KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA (2024) | How To Plan A Self-Drive Safari In Kruger National Park

What's up guys? We just finished a three-day safari in Kruger National Park and in this video we're going to show you our experience as well as everything you need to know before you go. So I hope you enjoy it. Kruger National Park is located in northeastern South Africa stretching over 19,000 square kilometers or 7,520 square miles. Established in 1898, it's one of Africa's largest game reserves home to a diverse array of wildlife including the Big Five. The park's varied landscapes boast amazing game viewing opportunities from savanna plains to lush forests. However, going on a safari in Kruger National Park is easier said than done and you'll need to do some planning in advance. That's why in this video we'll explain how to do a self-drive safari in the park. We'll first share our three-day route and then go over top tips to help you see as much wildlife as possible. Now let's dive in. We are Zach and Ina. We make helpful videos about destinations around the world so you can easily plan your own adventures. Before your visit, take some time to plan your trip and be realistic about how much you can drive and see in a day. Kruger Park is huge and there are strict speed limits in place so distances between destinations may take longer than anticipated. The park has 11 entrance gates so choose your route wisely. We spent the night before our safari in Hazy View which is considered the gateway to Kruger. From there, it was only a 15-minute drive to Pabani Gate. After we passed through the gate, we slowly drove to Skakuza Rest Camp and then onwards to Sitara Rest Camp. The tarred road from Skakuza to Sitara is said to offer the best chance of For us, this was also true and we had four different lion sightings in that area. We also spotted many herds of elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, warthogs, baboons, turtles, and even hyenas. We spotted the latter one on an evening game drive which we booked in advance together with our accommodation through the official Sand Parks website. We'll explain this booking process later in the video. Our safari guide had some great insights about the elephants that we saw. They use each hilly trunk in every aspect of its life for feeding, drinking, and communication as well as sound protection. These elephants only have six molar teeth during their lives. Then when they turn 50s, they start to use their final set. The Sitara Rest Camp had great facilities on site like a restaurant, gas station, and comfortable accommodation options. The morning after, we woke up early to drive more roads around the rest camp and then down to Lower Sabi Rest Camp. This area is known for its thriving population of leopards. However, we were unfortunate not to spot any ourselves. We did see lots of giraffes, elephants bathing in the waterhole, and colorful birds. We also encountered lots of hippos at the sunset dam. The morning after, we did a sunrise game drive. We left before the sun even came up and spotted hippos on the road and some nocturnal animals. Our favorite moment was at the watering hole when we spotted a hyena, zebras, birds, and wildebeest all at the same time. After exploring the area around the rest camp a bit more, we exited the park via the crocodile bridge gate. Now we'll share some top tips for planning your self-drive safari in Kruger. First, Kruger National Park is big and it takes over a day to drive from north to south. Rest camps are dotted all over the park, but some are far apart. So plan your camps close enough to drive without having to rush. Also, pick specific areas with diverse landscapes so you have better viewing opportunities for different animals. The accommodation inside the park are government rest camps, which offer camping spots, basic rooms, and more luxurious chalets. They also have restaurants, shops, gas stations, and basic necessities. You can book these rest camps via the official Sandparks website. Spots are limited, so book at least one month in advance. As an add-on at certain rest camps, you can also book sunrise or sunset safaris, as well as bushwalks. The benefit of such a game drive is that you can start or end in the dark, allowing you to see more nocturnal animals. Self-drive times are limited to daylight hours, from sunrise to sunset, and Sandpark vehicles are the only ones allowed to enter the camp before or after. Third, game viewing is best in the early morning and late afternoon. This is because that's when the temperature is lower and the animals are more active. During the hottest part of the day, the water holes can be a good place to sit and watch, as animals come for a drink to cool down. Before starting your safari for the day, you should always check the animal sighting boards. The entrance gates and rest camps have notice boards with maps, marking the location of which animals have been seen where. It's especially useful to see where the larger mammals are hiding. These boards can help with planning your day and which roads you're going to take. Most main roads in Kruger are tarred and in a very good condition. The side roads are often gravel roads, but generally don't require a four-wheel drive. A higher clearance may give you a slightly better height to look down on the animals, but the most important is that the car is comfortable to drive. We booked our car via rentalcars.com and picked it up at the Johannesburg airport. During the dry season from September to November, animals are easier to spot, because the vegetation is sparse and they have nowhere to hide. They also tend to visit the watering holes more often. On the contrary, during the wetter months, it's harder to spot animals, as it's much greener, the grass is longer, and there's a lot more water to be found. We went at the end of February, which wasn't the best month, but we still saw plenty of animals, so don't worry too much. Finally, spending long days on the road searching for wildlife requires some preparation. We put a list on the screen here for you with some essentials to pack for your safari. Combining Kruger National Park with the Panorama Route is a common option if you're doing a South Africa road trip. We have another full video on our channel about this scenic drive in case you're interested in learning more about it. And if you're planning your South Africa road trip, we recommend keeping things organized with our interactive travel planner. Find a discount code in the description below the video. We also included important links that you'll need for your Kruger Park excursion in the description, such as a website to book and a map with the places that we mentioned. Catch you on the next adventure!