SANParks.org Forums

A warm welcome to you VicDD I hope your trip is filled with great memories.

ditto with Bush Baptist. S39, one of my favorite roads. You will be passing through so many eco zones. If you feel that you have the time, try to do the whole S39. It gives a bit of a taste of a completely different eco zone and you will be passing some of the game rich Savannah on your way back to Satara.

There is a little detour, the S86, close to Tshokwane, Lions sometimes go to rest in the shade on hot days. It is worth a peek.

Hi everyone. Just a quick question. Is Satara to Punda Maria possible in one whole day during the Winter Months.

Any Help will highly be appreciated

You certainly can do Satara to Punda in a day, as long as you do not spend too much time at special sightings, or taking too many breaks at Letaba, Mopanie, Shingwedsi or the picnic sites along the way

And not too many ellie roadblocks

Yes, it is doable - allow at least 9 hours for the trip going at a steady 40 and not stopping too often. As billyf said " not too many ellie roadblocks" - and north of Shingwedzi allow for a couple of delays due to Dagga Boys!

I am not convinced it's a good idea.
I once did Shingwedzi to Satara and we just made the gates.
There were loads of good sightings on the way and we stopped often on the trip.
As we got nearer Satara and time was running out, we drove past a lion kill, and didn't have time to stop.

In short, possible,yes, but advisable,no.

Easily. 245 km in 11 hours (all on tar, you do the math)
Early start in Satara, brunch at Mooiplaas, early afternoon tea at Babalala and just 50 km to go from there!

Hi everyone. Thank You soo much for all the advice. I really appreciate it.

One of the main reasons for my question was, I am booked in Kruger from the 18th June to the 22nd at the following camps

LS, Skuks, Orpen and Satara, and because my house is only 45 mins from Punda Gate, I got this crazy idea of staying a night in Punda, and having a drive next morning before exiting, although I have always preferred Shingwedzi, but due to its closure, I thought I might as well try Punda as a camp. Always a first time.

So since it is possible, I am going to book it, because I would rather exit closer to home rather than driving 4 hours out of the Park at night since I don't believing in exiting the gate before the gate closing time since the best time is early morning and late evenings.

Thanks once again for the advice everyone . I really appreciate it

Bushbud, It will be amazing if I get to catch up with a Forum Mite, and I think the main reason for this is because I mostly visit the North, there are very little forum mites actually visiting the the North for some reason beyond my knowledge.

James, that is perfect, as I will be driving slow in the morning, at my snail pace, but than drive on 50 after 10am.
According to my calculations, and the distance table, says it is 245kms which says it takes 9 hr and 45 mins, and that is calculated at driving at a speed limit of 25km/h, so driving at 50, it should take about 5 hours, but stopping at sightings, etc. will make me reach Punda just on time before gate closing time, but that is with me driving at snails pace near Punda as well.

Hopefully it all goes according to plan

I will post a pic of my car on the TR, so stay on the lookout for that car.

We have done Shingwedzi to Satara more than a few times , fairly leisurely , on the S50 ( Kannidood road etc ) , then tar from Mooiplas area . Punda , however adds another 3 hours to the trip ,so making it a long long trip for one day . Can certainly be done , but ................ wow ,

Hi Kallis,

We managed from Satara to Punda on our trip in August 2010.
We left Satara minutes after gate opening but made Punda in time to book in and unpack ready for an evening braai.
It is a long haul but doable if you are careful about stop times if you are fortunate to see an amazing sighting. Punda definitely has a charm of its own and I am sure you will enjoy a stop there - even if it is for a very brief time.
If you are booked into one of the safari tents, look out for bush babies.
We we were really lucky last time we stayed here and they came to 'visit' us each evening as we sat on the stoep.

Wildimage and Carolv

Agree with WildImage - plan your trip carefully and go for it!
Many moons ago when we were young and foolish (!) we towed a caravan from Shingwedzi to Skukuza in one day - without going over the speed limit but that was in summer
............and if there's no small children with you in the car, then comfort stops are cut to a minimum!!!

My wife and I are planning our trip to KNP. Are we trying to drive too far in one day travelling between Berg-en-dal and Olifants rest camps? Thanks for your help and advice.

A very warm welcome to you TJDfairport. I do hope that you have a wonderful trip.

It is 219 km from Berk n Dal to Olifants. That is a very do-able distance. It is also a very interesting drive covering lots of different eco-zones. Certainly some productive game viewing opportunities.

It is recommended that one factors in about 25km/hr. That leaves you plenty of time.

As MM says, definitely doable and you could plan a stop at a picnic site somewhere on the way for breakfast or lunch to break up the drive.