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If youre accustomed to turning left on boarding the aircraft and staying in five star hotels, please turn to the next thread. If youve always fancied going on safari but are concerned about the cost, then this thread may be of interest. Regular forum members will know that The Wife and I are Kruger junkies. Weve just paid our sixth visit in fourteen years and are already planning the seventh.
We organise our visits on a DIY basis (which is what South Africans do) and this time Ive kept a record of the major costs, which may be of interest. In all cases the costs are for two people. Where payment was in ZAR I have used the rate prevailing on my credit card at the time and included the foreign charge made by the card company.
Ive split this post into sections. This one deals with the admin. Therell be another with thoughts on equipment and then a further two or three with the pic of the day. Watch this space ....
Flight. Cost not included as there are so many ways of getting to Joburg. We fly BA (as in Branson Airways aka Virgin).
Car. We hire a RAV4 (2WD version) from Avis at the airport on an unlimited mileage basis, with two drivers and full insurance. By paying at the time of booking we get a discount. You dont need a 4WD, but an SUV is useful because of its extra height of eye and slightly greater ground clearance. For three or more its worth considering a minibus because back seat passengers in a car dont get much of a view. Cost 505 for eleven days. Fuel in ZA is about 78p/litre and we used 207 litres.
Road journey. The road from O R Tambo airport to the Kruger is a high quality one with much dual carriageway and not much traffic. Depending on the route you take there will be tolls in Joburg (collected automatically) and two or three tolls on the N4 which must be paid in cash as only ZA cards are accepted. Cost under ZAR250 each way. There are several service areas on the N4. As you descend from the high veldt to the low veldt the road splits and you can take either limb. Satnav is useful, especially for finding your way in and out of the airport follow Boksberg if it hasnt found the satellites on leaving. We have added ZA maps to our usual Garmin.
Cash Youll need some cash for tips etc. International credit and debit cards are accepted at all shops and restaurants in the park but, apparently the only cash machine that accepts them is in Skukuza.
Internet The only places in the park with WiFi are the Cattle Baron restaurant in Skukuza and the Wimpey in Pretoriuskop. An MTN SIM and 3Gb of data for my usual dongle bought at the airport cost 20. It worked in all the camps except Satara where the signal and usability were very poor.
Conservation fee. Visitors must pay a conservation fee (a tax in disguise) for each day in the park. The rate for overseas visitors, 20.50 per person per day, is much greater than for residents. The alternative is a Wild Card, costing the two of us 201, which covers entry for 12 months. The break even point is a visit of five days. You also get a nice magazine with Wild Card membership.
Pre safari accommodation. On every one of our visits to the Kruger we have spent the first night of our holiday at the Rissington Inn outside Hazeyview. Its run by an Englishman and is a marvellous place to unwind after the overnight flight and a car journey of about 5 hours. Its 15 minutes from the Phabeni Gate. Cost 118 for B, B and EM. http://rissington.co.za/
Park accommodation. Book this in advance on the SANParks website https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/default.php The commonest unit is a bungalow (rondeval) sleeping two or three. They are fully kitted out for self catering just bring food which you can buy at the camp shop. There are larger units and at the cheaper end there are some which use communal facilities. Cost for ten nights 712. These photos prove that Im neither an estate agent nor an estate agents photographer.
If you dont fancy a bungalow there is camping or more rustic facilities.
I hesitate to mention it, but the yellow Labrador has not been to the Kruger so if you like the paper it advertises take your own!
Catering. Because were too idle to self-cater we stay in one of the ten rest camps that has a restaurant. They serve a range of food. You can have meat
or fish
And they cater for veggies too
Game drives. Thats why youre there and have a car. Morning and evening are reckoned to be the best times but its surprising what you see in the middle of the day. If its very hot you may wish to lounge in the camp pool during the heat of the day.
Bush walks, night drives and other forms of transport are available.
The energetic could try arm wrestling.
Youre limited to 50kph on tarmac and 40kph on dirt. Getting out of the car is not allowed except at picnic sites, hides and a few other clearly designated places. There is no shortage of hungry animals!
What will you see? There are 2,400km of roads in the park of which 800km are tarmac and the rest dirt. If the average visibility is 100 yards, it is said you will see 2% of the park if you drive them all (which will take several weeks at a game viewing average speed of about 25kph). The leopard crosses the road in about thirty seconds and if you happen to be on the road during those seconds you will be thrilled. If youre not you may wonder if there are any in the park at all. In our six trips we have got two decent photos of a leopard but have more than half a dozen decent records of encounters with the much rarer cheetah. It depends on luck and even the most skilled safari operator is no better placed than you are when it comes to being in the right place at the right time. Animals are constantly on the move.
Daily routine. Gate opening times vary according to the time of year. We aim to leave camp about half an hour after the gate opens, having had a cup of coffee and a biscuit. We then drive for 2-3 hours before stopping in a camp, or one of the three picnic sites with a caf, for breakfast. Suitably fortified we then head towards a picnic site for lunch (sandwiches or rolls bought in the camp shop). The sites are well kitted out with loos, tables and washing facilities. You can hire a gas braai, and some have boiling water available for tea or coffee. A further drive takes us back to camp before the light fades. It would not be unusual to cover >150km in a day.
Picnic site at Mooiplas
We organise our visits on a DIY basis (which is what South Africans do) and this time Ive kept a record of the major costs, which may be of interest. In all cases the costs are for two people. Where payment was in ZAR I have used the rate prevailing on my credit card at the time and included the foreign charge made by the card company.
Ive split this post into sections. This one deals with the admin. Therell be another with thoughts on equipment and then a further two or three with the pic of the day. Watch this space ....
Flight. Cost not included as there are so many ways of getting to Joburg. We fly BA (as in Branson Airways aka Virgin).
Car. We hire a RAV4 (2WD version) from Avis at the airport on an unlimited mileage basis, with two drivers and full insurance. By paying at the time of booking we get a discount. You dont need a 4WD, but an SUV is useful because of its extra height of eye and slightly greater ground clearance. For three or more its worth considering a minibus because back seat passengers in a car dont get much of a view. Cost 505 for eleven days. Fuel in ZA is about 78p/litre and we used 207 litres.
Road journey. The road from O R Tambo airport to the Kruger is a high quality one with much dual carriageway and not much traffic. Depending on the route you take there will be tolls in Joburg (collected automatically) and two or three tolls on the N4 which must be paid in cash as only ZA cards are accepted. Cost under ZAR250 each way. There are several service areas on the N4. As you descend from the high veldt to the low veldt the road splits and you can take either limb. Satnav is useful, especially for finding your way in and out of the airport follow Boksberg if it hasnt found the satellites on leaving. We have added ZA maps to our usual Garmin.
Cash Youll need some cash for tips etc. International credit and debit cards are accepted at all shops and restaurants in the park but, apparently the only cash machine that accepts them is in Skukuza.
Internet The only places in the park with WiFi are the Cattle Baron restaurant in Skukuza and the Wimpey in Pretoriuskop. An MTN SIM and 3Gb of data for my usual dongle bought at the airport cost 20. It worked in all the camps except Satara where the signal and usability were very poor.
Conservation fee. Visitors must pay a conservation fee (a tax in disguise) for each day in the park. The rate for overseas visitors, 20.50 per person per day, is much greater than for residents. The alternative is a Wild Card, costing the two of us 201, which covers entry for 12 months. The break even point is a visit of five days. You also get a nice magazine with Wild Card membership.
Pre safari accommodation. On every one of our visits to the Kruger we have spent the first night of our holiday at the Rissington Inn outside Hazeyview. Its run by an Englishman and is a marvellous place to unwind after the overnight flight and a car journey of about 5 hours. Its 15 minutes from the Phabeni Gate. Cost 118 for B, B and EM. http://rissington.co.za/
Park accommodation. Book this in advance on the SANParks website https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/default.php The commonest unit is a bungalow (rondeval) sleeping two or three. They are fully kitted out for self catering just bring food which you can buy at the camp shop. There are larger units and at the cheaper end there are some which use communal facilities. Cost for ten nights 712. These photos prove that Im neither an estate agent nor an estate agents photographer.
If you dont fancy a bungalow there is camping or more rustic facilities.
I hesitate to mention it, but the yellow Labrador has not been to the Kruger so if you like the paper it advertises take your own!
Catering. Because were too idle to self-cater we stay in one of the ten rest camps that has a restaurant. They serve a range of food. You can have meat
or fish
And they cater for veggies too
Game drives. Thats why youre there and have a car. Morning and evening are reckoned to be the best times but its surprising what you see in the middle of the day. If its very hot you may wish to lounge in the camp pool during the heat of the day.
Bush walks, night drives and other forms of transport are available.
The energetic could try arm wrestling.
Youre limited to 50kph on tarmac and 40kph on dirt. Getting out of the car is not allowed except at picnic sites, hides and a few other clearly designated places. There is no shortage of hungry animals!
What will you see? There are 2,400km of roads in the park of which 800km are tarmac and the rest dirt. If the average visibility is 100 yards, it is said you will see 2% of the park if you drive them all (which will take several weeks at a game viewing average speed of about 25kph). The leopard crosses the road in about thirty seconds and if you happen to be on the road during those seconds you will be thrilled. If youre not you may wonder if there are any in the park at all. In our six trips we have got two decent photos of a leopard but have more than half a dozen decent records of encounters with the much rarer cheetah. It depends on luck and even the most skilled safari operator is no better placed than you are when it comes to being in the right place at the right time. Animals are constantly on the move.
Daily routine. Gate opening times vary according to the time of year. We aim to leave camp about half an hour after the gate opens, having had a cup of coffee and a biscuit. We then drive for 2-3 hours before stopping in a camp, or one of the three picnic sites with a caf, for breakfast. Suitably fortified we then head towards a picnic site for lunch (sandwiches or rolls bought in the camp shop). The sites are well kitted out with loos, tables and washing facilities. You can hire a gas braai, and some have boiling water available for tea or coffee. A further drive takes us back to camp before the light fades. It would not be unusual to cover >150km in a day.
Picnic site at Mooiplas
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