Tips for visiting Kruger Park | ilanda Guest House

Kruger National Park activities and prices

3/10/2016

Main Camps activity prices

Prices valid until 31 October 2016. Reservations can be made by calling central reservations +27 (12) 428 91 11 or reservations@sanparks.org

	Morning Drive	Sunset Drive	Night Drive	Morning Walk	Afternoon Walk	River Walk
Berg-en-Dal	R 262.60	R 262.60	-	R 484.80	-	-
Crocodile Bridge	-	R 303.00	-	-	-	-
Letaba	R 262.60	R 262.60	R 222.20	R 484.80	R 378.75	-
Lower Sabie	R 262.60	R 262.60	R 222.20	R 484.80	-	-
Mopani	R 262.60	R 262.60	R 222.20	R 484.80	-	-
Olifants	R 262.60	R 262.60	R 222.20	R 484.80	-	R 262.60
Orpen Camp	R 262.60	R 262.60	-	R 484.80	-	-
Punda Maria	R 303.00	R 303.00	R 303.00	-	-	-
Pretoriuskop	R 262.60	R 262.60	-	R 484.80	-	-
Satara	R 262.60	R 262.60	R 222.20	R 484.80	-	-
Shingwedzi	R 262.60	R 262.60	R 222.20	R 484.80	-	-
Skukuza	R 262.60	R 262.60	R 222.20	R 484.80	R 378.75	-

Bush Camps and Gates activity prices

Kruger Park Bush Camps offer some of the best experiences in the park away from the crowds and all offer Morning, Sunset and/or Night Game Drives.

	Morning Drive	Sunset Drive	Night Drive	Morning Walk	Afternoon Walk	River Walk
Bateleur	R 303.00	R 303.00	R 303.00	-	-	-
Biyamiti	-	R 303.00	-	R 484.80	-	-
Sirheni	-	-	R 303.00	-	-	-
Shimuwini	R 303.00	R 303.00	R 303.00	-	-	-
Talamati	-	R 303.00	R 303.00	-	-	-

Crocodile Bridge Gate	R 303.00	R 383.80	R 303.00	R 555.50	-	-

Prices of weekly Kruger Park activities

Kruger Wilderness Trail prices

Three nights in rustic and primitive camp in the Kruger Wilderness areas, including two days of walking. No electricity, basic toilets and ablutions.
Depart Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, meeting at 15h30. Price includes accommodation, guide, meals and water, Beverages are excluded.
Maximum of 8 people per trip, sharing 4 huts, aged between 12 and 65 years. Good fitness required to cover up to 20km per day.

	Departure from	Access Gate	Price
Bushman	Berg-en-Dal	Malelane	R4'300 per person
Mathikithi	Satara	Orpen	R4'300 per person
Napi	Pretoriuskop	Numbi	R4'300 per person
Nyalaland	Punda Maria	Punda Maria	R4'300 per person
Olifants	Letaba	Phalaborwa	R4'300 per person
Sweni	Satara	Orpen	R4'300 per person
Wolhuter	Berg-en-Dal	Malelane	R4'300 per person

Kruger Backpacking Trail Prices

	Departure from	Access Gate	Price
Mphongolo Backpack Trail	Shingwedzi	Phalaborwa Gate	R2'500
Olifants Backpack Trail	Olifants	Orpen or Phalaborwa Gate	R2'500
Lonely Bull Backpack Trail	Mopani	Phalaborwa Gate	R2'500
Lebombo 4x4 Ecotrail	Crocodile Bridge	Crocodile Bridge	R8'600 per vehicle
Mafunyane 4x4 Ecotrail	Phalaborwa Gate	Phalaborwa Gate	R5'700 per vehicle

Mountain Bike Trail	Phalaborwa Gate	Phalaborwa	Own bike: R645 SANPark bike: R910

Prepare your trip to Kruger Park

30/9/2016

Here are some tips and recommendations on what to bring to Kruger National Park to make the most your trip.

Bring a pair of binoculars

Binoculars are an invaluable tool which will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the park. Animal sightings vary, so you might bump into a pride of lion resting a meter from the road but you don’t want to miss out on the distant rhino sighting because you lack binoculars. The number one regret of international travellers is not bringing binoculars, don’t make the same mistake!

A cheap pair will do the trick, but i recommend investing a little bit more for a quality pair and a lifelong investment. The difference between entry level and quality is spectacular in terms of quality of image, ability to use in low light conditions, field of view and ability to see detail. I also take great enjoyment using my binoculars for subjects at close range to see the exquisite colours on a beetle, the texture of a Klipspringer’s fur or the patterns of a Water Monitor’s skin, something only quality binocular can provide. Finally, Kruger is the perfect place to to start birding as it boasts around 500 species, many of which are easy to see and just as spectacular as the mega fauna (see below for advice on birding in the park).

Take an interest in the birds, bees and trees

Birding is a fantastic complement to searching for the Big 5. You might spend a while driving between sightings depending on the luck of the draw but birds are always present so you’ll always something of interest to search for and look at.

It slows down the pace of your visit. Instead of chasing from one lion sightings, you’ll stop more often, and have more opportunities to have unusual sightings. Some of my best sightings occurred when i was quietly waiting and birding in the car or in bird hides: the sound of slithering in the grass alerting me to a nearby African Python, two honey badgers appearing in a dry stream and even a pack of wild dogs surging from the savannah to catch an Impala right in front of the bird hide.

If you are a beginner birder buy a bird book before your departure and learn the bird families. The biggest hurdle to birding is identification, but if you know which family a bird is in, then identification is much easier and becomes a pleasant experience. You can go one step further and learn bird species either using your guide book or this great resource

Tips for birding in the park:

Visit different habitats to see many different species (riverine forest, woodland, thicket, grasslands, etc).
Drive slowly to see more mammals and birds. I recommend a cruising speed of 20 to 30km/h.
Look out for group of birds. Called bird parties or mixed flocks, they often numerous species moving together hunting for insects.
When you see something of interest stop the car, cut the engine and let the birds settle into their normal routine.
Before you start driving again, scan all around, you never know what might have walked into view as you sat there quietly!
Get a good bird book. If Kruger is your only nature reserve visit i recommend Robert’s Bird of the Kruger National Park. Otherwise a Field Guide covering Southern Africa will give you more milage for the rest of your trip - Newman's Birds of Southern Africa is a good option.
If you have trouble identifying a bird, take a photo and post it on the SANParks Birding in South Africa Forum.

Download the Kruger Park checklist. Full checklist or condensed checklist.

Bring a powerful flashlight

If you are staying a few night in the Kruger and other parks a powerful flashlight will allow you to make some sightings at night from the camp perimeter fence. Strictly nocturnal species like Porcupines and others such as Hyena may wander close to camp and offer you a lovely intimate encounters separated only by the electric fence. You also often hear owls in the camps and it can be fun to follow their hoots to seek them out.
For animals spotting I use an LED Lenser P7, and frankly we are in love with this product. Small and lightweight, yet powerful, adjustable beam and power and solid german manufacturing, you’ll be using it well after your trip. The best thing about it is that in my experience the batteries never fails unexpectedly but the luminosity output drops until you notice it enough to change the batteries.

Additionally, the camps are really dark at night and, though unlikely, you might encounter snakes or scorpions while walking to the restaurant or your morning drive.

For general use in the camp, i have an old headlamp outputting both normal and red light. The red light is really useful to preserve your (and others’) night vision when you’re outside enjoying the spectacular night skies, which you should definitely check out. Find a dark spot in the camp, switch off you lamps, wait a few minutes and enjoy a spectacular view of the Milky Way and Southern Hemisphere Stars. Look out for Orion and the Southern Cross.

A slower pace

Once you’ve scratched your itch for Big 5 sightings, it’s worthwhile changing your pace.

Bird hides are good places to stretch your legs and spend a while. Quite often when you’ll enter a hide you’ll see nothing of note. Many make the mistake of leaving after 5 minutes, but if you settle down a wait it is likely you’ll have interesting sightings as all the hides are built next to water. Bring a book on animal behaviour or your map to plan your next day’s drive.

Other good spots to park your car and watch bush-life go by are bridges over rivers. Even dry river beds can spring pleasant surprises, such as a pair of Honey Badgers on the morning foray. If you’ve found a pride of lion close to your overnight site, come back in the afternoon and stay with them until gate closing time. You’ll be rewarded when they rouse from their slumber to play and socially interact, or see how other animals react to the Lion’s presence.

Morning, Sunset and Night Drives

All are definitely worthwhile as they give you the opportunity to be on the road when animals are most active, dawn and dusk, and see nocturnal animals. Sunset and Night drives are your most likely chance of seeing elusive Leopards, Caracal, African Wild Cat, Serval or Honey Badger. You’ll have a guide who knows the area inside out.
For those visiting the park on day trips, we recommend booking a sunset or night drives from one of the larger gates like Numbi or Paul Kruger Gate.

Nights in the camp

After dark in the camps can be entertaining. Most camps have a path along the fence which provide game viewing opportunities. Hyena may roam looking for scraps of food (don’t feel them!), porcupine become active, elephants may wander close by. This path, far from air-conditioning units and bright lights, is the best place to hear the sounds of the african night and if you look up, the magic african night skies.

It is also fun to seek scorpions which are much more common than we can imagine. The easiest scorpions to find are “Bark Scorpions” (scientific name), which like in crevices and holes on rugged barked trees, Acacias, Sjambok Pod and fallen trees are good bets. Look inside the nooks and crannies of the bark either with a red light or a UV light, you might find five or six in a single tree. UV lights are best as scorpions fluoresce under UV light and are very easy to spot. Red light seems the less bothersome to scorpions and you can get within centimetres without a reaction and finding them is relatively straight forward. Scorpions will retreat into their hiding place if approached with a normal light.

Some camps such as Olifants (terrace overlooking the river) and Punda Maria (camping and hide) have resident Thick Tailed Bush Babies and seeking them out and watching them go about their routine is fun. They usually follow the same path everyday, so ask the staff if you don’t find them.

Owls are also common in most camps and the African Scops Owl can often be heard. Follow their call at night, you might get quite close and get a good look with your flashlight. You can find them roosting during the day, your best bet is to find them while being mobbed by other birds or ask the cleaning staff or reception.

The camp swimming pools, especially Punda Maria, are good spots to find frogs.

Read essential books for your trip

Game Ranger in your Backpack

This is a must have for all visitors to the Kruger National Park, whether novice or experienced African wildlife watcher, The purpose of this book is to replace the personal guide or "ranger" when viewing game and provide interesting facts to interpret what you will see in the park. It covers common mammal, reptiles, birds, insects, spiders and scorpions, trees, grasses and tracks. This book is also used by student guides and schools, a testament to its quality. In addition it is beautifully designed with lovely photos which makes a great coffee table book once you are back home.
On the other hand it isn't ideal for identification purposes. Even though ID pointer are included for each species, its design is suited to quickly nor thoroughly ID the flora and fauna you'll see. For that you'll need specialised field guides.

Southern African Mammals Made Simple

This book focuses on identification of mammals using a 3 step approach which really helps for tricky identifications such as small antelopes. Its small size makes it a great addition for your trip. Though it contains less information than other mammal field guides it makes great companion book to Game Ranger in your Backpack.

The Behavior Guide to African Mammals

If you want to push your understanding beyond the usual field guide information, this is the reference for african animal behaviour. After a while in the park, you might catch yourself thinking, some more impala and just drive off. in search of the next sighting. This book is the perfect antidote, inciting you to observe more carefully to understand their behaviors and interactions. The perfect book to read while waiting for a pride of lions to be active or when resting as picnic areas.
Unfortunately this new anniversary edition does not include any new research since, but it still is the reference used by the professionals.

Sappi Tree Spotting: Lowveld,including Kruger NP

In our opinion the best book for beginner tree spotting in the Kruger National Park. Its approach based on ecozones and habitats is unique among tree books and is great to learn and spot new species. For example, if you are in Skukuza area by the river, you'll find a page detailing which trees to look for. It also shows trees with striking features you'll be sure to see when in flower of fruit. The drawings instead of photographs allows for salient features of trees to be highlighted.

Roberts Bird Guide to Kruger National Park

Birds are the animal you'll see most often and the Kruger Park hosts some spectacular species. Being able to identify some birds you see will make your trip much more exciting. If you are new to birding and plan on visiting only Kruger Park then Roberts Bird Guide, Kruger National Park is a good choice. You'll find birds much quicker and will be sure that all the birds in the book can be found in the park, no confusion with similar species in different locations.
If your trip includes nature parks outside of the Greater Kruger area it is worthwhile to buy a Southern Africa Field Guide. Our favorite is Newman's, but the SASOL and Princeton are good alternatives.

ilanda Guest House

We are a guest house in White River, just 30 minutes from Numbi Gate, 45 minutes from Phabeni Gate and 1 hour from Paul Kruger Gate. Guests staying more than 2 nights and visiting the Kruger National Park on days trips are welcome to borrow binoculars and reference books to make your visit the the Kruger Park more enjoyable.

Planning your Kruger Park trip

16/7/2016

The Kruger National Park is a short 35 minute drive from ilanda Guest House in White River. White River is a good stepping stone for longer visits to the park or day trips through Numbi and Phabeni Gates.

Here are some tips to help you plan your visit.

Best time to visit the Kruger National Park

Kruger Park can be visited any time of the year and each season has advantages and disadvantages.

Winter or early spring is a favourite time due to lower grass and less dense bush which means you’ll have better visibility to spot animals. As winter is dry animals will be concentrated around permanent water sources increased. Finally cooler temperature means more comfort for tourists more daytime activity of cats. The park is busier with international and local visitors.

Summer is also special, despite it being more difficult to spot game. The vegetation is lush and beautiful and the bird populations swell with migrants. Summer is peak birthing so you’ll see lots of calves.

School holidays

During school holidays, accommodation in the park can be difficult, therefore book well in advance. If you cannot find accommodation in the park camps or prefer day visits, stay in nearby town, such as White River. Below South African school holidays to help you plan:

	Start		End
Easter 2016	19th March 2016	to	4th April 2016
Winter 2016	25th June 2016	to	17th July 2016
October 2016	1st October 2016	to	9th October 2016
Summer 2016-17	8th December 2016	to	10th January 2017
Easter 2017	1st April 2017	to	17th April 2017
Winter 2017	1st July 2017	to	23rd July 2017
October 2017	30th September 2017	to	8th October 2017
Summer 2017-18	6th December 2017	to	Early Jan 2018

Choose which region of Kruger to visit

The Kruger Park is vast, driving from South to North inside the park is nearly 400km. If you are short on time it is recommended to choose one region to explore for a more relaxed trip. If you have more time, it is worthwhile to change camps to see different landscapes and rarer animals. Below are recommended itineraries depending on the time you have for Kruger Park.

One or two nights

If you have 1 or 2 days for your visit, concentrate on the South. It has high game density and also more visitors, both increase your chances of seeing many mammals especially the Big 5.

Lower Sabie is our preferred choice. It is ideally located in a region with opportunities to see the Big 5, Cheetah, Wild Dogs, even Black Rhino. Right next to camp Sunset Dam is a great place to watch the sunset without having to rush back into camp and the H4-1 is good for Leopard sightings just before gate closing times. It is smaller the Skukuza but has all the comfort, amenities and types of accommodation.Skukuza is also a good option.

Our second choice would be Biyamiti Bush Camp for the those seeking a more private and quiet retreat. As a bonus guests has exclusive access to the S139 following the Biyamiti which is good for Leopard. Other great roads in the area are the S25 along the Crocodile River where Lion and Wild Dog can be seen, and the Bume Road (S26) leading to the large Mpondo Pan where you’ll likely find White Rhino, Elephant and good general game. This region with the rolling and wooded H5 also seems like an Elephant retreat where big bulls can be found.

If these camps are fully booked, Crocodile Bridge, Berg-en-Dal or Malelane are also good options. Pretoriuskop is further from the prime viewing areas of the South but hosts rare antelope species like Roan and Eland making it a good specialist destination.

Three to four nights

The first option aiming to see the most game possible, is to start in the South following the advice above and add a night or two in the central Satara, in the middle of cat country. It is a busy camp but worth it due to the many Lion and Leopard sightings along some of the best roads in the park. The S100 is great as it follows the N’wanetsi River’s left bank while the other side of the road is very open giving the opportunity for great sightings.It’s proximity to the camp to makes it a great afternoon drive when the Lions finally become active after resting all day. Girivana water hole (S12) also provides good sightings close to camp. The best alternative to Satara in the area is the self-catering Talamati Bush Camp. In case Satara and Talamati are full, Orpen or Olifants / Balule are good alternatives.

If you’re not too stressed about having to see the Big 5, but value having a quiet bush experience and the quality of the sightings (being alone with your pride of Lions while they play or lactate, or taking your time watching a herd of Elephant bathe and play) head directly North of the Olifants.

Our ideal four nights in the region would be Punda Maria, Shingwedzi and / or Sirheni Bush Camp, perhaps the best camp in the Kruger National Park.

Shingwedzi is a lovely area with fantastic roads along riparian forest and more diverse vegetation than the surrounding Mopane woodland. This woodland attracts herds of Elephants which you’ll meet often as the come to the rivers to drink and bathe. Large herds of Buffalo are also common. Lion and Leopard are present with frequent sightings. White Rhino is scarce though. Another advantage of this are is the higher likelihood of seeing scarce antelope such as Roan, Tsessebe, Sable, Eland.

With the S50 along the Shingwedzi River, the very scenic Red Rocks Loop (S52) and the S56 Mphongolo Loop it’s difficult to take a wrong road here. Even the H1-7 is interesting as the Mopane trees are low allowing for good sightings, especially of rare antelopes near Babalala Picnic Site and Boyela.

Punda Maria is special due to the hide overlooking a water hole spotlit at night. In winter you’ll have a procession of Sandgrouse at dusk, followed by breeding herds of Elephant and Buffalo. For those interested in birds Punda Maria is a must, with a very good loop road around the hill next to camp and access the Pafuri, the best birding site in the Kruger if not South Africa. This is one of the only places to find Suni in the park.

Sirheni may be the best camp in the Kruger. The bush has been preserved around each self-catering unit.Sitting in your terrace you are completely isolated from the rest of the camp and travellers. With its nice and modern furnishing you could imaging yourself being in a private game reserve. The camp is situated next to the Sirheni river with Buffalo and Elephant as neighbours, and good birding. The adjacent Mphongolo Loop is good for cats, and it’s likely you’ll have the roads to yourself in late afternoon.

A week or more

Visiting the whole Park becomes a viable option. Combine Lower Sabie, with Satara and then Shingwedzi for the best of the Kruger. Push on to Punda Maria if you have an interest in birds or want to see the whole park, in order to visit Pafuri, arguably to most beautiful area of the Kruger.
Visit our accommodation rates page to help you choose which camps and units are most suitable for you.

Find the right rental car

Many options are available for car rental. You can have a good Kruger experience by renting a cheap compact car or splurge and rent a safari equipped 4x4. These aren’t really necessary for the Kruger, but the ride comfort and peace of mind are welcome. Also the extra height helps with game viewing. Here are suppliers and price ranges for 1 week:

The cheaper compact car will cost you around R250 per day
A 4x4 equipped with all the equipment for overlanding and roof tent accommodation will cost over R1'800 per day. Popular supplier are Bushlore, KEA, Britz or AVIS Safari Rental.

A good site to compare prices is drivesouthafrica.co.za.

Car rental insurance

Save on car rental cost by taking separate insurance to cover the excess. There are several companies which offer seperate insurance at much lower prices than car rental companies. Here is a good article on the subject.
For example https://www.carhireexcess.com/ offers Worldwide coverage for EUR 3.99 per day. Other good alternatives are for european residents ishttp://www.insurance4carhire.com and https://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/. Also check whether you are already covered with your credit card company. These two might save you hundreds of Rand per day.

GPS

If only driving to Kruger and South Africa, it isn't worthwhile renting a GPS with the car. Either bring your own or use GoogleMaps on your phone. Make sure your phone is unlocked before you leave and buy a prepaid SIM card. You can find one of the many phone repair or accessory shops in any shopping centre. Buy a data bundle in any shop or petrol station and you're good to go. In addition you'll be able to communicate cheaply with your data using WhatsApp or similar, and access the internet.

​Main Camps activity prices

Morning Drive

Sunset Drive

Night Drive

Morning Walk

Afternoon Walk

River Walk

Berg-en-Dal

Crocodile Bridge

Letaba

Lower Sabie

Mopani

Olifants

Orpen Camp

Punda Maria

Pretoriuskop

Satara

Shingwedzi

Skukuza

​Bush Camps and Gates activity prices

Morning Drive

Sunset Drive

Night Drive

Morning Walk

Afternoon Walk

River Walk

Bateleur

Biyamiti

Sirheni

Shimuwini

Talamati

Crocodile Bridge Gate

Prices of weekly Kruger Park activities

​Kruger Wilderness Trail prices

Departure from

Access Gate

Price

Bushman

Mathikithi

Napi

Nyalaland

Olifants

Sweni

Wolhuter

Kruger Backpacking Trail Prices

Departure from

Access Gate

Price

Mphongolo Backpack Trail

Olifants Backpack Trail

Lonely Bull Backpack Trail

Lebombo 4x4 Ecotrail

Mafunyane 4x4 Ecotrail

Mountain Bike Trail

Bring a pair of binoculars

Take an interest in the birds, bees and trees

Tips for birding in the park:

Bring a powerful flashlight

​A slower pace

Morning, Sunset and Night Drives

Nights in the camp

Read essential books for your trip

ilanda Guest House

Best time to visit the Kruger National Park

School holidays

Start

End

Easter 2016

Winter 2016

October 2016

Summer 2016-17

Easter 2017

Winter 2017

October 2017

Summer 2017-18

​Choose which region of Kruger to visit