SANParks.org Forums

Hello, All!

First time to post here, although have been lurking since first, absolutely awesome trip in 2009! Thought I'd make it back to Kruger before now, but was not to be!

Planning next trip in 2014, and have a few questions...

Having trouble deciding when to visit - want to avoid crowds, flood damage, and heat. Would also love to see some babies, especially lion, leopard cubs, and giraffe calves. Picky, aren't I?

Considering early May, but afraid that many roads will be damaged from floods. Also considering early Sept, as our first trip was in early Oct. School was in session, and no crowds that year! Frequently had sightings to ourselves. Not to be selfish, but just know how crazy things can get at a ''lion jam'' or any other kind of jam! Early Sept 2014, school will be in session.

Would early November be a good time to see youngsters? Really would like to stay in safari tent at LS, but fearful of the heat. Being from the southern US, we're accustomed to air conditioning, so don't think I could do a tent in Nov, unless it is a good time for babies - then would do bungalow instead of tent.

Can you please also offer suggestions for camps? In 2009, we were there for 16 days, and stayed at 4 different camps, and a few nights at a private lodge in Sabi Sands, but have to decided to limit it to 2 -3 this trip to avoid moving so much, but which ones? Definitely, LS and Satara. The third possibilty would be either Biyamiti or Tamboti. Not interested in visiting a private lodge this time. We much prefer to do our own thing. As nice as it was, we got a little claustrophobic, and were ready to do our own exploring by check out time!

Just one more quick question, please. Any comments re: car rental from Rhino or SixT. Not familiar with either, but the usuals with us like Thrifty and Avis are not offering unlimited km's this trip!

Hope I'm not asking too many questions for a newcomer, but thanks for any suggestions!

Hello Jay Bird.

Welcome to the forum.

I will try to answer a few of your questions, but these are just my opinions...

Satara and LS are the best for spotting cats. I have never stayed t Biyamiti so can't comment. Tamboti tents sits on the Timbavati (dry?) riverbed and our stay there was memorable. Just one thing about Tamboti: You are close to the Orpen Gate and there are not many different roads nearby to "explore", but the scenery makes up for that.

Have you ever been further north? Not that much game but the scenery is spectacular. Good luck with your choice on a third camp.

Early Sept is a good time for game spotting (we saw the big 5 twice in two days in 2010, including a Lion hunt and Wild dogs to boot) around the Malelane area. The veld is very dry and you can be sure that there will be large parts that were burned down. So Sept is great for game spotting, bad for scenery.

We were in Satara & LS in Nov 2012. Some of our best game spotting ever including 2 leopards in a tree with a kill and numerous lions. All the impalas had little ones. I do not know if the cats only have cubs in certain parts of the year, but the other mites will help. Perhaps ask a question under the mammal index?

Just a quick note, as far as I know Sixt operates through First Car Rental in SA. I previously booked a car (Nissan X-Trail) through Sixt website at Port Elizabeth Airport and got a Honda CRV (just as good in my opinion) with unlimited KM's. BUT...read very carefully through the T&C's of the rental company, at that time the "super" damage waiver did not extend to usage on gravel roads, in essence the car was not insured on gravel roads which could be an issue if you run into an elephant on one of the gravel backroads in Kruger. As far as I know Avis & Europcar cover their cars on gravel roads for a higher waiver...JUST CHECK.

Enjoy your trip as well as the planning - that is half the fun!

Hi Jay Bird
November is great for babies
Impala for sure
And almost all the birds are back

About the heat.
The tents all have fans
It you are afraid of the heat
(been in november and it did reach 40 on 2 days)
dont go for Tamboti.
I stayed in a tent at Crocedile Bridge during one of the 40ties and it was very hot
Why not try Orpen.
Lovely small camp with a pool
LS and Satara are great choices

Pretoriuskop is also great at this time of the year. The grasses are not so long and routes are so great in the
Pretoruiskop area

Hi Jay Bird, welcome to posting.

I'm going to suggest an alternative - why not go north for a few days. I know you don't want to move too much but I think you will get a different perspective and of course you will get the peace and quiet. You will need to work a little harder but it really is a beautiful part of the park. Any of the bush camps are special but only Bateleur has air con, the rest just have fans.

We were in Kruger in November last year. At times it was very hot and we were grateful for the air con but other times it was quite cool and overcast - I was wearing a fleece for some of our drives in the morning.

We started seeing impala lambs around the 9th or 10th but didn't start seeing large nurseries until the last week or so.

If you'd like I'll PM you the name of a hire car consolidator, I tend to find they offer better rates than booking directly with the car hire firms. I've been using this firm since 2006 and they have never let me down.

Hope you enjoy your trip. And the planning.

Thanks very much for your quick responses! Even though our trip is a year away, I'm sooo excited! We'd planned a trip for this year, but were waiting on a committment to go from friends, but by the time they decided, lodging was scarce!

Our time will be limited to 10 days in the park this time, so we won't make it too far up North. We'll take some day trips north of Satara, though. Had a wonderful sighting of a leopard stalking a duirker (sp?) all to ourselves near Oliphants on our last trip. We love to just sit and watch and listen!

We did stay at Orpen, and loved it! Had the funniest run in with the honey badger. Late one night, we heard some rustling outside, and just thought it was the neighbors outside. Finally looked out and it was the honey badger in our frig! My husband went out (in just his undies! ) to shoo the honey badger away, and then pushed the table against the frig. A little later, the rascal was back and had moved the table and was in the frig again! Now this was getting serious! Hubby went out again with a towel to shoo the hb off. Well, the hb had other ideas and chased hubby around the porch! I was laughing so hard, I nearly lost my breath! Oh me - this is bringing back such wonderful memories!

I'll check the mammal section right now for more info on the seasons of babies! Didn't even think of that!

No one mentioned May. Is that not a good time to go?

Thanks for car rental info, as well. Would like the contact info of the consolidator, please. A PM would be most appreciated!

For now, we are leaning toward Sept, and it's still a toss up between Tamboti and Biyamiti. Just can't decide! Both look wonderful!!

And, yes, the planning is half the fun! I love it!

We've been at the end of May and loved it. Warm/hot days but cooler nights. Days are quite short but we find we can stay out during the hotter parts of the day, in Nov we'd be heading back to camp for a snooze at midday. However you won't get the lambs, they'll be almost full grown by then. However you may just catch the start of the rutting season, which is always fun.

Personally I'd go for Biyamiti, just because I tend to find the area around Tamboti a little bit limited. Around Biyamiti there are more choice of roads, and you'll love the 18km private road. But the river setting of Tamboti is great. Tough choice.

PM on its way.

I am feeling a pull toward Biyamiti!

Thanks so much for your help, saraf!

No problem, helping someone else plan is almost as good as planning our own trip.

I've seen footage of a leopard trying to chase a honeybadger off a kill that he "stored" in a tree and did that leopard have a hard time!!! In the end convinced the HB but not without a lot of trouble!! Honeybadgers are tough little buggers!!

In afrikaans there is a saying "so taai soos 'n ratel" meaning "as tough as a honeybadger". Guess the HB thought no way he'll go away as easily again, I mean, how will he ever be able to show his face in the veld again if they find out he was chased away by a human without any trouble

Hi, gjorgi!

That's a great saying! We still talk and laugh about that honey badger!

Welcome to the forum Jay Bird.

I am surprised you still have a hubby, undies or not. Did you get a video?

Kilo for kilo, the HB is the most ferocious animal around. You don't mess with them.

Back to your questions.

May - not my favourite time to go to Kruger. The rainy season has just ended, the bush is thick and there is a lot of surface water meaning the animals are well dispersed. It can be chilly in the mornings.

Biyamiti - one of the best camps you can stay at. No shop, or gas, so you need to stock up at other camps, but delightful river views in a game rich part of Kruger.

My favourite camp, Tamboti is not great in November as it is very dry in the area, but the H7 from Orpen to Satara can be very productive at any time, as are other roads in the area.

Croc Bridge is another game rich area, and driving there from LS can be rewarding.

Predators have cubs all year round, so you are lucky or you are not. Antelope drop their young after the first decent rains, around November.

I would recommend going in the second half of the year. I have had great sightings in late December (and even new year's day).

If you are flexible I would avoid SA school holidays and long weekends.

Good luck!

Hello, again!

Thanks very much for your kind help with planning our next trip to Kruger! We have had a complete change of heart and have decided that we absolutely cannot wait a whole year, or more, to visit again! Plus, I'm having one of those milestone birthdays this year in November , and would love to spend it in Kruger.

Still would love to stay in LS, but consecutive nights lodging is scarce, even in November. So, how is Skukuza? Is Lake Panic as special as Sunset Dam?

Our preliminary plans would be Skukuza 3 nights, then Satara 4 nights ( to give us more time for day trip further north) and finish up at Biyamiti for 3 nights. Or there 4 nights and just 3 at Satara? I think I can manage the heat without air con at Biyamiti!

Decisions, decisions! I guess when one spends the kind of money that it requires for us to get to Kruger, I just want to get it right.

We plan to fly from JHB in early am to Nelspruit, then drive to Skukuza. Would enter at the Malelane gate? Or would we have enough time to enter at CB and wander our way thru LS then onto Skukuza?

How much time would we need to get back to Nelspruit from Biyamiti? Would we be able to grab a few more hours of wandering before we have to make our flight back to JHB? Flight leaves JHB for home at 8:00pm, so maybe could get a flight from Nelspruit at 1 or 2pm?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. As much fun as my own research is, it's best to hear it from the experts!

We had the most incredible trip in 2009, and were blessed with so many wonderful sightings and experiences. Gifts from the bush is my way of thinking of it. We both love it all - from the leopard to the leopard tortoise! We didn't see cheetahs or wild dogs the first trip, so we're hoping for that this next time, but, if not, will just be happy being there!

No video of the honey badger, Bush Baptist! Didn't even have a video camera at the time! But will certainly be taking one this time around! But, believe me, that scene is imprinted on my brain forever! The honey badger was pretty tenacious! He able to scare the day lights of my big, tough, southern country boy husband!!

Thanks again, Everyone!
Jay Bird

Lake Panic is a wonderful place, different to Sunset Dam as it's a hide, but just a wonderful place.

We were in Skukuza in November 2012 and it was lovely and quiet in the evenings, just avoid the cafe area at lunchtime as it gets overrun by the OSV patrons. Go and try out the Selati Restaurant as well, fantastic atmosphere.

I'd stick with 4 nights at Satara and 3 at Biyamiti, but that's just me, I love the S100 and Nsemani Dam and Girivani waterhole and the S90 and the S41 and and and. But that 18km private road at Biyamiti takes some beating.

I would go in the park at Malelane Gate and meander slowly up to Skukuza. Travelling back you should easily make KMIA from Biyamiti. I would go out for a morning drive early, go back and pack and have a shower then head down the private road towards Afsaal and out of Malelane Gate.

Wonderful that you have put the trip forward!

I think your itinerary looks fine, Skukuza is in the middle of a very productive sightings area.
Lake Panic is different to Sunset dam in that it is a bird hide you view from but can be very productive and is wonderful for photography of birds, hippos, crocs etc
Most probably not as many other species of animals that one can find at S/s dam.
I would still keep the 4 nights at Satara and 3 at Biyamiti.
Satara also has a wonderful network of roads to explore and you can easily take a drive up to Olifants as well.

As you are arriving in Jhb so early I would imagine you would easily make CB but could always change it to Malelane gate if need be and time became an issue.

You would also be able take a leisurely drive from Biyamiti to Malelane gate on your day of departure to get to KMIA in time for an afternoon flight to Jhb.

Thanks again for your replies! I think we have it settled! Skukuza 3 nights, Satara 4 nights, and Biyamiti - 4 nights! I decided to add another night to the trip! I'll just have to show up for work a little more jet lagged!

I forgot to ask about snakes in November. From what I've read elsewhere in the forum, they could be around that time of year. Or is it still a little too early for them to be out and about? I'm actually quite fascinated with snakes, but I sure don't want to surprise a black mamba!

Kruger or Bust! Nov. 2013!!
Jay Bird