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It's amazing how things have changed over the last 25 years. One never battled to get a reservation for the kruger in those years. In december 1984 it cost R36 per night for a 3 bedded chalet with shower and toilet for 2 adults and a child. A 7 course meal and a full breakfast in the restuarant was affordable for the family. We ate in the restuarants daily except when braaing or cooking breakfast at a picnic spot. I cannot remember all the prices from those years but i think a full breakfast cost R6. If you wanted to cook breakfast or lunch at a picnic spot like tshokwane you did not need to hire a gas braai. They always had a fire going where you would scoop yourself a shovel full of hot coals and then place these coals on the braais to cook breakfast or have a lunch time braai. Crocodile bridge in those years had small rectanglular huts without showers,toilets and electricity. You had a peepot if you did not feel like walking to the toilet at night. There was also a large fire burning in camp where one could get red hot coals for cooking or braaing. I have been to numerous game parks in africa and kruger is still my favourite in terms of facilities, roads and game diversity.

We baught half a kilo of Boltong for R1,70. Camping was 12 rand a night.

Are you referring to the elephant and buffalo biltong which one could buy in those years?

Yes, & I still use my '82 Prozesky bird book, even if a lot of the names changed. Got it for R7.75.

Check this out...

viewtopic.php?f=72&t=21860

In '82 I took my Aunt to Satara for a week and for two of us in seperate chalets, fuel, food etc etc the whole trip cost me just over R550 . In '83 and '84 I was living in Nelspruit while working at Ngodwana and we often did day trips in the southern sections. Loved that elephant biltong. And Scips, I'm still using my 1st edition Sinclair!

<As an aside, my SO's dad was seriously involved in birding when living in SA and he did a lot of work with Sinclair to publish the book - I did'nt know this until I pulled it out to show him one day!>

That's wonderful Timepilot

I do remember my first trip back to Kruger in the eighties. Our children were very, very young. We stayed in this contraversial camp that had caused so much outrage with the traditionalists. It had completely broken with the usual Kruger style of building and many people had thrown their hands up in dismay.

What is Kruger coming to they shouted.

The name of the camp Berg n Dal.

We paid R13 for a basic unit at Olifants

I also remember how we had to make our request for accomodation in writing. We then had the long wait to see if our request was approved. There was also a limit to the number of days we were allowed to stay.

MM I remember that - in July holidays you were not allowed more than 10 days. Also if you were not one of the lucky ones to get exactly what you wanted, you had to make do with what the Parks Board (in those days) offered you.
How times have changed with the booking system now available.

Also in the early 80's the main entrance gates to the Park were all closed for lunch time - I think it was from 12.30 till 2pm (can anyone confirm). So you had to plan your trip to arrive either before lunch or after.

Is it true that the camps/ entrances had other names in those and earlier days than they have now? Can anybody remember them if so?

I remember arriving at Punda one day just after 1 o'clock and we had to sit and wait until 2 for the reception to open so we could check in. That must have been in the late '80s.

In the "old days" people greeted when you met another car. Mind you, that was even done on the open road. You didn't know the people but it was a courtesy.

Do you remember that curtain and bedspread fabric with the impala lilies?

Do you remember when you didn't ever get a key for your bungalow? Merely closed the door and EVERYTHING was still in place when you returned to camp.

How times have changed!!!