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Hi again to all you 'helpful' forum folks
Thought I would put this little enquiry into a new topic.... Last November
we spend a month in SA ( sorry no TR .. Still have not worked out how to do one)
even after all your advise .. Anyway this year we are thinking of doing a month in
October, that way we can still use our International Wild Card ... What I wanted advice on
was ... Weather in October??? We are planning as least 2 weeks in Kruger .
but where to go after .. Now we had thought of the coast, but know from previous
visits that the Cape is not always the best bet (weather wise) so any ideas of places
possibly further north ... Any advise gratefully received .. HELP

Dellac October is fine in Kruger , can get a bit hot BUT all chalets have aircon and your car will have too. and in fact anytime in Kruger is the best time.
In October you will miss the main flowers in the Cape But how about Augrabies .and even KTP. or Tankwa?? all very different from KNP another little gem is Mokola. or MZNP or or or .. oh so may to choose from. and of course we are in the south and you need to visit here too???

Hi Dellac!!!!! Hope all's good with you! Glad to hear you are planning another trip back to Kruger in October. In my opinion, Sept/Oct is one of the best times to visit the park as it is the end of the dry season and animals tend to congregate at water holes. I once sat at a water hole for 4 and a half hours in October 2010 and saw probably MORE than I would have seen had I been driving around for an hour (including lions who nearly made a buffalo kill!!!). I was lucky that year in that I was camping in the park for 3 weeks and did not have one drop of rain - the rains started late that year. That said, you guys were there in November so experienced the park during the rainy season - which, if I remember correctly, wasn't that rainy! I think Heksie and I had one rainy afternoon at Satara then it rained on our last night when we were in Lower Sabie.

As Hugh said, it will be warm, but then again, you experienced the heat in November, and it makes a lovely change from the cold weather in the UK!

With regard to your travels after Kruger, what did you have in mind? Where have you been in SA?

Let me know your plans for October as I expect I'll be making a trip around that time!

xxx

Hi Wendy ... Saw you looking very glam at the Val meet .. And Eliz we will
try fit in a meet ... We have actually seen quite a bit of SA, back in the day
but I suppose when you are young & free you don't take it on board too much
Last trip we drove up from CT to PE. via the MZNP & Addo, both of which we loved, but
thought maybe something different for this trip just don't know what... We are
even just thinking if flying in and spending the whole time in the park .. But would
still like any ideas PLEASE

Now you are talking, Della. If it were me, that's what I would do, and with a good long visit you could spend longer in each camp and still get to see more of the park. It would be more restful, not rushing about to see everything in a limited time.

Alternatively you could spend some time in the northern KZN parks and do a bit of seaside as well and perhaps Swaziland, or if you could come a little earlier you might well get some good flowers in Namaqualand and do Augrabies on the way there. Or Limpopo province including Mapungubwe.......

That's my two penn'orth for what it's worth.

Looks like we on the same wave length Chirinda .....
We are thinking more seriously about doing the park for the whole time
only prob is our friend Anne who lives in J'burg and comes in all our trips is
retiring at the end of November so we not sure she could do the whole 4 weeks... And
I recon we would feel guilty if she wasn't with us the whole time... Also our Wild Card
runs out the 15/16th October ... Now Swaziland sounds a GREAT idea, we always loved it
when we lived over & drive through a few years ago .. But what would folks advise us to
do there??? Still looking for ideas

Hi Dellac, if you're divers you might do a dive trip to Sodwana?

Hi Dellac, what a nice dilemma to sit with!

If you feel the 2 weeks in Kruger will be enough and would prefer to go elsewhere for the remainder then I do think there are many options available to you.
Have you thought about going up to the north of the park, exit and visit to Mapungubwe, very worthwhile, not somewhere I have been but its on my bucket list for sure.

What about Golden Gate, stunning location and scenery and something very different.

Swaziland could be an option to stay on for a day or 2 as you transit through, but the parks there would most probably not give you too much of a different slant on Kruger IMHO.

St Lucia is always nice, a world heritage site with a bit of everything.

Then you could make your way down the KZN coast, very pretty area,
KZN parks are there as well, another option but of course depending on what you are wanting to see and do.
even pop in for a visit with me!

Can't give too much detail on non SANParks sites so do PM me if you want further advice on any of those.
Anyway those off the top of my head.

Hi Dellac
Agree with Elsa - go out of Kruger in the North and head across to Mapungubwe then you could come South to Marakele and finally to your friend in Jo'burg. Nice 'n easy and a good time of year to do such a trip.
If you're birders, there's a couple of good birding places on this route - PM us if you're interested.