South Africa & Namibia
Trip Report: African Animal Adventures
Kruger National Park
So far, we hadn't been doing too bad in the animal sightings department. Baboons being baboons in the mountains and everywhere in the Windhoek environs, adorable African penguins, the cool spottings of the jackal and the gorgeous oryx etc. But Kruger was the prime focus for our trip. For years, I had read the SanPark Kruger forum, Trip Advisor>Africa>South Africa forum, Lonely Planet etc. I had researched Kenya, the Congo, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia (for Etosha) and of course, South Africa. Out of all of them, Kruger Park rose to the top. You don't need a guide. You don't go on 'safari'. You just get in your car and head out the gate. There are no guarantees that you are going to see anything but the thrill when you do is unequaled.
But to give you the big picture, there are 3 basic ways to see animals in Kruger Park.
The reserves. If you look at a map of Kruger, you will notice a big bite taken out of the western side. These are the reserves that border Kruger, and most are unfenced into the park to allow a free flow of game in and out of the park to enhance gene pools. These are privately owned plots of land with numerous different companies on each who operate lodges catering to the safari crowd. Most are all-inclusive affairs that range from moderately expensive to crazy price with helicopter pads. You can budget whatever you want but cheap doesn't exist. They feed you, and do twice daily games drives within their patch of land. Many reserves and concessions have several lodges that drive the same trails, allowing the drivers to communicate via radio to guarantee as much success as possible. They can drive wherever they want because they own the land.
The dirty little secret is that most of the private reserves around Kruger also allow trophy hunting. The Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) – Timbavati, Balule, Klaserie, Kapama, Thornybush, and Umbabat – all comprise a combination of eco-lodges and hunting lodges. While this is unsettling to many tourists, the reserves claim that without the added revenue, they could not maintain the environment. Perhaps the most telling quote comes from this article:
“Hunting is a dirty game,” said Balule warden Craig Spencer. “It’s like a second-hand car dealer business. You get some bad lemons who cheat and hunt beyond the quota. But rangers don’t like hunting. It’s not a great policy to burn your furniture to heat your house. On the other hand, it’s like a bank. You see there’s a road to be fixed and you figure it will cost about one and a half buffaloes.”
FYI . . . the Sabi Sands, Mala Mala and Manyeleti Reserves are all very public about the absence of hunting on their properties. So if you feel that this is important, look no further for a private lodge. Here is a great PDF map of the private reserves.
The concessions. Kruger is a massive park and of course, that means massive costs to the public purse. Concessions are small areas within the park that have been historically leased for private camps and lodges. They are not numerous and unless you happen to notice the private signs on a closed road, you won’t even know that they are there. From luxury to bulk small-tour simpler abodes, they offer the all-inclusive experience within the boundaries of the park with most of the general rules of the SanPark system. Of note, their drivers can off-road for the Big 5. The concessions, as well as Kruger itself, do not allow any game hunting and go to great efforts to curb poaching.
The national park system. SanPark, as it is known, is the government entity of the SA national park system. And Kruger National Park is the crown jewel. It is a massive area comprising 20,000 sq km (220 mi N to S and 40 mi E to W) with a labyrinth of thousands of kilometers of paved roads (known as tar) and lesser gravel roads. The official map is here. Doing Kruger can involve staying outside the park and driving yourself in as a day use visitor or being driven in on a small safari tour or on a tour bus. And the final option is to drive yourself and stay in one of the 12 large rest camps overnight. For a more rugged experience, there are satelite camps and so-called bushveld camps with fewer services. These camps are secure areas (more later) with high walls and electric fences and a gate that is only opened from 6 am to 5:30 pm (seasonally adjusted). You pay a fine if you don't get out of Kruger or into a camp by gate close (R500 - R1000), which is hefty enough to make people think twice. Speed limits in Kruger are 50 km/hr on tar and 40 km/hr on gravel and they are strictly enforced and speeders are heavily fined. You are not allowed off-road or on closed roads under any circumstances. You are not allowed out of your vehicle except in a camp or rest area or you literally could become prey.
Outside of Kruger, South Africa has many other nature reserves as well as private animal reserves and sanctuaries. These allow you to see various animals in a wild or semi-wild state within a contained area. Some are hunting reserves for the gunpowder crowd, others are commercial 'theme' parks and a few are not-for-profit sanctuaries. Some sanctuaries take in injured, orphaned or semi-domesticated animals to provide them a permanently protected environment. However, be aware that many of the ‘theme park’ variety raise animals for the hunting reserves so that cute lion cub you pet will never be released into the wild. It will end up in a hunt. Sad but true.
But to give you the big picture, there are 3 basic ways to see animals in Kruger Park.
The reserves. If you look at a map of Kruger, you will notice a big bite taken out of the western side. These are the reserves that border Kruger, and most are unfenced into the park to allow a free flow of game in and out of the park to enhance gene pools. These are privately owned plots of land with numerous different companies on each who operate lodges catering to the safari crowd. Most are all-inclusive affairs that range from moderately expensive to crazy price with helicopter pads. You can budget whatever you want but cheap doesn't exist. They feed you, and do twice daily games drives within their patch of land. Many reserves and concessions have several lodges that drive the same trails, allowing the drivers to communicate via radio to guarantee as much success as possible. They can drive wherever they want because they own the land.
The dirty little secret is that most of the private reserves around Kruger also allow trophy hunting. The Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) – Timbavati, Balule, Klaserie, Kapama, Thornybush, and Umbabat – all comprise a combination of eco-lodges and hunting lodges. While this is unsettling to many tourists, the reserves claim that without the added revenue, they could not maintain the environment. Perhaps the most telling quote comes from this article:
“Hunting is a dirty game,” said Balule warden Craig Spencer. “It’s like a second-hand car dealer business. You get some bad lemons who cheat and hunt beyond the quota. But rangers don’t like hunting. It’s not a great policy to burn your furniture to heat your house. On the other hand, it’s like a bank. You see there’s a road to be fixed and you figure it will cost about one and a half buffaloes.”
FYI . . . the Sabi Sands, Mala Mala and Manyeleti Reserves are all very public about the absence of hunting on their properties. So if you feel that this is important, look no further for a private lodge. Here is a great PDF map of the private reserves.
The concessions. Kruger is a massive park and of course, that means massive costs to the public purse. Concessions are small areas within the park that have been historically leased for private camps and lodges. They are not numerous and unless you happen to notice the private signs on a closed road, you won’t even know that they are there. From luxury to bulk small-tour simpler abodes, they offer the all-inclusive experience within the boundaries of the park with most of the general rules of the SanPark system. Of note, their drivers can off-road for the Big 5. The concessions, as well as Kruger itself, do not allow any game hunting and go to great efforts to curb poaching.
The national park system. SanPark, as it is known, is the government entity of the SA national park system. And Kruger National Park is the crown jewel. It is a massive area comprising 20,000 sq km (220 mi N to S and 40 mi E to W) with a labyrinth of thousands of kilometers of paved roads (known as tar) and lesser gravel roads. The official map is here. Doing Kruger can involve staying outside the park and driving yourself in as a day use visitor or being driven in on a small safari tour or on a tour bus. And the final option is to drive yourself and stay in one of the 12 large rest camps overnight. For a more rugged experience, there are satelite camps and so-called bushveld camps with fewer services. These camps are secure areas (more later) with high walls and electric fences and a gate that is only opened from 6 am to 5:30 pm (seasonally adjusted). You pay a fine if you don't get out of Kruger or into a camp by gate close (R500 - R1000), which is hefty enough to make people think twice. Speed limits in Kruger are 50 km/hr on tar and 40 km/hr on gravel and they are strictly enforced and speeders are heavily fined. You are not allowed off-road or on closed roads under any circumstances. You are not allowed out of your vehicle except in a camp or rest area or you literally could become prey.
Outside of Kruger, South Africa has many other nature reserves as well as private animal reserves and sanctuaries. These allow you to see various animals in a wild or semi-wild state within a contained area. Some are hunting reserves for the gunpowder crowd, others are commercial 'theme' parks and a few are not-for-profit sanctuaries. Some sanctuaries take in injured, orphaned or semi-domesticated animals to provide them a permanently protected environment. However, be aware that many of the ‘theme park’ variety raise animals for the hunting reserves so that cute lion cub you pet will never be released into the wild. It will end up in a hunt. Sad but true.
So I booked 2 nights in 2 different rest camps in Kruger Park. And then I booked the last 2 nights at a semi-luxury concession - but one that was actually one of the very few that fall within the park boundaries. I figured that this would give us the best of both worlds. The public 'thrill of discovery' experience and the private more intimate, more guaranteed experience.
The key here is to Book Early. The Kruger Rest Camps start booking 11 months out. All of the best bungalows disappear within a day or two. Remember you are competing with residents of South Africa who love and use their parks, as well as with travelers from elsewhere in the world. The best bungalows (called rondavels in some camps due to their distinctive shape) are on the rivers and they have views and more privacy, although it is all public space so people and animals do wander by. By booking the day it opened, in Skukuza I snagged a river rondavel L3RE and in Lower Sabie - which is a particularly popular camp - I got a riverfront BD3U. The numbers mean nothing to you but these are good catches. These are permanent structures with cooking equipment, a braai, clean beds, potable water and standard shower-only washroom with daily housekeeping.
The key here is to Book Early. The Kruger Rest Camps start booking 11 months out. All of the best bungalows disappear within a day or two. Remember you are competing with residents of South Africa who love and use their parks, as well as with travelers from elsewhere in the world. The best bungalows (called rondavels in some camps due to their distinctive shape) are on the rivers and they have views and more privacy, although it is all public space so people and animals do wander by. By booking the day it opened, in Skukuza I snagged a river rondavel L3RE and in Lower Sabie - which is a particularly popular camp - I got a riverfront BD3U. The numbers mean nothing to you but these are good catches. These are permanent structures with cooking equipment, a braai, clean beds, potable water and standard shower-only washroom with daily housekeeping.
Note on malaria: Kruger is on the fringe of a receding malarial zone. Which means you can roll the dice and just go, or you can take the drugs and risk their potential side effects. We took the drugs. With no side effects. Only one recorded bite the whole time - and it wasn't proven to be a mosquito - let alone an infected one. In fact, because they are in the midst of a severe drought this year, mosquitoes are virtually non-existent. We MAY have heard one or two one night . . .