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Quiet, not disturbing anyone, pointing by hand signals if game or birds are close, instead of shouting out, well basically normal rules apply.
I think I have a photo of some rules somewhere, but just all being unobtrusive and clean is all..

Alert while approaching
Quite as possible as not to disturb who is already there and what they might be watching
Enjoy
Appreciate &
Don't litter

Control noisy children & those who behave like children.
Don't shine bright lights in animals' eyes.
Take your litter with you.
Don't hog a popular hide.
Don't spoil a sighting you are not interested in (i.e. you came looking for lions and when there are none, disturb the narina trogon someone else is looking at)
Be respectful of others, is the overriding tenet I suppose.

True, Bert.
I don't think people always realize that they are being noisy and also that they will not see anything if they are.... they come to KNP to see something... right? I find that usually a friendly "shhhhtt.... take a seat..... look there" works well. People will also speak softly if they are addressed in a whisper tone. I do not believe that most will go out of their way to be an annoyance to others.
(I can just imagine what a pain in the posterior I might have been on my first Park visit.)

We just got back from a week at Croc Bridge. One group of people were talking loudly at one of the hides (the one to the SE of Lower Sabie) with no consideration for other visitors whatsoever. We visited the hide twice and on the second visit we found an elephant bull laying sleeping under a nearby tree and everyone was very quiet.

In my experience, you can't generalise - we have had incredibly peaceful times at hides while other times have been horrendous. So we have an easy guideline - don't ever plot a route just with a hide in mind (avoid disappointment) and leave quietly if the noise is too much for us (and if there are too many cars outside, just drive on by). Far less stress!

Hides are meant to be places of silence, period

Please consider this: What for one person is a toned-down voice, might be too loud for another. At the entrances to the hides is a notice that says SILENCE, not talk softly, for a reason. That means, DO NOT TALK!.

This is the reason why they have hides , talking should be confined to within cars , talking in the camps should also be in a soft "Kruger" voice .
Likewise closing of car doors , and turning off car air conditioners etc. in camps .

I agree that it is essential that people respect other people within a hide and try to be as quiet as possible, but not to whisper softly or even say a thing is a bit much. often my family have been at a hide and whispered softly with another watcher, either commenting on what is at the hide or being told about another sighting on so and so road. its just part of kruger spirit.

I have been going to kruger since my parents first took me when i was two months old, i have asked PLENTY questions im sure even in hides and if they were not answered who knows what the outcome would now be. Teaching young children is extremely important!! and a whispered answer would not destroy the atmosphere.

I suppose a good thing is that every hide i have gone into has always had considerate people in , and i have never had a bad experience.

Guys, I have been thinking of this for a while now.
Please don't judge my viewpoint too quick, first read my previous post..

But I also want to have my say about the practical side of the matter, as I see it.
I am of the opinion that absolute silence is and unrealistic goal, as this will never be practically possible.
Whispering should IMHO be to a certain extent be allowed, and is nothing but human.
But a soon as it becomes 'soft talking' it often happens that other increase their voice as well.
More importantly is the attitude of human against human.
IF somebody would ask us to quiet down a bit, one should INDEED consider it. For nature and the sphere's sake as well.

Therefore reasonableness is the keyword, so question is what would (obviously more or less) a reasonable nature lover find acceptable.
Again, there is no watertight solution, but by at least listening to each other, a great problem is already overcome.

I love spending time at hides ... and if there are folk there that are making more noise than I'd like them to make, I know they will soon move off.

Most folk do not spend much time at a hide - they come in, sit, look for the big 5 ... see 'nothing' and go again ... then it is perfectly quiet again

I agree with Fieryneck, the park is for all- young and old.
But in saying that I don’t say let the people in the hides go crazy and make a noise!
A little murmur doesn't bother me and don't think it will chase away the animals and birds.
yes they have very acute sense of hearing but then surely they would be used to it by now as there are people in the hides everyday.
I am a very inexperienced birder and occasionally in a hide would ask someone that looks like he already identified the bird I'm looking at what bird that is, and not once I've been asked to shut up.
To learn is part of the experience going to KNP for me and thus will take every opportunity to do so- so shoot me now!!
And so I believe it should be because one day I will pass it on to my kids.
This is the only way the next generation will also be part of the circle of life.

I have also been taught the so called 'values' by my parents but that doesn't mean I am not allowed to ask and learn more.
All I’m saying is that as long as it is done in a manner that it doesn't disturb the animals and the people.

If you say I am not allowed to ask what bird that is or what ever is on in the hide, then you guys coming at a sighting are also not allowed to ask what are the other people looking at because you will disturb the people you ask who will be looking at a leopard or lions or what ever. its the same thing, then shut up and drive on and away from the sighting or look for it yourself!

Aquilla like you said do onto others what you want to be done to you.
If you want to ask questions at a sighting then be open to other people that ask questions in a hide at a much lower noise than the cars at a sighting.

We are more than lucky to have such a place to go!! We couldv'e had nothing!!

Having said that I have to say that in all my more than 1000 visits to the Kruger Park I have NEVER seen birds fly away when people talk in a soft whisper.

Even very "skittish" animals like Kudu do not run away when you whisper to someone else in a hide. In reality the footsteps on the wooden floor is louder than the sound of someone's voice when they whisper.

So I would have to agree with those that say "silence" in this situation means being quite rather than being dead quiet.
I always point end explain to people in a soft whisper and have never chased any animals away by using those means. Also having said that my whisper is also probably audible to the person to whom it is directed as well and cannot be heard three seats down.

I didn't know whether to post this under Funny Moments or here.

One Friday last May at around noon, we visited Lake Panic only to interupt a prayer session in the car park.

Just returned from Kruger
Every time we entered a hide ( three children 16, 11, 5 ) I thought of all the comments made here. Then promptly forgot everything while enjoying the surroundings.

My yr old also asked questions - quietly . No shushing

Great fun was had by all in and out of the hides.