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Hi
I'd appreciate any advice on how to organise our Kruger trip day to day. For personal reasons I haven't been able to book accomodation til today so find myself with 1 night Skususa, 1 night Satara, drive down to Lower Sabie for 1 night than back to Satara for 2 nights. My concern is food more than anything - the fact that we won't be able to keep anything frozen and will have to pack up everything every day. But it's the only way we can get 5 days in the park.
How do people organise their days? What time would we reckon to be up and out wildlife spotting? We can book into the next camp at 2pm- does it make any sense to get to the camp for 2pm, book in (is the process long?) and head off out again or is it better to go more slowly to the next camp and book in just before sunset?
Thanks in advance for any help
Tim

Tim Buy yourself a cooler bag to keep meat cool . All of the accommodation you have booked will have a small freezer section to keep the meat cool . Freeze a bottle of water and place that into the cooler box and when it defrosts you can always drink it. Buy your food outside the park as its Cheaper and there is more variety BUT the Camp shops do have quite a nice selection but not much fresh fruit and veg.
Up and out gamespotting best as the Gates open You can always go back to the camp after wards and collect your stuff as you only have to be out your room at 10.00. Then take a picnic lunch and take a fairy leisurly stroll up to the next camp Stopping at the picnic sites to have a drink and snack .
Well if you reach the camp at 14.00 then book in .. takes about 15 minutes to book in as all your details are on the computer . then freshen up and have a short rest and go out in the late afternoon and return at sunset .
And dont forget your yellow ribbon on the right wing mirror.
Regards

Hi Tim

I suggest that you organise that you do not have too much stuff to unpack and repack .... just to make the moving as easy as possible. I think you can still take frozen items if you take along a cooler box, if it is possible.

Your camps are far apart enough to allow for long drives when changing camps.

I suggest you start each morning as early as possible, be up before sun up, and out the gate when they open. Choose a route that you will not do when changing camps. Go back to camp at about 9am, have breakfast, pack up and leave for the next camp, taking a slow drive and stopping for a lunch at a picnic spot along the way.

Arrive early afternoon, check in, unpack, rest and explore the camp, and then go out for a late afternoon drive on a route you will not do when changing camps the next day.

Have a wonderful time! Keep an eye on availability, things might change that you can still change your booking ....

Great minds think alike DB

Tim, this is what I do: I pack the meat for each individual braai and freeze.Just before leaving home pack into coolerbag with lots of those freezer bricks. I generally leave home(Benoni) before 5 and get to Malelane about 9.30. Don't know where you live, but my food is still frozen when I unpack it at the camp at 2. Pop all the meat etc into freezer as soon as you get to your unit and it will stay frozen from camp to camp.
Make sure you have a smaller coolerbag with drinks and snacks readily at hand in the car.
I would go up on the H3 stop at Afsaal for a break and take a nice slow drive up to Skukuza. Check in at 2 , unpack have a rest and go out again at about 4.30. Sometimes the first day I skip going out in the afternoon having been up at 3 and driving all the way. The animals also rest during the heat of the day, so check in at 2 rather than ride around all day.
There is also plenty to see at the camps, for instance at Skukuza you could take a drink and go and sit on a bench at the river, sometimes plenty to be seen on the banks.

I leave when the gate opens in the morning having packed flask of hot water and coffee stuff , rusks etc go out for about 2 hours, park somewhere for coffee then head back to camp. One very important point before leaving for your morning drive, turn the fridge around so that the monkeys cannot open the door. The little blighters wait until you have left and then raid the place, and they are very active in the camp that time of the morning. They also love to come around late afternoon just to try their luck, I keep a spray water bottle and squirt them if they get to close and that chases them off. Pack a bag with snacks, sandwich, drinks for the road and leave for the next camp and that is the routine I follow.