dreaming of falling next to the sounds of howling hyena and truly living under the stars with the elephants? this blog is telling you all about camping and self-traveling inside africa’s largest national park.

The National Park - Our Journey

How did we travel?

we traveled kruger national park in a small rental car. our route took us from winter to a felt summer - all the way from the south near malelane to the north at punda maria.

the southern part of the national park is particularly known for spectacular big cat sightings. here, the density of predators and animals is high. in hindsight, we would have liked to spend more time in this area up to skukuza rest camp, as we were still trying to find our perfect daily routine. the density of animals decreases slightly the further north you go. around mopani rest camp, many mopani trees grow. while elephants and squirrels love them, other animals are not so fond of them. that doesn’t have to mean anything - one morning we had a spectacular sight of a pride of lions on the run.

the northern part of the national park is known for excellent birding and fewer tourists. here you’ll find countless colorful birds, but we also did not miss out on mammals - like a wild dog we encountered in punda maria.

the larger camps offer a gas station, so don’t worry, you don’t have to leave the national park to get your car some dinosaur juice. the main roads in the park are paved and well maintained, but also the gravel roads were reliably accessible even with our small car.

What did we do?

activities can be booked at the rest camp, such as guided walking safaris and guided game drives.

• we highly recommend the walking safari. it’s not about experiencing animals up close but getting to know nature precisely. you wake up very early with the tour group and learn interactively about what the animals eat in the bush, how to tell the droppings and what tracks can be read from the ground

• we also did a guided game drive. unfortunately, we’d much rather recommend doing a safari in a private game reserve here because our guide was inattentive, and drove along the main road unenthusiastically at speed limit. that did not add any extra value for us. in the 25-seater, there were many clueless tourists who were in the bush for the first time and would have liked to learn more

Etiquette and Survival Tips by Evelyne

• always give animals enough space. if you see a group of zebras wanting to cross the road (zebra crossing) - or any other animal, don’t get too close and let them cross the road safely

• take it slow! you’re not on the run, so drive slowly enough that you can always stop for the animals - from dung beetles and snakes to elephants and lions. luckily, speeding is illegal

• don’t feed animals. once wild animals have tasted human food, they will try it again. this is unnatural for the animals and dangerous for people. always store and dispose garbage properly

• special elephant advice:
  be particularly careful around elephants, especially bulls and herds with cubs. they are unpredictable and can easily attack any car

• make life difficult for poachers by never ever publishing pictures of rhinos, especially not with location tags. they are particularly threatened by poaching

• leave no trace. don’t leave any traces and take nothing but moments and memories with you. also, stay on marked paths with your car and don’t off-road

• plan your toilet break well and only leave the car at marked places. observe and listen your surroundings carefully before getting out

A wild Highlight

The Perfect Day

if there’s one thing the animals of kruger national park have in common with evelyne and frank, it is that they love the sunset and the sunrise, where the light is golden, the air is fresh and the colors particularly bright. this is the best time to watch animals.

at the beginning and very late at dusk, you may be lucky enough to spot hyenas, jackals and wild cats. it’s best to drive out as soon as the gates open to be the first. the big five can also be seen during this time.

as it gets warmer, the hippos will move into the water, hyenas into their dens. mostly, animals that are active during the day will remain. you will see lots of antelopes, zebras, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes and crocodiles in the water. if the hunger eats you in the morning, it’s the best time to visit a ‘picnic area’ nearby and enjoy breakfast next to crocodiles and hippos.

it gets very warm at noon. animals like to hide under trees at this time and there’s not too much going on out there. you can use this time to change camps, check in, set up your tent, or if you stay, enjoy the pool at the rest camp.

most camps have a communal pool, a restaurant for lunch, a shop, and many squirrels and guineafowls to sweeten the time in the camp.

we mostly set off for the afternoon drive around 2 pm. you have plenty of time here to find all the animals you’ve always wanted to see and document on your booklet. but keep in mind that the rest camp gates close on time, so plan your route so that you can come back comfortably to the gate of your camp. exceeding the time will result in a fine.

arriving at the camp, you now have plenty of time to shop for souvenirs and groceries at the park shop. you can also host a traditional south african braai and enjoy the warmth by the fire, cook food with stove and pan, or if the camp is big enough, go to a restaurant. we were happy about the vegan and vegetarian options available.

the biggest highlight for us was a restaurant in a train at skukuza. the vegetable platter and the pizza are amazing.

The Rest Camps

the rest camps in kruger national park couldn’t be more diverse. depending on their size, a rest camp offers three different types of accommodation, all of which we have experiences.

• the camp. a perfect place to sleep under the starry sky and hear the animals at night. motorhome, tent, bush lapa, everything can fit in here

• the safari camp. a stationary tent with a bed. comfortable, yet still close to nature

• the bungalow. the comfortable accommodation with a bed, private bathroom in a stone cottage

a few private lodges offer their luxurious accommodations inside the park, including game drives with a private guide. the prices for these have no limits.

The Camp

camping in south africa reminds much more of camping in north america than camping in europe. you have plenty of space, your own, mostly private parcel, and usually drinking water and a grill for your perfect braai. within your price category, your can choose your favorite spot to settle, but they work on a first-come-first-serve basis.

in all camps we visited, there was a communal kitchen and sinks, where there was either a gas stove or an electric stove. occasionally, you might also find a microwave. the camp toilets are equipped with hot water for a warm shower - pure luxury! in some camps, you can also use the washing machine and dryer for coins.

you don’t have to leave the national park to prepare delicious food. in addition to souvenirs, the park shops offer a basic selection of fresh and durable food items, wood and camping equipment.

our personal favorites were tsendze rustic camp, punda maria and berg en dal.

The Safari Camp

our safari camp at tamboti had a terrace and a view of the dry river in the dry season. at night, we encountered  an african civet on our private stone entrance.

the bungalow

the most comfortable option with the most luxury. we wanted to experience nature as closely as possible - hear everything. honestly, this was our least favorite option.

How Much did we Pay?

the costs in the national park can be divided into the following categories: the conservation fee, accommodation costs, transportation costs and meals.

Wild Card and Entrance

as of now, the park entrance fee is ZAR 460 per day for international guests. that’s quite a lot of money, which is why the wild card is already worth it after few days, costing around ZAR 3780. the wild card is also valid for other south african national parks such as the addo elephant park.

Accommodation

accommodations in the national park are not expensive, especially when staying in a camp.

for

• the camp, we paid about ZAR 400. there’s a variable surcharge per person

• the safari camp costs about ZAR 1000. ours theoretically had 4 spots

• the bungalows were the most expensive. a bungalow for two costs about ZAR 1300

accommodations can only be reserved through the official website, sanparks.org. they must be booked in a logical sequence without any gaps.

Transportation Costs

a well-known oil company benefits a lot from the circumstances, as there is a gas station of the oil company in every larger camp. gas is expensive, about 2/3 of the price in europe.

Food and Drinks

restaurants are a bit more expensive than outside the national park. so if you prefer to save some bucks (and the wait), you should rather check out the park shops here. more sophisticated items like plant-milk should be stocked up on before entering the national park.

with 🐿️ by frank (and evelyne)

more south africa

this blog post is part of our south africa blog series. be sure to check out the other posts:

useful information

feeling inspired? here are some resources you might find useful if you would like to follow our footsteps:

• the only place to book accommodation inside kruger national park