Guide to Safari in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Safari is the trip of a lifetime for a nature lover, and South Africa’s Kruger National Park was everything I could dream of and more. Driving around is surreal, you feel like you’re in a nature documentary watching lions chase hyenas and hippos battling. It is almost unfathomable that the earth in this day and age can be so rich in wildlife, you have to see it to believe it – so here are some tips to help you plan your African safari.

Getting there:

Kruger National Park is located in South Africa, approximately four hours from the international hub of Johannesburg. After landing at O.R. Tambo Airport in Joburg there are two main options to get to the park, I tried them both out:

+You can rent a car and drive to Kruger. In South Africa driving is done on the left side of the road and the route from the airport to the park was on all paved roads.

+You can take a quick flight to one of the multiple airports near the park, or even Skukuza Airport right within the park boundaries, which is where I chose to land.

Where to stay:

I highly recommend staying within the park because overnight guests are able to start their safari drives earlier than day visitors. Main Rest Camp accommodations are simple, but nice. There is a restaurant, grocery store, and gas station at each main camp – many have swimming pools as well. After a long day of driving around it was such a pleasure to fall asleep to the sounds of the animals.

Choosing which camps to stay at can take a bit of planning. Some people prefer to pick one camp to stay at the entire time, trying different routes fanning out from their base. Others prefer to hop around different camps to see more of the park. I chose the latter option and experienced Skukuza, Lower Sabie, and Satara Main Camps. For me, the camp was just a place to shop for groceries, eat my dinner, and get some rest so personally it wasn’t important what amenities were available. People tend to love Lower Sabie because of its location on a river, a great place to watch wildlife. I stayed three nights in Kruger which was perfectly satisfying, but I could envision an entire trip dedicated to the park alone. Pro tip: Book as far in advance as possible because space is limited.

If you stay outside the park there are many hotels, AIRBNBs (if you don’t already have an account, you can use my referral code to receive a discount on your first stay), and private game lodges to choose from.

Getting around:

I loved the freedom and affordability of self-guided safari. After landing in Skukuza Airport, I walked right over to the Budget Car Rental desk and I was on my way to amazing wildlife sightings. Many roads in the park are paved, you could easily stick to them the entire time – but the gravel roads are well maintained for normal cars and a fun adventure. Kruger is roughly the size of Israel or New Jersey for reference, so if you are self driving it is important to be aware of the distances between camps and be back to your accommodation before the gates close and all visitors must be off the roads: this link details drive times. Roads are up on GoogleMaps, but the wifi is terrible in the park. I recommend downloading the area offline on GoogleMaps, and also having the park map PDF downloaded to your phone. Always keep an eye on your fuel and understand that gas stations are located only at main rest camps only. I didn’t chose to take any guided safari cars, but you could easily mix doing both or skip driving all together. One benefit of a guided safari is that you can choose tours outside of gate hours, so you can see the park at night.

What to eat:

Main rest camps have both restaurants and grocery stores. You can find a popular chain restaurant in South Africa at Kruger called Mugg and Bean, which happens to have one of the best lemon meringue pies on the planet (and the slices are gigantic.)

Depending on your type of accommodation you may have your own kitchen, or in the camp you can always use the shared kitchen and braais (bbqs). Grocery stores offer basic needs such as meat to braai, sandwiches, sometimes salads, and canned goods. Pro tip: Bring or purchase instant coffee as there are electric kettles, but no coffee makers.

Safety:

+Stay in your vehicle outside of the camps, the free roaming animals can kill you.

+Keep your windows closed, animals can literally rip you from your vehicle and kill you.

+Respect elephants and give them plenty of room, never go between a mother and its calf. If you notice signs of aggression from an elephant slowly back up, they can flip your car.

+Don’t speed, animals blend into their habitat and can come out of what seems like nowhere. It would be a tragedy to kill the wildlife, but large animals like elephants and giraffes can also kill you in a crash.

+Kruger is in a Malaria zone. I barely saw any mosquitoes (visiting outside of rainy season) and was never bit by one while in the park. I did take malaria medication as a precaution, but in hindsight I didn’t need it. However, if I didn’t take it personally I would have been nervous so it was worth the money to get a prescription from my doctor for peace of mind, especially seeing as I had no adverse side effects from the medication.

+Visiting Africa comes with its own set of safety concerns, outside of safari behavior. Inside the national park I couldn’t have felt safer, it is a bubble in the nation that is filled with crime. If you have any question of personal security hindering you from going on safari (outside of freak accidents), I would say to forget that and plunge into Kruger for the trip of a lifetime.

General Tips:

+Entry to the park requires a Daily Conservation Fee, if you plan on being the park for a longer period of time or visiting other national parks in South Africa it may be cost effective to purchase a Wildcard. You must buy your Wildcard prior to the trip and it will be mailed to you (if it doesn’t come in time just print out your receipt or download it as a PDF to your phone as proof of purchase.)

+Since you cannot get out of your car anywhere, plan to use restrooms as often as you see them at rest camps and picnic sites.

+The only ATM is at Skukuza Main Camp and it wasn’t working when we visited. Luckily you can get cash back from the rest camp stores when using your credit card.

+A pair of binoculars will really enhance your experience.

+Waking up and getting out early is key because animals are most active at dawn and dusk. Many people will take a break midday at a rest camp or picnic site when the heat is strongest, because animals tend to be more scarce. Personally, I kept driving through the midday heat and saw some incredible sites – but continuous driving was tiring.

+You never know what you’re going to see on the road, sightings even in the same place change every day. One route I would recommend is the S100 gravel road, a particularly lauded stretch which I traveled on twice and each time it was spectacular.

Places to get out of the car:

For your safety and that of the wildlife, most of your trip to Kruger will be happily looking out the window from your vehicle. Because of this, any opportunity to get out and stretch your legs is an extra big treat!

+For a great hike head to Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp and hop on the Rhino Walking Trail which starts from the restaurant and follows the perimeter fence including informational boards.

+The Lake Panic bird hide was very active early in the morning, the African pygmy kingfisher was a sight this birder will never forget.

+Sweni bird hide is more remote, but offered what I envisioned of an African watering hole complete with crocodiles and elephants.

+Nkhulu Picnic Site has lovely riverside views, it’s one of the nicest places to have your lunch al fresco in the park.

+Tshokwane Picnic Site doesn’t have the world’s greatest views, but it does have a restaurant which whips up excellent pies. I loved the spinach and feta while my husband devoured his kudu pie.