Kruger National Park in South Africa?

[HardDrive]

Has anyone visited Kruger National Park in SA?

How long should one spend there? Where to stay?

We will have a 6 year old with us (she's a good traveler).

[imcarthur]

I researched it a couple of years ago. It is a huge park. The best way to see it is to drive it yourself over several days. Never leave your car - you could be eaten! There are numerous secure areas for overnight camping or cabin rentals + food etc. Most roads are gravel & all have a 40 mph speed limit which is strictly enforced.

For the less adventuresome, there are numerous private camps that ring the area outside of the park. They all offer safaris, accommodations etc but at a much higher cost.

There is a Kruger Forum: SanParks

I ended up not going due to security concerns in Joburg etc.

Ian

[Roadrunner911]

I went there many moons ago, and ditto what Ian said. Well worth the trip. I don't know what the security situation is in SA currently since I went over 15 years ago. I really liked the self drive and pacing. You can stop and watch animals at your own pace. I stayed overnight on the perimeter and drove into the park for several days. Lots of secure outposts within the park to stop for conveniences. I went swimming in a natural swimming pool that was in a huge chunk of granite. Saw lion, giraffe, zebra, lots of different types/sizes of antelope, rhino, wart hogs, hyena and many more up close and personal. Interesting to park and watch behaviors over an extended period of time. Kids are no problem, I had my young 5 year old son with me at the time too. Go for it.

[imcarthur]

If you do go, this is a place that I was thinking might be a good resting point at the north end of Kruger.

The Outpost

Ian

[Aufenbahn]

Good place to stay near south west end of park - Hippo Hollow - I think they have a website

[holtjv]

There are several good private reserves which back to Kruger and share their property. We stayed at Ulusaba with our (then) 6 year old and it remains the best trip we've taken.

I'm pretty sure I'd rather leave it to pros to show us the game rather than do it myself, but if you're up to it, good man. Bet you could hire a tracker to help out.

[Willem Fick]

Kruger is vast (approx 7500sq mi), and given its size there really is a lot of diversity in as far as what you can see and experience. I am not a great fan of the whole "safari" concept, so my visits there are mostly limited to single day excursions. Even then you can see a huge number of animals in a very short space.

I personally would not spend more than a week there, especially with a 6 year old as it can become a bit mundane too. In my opinion the best time for animal spotting is the dry season, as the less dense vegitation makes visibility better. As it is a very warm part of the country, winter is really also best from a personal comfort perspective - during summer temperatures are in the high 30's to 40 degrees (Celcius) which is very unpleasant if you aren't used to it.

The points regarding private game reserves are quite valid too, though I think Kruger is still the experience to have!

Someone mentioned security concerns here;

Not too much of an issue just yet, though admittedly it isn't exactly a garden teaparty down here either. As long as you don't attract unnessecary attention or do anything really stupid you'll be fine though. Travel by car is as safe as anywhere really and as long as you stick to the beaten path you'll be absolutely fine.

South Africa is a far way to travel to just to see Kruger though. Do you have any other sightseeing in mind perhaps?

I'll PM you my contact details - please feel free to be in touch if you need a local perspective or some assistance/advice!

Willem

[LeRoux Strydom]

Depends on what time of the year you want to visit KNP? In summer (Oct-Mar) during school holidays (Dec/Jan), skip the KNP and book yourself into one of many private game parks that adjoin the KNP. KNP is likely to be full of locals and tourists, and it can be notoriously overcrowded with day-visitors. Also, KNP lodging facilities are pretty basic compared to the more luxurious private lodges. Since you are coming with white-man's dirty colonial $$$, you should get good value for money.

There are lots more to see in SA than KNP. What else have you planned? Cape Town, the winelands and the garden route are must-see places.