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Thinking of hiring a 5 berth motor home, any advice ? will it be okay to drive around Kruger ?
What are the roads like

I have often seen motor homes in the park.

Maybe there is someone who have had the experience that can share?

One problem may be maneuverability at a sighting.
You often want to go a bit back, then a bit forward.
A big motorhome can be cumbersome.

But then, with a motorhome, you can park next to a waterhole and just sit there for a few hours with all the amenities at your disposal.
It has its advantages.

I haven't tried a camper in Kruger, but...
Driving is certainly no problem, the roads are more than good enough.

Pro:
You have kitchen and fridge (!) with you.
You have a higher vehicle, making sightings easier
At the campingspot you'll have luxury.

Con:
You have a higher vehicle, making photography more difficult. (Always try to shoot at eye level or below it.)
If you drive away from your campingspot you may lose it.

I don't know about the financial aspects, but driving around with a normal car will be easier, and the bungalows and safari tents are very comfortable. The beds are good (never heard a complaint about them) and the views at the perimeter are .... Kruger.

Camper would be fine but they are rather pricey
If you do hire one always leave table and chairs at the camp site to mark your spot if you are staying more than one night.
We usually camp but not in a camper and I find the camp sites nice and friendly but on the other hand you can get really inexpensive accommodation in the tents and smaller huts.
Balule is a must

The choice I have to make will not be based on the cost of the rental (if you put all together finally camper compared with car/accommodation does not make a real big difference.
My real concern is really if I can get to all places with a camper, and reading your answers and the links included it looks like we can.

We were at Berg and Dal camping 2 weeks ago.
Our neighbours were camping and driving around in a huge camper.
During the day they just left their table and chairs at their camping spot.

I must say it looked fabulous and during one of our daily drives we saw them making breakfast at a water hole...the aroma was just mouth watering!!

We have a camper and have found it is great for parks that have good road systems (even good gravel) like Kruger.
You do not have to pack and unpack as you change camps and as you have everything with you you can stop and get food and drink (cold from the fridge), change clothes as it gets hotter during the day and you have your own toilet on board should the need arise!
All this without stepping out of your motor home!
My husband even drove us out of the camp at Addo, very early one morning, without waking me up - I woke to fresh coffee and rusks and a view of elephants at Hapoor Dam!
You do have to leave a table and chairs on your site if you are staying in one camp for a while - but I warn you, if you are on a nice site it has been known for people to move your table and chairs and take over!
As for eye level pics - you get great eye level shots of elephants which can be a bit scary!
Whatever you choose have a great trip - its an amazing place.

Hi vande003

If you want to camp and why not rent a car and a smal camper trailer, there are nice ones that you dont need a big vehicle to tow it with.

Camper is the way to go if you consider camping, much much easier !!

Enjoy

I hope this is not correct...... can somebody confirm or not?

I have never heard of this - and will try and find out from Kruger for you. I know buses are not permitted on gravel roads.

The only thing I can find in the rules for Kruger is:

I seem to remember lots, maybe even all, of dirt roads being closed to "campers and caravans" on my last trip in May. I'm sure a SANP forumite can (and will) give a definite answer.

thanks for the effort already

Go for the van, van!

There are enough tar roads and I would just avoid roads that disallow caravans. Most other dirt roads are easily navigable.

Now you have no excuse for not being at the gate at opening time, only one of you needs to be up to drive.

Big plus is if you want to stay somewhere for any length of time, you have a toilet and can prepare food without having to go to a picnic site.

We hired a camper van in April 2008.
We entered the KNP @ Pafuri and spent 9 days driving down through the park staying at a different camp each night, eventually exiting @ Malelane.
It was the experience of a lifetime!!

Camper vans are allowed on gravel roads (it's caravans that are not allowed on certain roads).