SANParks.org Forums

Hi to everyone.

Well since our trip report last year we have been off the forums and all things Africa for a few months while in the midst of moving house and dealing with lots of things happening.

But now we have settled down to normal again and we find our thoughts have turned back to Kruger. It seems that all it takes is for someone to say ''do you think we could make it back later this year'' and all of a sudden thats all we can think about.

So hoping to do our best to make it back soon. We have only been before around March /April/May and wondered what you guys can advise about Kruger in November, because we have read that the rains can be heavy then and there wont be wildlife at the waterholes. Is it really that rainy?, should we push for October?

After being offline for so long we were shocked to read that Kruger had flooded again, our thoughts are with all those affected. Same goes for the poaching, and we shed a tear for those beautiful harmless beasts.
[hi Threedogs]

Thanks everyone

Vicrob

Hi VicRob,
Have a look at "Kruger in November" in KNP Camps and Roads.
It seems to be a great month. Then again, maybe the October visitors have not been as quick to post about their trips.

Hi VicRob! Great to see you back here again!
We stayed 3 and 1/2 weeks in KNP last Aug/Sept. and had a fantastic trip! I think October would be terrific or even early November. Who knows with the weather these days hey? Just here at home things are all over the place as you would be only too aware! (We have had 11mm in 5 months - son has had 1100 mm in Yeppoon since Jan 1st!)
Anyway back to KNP - in Oct/Nov it will be getting hot and maybe you will get the odd thunderstorm but I think you would have a terrific time regardless. The vegetation won't have had a chance to get growing much yet so visibility would still be very good and there shouldn't be too much standing water yet either. Go for it!
Sadly, we aren't travelling to Africa this year but have a month long trip to Augrabies and KTP planned for May next year. It is a long wait.
There are some good flight deals you could access (see bestflights.com for details) all inclusive to Nelspruit or Hoedspruit or Phalaborwa with SAA/Qantas. These are the flights we usually use. Get the details off the above website and then go to your preferred travel agent.
Happy Planning.

In early November we found that the (late that year) rain had hardly influenced things.

The bush was still 'see-through', there was no surface water, and in fact my beloved Tamboti area was almost a dead loss as it was very dry, except for the wild dogs that greeted our entry to the park at Orpen.

The south gets a bit more rain usually than the middle & north.

But a lot of the migrant birds will have returned.

November is one of my favorite times to visit Kruger. The grass is starting to get green, but generally has not gotten long yet. The newborn impala are born, and I've had great sightings at that time of the year. I've visited Kruger 3-4x from late October to early December in the last 5 years.

Sigtings have been fantastic on all trips. Only one trip was impacted at all by rain. There were a couple of days that had a lot of rain on one of my trips in early December. I was scheduled to stay at Talamati, but the road was closed due to the rain. So I had to change camps and stay somewhere else for those couple of days. Despite the rain, I had a couple of my best sightings on those rainy days. Most days have been hot and sunny. Often there will be some cloud cover in the morning but it'll clear up as the day progresses.

Rain is of no concern to me when planning a trip in November.

Vic Rob, how wonderful to see that you have been so taken with Kruger.

Agree with all of the above. If there is rain, it has a completely different quality to the Jan/Feb rains. It has been the month of highest sightings for me. The Park is often very quiet and I just love all the new born babies.

The only problem can be the heat. A few showers are very welcome then. On one of my trips the temperature dropped from 44 degrees to 23 degrees in 2 hours. It heralded the first serious rain. Most welcome, I can tell you.

HI
Have been in the KNP in November 2009. If you would like to have a look at my trip report it will show the bush changing as the rains came whilst we were there. It was amazing to see the bush go from nothing to green over a few days. The temperature went from 42degC to averaging 25degs. Also to see the impala babies arriving was very special

viewtopic.php?style=2&f=27&t=46517&hilit=50th+birthday

Hi Kite, Bush Baptist, threedogs, meandering mouse, Skywalker and Suefish (enjoyed your report)

Thank you all so much for the information, we are certainly not worried about the weather now. In fact we are used to heat living in subtropics and if it's cool or wet well we are used to that too! On our first ever Kruger stay we drove in the park and it was 37 degrees so a good initiation, but we do have to stay where there is aircon. And hopefully the grass will be a bit shorter, we had a few seconds last year watching a pair of cheetah on the road but the second they walked off the road they disappeared into grass that was more than twice their height, never to be seen again.

We booked our flights and accommodation over the weekend and are now back in full excitement and planning mode, despite our visit still being eight months away.

We leave on the 26th October and will have 18 days and nights in the park, wooh hooooohh.

Something we were surprised at was that we could get most of the accommodation that we wanted straight off, couldn't get the same room at Olifants but everywhere else had a surprising amount of vacant bungalows.

Three dogs we know how you feel, it's been nearly a year now since our visit and a year and a half between visits seems to be the maximum we can cope with but we have to work and save right and people at home just do not get it hey, do not understand why we just Must return.


How exciting for you though getting to see KTP. I have read many times that it's a great place to go to after you get used to Kruger.


Thanks again everyone

Wow! That's what I like to see, decisiveness! Very envious

The countdown has begun.......

Know the feeling and welcome back

VicRob, that time of year is usually quiet. Silly season is starting and students are in full panic mode for examinations. I find it a good time to travel from every perspective.

Thank you Bert and MMouse


It's such a good feeling to be back here reading again and to be welcomed and made to feel like a part of the wonderful Kruger community.

Having just booked we are bursting with excitement so somehow will have to do our best to get through the day to day grind till we can get our fix again.

MM yes it's the same here, very unusual for anyone to head off on holiday the month before Christmas, not us we don't think about Christmas till mid December

I like your itinerary. Spot on for that time of year.

Agreed. The south could be wetter than further north, but anything could happen.

The grass should not have had a chance to 'spring' up yet but could be green enough to attract grazers - and their predators.

Thanks MM and BB

Glad our itinerary sounds ok to you.

We booked at Crocodile Bridge because of course the ever popular Lower Sabie was booked up. But now we are really looking forward to staying there, it still has easy access to the main viewing roads in the area and there are some roads in that part we have not even explored yet. We often found ourselves at CB for lunch or breakfast anyway. Just need to make sure we have all we need to cater with no restaurant to fall back on like we are used to.

We managed to get into the same bungalows as last time at Skuks and Satara so cant wait. Our fave room at Olifants was booked already but we have treated ourselves to Lebombo for the last 2 nights. It must be meant to be because last time at Olifants I remember looking over to Lebombo and saying, I want to stay there one day. Hope its good !