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I paid the camp rates. One is picked up by a vehicle from Orpen camp I think.

Book and pay at reception in the camp and you'll be picked up from the camp you are staying in.

I presume the difference in price is to cover the conservation fees for people staying outside the park. If you are staying in the camps inside Kruger you have already paid them.

Hi,

Being relatively new I tried to find answers to the following questions in the existing posts, but couldn't. If this is due to my lack of experience with the search engine: sorry...! If I'm posting on the wrong location: likewise... :-)

We want to do an evening game drive with a Kruger ranger from one of the camps that we will be visiting between the 21st of June and the 4th of July. These are the camps we have booked: Letaba, Shingwedzi, Punda Maria, Satara, Skukuza, Pretoriuskop and Malelane. Which camp would be your favorite to book an evening game drive from?

The second half of our stay in Kruger coincides with SA school holidays (which made it quite a task to get things booked, but it worked out fine in the end). I can't find how to book a gamedrive in advance online. Can this only be done through email/telephone? Would you advise booking in advance? Don't want to miss out and considering that the accomodations are all fully booked...

Been to SA and Kruger several times, never spotted a leopard. So an area that has the best chances to spot one (or other big cats) would be very good to know. I was thinking Satara/Letaba/Skukuza myself... is this right?

Hope to hear from the experts soon,
Thanx
Sander

Hi Sander,

I've done drives from Punda Maria, Shingwedzi and Satara and would recommend them. Thomas at Punda Maria is very good and will stop to explain all about the trees as well as the animals. Not sure you'll see a leopard though, Satara will probably be best.

However it really does depend on right place right time for how good the drives are.

To book in advance it's best to email reservations@sanparks.org with your Reservation Number and ask them to add it to your booking. Then reconfirm when you check in at the camp - just so you get your indemnity form and the time and place of departure. Make sure they write the time on your form, I've had arguments with guides before now when reception has told me the wrong time!

Hi Sander, I have done game drives at all the camps you are visiting. In my opinion, I will say you will have the biggest variety of aminal and bird species at Satara. I have done many drives there before and we had wonderful sightings.

Hallo Sander

I have been on a drive from Satara and it wasn’t a disappointment. Even though I got the feeling the guide was just looking for lions it still was very entertaining. Also Satara is prime cat countries so I personally would chose this camp and hope to see some cats in action.

Considering you would love to see a leopard I would recommend to go on your evening drive in the best leopard territory. Myself have seen the most leopards in the Skukuza/Lower Sabie area, so if I would be looking for leopards I would chose the evening drive at Skukuza. Saying that the Satara and Pretoriuskop areas are also good leopard country and I have been told Berg en Dal as well. Anyway your best chance to see the spotted one is probably in the south.

Have a great trip.

Hi Sander
Would recommend Satara or Lower Sabie
Seen my leopards near Berg en Dal , Lower Sabie and Skukuza

Hi Sander,
apart from the great advice already received do have a read through This Topic and also This One
There is lots of extra info and advice in those.
Hope you enjoy your trip.

Hi Sander,

I've had leopard sightings on night drives at Malelane.

I would also recommend Lower Sabie and Skukuza.

Enjoy the trip!

Hi Sander,

Just to be pedantic, rangers don't do game drives, guides do (although in many private reserves guides call themselves rangers).

Letaba - never really had a WOW drive there,
Shing - ditto,
Punda - never done one so I can't say
Satara - good for lion sightings, and maybe serval and African wild cat if you are lucky,
Skuk - depending on the direction the guide takes, lions
Pkop - lions
Malelane - probably your best bet for leopard.

No guarantees, anything or nothing could pop up anywhere. Timing is everything.

Hi Sander
During our previous June/July holiday we decided to do a sunset drive from Satara, we were hesitant at first because our previous two night drives from Shingwedzi were extremely quite.
We had the most amazing time and sightings. 1 Leopard walking next to the vehicle, 2 cheetahs also close to the vehicle, badger and an African wild kitten were the highlights of the drive.
This year we've booked a sunset drive from Lower Sabie during the holidays again.
I did the booking by phoning Central Reservations.

WOW!

I've never been on a forum before where the replies were so helpful, plentyful, fast and extensive as this one!

Thank you all so much!!!

I sent an email to Sanparks with a request to book us on a nightdrive for the night that we are in Satara.

Again:thank you so much!!

Hi everyone,

Just got a reply from SANPARKS: they booked us on a 2 hour nightdrive. The 3 hour sunset drive is already full (more than a month ahead!!!). On the one hand it is not so bad, because we will be touring Blyde River Canyon that day, so this gives us a little bit more time to get to Satara (which means we will be driving from the gate to camp @ sunset), set up our camper, maybe even have some dinner and then go on the drive. It sounds exciting to take off into the dark wild...!

Or are we missing out now that the drive is an hour shorter, and should I switch to a sunset drive from another camp?

What time do nightdrives leave? The time of departure is left blank in our booking confirmation.

Please let me know what you think,

Thanks
Sander

Hi Sander,

The last time we went to Kruger and did a Night Drive we left camp after dinner time at about: 20H.00

Take a look at this part of the SANParks Website: Kruger Game Drives

Take a look here for the most recent Activity Tariffs

The rear side of the camp layout which you receive at the Reception when you pick up your key shows all the actual times and activities the Camp provides the visitors.


An example of the activities in 2011 is shown below maybe the times haven't changed but maybe someone can confirm this or else it's an indication of the possible times.......at least the prices haven't changed

I favour the night drives as we can drive around ourselves close to sunset but cannot venture out after dark.
Some camps only have sunset drives though.
It's great that you will be in the park for 2 weeks!
If you want to really treat yourselves, enjoy your night drive at Satara and try to get on a drive at Malelane as well.