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And this is not a repeat from my previous post but after the award of "Bushveld camp of the Year" i must congrat Sirheni once again!!! Well done you really deserve it!!

I think they are running a smaller generator during the day that costs less and during the night they switch on the bigger one that gives permanent power that's on all night.
No need for candles.
If i remember correctly there are plugs inside the unit to charge camera or cellphone batteries.
If you can try to book cottage no 3 which is a 4 bed cottage.
There is even a sightings book in this unit that was sponsored by people and everybody can record there sightings in it or just leave a short message.
This is a lovely quiet camp too so to be on your own would make it even more quiet.

hi,
last time at sirheni 11 months ago now you had to charge everything at reception no plugs in the units,no problem though the staff are always more than helpful have a great time at this special camp

No cellphone reception at all.That is awesome.Yes Stu you are right with the plugs. Now i remember we had to charge everything at Punda Maria.

Stayed at Sirheni in June.
The lights stay on all night but the fridge goes off at 7pm and comes on again early in the morning,around 6am.Powered by generator.
There is no freezer in the fridges in the chalets,but there are two big communal freezers at the entrance.They have compartments for each chalet.
There are no plugs in the chalets,unless you want to move the fridge.
The reception will charge batteries.

No cell phones,no TV's,no shop.
Just an amazing camp.For me the best in Kruger.
I know everyone has their own preferences,but to me the best chalets are 15 or 16.
I cannot remember the exact numbers but they are the last two high number chalets.
They have the best view over the water and no need to visit the hide.You can see it all from your patio.
Enjoy
Enrico.

Unfortunately only the 6 bed cottages have nice views over the river.
if you can't get # 3 then i would suggest no 11.
It's closer to the hide and a little better view than # 3.
# 13 is a no go.
It's completely behind bushes and further away from the river than the other 2 i mentioned and also all the people going to the hide walks past this cottage.

I stayed there last month for two days we were in a two bedroom cottage no 1 it was stunning with a spectacular view over the river It is closest to the generators but it it did not bother us at all. Sirheni is an absolute gem...everything about this camp is gorgeous and the staff are incredible

Here are some pic's of the units, views and hides of Sirheni

Unit no 1


View from the patio of number 1


Some of the other units








The walkway and hide










This is definitely one of my new favourite camps in Kruger I LOVED it Hope you have a wonderful trip AM

This is undoubtedly my favourite camp in the park.
Have stayed in both units 15 & 3 - both with special memories.
Leopard at unit 15 & the birding in unit 3 was exceptional.
There is a birdbath in front of the stoep at no. 3.
Fill it up, retire quietly to the stoep, have the camera ready & wait for the avian show to begin - you do not need to leave the bungalow.
Can anyone tell me whether the colony of hooded vultures are still roosting in the trees opposite the river from no 3? (we saw approx 6 -7 vultures early Oct 2009)
Also, any good sightings of the owls in the camp recently?

Paul,

We stayed in no 3 on 31 december 2009 and no 11 early january 2010 but didn't see any vultures or leopard. This is really by far the best bushveld camp in the whole KNP. Well done to the staff!!!!

I love Sirheni!
The one thing I wonder about is how hot it will be in December, as there are no airconditioning...
The previous two times we stayed there was magical, but during winter and early spring, so I have no clue as to the temperatures inside the cottages during December.
I know that there are ceiling fans, and that the thatched roofs are very high, which helps...
Can a summer veteran please help?

It gets very hot there during summer.
When we were there during early january it was 38 degrees the one day and just as the ceiling fan gets to the fastest speed the power trips.
Without that fan it's very hot but still very nice.
We got in the car with aircon and drove the very beautiful S56 during that very hot time of day.
I'm sure you will love it.

What a lovely camp !!

Really had such a nice time for 3 days last week, lovely set-up, staff, cottage etc.Had #15, great view , from my stoep got to see buffalo, hippos, elephant, baboons, various birds and on the walk the leopard opposite #7.

Been really hot for 2 of the dayS, but the ceiling fans were working all the time, for december.....good luck.

It works out to be 85km or thereabout to make it to the SAP Post or Crooks Corner from Sirheni.
Taking stops into account, game drive speeds usually average out to 20km per hour.
So the drive from Sirheni to Pafuri about 4 hours.
Say after an hours lunch or so
Another 4 hour drive back to Sirheni in total is a nine hour trip

In June the Sirheni gates open at 6 in the morning and close at 17:30 in the afternoon.
The 9 hour trip would take from the 6 untill 17:00.
So you could do it once.
But it is a bit of a stretch.
Say for instance in the drive back you see a nice leopard sighting, you would not have the chance to stay at the sighting because of time pressures.
But the other opinion is that you HAVE to see the Pafuri area

So in conclusion it is a push but possible. And perhaps worth it for a day to see the Pafuri region

Some people would consider that a good idea
Since June is on winter and the animals are sure to come to the waterholes to drink.
Personally, I would go driving because I love to explore the park

If you decide to spend a night in Punda Maria, then you can reserve your Northern drives for that last day and while you are staying at Sirheni you could go South to explore the region around Shingwedzi.

Here is the map

The following route is 116km:
All the dirt roads to Shingwedzi and South to Red Rocks, and back to Sirheni on the main road.
So that's south down the s56 (going alongside the main road H1-7 which runs between Shingwedzi and Punda Maria), then a little 4km down the H1-7, then the s55, then a little 3km stretch down the H1-6 (the main road between Shingwedzi and Mopani), then the dirt road s52 towards Red Rocks.
Then back along the H1-6 and perhaps a lunch break stop at Shingwedzi then the H1-7 back until you have to turn off to go home.

That is another long route you could take.
Under 7 hours with the Shingwedzi lunch I would estimate.

Another Southerly route from Sirheni:
Going South down the H1-7 to Shingwedzi, then go down the s50 for a few km to see the Kanniedood dam. Many consider the drive to Kanniedood to be one of the most rewarding drives in the park!
On the way back to Sirheni you could just take dirt roads if you would like to avoid driving down the same roads you have explored earlier.
If you do, the route is 94km. the route including an hour stop is just under six hours.

Just a couple of options in terms of where to drive

Came back from the park on Friday and just as you all predicted, Sirheni is a magical place! Wow!
We had cottage number 1 - it has a stunning view of the dam!
We weren't even bothered by the generator
My only complaint is that the fridge in cottage 1 is not working properly .

The bush looks amazing as well.
Everything is lush and green.
Even though we didn't see much game, we enjoyed the surroundings and loved seeing the Shingwedzi river in flow!