Kruger Park (South Africa) – The best of safaris

Our very first destination for the world tour!

We start with a week-long safari in the famous Kruger Park. The particularity of this park is the possibility to come with your own car to see the animals in total freedom.

Here is our roadmap. Don’t hesitate to consult our Kruger Park Guide if we made you want to visit this magnificent park.

Day 1: Johannesburg Airport -> Hazyview

Arrival at 9:45 am in Johannesburg. After completing the usual administrative procedures (identity check, luggage retrieval, money withdrawal, purchase of a SIM card), we are comfortably installed in our rental car at 12:00 am. JB makes a few laps in the parking lot to get used to driving it on the left, while Anh harasses the car rental company on “how to behave in South Africa when you have a car”. What comes out of this interrogation: always lock the car & roll up the windows (even when driving), don’t leave anything lying around, don’t take hitchhikers. In case of a fine by the police, you must demand a written paper and go to pay at the police center, do not pay directly to the policeman. Reassuring!

Let’s go for 4 hours of carefree left-hand drive, even if we find it hallucinating to see people running across the highway or hitchhiking on the emergency lane (we’re talking about real highways where you drive at 120!). JB has a certain propensity to drive a little too far to the left and to put the windshield wipers on instead of the blinker (the controls are reversed compared to what we know) but nothing too serious. For your information, the brake and speed pedals aren’t inverted. After several stops at gas stations (TOTAL stations, with a big “Bonjour” sign) to have lunch, buy water, fill up with gas and rest for 5 minutes, we arrive at our guest house in Hazyview (Mackers Riverbend Cottages), very close to Kruger Park, right on the dot at 5:30 pm at nightfall. We discover that this is the “no man’s land” part of Hazyview and not the urban part. And the hotel does not have a restaurant. Our first dinner = 2 cups of sweet hot water and a Kit Kat bought before at the gas station, because JB isn’t at all motivated to go back on the road in complete darkness.

It makes us laugh, but we have noticed that we always carry 2 or 3 cereal bars with us now in case…

Day 2: Hazyview -> Phabeni Gate -> Skukuza

Before entering the park, we leave early to go shopping in Hazyview (urban part) at Pick’n’Pay at 7:45 am. I will put a picture of the supermarket here to reassure those who are afraid of starving. We won’t buy meat because we can’t respect the cold chain.

Direction the Phabeni Gate, a little frequented entrance to the Kruger Park.

Arrived at 8:30 am, we fill out an application form, there is a question “do you have a firearm? ». Note: if you prefer to buy the Wild Card instead of paying the daily storage fee, it isn’t to be bought here, but at the first restcamp where you will sleep. Ours is the Skukuza, the biggest camp in Kruger Park, it looks like a city with its Post Office, museum, restaurant, medical center, etc.

5 minutes after we enter the Kruger Park, a car stops in front of us. We also stop but we don’t know what they are looking at. The driver beckons us to look behind. JB sees an elephant crossing the road in his rear view mirror. It starts strong!

5 minutes later, a herd of antelopes attracts our attention.

10 minutes later, we see a buffalo crossing the road, we marvel at it before noticing that a whole herd is sleeping next to it

It is with excitement and wonder that we arrive at Skukuza at 10:30 am, where we buy the Wild Card and have lunch in front of the Sabie River. The view is beautiful but no animals come here to drink. Some “residents” are spotted: wild boars & antelopes. Apparently there is a leopard “resident” of Skukuza, not far from the camp but he hid well. The check-in being at 2pm, we decide not to wait for the check in and to leave towards the South direction Biynamiti.

On our way, we cross many antelopes. There are more than 150 000 antelopes in the whole park. We will cross some everywhere and all the time during our stay.

Arriving in Wehr, we see several cars stopping on the bridge, without seeing which animal attracts their attention at this point. We were about to get on the bridge before a car signaled us to back up. We land on the side and before we have had time to go on the bridge, we see a horde of elephants passing right in front of us.

10 seconds later, we realize that we are surrounded by elephants, no way to move, it’s too risky. We notice that a small elephant is having trouble getting down, he is helped by his mother and both of them block the way. A big elephant on our left gets impatient and tries to pass… well maybe by crushing us? In any case, I see his trunk approaching the left door and images of cars run over by elephants appear in my head. What is terrible is that, given the number of elephants passing in front and behind the car, there is absolutely nothing we can do.

The little elephant succeeds in going down, hallelujah ! This frees up space for the big elephant on my left. Before crossing the road, he throws us a last glance that kills.

Afterwards, it is only happiness. Seeing the elephants lining up to drink and refresh themselves is an unforgettable moment. The last elephant arrives well after its herd and savors this moment of solitude with such serenity and satisfaction that it brought tears to my eyes. Who would have thought that our world tour would start this way? Aren’t we like this elephant, enjoying and thinking only about the present moment?

Our day ends with a show worthy of a National Geographic report: a couple of giraffes in the middle of the dry river (you can hear them from our car, they “purr” like cats) and two rhinos in the middle of the plain. Small drops fall from their snouts when they walk, since they have drunk more than enough.

3 of the Big 5 (elephants, buffaloes, rhinos) in one day! We couldn’t dream better.

Return to Skukuza at 5:10 pm with a homemade dinner (salad & omelette) while our neighbors barbecue (South African braai). Ah yes, let’s talk about the supermarket in the camps, it’s rather well provided, a little bit more expensive than the supermarket in town but you will find everything you need, I’ll put some pictures here. In the meantime, let’s go to the video where you’ll see the elephants I told you about.

Day 3 : Skukuza -> Lower Sabie -> Tchokwanke -> Skukuza

The road Skukuza -> Lower Sabie is supposed to be extraordinary but in the dry season it is rather disappointing. The Kruger Park is unfortunately one of the victims of global warming, during the winter, many water points remain dry. It is rather next to Lower Sabie that we see interesting things. We should have booked a night there. Not only this camp is only 900m from a mini lake where there are always animals, but the terrace of the restaurant overlooks the Sabie river where everything happens. A leopard is seen here every 2-3 days, hippos and crocodiles have taken up residence here and hordes of elephants/antelopes/zebras regularly pass by (click on the picture to see a larger version)

Well, this time no leopard in sight but crocodiles and hippos are there. Along the river, we also see elephants & buffalos on the other side of the bank.

We decide to cross the river and take the H10 road, telling us that the animals, after drinking, will surely go to eat in the fields. The bet is won since we find our elephants and zebras spotted from the other side of the bank. In addition to the two rhinos that are eating on the side of the road. They are so close that we can see traces of branches on their skin

Return to Skukuza via the Get-out Point of Orpen Dam (you can get out of the car, there are toilets and a sheltered place to observe the river from above). On the way, we see many animals again.

Dinner at the Skukuza restaurant in front of the river, where everyone appreciates the free Wifi more than the dishes (even if they are very good).

Day 4 : Skukuza -> Satara -> Orpen

We leave at 6am to multiply our chances of crossing the lions.

Bet won because at 9am, we see next to Tshokwane about fifteen lions including little ones resting (and watching us). Further on, a lion is sleeping in the sun all alone. And 10km later, a family of lions is taking a nap near the southernmost baobab tree. The poor baobab, so beautiful and tall, nobody cares, they only have eyes for the lions

After so many emotions, we are less lucky in the afternoon because the wind starts to blow very strong and the sun is hiding. So we decide to check-in at Orpen Restcamp, rest and leave at 4pm before sunset. In only 1h30, we crossed 3 rhinoceros, 3 giraffes and dozens of antelopes & zebras along the S106.

Orpen Restcamp does not have a restaurant, but the shop is well stocked. Sandwiches are sold there for those who don’t like to cook. While shopping, JB surprises South Africans and tourists watching together a rugby match (South Africa – Ireland, with a historic defeat of South Africa). Euro 2016 is well and truly underway, but the South Africans don’t give a damn (much to JB’s chagrin).

Day 5: Orpen -> Satara -> Orpen

We leave at 6 am hoping to meet lions wallowing on the road. But the wind blows so much that they apparently migrated to Lower Sabie the day before. If it isn’t the day of predators today, giraffes, ostriches, zebras and elephants are there.

A little disappointed with our morning, we go back to the camp for a nap and reserve “Sunset drive” (guided tour on 4×4 safari) for 3:45 pm. Because of the cold, we are the only customers, the guide has a sharp eye and spot in a few seconds the well hidden animals. At 5:45 pm, night falls, the guide gives us an ultra powerful lamp to locate the eyes (we see them yellow for the felines, blue for the antelopes & others, orange for the monkeys…). The game consists in lighting the vegetation with this lamp, see the eyes shining if there are animals, and say “stop” when we see something.

Still no leopard for us tonight, but elephants, buffaloes, a wild cat, rabbits, bush babies (a kind of monkeys), giraffes, foxes. I recommend at least one guided tour because apart from game sighting, you can learn a lot about animals, for example that an elephant renews all its teeth until it is 60 years old.

On the way back to camp, JB prepares food and forgets to lock the fridge. 10mn later, a ratel steals some not fresh ham from the fridge. He will spend the whole evening to overturn the garbage cans of other bungalows.

Day 6 & 7 : Orpen -> Olifants

Departure to the Olifants camp, recommended by Caroline (from the blog Voir le monde) because the camp overlooks the Olifants river, known to attract elephants, birds, crocodiles, hippos.

The road from Orpen to Olifants is long but on the way we meet a leopard (so well hidden that we only see the leaves move and not the leopard himself), hordes of elephants, many buffaloes, giraffes, antelopes and zebras.

The view from Camp Olifants is really breathtaking, even in the dry season. You can sit down from the terrace of the restaurant or the planton to see a lot of animals, no need to drive for hours and hours (click on the picture to see it in larger size)

We still decide to go to Letaba Camp and back, which also has a great view. Anh is impatient not to see well the last BIG 5 (leopard). There are only 1000 of them in the park. 1000 leopards, it seems a lot but the Kruger Park has a surface of 19 485 km2 (for comparison, the surface of Paris is 105 km2). So, during 2 hours, Anh drives at 15km/h scanning one by one all the trees where a leopard can hide. Result of the races: 0 leopard on the horizon even if several people saw them the same day on the S49.

On the way back, two elephants block our way for 10 minutes. We are the only ones to enjoy the spectacle of a small elephant that tries to impress us by moving in all directions.

Day 8 : Last day at Kruger Park, Olifants -> Johannesburg

Departure at 6:30 am. 7 hours of driving ahead of us. Anh drives to the exit of the park to let JB rest before the long drive to Johannesburg. On the way out, we see from far a lioness, a group of elephants crossing at full speed, as if they said “go, go, go, go before the cars arrive” and a couple of monkeys about to mate in the middle of the road. Fortunately, the two monkeys changed their minds and let us pass.

The 5 hours on the freeway are going very well, even if the traffic is getting heavier and the drivers much more reckless from Pretoria. We return our car to O.R. Tambo airport and take a cab to a guesthouse 5mn from the airport (Terrylin Guesthouse and Backpackers Hostel, Booking link), a real haven of peace with swimming pool & nice garden and… heated mattresses! (very common in South Africa).

Joy & Steve welcome us with open arms and help us order the cab for the next day + our dinner. It relieves us a lot because we have difficulties with the South African accent, especially on the phone. Joy shows us her collection of banknotes from all over the world. We offer her a 20 000 VND bill in polymer, non tearable, water resistant, it delights her.

This is how our safari ends. We are delighted to have chosen the Kruger Park for our first safari, the many encounters with the animals gave us stars in our eyes.

Next destination: Cape Town

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