Kruger National Park

Excellent experience!

I booked through krugerpark.com, stayed at Tydon Safaris, and visited both Sabi Sands and Kruger Park.

What an awesome experience. Everything was perfect from the booking through the whole adventure.

I worked with Donna at krugerpark.com to book. I waited too long to actually book a safari and I was rushed to line up my travel for the safari with my work travel when I finally contacted Donna. It was basically 36 hours from the time I first called and talked with Donna until my trip was booked. She was excellent, working through a 6 hour time difference. We emailed and talked on the phone a few times. She even logged back on to finalize some things from home after work hours because I needed some time in the afternoon in my time zone to verify some things before booking. She wanted to finish the booking on her end as I finalized my international travel to be sure everything lined up correctly. Thank you Donna!

Donna books for multiple outfits throughout the park. She selected Tydon Safaris for me, and we settled on the 5 day Kruger Park and Sabi Sand combination. I didn’t know about Sabi Sand before now, and Donna suggested that the combination of the public Kruger Park with the private Sabi Sand reserve would be a great experience, and she was right!

I reached out to the owner Gavin with a couple of emails before the trip, and he was quick with responses and helpful. I worried about taking too much to the camp since I was traveling for business before the safari, and I worried about security for my laptop. He assured me that bringing extra luggage and keeping my laptop safe would be no problem. I flew to the airport about an hour away in Nespruit, and Gavin picked me up.

I thought I was going to stay at the Tydon Safari Camp, but I was at the Tydon Bush Camp instead. Although both are great, I really lucked out with this change! I did spend one day at the Safari camp when we went into Kruger, so I’m glad I experienced both. I talked to one couple who was splitting their nights between the two camps which is another idea to consider.

The Safari camp is small but bigger than Bush. It has about 6 tent cabins, whereas Bush has 3. Both have excellent staff including wonderful cooks who overfed us often! Safari sits between Kruger and Sabi Sands, so you are about 20 minutes from either outing. Bush sits right in Sabi Sands, so you are about 40 minutes from Kruger and right in Sabi Sands. Safari has a small swimming pool and more people; Bush doesn’t have a pool and is smaller. Again, both have pros and cons, but I would definitely pick Bush. You can hear the animals close by (and some stop in the camp!), you wake to the birds, and you are RIGHT THERE! And you might even get an extra outing. We had come back for the evening and were getting ready for dinner when our guide heard that two female lions were nearby… so he asked if we’d like to go take a look. Well heck yes! So we found them at night. Cool!!! People at Safari couldn’t do that. Also, I believe that Bush is adults only which is also nice in my personal opinion.

The tent cabins are very comfortable. I think the Bush tents are slightly smaller. You have two twin beds (but I think one had a single double bed), which were very comfortable. And you have a full private bathroom with shower. Each has an air conditioner and heater, but I didn’t need either.

The staff was awesome. I met staff at both camps, but I was mostly with the smaller staff at Bush. My guide was the amazingly awesome Jared. He knows so much about the parks, the animals, South Africa in general… he educated us on so many of the animals including their culture. It was great to go on outings with him and then later sit by the fire and just talk. He really made the experience extra special. Angie was our cook who prepared amazing meals (and I thought she was always expecting double the people… so much food… so good…) and Abigail was the house cleaner. Just really excellent staff.

The two parks are really different. I agree with Donna that it was a great experience to see both. Kruger is bigger, you drive on the paved and dirt roads, has more rivers and water, but has LOTS more people and vehicles. Sabi Sand is smaller, less people, and you can drive off road to get a better view. And the only vehicles are safari vehicles which look much better in pics than just another car! And each evening we watched the sun set in Sabi Sands with a glass of wine watching the animals, but there is no alcohol or getting out of your vehicle in Kruger. I liked the mix, but if I could only have one, I would definitely pick Sabi Sands. It was just sooooo special.

What is a typical day like? I was there in winter, so you get to sleep alittle later. Staying at Bush Camp and visiting Sabi Sands was basically: get wake up greeting at 6, quick coffee and snack, out at 6:30 for a ride, back around 9 or 9:30 for a huge breakfast and talk about the morning, then nap/read until lunch at 2, then back out at 3:30 including wine with sunset followed by a night hunt, then back to the camp for dinner and wine around the fire, then bed, then start over! Summer schedule is a bit different… I think you are up earlier and have more afternoon time (when it is hot).

I really liked the winter experience. Although things weren’t all green, it was still beautiful. You could see the animals in the bush, but they also blended really well with the browns of winter. That surprised me a bit. In summer, I’m guessing they stand out more against the green, but you can probably only see them when they are in front of the bush. I’d like to go back some day in the summer to see the difference.

My best advice would be to just enjoy what you see. Every corner can bring an wonderful animal or a beautiful landscape. Just enjoy it all. If you go with your mind set on seeing a specific animal, you will miss out on everything else. Just enjoy it… it is nature… you don’t know what you will or won’t see. On one outing, we were with a guy who just wanted cats… and it felt that he missed all of the other beauty just waiting for cats. Relax… enjoy it all!!!

You never know what you will see. Unfortunately we only saw a couple of cats while two friends in other parts of the park (different parts) did see lots of cats. My guess is that it was because they were close to a big river and we weren’t. And this part of Sabi Sands was somewhat dry in the winter, but I think there are more water areas in the summer. Again, my experience was awesome, but just wanted to mention that there might be more cats elsewhere in the winter if that is all you want to see. (But my favorite was the elephants… I could watch them for hours!)

So how long should you stay? I would suggest no less than four days. Some people were there for fewer (including the guy who was just wanting cats), and less than four days doesn’t give you enough outings to see a variety. Remember, this is real nature… If you want to be sure of what you will see, go to a zoo… this can be so different every outing and around every corner. That is the beauty. I stayed five days which was great, and as I was leaving I talked with people staying for six. So, minimum of four, but I would recommend five, but as I left, I thought one more would have been nice!

I was worried about malaria… and I even got some of the prevention drugs from my doctor. You really have to decide this personally. When I was there, there were no mosquitoes. I decided not to take the meds because of the terrible side affects and I was happy with that decision. Just spray on some OFF in the mornings and evenings.

If you go in winter, bring lots of layers. It can be cold in the morning, you are out before sunrise, and there is a wind chill in the open vehicles. And the temp drops again after sunset in the evening. I took safari pants that transition to shorts and then back to pants, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved pull over, and jacket. Oh… and definitely bring a hat. I wore my winter cap in the mornings and it definitely helped to keep me warm. They provide blankets in the jeep, but keep your head warm.

I traveled solo. I was in SA on business so I wanted to take advantage of this. It was no issue at all being a solo traveler. I got my tent to myself (I think there was a slight extra charge, but very low), and it was nice to meet other people. So if you are considering going alone, you will still have a great time.

There is no internet access. Yes, I was worried about being so disconnected, but that actually helped me to let go. My cell worked with international roaming in the Bush camp but it didn’t work in the Safari camp. They also give you a number so people can reach you if there is an emergency at home.

So…. Just book it now! You won’t regret it! It is a terrific experience! Oh… and keep a journal. Write in it after each outing. I really enjoyed looking back at my thoughts as I reviewed all of the pictures. Oh and there were soooo many pictures!

Serene, immersed in natural life

August is a prime time to go, as the animals come out in search of water. We saw lions on five different occasions, including right next to our car, twice! It is mating season for the primates, we saw a lot of monkeys and baboons - very cute and beautiful to see the similarity in behaviour, with humans. Many different buck/antelopes, so beautiful. Giraffes, zebras, hyenas eating, rhinos on the road, huge herds of elephants right beside us, so many hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and we even saw a wildebeest crossing of about 500-1000, all to ourselves on a side road! On the very last day, we were very lucky in seeing a leopard right next to our car, on the side of the road - they are extremely rare to see, elusive, and travel alone - so it was a spectacular and rare experience! We saw many birds too - stalks, eagles, hawks, etc... as well as smaller, prettier, colourful birds. The scenery is magical, a surreal environment, it is so utterly beautiful, you can feel that you're alive, connected to nature, a part of this natural space. You rise with sun, and sleep when it sets. The trees are like lightening, naked branches bolting in all directions. It is a truly beautiful place. The weather is a little windy/cold in August, but a fleece will do, not much else necessary, especially when driving with the sun shining down throughout the day. Accommodation options vary - there are camps situated throughout the park, as well as the Protea Hotel just outside one of the gates. Satara, Skakuza and Lower Sabie are three of the big camps, with nice bungalows - all always clean. Malalane is the most primitive of the camps, with only a few bungalows, and the rest camping. I found it the most beautiful camp, situated on the border of the park, with a view of local farming and mountains. Most camps now have restaurants and almost all have shops, which is partly a shame, as commercialisation is not really in line with what is meant to be an untouched, natural environment - this is especially in reference to all the mug & bean franchises that are there. Having said this, we still found food options to be pretty basic, especially if you're not planning on eating at restaurants for every meal. The shops (including at the main, big camps) have very little healthy food options. We found only a couple cucumbers, capsicums and tomatos in the fridge at Satara, which is a main camp. Protein options were also very minimal. I suggest taking your own food with you, if you are driving, unless you don't mind living off of packaged food. We rented a car through avis, which we picked up at Skakuza airport.

Must visit in South Africa

I had a fantastic time during my trip to the Kruger and would fully recommend the park to anyone. Definitely a must do when you're in South Africa.

This is an exceptional large South African Park to take at your own pace.

Spending a week in Kruger National Park earlier this year, having last visited as a child, was an awesome experience. The park is large so at no time is there a "canned" experience. As we used our own vehicle we were able to go at our own pace. I am a keen photographer so the ability to shoot from your own car (with a bean bag) is pleasure as being on the back of a truck can bring its own challenges. Less then two minutes into the park we saw lion! However, just being in a typical South Africa bush brings me joy and Kruger Park delivered this same experience whether the more unusual animals were around or not. We had fantastic beautiful, still, warm weather and spent every day and evening in shorts. We stayed at Lower Sabi in the tented accommodations and then in chalets at Berg en Dal. The tented accommodation (wooden structures with canvas sides) at Lower Sabi is on the river and couldn't have been more beautifully situated. The only small complaint was that neither of the camps were well equipped but that was a small price to pay. Baboons tore their way into our tent at Lower Sabi when we were out one day and the staff immediately apologised and cleared the huge mess they had made. The staff couldn't have been more accommodating in this regard and the camp does its best to keep baboons away. One of the things that makes the park so good is that the roads follow the river as much as they can, allowing good viewing.

Very nice scenery, a lot of wildlife, good guides, knowledge of the guide, nice people

Something everyone should try to experience at least once in your lifetime.

Having lived in SA since 1975 it was high time that I visited the Kruger National Park. This was a good time of the year as it was not so hot, and the grass is quite low making it easier to spot the game. One of the great experiences was going on a night drive, during which we were lucky to see 3 male lions at very close range, as well as a pack of hyenas. Another highlight was hearing the lions roaring at night close to our camp.
My only disappointment was that there aren't any hides from which I could take close-up photos of the animals.

Experience of a life time

We visited both Balule Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park proper. We stayed a private lodges, Toro Yaka Bush Lodge and Grand Kruger Lodge close to the Crocodile Bridge Gate. Toro Yaka Lodge is simply outstanding. It was our second visit there and just as wonderful the second time as the first time. The safari drives were exciting, because the tracker and driver can go cross country we had the chance to view animals from up close. Because of their expertise in animal behavior, we were able to observe lions hunting and making an impala kill and the witnessed the ferocious scene of the lions' feeding frenzy. We saw leopards resting and hunting, and were up close and personal with a black rhino and her 350 lb. baby. Some of the elephants appeared to be curious about our Land Rover and came to observe us, another elephant, on the other hand, seemed annoyed and knocked a tree into our vehicle's path.
On our self drive in Kruger National Park we saw the "big five" within an hour in the Skukuza area. The most thrilling adventure was observing a leopard ambushing and killing an impala at a water hole and a giraffe challenging the leopard as it was dragging the dead impala off into the bush.

The Animal Kingdom Equivalent of the Grand Canyon

What an incredible place! Words are inadequate to convey the beauty and wonder of the wildlife of Kruger. To me, it was the equivalent of seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time - an awe inspiring display by nature that will move you. Within the first hour of entering Kruger we saw the "Big Five" - elephant, rhino, Cape Buffalo, leopard and lion - and it just got better after that. On the single day in the park, we also saw hyena, cheetah, zebra, giraffe, kudu, impala, warthogs, crocodiles (including one massive guy), wildebeest, hippos and ostrich. While these may be common sights for folks in Africa, for an American it was like seeing a children's book come alive.

For Americans, the feel of the park is somewhat like Yellowstone. A grand, old park with lots of tourists driving around and stopping at every movement in the grass. Nonetheless, the wildlife are the real show and I saw a lot fewer tourists doing stupid things (like getting too close to wild animals) at Kruger than I've seen at Yellowstone. Kruger is fairly well-developed and you certainly aren't going to feel like you're roughing it in the bush, but it is a great way to see the animals that define Africa.

The area outside the park was pretty bleak, but once you enter the park that is all forgotten and you could spend days taking in the action just from the main roads. I would have loved the opportunity to get even closer, but time did not permit more adventurous outings.

The one dark spot on visiting Kruger was the hassle with South African immigration officers. I was traveling with my 17 year old son without my wife and S.A. had just instituted some new requirements that included carrying an original copy of his birth certificate (no abridged versions accepted) and a notarized letter from my wife saying it was OK for him to travel with me. Each time we went through passport control, there seemed to be some new requirement and threats to either detain us or refuse entry. Hopefully, those problems will sort themselves out as the new requirements get formalized, but for now I'd suggest you bring the original birth certificate, the notarized statement from the spouse and a notarized copy of the spouse's passport. Also, make sure all the names match exactly on each of those documents and be sure to circle the correct "I/We" statements on the South African official form of the permission letter (seriously, one of the immigration guys gave me grief about that).

Despite the sketchy experiences with immigration officers, it was the trip of a lifetime. I don't know what other parks or reserves are like, but I would return to Kruger in a heartbeat.

Once in a lifetime you have to go there. Stay away from the tar roads and do not go there in high season (!)

The real bush.

I have been to Kruger a good number of times now, but I still remember my first time in 2006. The main thing that stuck with me of that trip was a bit of disappointment. As a kid I always watched nature documenteries on Discovery channel because of that, I kind of expected Kruger to look more like the Serengeti plains, or the Okavango. This fault was purely my own due to a lack of preparation and I would tell this to first-timers. This initial thought might have been a bit negative but it was quickly turned around by all the wildlife we saw. Nothing beats the sense of awe of seeing your first elephant walking next to the car. It became addictive in a way and I have returned many times.
Kruger is the Bush. I have been to other parks but none of them had the same Bush vibe. It can get very crowded in the south of Kruger though. This means car pile-ups and sometimes fighting for a spot to see things. The positive of a lot of cars means a lot of eyes spotting for animals. I have seen many a lion that we probably would have missed if it was just our own car driving. If the south is too crowded, there is always the middle of Kruger. You can easily see the Big Five (hate that name) there in a day if you are lucky, with a few legendary 'cat' roads. Or go to the north, near Shingwedzi or Punda Maria. Beautiful landscape and if you spot an animal, it often is yours as there aren't many other cars around.
About the subject of self-drive tourists: this is definitely a positive to me. I like driving our own car, at our own pace, doing our own thing. Sure, in a gameviewer you are higher up, the drivers have radio communication for good sightings and they get to drive at times when regular tourists can't. It is more of a safari feel for sure, but as an amateur photographer, I prefer to have an own car. Early morning or at night, I won't be able to take good photos anyway. Don't get me wrong, it is fun and a great experience to drive in a gameviewer, but in the end, self-drive has my preference.
The accomodations in Kruger are great. From simple camping sites and tented camps to nice rondavel cottages, and high-end accomodation (which I have never used). There is something for everyone. All camps have some similarities but also their own vibe. There are (expensive) shops, which are great for souvenirs but food is expensive, so bring your own if you can.
Kruger National Park is a big park, and a great one. You can go there on a budget in your own car, with a small tent or you can go with your own decked-out SUV and stay at the luxury housings. You can go to the north for a bit of the 'old-Kruger' feel or go to the south with high densities of animals. Go wherever you want, whenever you want. Go for a quick weekend-trip when you happen to be in the area or stay there for a week, travelling from camp to camp. A holiday within a holiday. Go in the winter when everything is dry for easy viewing, especially at the waterholes, or go in early summer, when everything looks fresh and green, with lots of baby animals running around. Any time of year is a good time to be in Kruger, because you will be in Kruger.