SANParks.org Forums

Welcome to the SanParks forums. I'll try to help with a few of your questions.

I think you should look for camps with swimming pools, so the boys could go for a swim during the afternoon. Although it is winter, for many people the water is warm enough
So, have a look at Skukuza, Satara and Berg en Dal. I'm not sure if you will be able to get accommodation in Lower Sabie.

I think you should absolutely budget for a morning drive and a sunset drive. I'm sure the boys will love a bush braai , so I would definitely plan that too.

This unforgettable experience is not to be missed, a game drive leads you to an open area filled with burning lanterns and fires where whilst listening to the sounds of the bushveld and the distant animals calling, the food is grilled on the open fires, a variety of game meat and sausage is on offer, together with delicious vegetables and a variety of fresh salads. Delicious freshly prepared deserts and coffee or tea complete a wonderful evening. A cash bar facility is also available and as you can imagine this ambiance is a once in a lifetime experience. All our camps offer our guests a Bush Braai experience, for further information kindly contact our camps directly.

Hi and welcome

Imo first go to Berg en Dal, then Skukuza and last Satara
Exit through Orpen and add one night at the Panorama route.

Or enter/exit at Phalaborwa
Letaba,Satara,Skukuza and exit Paul Kruger gate

Letaba,Berg en Dal and Skukuza all have a riverview.
Should also keep the kids occupied with spotting animals

I have visited all camps and a a few with a 10 yr old
He loved Satara, Skukuza
Great pools and we all went swimming in July
He stayed in the water the longest.

Dont wait to long before you make a booking
Family units are in heavy demand in August.
Its the european holiday season

And all camps have nice short routes nearby so that you can let the kids relax a few hours at each camp.
And when leaving one camp for the next will take you 3-4 hours at the most.
In other words, you wont have to travel to many hours in Kruger with the kids

We did a private reserve for one night and weren’t disappointed.
My son was allowed to walk with us and see cheetah from close ranges.

And i wont do the night drive with the kids.
Its to long and cold for them
They love to handle the searchlight, but after a hour its enough

Hi Familyfun

I also took my kids to kruger when they were small, 5, 8, 10 and 12 and they loved it, we usually stayed in Pretoriuskop because of the swimming pool.

Will be visiting Kruger in March, 3 days skukuza, 4 days Olifants then coming out of Orpen gate and going to private lodge in Hoedspruit. I can recommend this place as have been many times over the years with my kids. Will be stopping there for 3 nights and the TOTAL cost for 4 adults is R1560 . PM me if you would like their website address. (No meat eaters at this lodge so kids can walk around freely!) Also all accommodation has own pool. Also near to cheetah project, white lion project and Maholoholo etc.

Hi,
Just wondering if anybody can give me some advice, we are travelling to SA from Ireland in Dec 07 and will have our son with us who will just be 22months old... just under 2 yrs old.
We are flying in to Jo Burg and were hoping to explore KNP for a few days we think its probably best to hire a car and head off ourselves.
We want to get to Durban a few days later and from there will fly to Capetown for the 2nd week of our holiday, where we are meeting friends.
So we were thinking we would only have 3 - 4 days to explore KNP.
Any longer with such a small child might be too much.
Can anybody give us advice on a route to drive and accommodation that would be suitable for us.
Also advice on travelling with a young child in SA would be appreciated as well!

Welcome Lisa
From personal experience I can say that how your 2 year old will take to a trip in KNP really depends on your childs personality.
Active or calm.
Children who can entertain themselves and keep themselves busy will easily adapt to travelling in KNP.
My eldest daughter was six months old when she went to KNP for the first time and sixteen years on she still loves every holiday is the park.
Their are some logistical nightmares eg. water (take bottled water for milk formula) bathing (bath in the basin) as huts have showers only, malaria medicine, etc. etc.
But is can still be very rewarding and pleasant.
Remember to bring along the baby car seat and light clothes as December in KNP are extremely hot.

LizzieO

My son was fascinated by KNP at 9 months old, probably because he wasn't all that mobile yet.
We did find that it was best in the mornings and late afternoons when we were likely to see game (herds of impala are more fascinating to little ones than a solitary lion ) and staying in camp, esp ones with swimming pools, during the heat of the day worked well for us.

He's currently 22 months old and if yours is anything like ours then frequent breaks will make things a lot better for you I'm sure!
They simply can't stand being cooped up at this age .
If it were me going in with a 22 month toddler I'd stick to the South where there are more frequent facilities.
Lower Sabie is a lovely camp with a large deck overlooking the river and also has a long grassy area in front of the huts to the right of the restaurant which you could kick a ball around on with him to get rid of some of his energy.
Drives from Skukuza to Lower Sabie would probably be within what he could endure, especially as there is the Nkulu picnic spot for a break along the way.
At Skukuza there is a super day visitors facility with a swimming pool.

Pretoriuskop also has a pool and a nice large grassy area for running and ball play - and often some impala there too which would fascinate your little boy.
There are also lots of birds, but you may find some fellow residents in the camp take an exception to the little boy basic instinct of bird chasing .
In all the camps/picnic spots you will be able to find interesting lizards, moths, etc which should be great fun for him to look at.

I'm sure after the plane trip car trips between the camps won't seem too difficult.
The major problem I guess will be curbing his natural curiosity when out of the car - keeping him away from water, possible snakes, etc.
I bet you'll all be sleeping very well at night .

Other than that, just hats, cool clothing, high factor sunblock and of course mozzie repellent.
I hope you have a super trip and that he soaks up the experience

Hi Lisa,

You sit a bit higher and the chance of sightings increases. You have a airconditioning and much space for the child to be in some motion.
Even at a longer trip you have the possibility to take another seating position.......

Have fun and good luck for the sightings

Just a bit of info, the Toyota Condor is not available in S.A anymore, I tried to rent one last year and this year, but no luck. The alternative now is the Microbus, Merc Vitto and another one,cant remember exactly.
I have also been going to the Park since my girls were as little as 5/6 months old and as long as you choose your camps, so not too much time is spend in the car, I had no problem.

a camp like pretoriuskop , even though possibly not the best viewing is good with a 2 year old , as the pool is suitable in places for a baby to play in and cool off .
Berg en dall is also a good choice .
Satara will have good viewing , and is also in less of a malaria risk spot , although it may be a bit far north for your short stay of 4 days , especially when heading towards durban .

I would book all 4 nights in 1 camp , or at least 2 nights per camp .

I suggest these camps as I reckon there is silghtly less malaria risk than at the river side camps , also they are also less hot and humid than lower sabie or crocodile bridge.

Cool full length night clothing is essential .
Read up on the malaria threads etc also .

Take any medicines with he may need , get things for stomach cramps , teething etc, maybe even a powdered antibiotic that you can mix with distilled water if needs be .
The baby supplies such as disposable diapers , foods etc are not always in good supply in the shops .

As for a vehicle , the microbus is not a good choice even though big , because kids tend to climb about and fall onto hard parts on the vehicles seating stands (I have kids , I have a microbus I know ) .
The best bet is to get a station wagon (estate) , so you can put the seats down and create a nice play area for him to move about in .
Whatever you get , make sure you hire a car with aircon , or the heat will make the little 1 very irritable .

Cronil,
I agree with all of the above.

I would also give Skukuza serious consideration. T
There is the pool, lots of facilities and distractions for a little person.
Skukuza also has a wide variety of places to visit, such as Lake Panic, or the plant nursery.

Pretorius Kop is also lovely with all the little animals which would give a little one lots of pleasure.

If he is old enough to sit with ear phones, music is often a way of keeping him happy.
I would also pack "presents", something simple to be unwrapped and examined when boredom sets in.

Take shorter early morning drives and late evening. It can be really hot.

Camps great for little ones with nearby drives and enough getout places are in order of best for little ones imo
Skukuza
Satara
Pretoriuskop
Letaba.
Berg en Dal

Great spacious cars (the ones instead of the Condor) are
Volkswagen Toureg or Toyota Verso

On a practical side, enough in-car entertainment is a must. We have travelled extensively in the parkk with our kids since they were about 3 or 4. A good supply of books/toys/etc is a must.
As a cautionary note, however, I would urge you to discuss the implications of anti-malaria medication for a 2-year old with a physician. The threat of Malaria is a real issue, particularly in the summer months. (Not trying to be a wet blanket here....)

October should be stunning.
It is just before the rainy season and should be as dry as a bone.
There is no surface water and the animals stay near dams & rivers and the predators know this, unless it rains early, but this tends to soak in quickly and green things up slightly.

I would stay all 3 nights in one camp like Satara or Skukuza or my favourite south camp Croc Bridge.
There are many roads to explore from these three camps and all are good for predator sightings.

To keep your family interested I would offer a reward for the first big 5, cat or dog sighting of each day.
This works still for my family even though they are all adults now.
We used chocolate bars. Just keep a good stock.

Hi K, i wont stay at Tambotie with a small child, rather look at P/kop or L/S....very child friendly camps.