Kruger National Park

Fantastic Experience!!

We had a fantastic 5 day trip to the Kruger National Park this February, stayed in the Southern section of the park around Crocodile Bridge and Lower Sabie. Amazing sightings, seen all of the Big 5 as well as a pack of Wild Dogs over the first 2 days. The highlight was an adult leopard consuming an impala in a tree closeby to the road. It was just after the rainy season and the vegetation was lush with lots of Birdlife around, especially around the rivers.We went during the off-peak season so the roads were quiet and it definitely had a "bush vibe", the only crowds were in the rest camps and at the day picnic spots where we had our lunches. Accommodation at the camps is basic but comfortable with all of the essentials provided. Overall a wonderful experience and a must-see for all nature lovers!

The most amazing and pleasant wild life experience

Being the largest game in SA, the beautiful land, which borders onto Mozambique offers a magnificent scenery, being situated in the warm par of SA, Mpumalanga, the weather is always great which is also favorable to all the wild animals hosted by the game reserve. There are many hotels and guest houses in and around the Kruger and the one we stayed in offered was rightly positioned on the border of the Krruger river and we could still see some animals wondering along the fence. Inside the game game reserve we was a host of wild animals, birds, vultures and reptiles. We were able to see 4 of the Big 5 animals, we didn't get to see the Rhinos. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

An experience in a lifetime

I journey to South Africa from the United States several times for business reasons. My last trip included a visit to Maputo, Mozambique, but between commitments, my friends and I stayed for a weekend at a private preserve in southern Kruger National Park.
I will never, ever forget this experience, and I can't recommend a trip to Kruger highly enough. On our guided early morning and evening tours, we gaped in awe at giraffe, impala, and elephants! It kept getting better: crocodiles lounging on the Crocodile River bank, hippos floating in the current, and cranes prancing along the shore. Jackals, hyenas, and the biggest herd of zebra I had ever seen -- not that I had seen a zebra anywhere other than TV or the zoo. The outstanding highlight of our outings was 20 minutes spent in the (distant, maybe 100 yards) of four male lions, who at one point began a chorus of roars. Our wonderful guide told us they were warning another lion of their presence. Also, we lucked on a leopard resting in a tree, visible by his legs hanging down from the limb.
Hundreds of photos help me recall this wonder. I plan to go back again.
I have written a series of blogs about my visit to Kruger. You can find them at http://bookviewcafe.com/blog/
I so appreciate this opportunity to share my experience, and hope others will be able to share the same some day.

The wildlife is great in Kruger and it was the only place where we saw the Lions and Giraffes. You can drive in Kruger for hours to see or don't see the animals as there is a thick vegetation and the terrain is flat. My advise take a game drive so you will have your views from a higher position and the rangers contact each other about the wildlife so you will see more on your trip.

Great wildlife sightseeing and infrastructure

I went to the Kruger Park in November/16, during 3 days. We entered the Park through the Phalaborwa Gate and drove via Olifants - Satara - Skukuza to exit using the Numbi Gate, overall good roads, ideal even for compact cars. You might look for a taller car (like a minibus/van) to have a better view (the higher the better). A 4x4 won't help much as most of dirt roads are closed to tourists.

There is abundant wildlife in the park: elephants, leopards, hippopotamuses, rhinos, giraffes, buffalos, zebras, waterbucks, just to name some of them.

Early spring is a great time to visit the park, as it is the start of the rainy season, so vegetation is green and there are lots of new-born animals to see.

The Park infrastructure for tourists is great, plenty of accommodation options in the various camps, reasonably good restaurants/markets.
If you want to enjoy the place, I would recommend a longer stay (5-7 days) with 2-3 nights in a camp. I strongly recommend to visit different regions of the park, as vegetation / wildlife / landscape quickly changes from one area of the park to another. Just be careful that searching for animals in the landscape can be quite exhausting, especially for people who are expecting something like a visit to a zoo.

The Park was not very busy, even in Skukuza, as we went during the low season.

Two final tips: get a binocular for every 1-2 person in the group ('any' binocular is better than no binocular) and buy the map/guide from SANS park that is sold in the gates, it has a lot of useful information and it has a better layout than most travel guides sold in bookstores.

Very special for Migrant Birds and Raptors, at certain times of the year, Good value for money , nice accommodation and splendid Hides

Kruger National Park is the biggest South African game reserve and home to the big five; Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Cape Buffalo. Game is plentiful in this game reserve and visitors are guaranteed seeing an abundance of game. Chances of seeing the big five as well as Cheetah, African Wild Dog and a vast variety of mammals is possible.

Adventure of a lifetime!

In September of 2014 my wife Claire and I went to South Africa for three weeks. We spent nine days in Kruger National Park. We flew from Gainesville, Florida, USA to Johannesburg and the next day we flew to Phalaborwa, just outside Kruger, where we rented a car from Avis (a Honda CRV). We did all our bookings online from car rentals to the places where we stayed in Kruger. At Kruger we stayed at the rest camps run by the South African park service (Sanspark). WE did our own drive and the only game drive we went on was a night drive (you can't drive at night so that was the only option to look for animals at night). We entered Kruger through Phalaborwa Gate after getting supplies at a local supermarket (great wine for about US$5 !). We first stayed at the Letaba Rest Camp then moved on to Talamati Bush Camp and then to the Lower Sabie Rest Camp. Wildlife and birds are abundant throughout the areas we visited and birding is particularly good at the camps because of the abundance of trees and water. The park is beautiful and the scenery is surprisingly varied with different types of vegetation, rivers, hills and even mountains. In early September it was still the southern hemisphere winter and even though it was quite warm during day the evenings were very pleasant and mosquitos were absent from the camps. In the Talamati Bush Camp you have to cook your own meals and the cottages have equipped kitchens. At the Rest Camps there were restaurants but the food was not great, not bad either, just unremarkable, thus we preferred to cook our own meals since we are vegetarians. In both Letaba and Lower Sabie the restaurant had river views (great at Lower Sabie with a fabulous deck overlooking the Sabie river) making it a great place for an early evening drink! Kruger is so beautiful and with so much going on that even if you are the worst photographer in the world you will come back with some great photos and videos. A visit to Kruger is a must for anybody interested in nature!

Fortunate to have visited this region in time. Future of wildlife is in danger because climatchange

If you want to get the feeling of the wildlife and the region you must stay at least 3 to 4 days. Great to visit by own car, but certainly use the local organized sunset, sundown and night drive. We were lucky to spot the big five and the dangerous eight. Also many birds and small animals.
We stayed at Olifant rest camp. Great place to be with a spectacular view from the top of the hill. Good food, friendly people.
We visited SA self organized because as photographers it is very difficult to be part of a group. Be sure to get your bookings online long time before.

One of the most exciting experiences I've ever had!

Going on a safari at Kruger National Park is undoubtedly one of the most exciting experiences I've ever had!

My advice is to visit the park with experienced rangers, although you can also visit Kruger Park with your own vehicle following the paved roads and crossing the animal sighting areas.

A day in the park is an adventure like no other! I still recall peering persistently into the bush in search of lions and the astonishment mingled with fear for the unexpected crossing of huge elephants! After dark, when the day comes to an end and you return to camp tired but excited, it's really great to share experiences with the other “explorers” perhaps with a “braai” (barbeque) around a nice fire.

For those who want to experience a more "comfortable” safari, there are several private reserves (located in the western area of the park) whose cozy and luxurious lodges offer an excellent service that can satisfy even the most demanding tourist. Within the private reserves sightseeing of game is virtually assured though, I must admit, the effect of surprise is less satisfying and the feverish search of animals less appealing...

To sum up: a safari at Kruger Park is a real "full immersion" in the wild at close contact with all the species of animals.

In order to read the full story, please visit my blog www.travelingdebby.it or follow my account Flickr (TravelingDebby) to see some photos. Thank you!