run entirely on my own schedule. I also appreciate being able to access facilities like bathrooms and shops during my time at the park. The modern amenities are kept in the camps and do not interfere with your experience. The amount of visitors allowed into the park is limited so it does not get overcrowded. Even during busy seasons I have found off roads and areas that were barely trafficked. The park is well run, maintained, and organized and provides an outstanding safari experience in many forms to fit all tastes.