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Thanks, the first option looks the better as we are sleeping just outside the Pafuri gate the first night.

Thanks a lot

For many years we only camped in the south of the park up to Satara. This time, (change is as good as a holiday (this makes it 2 in one)) we booked for December from North to South beginning @ Shingwedzi.
What route & which gate will you recommend traveling from Pretoria with a road caravan.

For those towing trailers or caravans, try the following route:

N1 (bypass Polokwane) to Banderlierkop.
Approx: 10kms north turn right onto the Elim/Luvuhu road ( no road number )
Continue through Elim for about 90 kms. to a 4-way stop (actually it's the first one after Elim!)
There's a garage on the left.
Turn left - you are now on the R81.
Travel for about 15kms to a t-junction with the R524
Turn right - Punda gate is about 35kms further on.

The reason we use this route is because there are few potholes, less traffic (especially after Elim) and no hills to speak of - took us about 2 hours from N1 to Punda gate - and we were towing!



Posted the above a couple of months ago in another thread - going this way again shortly towing caravan (as will be camping in Shigwedzi) and will update on current conditions sometime in May!

Thanx PNF, we are only going that way before Christmas 2012. Will look out for your reply on the road conditions later>

Another opsion could be to travel to Polokwane, then to Tzaneen and Phalaborwa, maybe spend 1 night at Phalaborwa tourist resort and then enter the park very early the next morning.

PNF - is the road from the N1 to R81 tar or gravel ?

I am sure it is tarred.

My info is that the Polokwane road to Phalaborwa is in a poor state with a few stop and goes. I got the same advice as what PNF has quoted.

Personally I prefer the N1 all the way up north and turn off to Pafuri Gate just after the Baobab Toll Plaza. There are roadworks only on the last few kms to Pafuri Gate. We have just traveled it again and I'll never travel another route to Shingwedzi.

We did, however, leave Shingwedzi yesterday morning at 06h00 and exited the Park at Crocodile Bridge at 17h30! whithout speeding, but I won't recommend that for entering.

The N1 to Louis Trichard is a breeze, from there across to Punda is relatively fine, just be aware of people around the built up areas and a few unroadworthy vehicles but other than that the road is just fine. You should do it with a van in about 6 to 7 odd hours.

Dear Pafuri,

If I had to travel from Graskop to Mopani and had all day, I would travel to Phalaborwa via Blydepoort, Abel Erasmus Pass and Mica. Would be a scenic drive, in my view.

Best wishes!

JOEP

Also did this route on the same day . Potholes were a risk however of you take this route and keep the speedo down a bit you should not have issues. The distance with the bad potholes is not that bad either. Would definately take this route again if I were to head Orpen way.

We are going to Olifants end May 2012, usually go Orpen Gate then Satara then Olifants. Went to Satara Oct last year Belfast, Lydenburg R36, Orighstad, road was terrible with huge potholes, as we are pulling trailer a bit worried about this. Were also thinking of going via Croc Bridge. Not interested in Phalaborwa route.
Can someone pse update on condition of R36.
We are travelling from Benoni so also have morning mist to contend with which could slow us down a bit, looks like a long haul to Olifants

Fozzis , we came back from Kruger last week , Orpen , via Ohrigstad , Lydenburg , then R36 to Machadodorp . Road wasn't too bad , some potholes here and there as expected , especially on Mpumalanga roads . Last year we drove Lydenburg via R540 to Belfast and it was quite shocking

Fozzis - I think it is a case of "6 of one and half a dozen of other". I came back from Orpen Gate at end of March via Orighstad - Lydenburg - Bambi Inn (Machadodorp) and the potholes after Lydenburg were awful - even for a large 4x4. Since then I have heard that the Lydenburg - Dullstroom - Belfast road also has bad potholes.

I think going via Crocodile Bridge will be too time-consuming.

Just take it easy and have a safe trip. Enjoy the KNP.