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I read in a recent issue of the "Kruger Park Times" that new day visitor facilities are to be constructed at Satara, Letaba and Orpen Camps soon.
Each day visitor's area is to have its own swimming pool, kiosk, ablution facility, braai area and lapa, fenced by a low impact fence.

According to the article Letaba overnight visitors will also enjoy the benefits of a new pool inside the camp.

I hope a little more thought goes in to them than went into the Day Visitors area at Lower Sabie - it is shocking - no shade and very little ambiance.
We seldom see anyone using it.
As for the swimming pools - who can afford to use them - certainly not us!
I am all for improvement but I think they need to have a fully consultative process before they go ahead with the planning of facilities.
A couple of years ago we were breakfasting at Nkhulu when they approached us to ask us in a survey what our feelings were towards development at picnic sites.
This needs to be done again before they embark on any further upgrading.

I have never used the picnic sites in camps.
The picnic sites at viewpoints are much more to my liking and you don't even have to bring your own skottel.....
And when you are done someone else washes it for you.
And there is plenty enough of them dotted all over the park.
Afsaal being the best I have visited so far.
And who wants to swim when you are a day visitor?
There is not enough time for that

If these are anything like the new facilities outside Skukuza they should be awesome! Did it say when they should be completed? I'm looking forward to visiting them

The new facilities will be built 'outside' the camps.

At Satara the main entrance to the camp is to be moved to opposite the shop and the day visitors area will be on the right side as you enter the camp.

At Letaba the facility is to be built between the gravel road turn-off to Olifants Camp and the main entrance, to the right hand side.

At Orpen the new facility will be closer to the current first gate to the camp.
Orpen will only have one entrance.
The admin and reception areas are also to be moved across from the current road to almost directly opposite the filling station.
Seems like they are also hoping to move the filling station closer to the first gate.

This is all according to the article in the Kruger Park Times.

By building these day visitors picnic sites away from the camps gives a strong feeling of days visitors not being welcome in the camps -
thats certainly the impression a number of my friends have felt esp at Skukuza.
The new picnic site at Skukuza is fine with a nice view but carrying your picnic equipment that distance is no fun and parking in the boiling hot sun.
Maybe the camps such as Satara could rather make other arrangements for day visitors which would still keep the day visitors in the camp thus making them feel welcome.

I would rather buy a take-away at Letaba and Lower Sabie camps enabling me to make use of the veranda and deck and the views than use picnic areas that do not offer those sort of views.

Nkulu and Mlondozi are my favourite picnic spots in the south.
I also like the atmosphere at Afsaal.
Skukuza picnic spot does nothing for me and the deck at Lower Sabie is lovely but too crowded, feel a bit like I'm in McDonalds.
I prefer to sit in the car at a waterhole and eat than be surrounded by lots of people.
Lucky we all don't like the same

You are quite right about the 'crowds' Freda. That is why we hang onto our microbus - we set up a little 'table' and enjoy a lot of lunches as you do at a waterhole on our own.

I just can't see myself using the Lower Sabie picnic area instead of the deck. I also never warmed to the new picnic area at Skukuza. But maybe in time will

Dear Forum members

This is an interesting subject - keep the feedback coming, as we appreciate it!

What we found during that survey (mentioned above) that people definitely thought that our facilities for day visitors were lacking.
Another result of that survey was that overnight guests (particularly those staying in units bordering the picnic area) complained about the noise particularly over busy periods.

Just looking at Skukuza (for example) the grassed area next to the take-away shop was simply too small to accommodate the increased numbers of day visitors.
There is also a security consideration here - any security consultant will tell you, as the crowds become bigger, security becomes more and more of a challenge.

I can just say at this stage that one of the ideas put forward at the time was to erect booms and a definite "barrier" between the grassy areas and the accommodation units and to fiercely control anyone crossing that line!
In my opinion, I am glad we haven't had to implement this as I feel it would have seriously affected the atmosphere of the place.

We thus had to make a decision to split the day visitors from those guests who are paying a little more (and perhaps deserve a bit of peace and quiet) and the decision was taken to establish day visitor's areas at as many of our camps as possible.

Skukuza was the first one to be built along those lines and is probably the most popular.
It seemed to have worked and the area in front of the restaurants aren't nearly as busy as they were 4/5 years ago.

I think at this time I must just make it clear that the whole idea isn't to chase people away from the camps - facilities like the petrol stations, shops, take aways, restaurants etc can and should still be utilised by day visitors - but to encourage people who have come for a picnic to rather use a facility better able to cope with their needs.

Lower Sabie is perhaps built in a bit of an awkward position but if you look at the camp layout - and keep in mind the restrictions placed on development by South Africa's Environmental Legislation (which is a good thing too!) - there is not really another suitable place to build it other than where it is now.

Naturally it is a learning process and we will take the lessons learnt at Skukuza and Lower Sabie and apply them at Orpen, Satara, Letaba etc.

These are all attempts at trying to accommodate both day visitors and overnight visitors the best way we possibly can, while trying to keep the KNP's atmosphere and naturally conserving the area as a national park.

I hope this helps to explain our thinking a little clearer.

Kind regards
KNP Spokesman

Thanks for the post KNPS.
Some real valid points and understandable you would want a comfortable facility to have your picnic.

One point though on the statement below.


Many "day visitors" to a specific camp are also overnight guests in other areas of the Park and not only in the park for the day.
The first mentioned "day visitors" therefore pay the same amounts (sometimes even more if they stay in the bush camps and lodges) as the guests of a specific camp.

So it is actually an attempt to separate the picnicking, skottel braaiing masses.

Hi Franciosd,

We want to make sure wherever you a booked in as an overnight visitor that you can enjoy peace and tranquility.
And we also want to ensure that wherever you choose to enjoy your picnic, you can do this with enough space, facilities etc that you might need.

Let us create a scenario here,
Person X is an overnight visitor at Camp A.
He decides to have a picnic at Camp B where Person Y is enjoying a late morning snooze in his accommodation.
Person X unpacks his picnic just a few metres away from Person Y's accommodation unit.
Through no fault of anyone (besides perhaps the person who originally designed the camp layout), Person Y comes over to Person X and a shouting match is the result.
We are trying to prevent this from happening and - added the fact that the area was hopelessly inadequate to cope with the demand of a busy weekend in the first place - the concept of a separate day visitor's camp is born.
Thus, we are trying to "satisfy most of the people, most of the time".

For everyone, the following about the EIA process of any development in the KNP (according to SA Environmental Law).
During the EIA process, notices for public comment were placed in the local newspapers and were placed at entrance gates and the camps itself.
The plans are still at the respective camps for public viewing - if you not sure or cannot find them, just ask for the Duty Manager and I am sure he or she will show you where they are displayed.

Kind regards
KNP Spokesman

Has anyone taken the time to compile a list of the picnic sites with gas? Do they all have gas for hire? I have looked in the books and maps but can't find a definitive answer.

We will be in the area around Letaba and I am planning a trip for 25 people so need to do some homework before we leave.

Can't have a trip like that without the traditional fry up for breakfast

Bushbaby I know of the folowing picnic spots with gas:

Afsaal
Nkulu
Skukuza day visitors
Molondozi
Tshokwane
Timbivati
Mooiplaas(which you will probably try)
Makhadzi(most probably will have some too)
Babalala
Pafuri

Enjoy!

Can add to WTM's list:

Masorini
N'wanetsi
Nhlanguleni
Muzandzeni
and Makhadzi definitely has got.

I think all the PS's do have have gas for hire. It is just that the price differs from site to site.