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Hello
We are visiting Kruger for the first time and debating either to visit a private game reseve (very expensive)
or stay in the Parc rest camps.

Is the experience similar - if we go on the camp drives with the rangers?
The private reserves ofer a couple of drives and promise to see the big 5 but the camp rest do also offer drives.

Thank you for any advise,
Anda

Hi Anda, the drives from Kruger rest camps can be very rewarding, you may also see very little.

I have been on several and seen the big 5 but on some have seen a few night birds, impala lying down and very little else. It is all the luck of the draw. The rangers in the private camps are in constant touch with radio so know where all the sightings are. But of course you are paying for this. Good luck!
Anabel 1

It is quite different.
The concessions, like Singita, are very good, luxurious and as you say expensive. Little bits of paradise where you get pampered.

Kruger (to us) is about something more basic. Up before the crack of dawn, pack the car with camera gear, drinks, food, binoculars, birdbooks and such, and off you go. What will you see? That is the big surprise. You almost never know.
Stop at a picnicspot or camp for lunch, or simply at a waterhole, munching lunch while waiting for (or looking at) a leopard.
In the evening you come back to camp, light the braai (BBQ) and have dinner. Maybe chattering about your sightings with the neighbours. (And find out why the are called sightings, if you had chosen that other road....)

It is up to you what you choose, and a major part of that decision will probably be the wallet.
Even if the finances are no trouble at all I would opt for almost all days in Kruger, not the concessions.

The big 5 at the private camps are almost a guarantee.
But you can not search for yourself.

While in Kruger its you out there
More of a "adventure"

And what i like best of being in my own vehicle is stopping and watching as long as i want.
for eg i always search for oxpeckers on giraffe
does take time and when in a group i found that its not everybodies cup of tea to wait

If you have time, both would be good.
Its great to do your own thing, from braais, to being in your own car at your pace or even guided walks with sanparks.
If your time is very limited, budget unlimited, and seeing big five a must, not many people will hold it against you if you choose super luxury, wonderful meals and an attentive knowledgable game ranger.

We have done both and they are different experiences. And having done both experiences I would do both again.

For the lodges, its great to not have to drive, have someone else make the decisions on where to go and to just sit back and chill. The knowledge the guides have is incredible and the stories they tell are eye opening. They know their areas very well, they know the movements of the animals and can predict where they will go, which makes spotting seem very easy.

The downside is the other people, although most reputable places will not pack the game vehicle and will try to link up people of similar interests. My problem was that my photos weren't as good because I couldn't get the angle I wanted and the movement of other people on the drive made them blurry.

Welcome to the forum sirenada.

If you want to just see the 'big 5' then get somebody to drive you around your local zoo. It is just like that at the private lodges, but without the fences.

In Kruger, you self-drive, when and where you want to. You get the feel of wild Africa in thet safety of your car (hired or personal). The big thrill is that you can 'bump' into anything at any time, and FIND IT YOURSELF! True, there are no guarantees, but what is the thrill of being driven up to a lion etc.

Also, there are a lot of other, more exciting things to look out for. Wild dog, cheetah, caracal, civet, serval, African wild cat, honey badger, I could go on.

That is why I have been 22 times, mostly driving the 1900 km each way from Cape Town, to find it myself...and I have done so with great success.

I hope this helps.

There is nothing better than doing something yourself , rather than having it done for you by others




Twice per year for us , 2000 kilometers up ,plus 2000 kilometers down , plus 1500 to 2000 inside the park . And we enjoy every kilometer of it

We do the best of both worlds!

We're staying in KNP for the majority of our trip, but have 4 nights scheduled in a private reserve as well. We simply love the family-run game lodge outside of the park, and the price is right. Yes -- more expensive than staying in the park -- but we appreciate the personal attention and unique experience that comes with staying in an unfenced private camp.

If you're interested in knowing where we stay outside of KNP, send me a pm. I'll send you the link to the lodge and their Trip Adviser page.

Hi there.

Well I have to agree with the above posts that suggest you do both if possible, each will give you a completely different but equally amazing experience. Not sure I agree about the zoo bit though, our experiences [a mere 4] in Sabi Sand have been incredible and certainly not zoo like, if that was the case you would not spend all that time driving around looking for wildlife. There is radio contact between the vehicles but that usually enhances things, ensuring you get to see the best sightings.

We absolutely love KNP but as long as we can afford to we add a few days in a concession at the end to enhance our trip even more. Another consideration is distance, the time it takes to travel from home to SA makes you want the best 'bang for your buck' so to speak.

We have had some great sightings in Kruger, lots of plains game, heaps of elles, rhino, zebra, giraffes and many lovely birds and so much more. We head out the gate at opening time each morning and stay out till the gates closed. We have had a few lion sightings, one leopard sighting, lounging in a tree, but unfortunately we did not get much of a look due to the three lane traffic jam on the adjacent road ! But our next trip we are staying much longer and hope to see a lot more, as you can see reading these forums the more time you have the more you see! A great sighting was a pack of seven wild dogs, trotting down the main tar road near our camp, and another early morning on leaving camp there was a magnificent male lion reclining in the middle of the road, he seemed completely unperturbed as all the cars made their way carefully around him.

Now as for our stays in the adjacent Sabi Sand reserve, what made these stays truly outstanding was the big cat sightings. Last trip we lost track of the number of leopards and lions we saw, on our first drive we came across a mother and daughter leopard together, then a leopard with a kill up a tree, then watching it go to a puddle to drink, saw leopard and lion virtually every drive. Also saw a beautiful serval and magnificent cheetah, a 4 week old leopard cub with Mum that we had all to ourselves due to strict protocol. But the highlight and most amazing experience we have ever had was to witness a kill late one night, lion taking an impala. As an animal lover I never thought I would want to see this but it was truly awesome and took our breath away.

So for those planning their trip who ask for opinions on staying at a combination of KNP and concessions we would have to say if you can do both then go for it, they are completely different. While of course it all comes to luck on the day, all the best sightings we had were off road and found with the expertise of our and other rangers, there was never more than 2 vehicles at a sighting, and there was definitely nothing ‘staged’. We had to search for the animals, they certainly did not just appear. Great care was always taken not to disturb any animal in any way.

So if we could go back tomorrow and could afford it, we would probably do much the same thing again. Driving through Kruger Park is fantastic and finding game yourself in your own car is certainly a thrill, we did plenty of research beforehand and it paid off with many sightings. There is nothing quite like having to stop the car for an elephant or giraffe family to cross the road. Then the very different private lodge experience of being driven by a top ranger [and tracker] with the most amazing amount of knowledge about every aspect of the bush, and being able to answer any question, well that combined with some truly amazing big cat sightings, just blew us away. That is of course without any mention of the people, food, accommodation etc that you get [and pay for!] in a private lodge.

Good luck planning.

The reason why I will always prefer self drive safaris to lodge safaris where you are guaranteed to see the big 5 is simple: It's not the catch but the thrill of the chase.

A very warm welcome to you Sirenda

I think Canis Lupis put it beautifuly. Kruger is about the process, it is about being on your own adventure.

I have done both and each has its advantages. I would say, look carefuly at cost. If you can afford it and want to have a luxury bush experience, it is a nice introduction.

My own preferance is self drive. That is also my personality though. I am happy to drive others around the bend, not so happy to be driven by others.

I do not want to do the private reserve holiday because of the following: I do not want to be told when I can go out for a game drive, I do not want to be with other people who do not have the same interests as me, I do not want to be with "Big 5 chasers" (people who are only interested in the Big 5). The Kruger park experience is more than just looking for the Big 5, it is about the plants,the smells,waking up at gate opening time,making breakfasts at picnic sites, setting up your camp site,sitting at a waterhole for as long as you want to, parking under a tree and just absorbing the smells and sounds that are around you.

To each their own.