The iconic African safari destination

By air (commercial): You can fly into Hoedspruit, Skukuza, or Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to access private lodges within Kruger National Park and the Greater Kruger area. Daily scheduled flights operate between Cape Town, Johannesburg, Hoedspruit, and Skukuza Airports, with Airlink offering regular services.

By air (private charter): Many lodges also feature private runways for charter flights, making flying the fastest and most efficient way to reach this remote part of South Africa.

By road: While it’s possible to drive from Johannesburg, the journey takes 6-8 hours. Considering the drive time, cost, convenience, and safety, we recommend flying to save on time and have a more comfortable travel experience.

This schedule varies by season and by lodge, but a general idea of what to expect is:

Arrival day:

• 13:00: arrival at the lodge
• 13:30: lunch served
• 15:00: high tea and snacks; time to meet your ranger
• 15:30: depart on afternoon game drive
• 19:00: return from game drive, and dinner served

Following day

• 5:00: wake up call
• 5:15: Coffee/tea and greet your ranger
• 5:30: depart on morning game drive
• 9:00: return from morning game drive; breakfast served
• 9:30: time to relax and enjoy the lodge
• Continue with lunch and afternoon schedule

These lodges are mostly 3, 4 or 5-star graded, but some lodges choose not to be star graded. It can be difficult to understand the level of the lodge and experience, especially since they are so unique. We have therefore rated lodges according to personal experience, to help our guests choose the level that suits them best.

Rustic: No star rating or 3 star (basic & rustic lodges)
Classic: No star rating or 4 star
Luxury: 5 star
Superior Luxury: 5 star +
Premium: 5 star ++

The dry winter season (roughly May to September) is widely considered the best for wildlife viewing in Kruger. During this time, the bush is less dense, water sources are fewer, so animals tend to congregate around rivers and waterholes, making sightings more frequent. If you prefer lush scenery, newborn animals, and lots of bird activity, then the wet season (October through March) can be very rewarding, although game-viewing can be more challenging due to dense vegetation.

We call October/November and March/April “secret seasons”. In October and November, the peak of the main summer rains have usually not started yet, leaving the bush green with the first of the rains, but not completely overgrown as with the peak summer months. The same with March and April: this is the beginning of the dry season and the summer rains have mostly disappeared with scattered showers and rain storms. These months offer good game viewing, and lesser prices than peak winter season rates.

Kruger has a subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and warm to mild winters. Dry Season (winter, May-September) tends to have very little rain, cooler mornings and evenings, and clearer skies, good for game drives. The wet summer season (October-March) brings afternoon thunderstorms, denser vegetation and higher humidity. Seasonal temperature ranges:

• Summer (December-February): Hottest and wettest time of year. 
  • Daytime high: 40°C (104°F)
  • Nighttime low: 22°C (72°F)
• Autumn (March-May): Temperatures begin to cool down. 
  • Daytime high: 28°C (82°F)
  • Nighttime low: 18°C (64°F)
• Winter (June-August): Coolest and driest season. 
  • Daytime high: 25°C (77°F)
  • Nighttime low: 10°C (50°F)
• Spring (September-November): Warming up with increased rainfall. 
  • Daytime high: 31°C (88°F)
  • Nighttime low: 20°C (68°F)

Kruger is one of the top wildlife destinations in the world. Kruger is home to all of the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo. We always say a safari is about much more than the Big 5 though; beyond that, there are about 148 mammal species, including cheetah, wild dog, hyena, giraffe, zebras, various antelope, and many smaller mammals.

Birdwatchers can also see over 500 varieties of birds in the park; some of our favourite sightings have been lilac-breasted rollers, scops owls, secretary birds, and more. Although it’s amazing to see the iconic Big 5, the best way to approach a safari is to have your eyes and ears open to all the smaller delights along the way.

Kruger National Park is in a low risk malaria area.

The malarial risk is highest during the wet season (roughly October through April), particularly in the hotter, wetter months. If you plan to visit during that time, we recommend consulting a medical professional in advance and considering antimalarial medication; using mosquito repellent; and making use of the accommodation’s mosquito deterrants, such as bed nets.

We recommend a 3-5 day stay, if possible. It’s important to give yourself enough game drive opportunities to see all the wildlife you are hoping to see. There are two game drive times daily – early morning and late afternoon/dusk. The exciting thing about safari is that the animals are wild, and sightings are not guaranteed; we personally have experienced hours of game drives while seeing very little; and we have had game drives where we see all of the big 5 within a span of two hours! If possible, we also recommend visiting two different areas within the Greater Kruger.

Kruger is massive, and visiting two different parts of it not only lets you experience two different lodges and locations, but two different ecosystems, with different animals and different terrain. Example: Book two nights in the Timbavati region, followed by two nights in Sabi Sabi or similar. Tip: Ask our consultants about pay/stay specials, where you pay for 3 nights, but stay for 4 nights (these specials are seasonal and at certain lodges only).

The Kruger National Park is a vast, government-managed wilderness area of almost 2 million hectares, where visitors explore on self-drive safaris and stay in public rest camps or outside the park. Some safari companies also stay outside the park and make use of these same public roads with game viewers. 

The Greater Kruger refers to the private game reserves bordering Kruger – such as Timbavati, Thornybush, Klaserie and Sabi Sand – that have no fences separating them from the park. Wildlife moves freely across this shared ecosystem of over 3 million hectares. 

In the Greater Kruger private reserves and private concessions such as Sabi Sabi, Thornybush, Klaserie and Timbavati, sightings are managed with great care and professionalism. Only one or two vehicles are allowed at a sighting at a time, and guides rotate quietly and respectfully to give everyone quality time without crowding the animals. Guides and trackers are excellent and professional and communicate via radio with other vehicles and rotate vehicles subtly and quietly, ensuring every guest enjoys quality time with the sighting without disturbing the animal or crowding the area. Guides are also in contact with other guides in the area about sightings, so you have plenty of eyes looking for the perfect sighting. Guides always prioritise the wildlife’s comfort and natural behaviour, keeping a safe and respectful distance and never interfering. This ensures an intimate, ethical, and authentic safari experience, where both guests and wildlife are respected.

Additionally, vehicles are allowed to drive off-road in the private game reserves, unlike in the Kruger National Park, where vehicles must stay on the roads. Although rangers in the private reserves will generally stick to the jeep tracks, they are allowed to go driving off road to get to a sighting – this helps you reach a sighting of a far-away leopard in a tree, for instance, that would be challenging to see from the road. 

Recent videos on social media showing large crowds gathered around wildlife sightings in East Africa (Serengeti & Masai Mara) have made many travelers wonder: “Will my safari be this crowded?” The good news is that in Southern Africa, we’re spoiled with so many incredible safari options that overtourism is rarely an issue. The main areas in the Kruger National Park itself however do get crowded during South Africa’s school holidays, and sightings can get busy around the main public camps. 

However, this will however not influence your safari experience, as we make use of private lodges in private concessions in the Greater Kruger (see answer above for the difference between Kruger National Park and the Greater Kruger). The general public is not allowed to traverse in the private concessions, and the only other guests and vehicles you would see are staying at other lodges in the area. In the private concessions, a maximum of two vehicles are allowed per sighting, giving the wildlife the space they need, and giving guests a real wilderness experience without crowds.

Safari vehicles in the Kruger National Park and Greater Kruger private reserves are open Toyota Land Cruisers or Land Rovers, designed for comfort and great visibility. Most lodges limit vehicles to 6 guests, giving everyone a side seat for unobstructed views. Some lodges allow up to 9 guests per vehicle (3 guests per row); please ask your consultant about this detail when booking.  All vehicles are open-sided, without windows. Other than your game ranger who will drive the vehicle, some lodges additionally have a tracker, who will sit at the very front of the vehicle, and watch for signs of animal movement such as dung or tracks.

Rangers will speak English when guiding (unless you have arranged a specialist foreign language guide or translator). South Africa has 11 official languages, and it’s likely that English isn’t the guide’s only language – you might hear the guides speaking isiZulu, Xitsonga, or Afrikaans. If you want inside knowledge about what animals your rangers are talking about over the radio, learn some animal names in Zulu or Xisonga; rangers use this language to communicate some of the more exciting sightings to one another, without getting the hopes up from the guests in their vehicle.

A safari in Kruger will be a childhood experience that your kids will never forget. We have been immensely privileged to take our 9-year-old on safari, and it has shaped his interest in nature and changed the way he thinks about the world. Our approach has been to wait until our child is both old enough to remember the experience, and ‘tough’ enough to be happy bouncing around in an open-air game viewer, to be able to take in the full game drive experience. Many lodges also offer kids ranger educational programs, child entertainment and special kids game drives. 

Malaria is a consideration, which you should discuss with your pediatrician; it’s generally recommended to wait until children are over age 5, and of a certain weight, before taking them into a malarial area.

Many lodges in the greater Kruger, particularly the ones focused on families, have an electric fence surrounding the lodge and accommodation to keep animals like elephants or hippo at a safe distance.

Many lodges have private villas ranging from 2-6 bedrooms, which is perfect for multi-generational travel or groups of friends. You can have your own private home/villa in the African wilderness, with a private chef and private game drives. This setup helps cater to the needs of the younger ones and the older ones alike – you can determine the timing of your meals and game drives, to keep everyone happy.

In terms of clothing, layers are always the answer. Many times there are quite a range of temperatures in the day; the best strategy is to have layered clothes on, that you can put on or take off as the day warms up and cools down. Keep in mind that cold winter temperatures can feel much colder on an open-air game viewer, particularly at game drive times of early morning & dusk! Always bring a jacket, heavier in winter.  

Most lodges have a casual atmosphere; casual, outdoors clothing is appropriate. Many people like to pack a slightly nicer outfit to wear to dinner in the evenings.  

Shoes: my go-tos are one pair of flip flops (“plakkies” or “slops” as we say in South Africa); one pair of trainers/”tekkies”/outdoor walking shoes; and depending on season, one more shoe, either a boot in winter, a sandal in summer, or something in-between for the spring / fall.

Much is written about the colour of clothing to wear on safari. If you are doing a walking safari, then the advice to wear neutral clothing is sound. But when you are sitting inside a game viewer, the color of your clothing doesn’t matter much in terms of the animals noticing you – animals in parks and reserves are used to the shape, smell, and sound of safari vehicles, and generally see the vehicle (and everything inside it) as one unit. 

If you would like to recognize those who have made your safari memorable, it’s recommended that you tip all at once, at the end of your stay (rather than meal by meal or to individual porters). Tips can generally be added to your bill at the end of your stay at the lodge, and paid by card if you prefer. The people you can consider in your gratuity are:

• Guide: R100-R200 per guest per day
• Tracker: R100-R200 per guest per day
• Waiter / bar staff: R100-R200 per guest per day
• General staff: porters, housekeepers, chefs: R100-R200 per guest per day
• Spa staff: 10-15% of service cost
• Total: R400-R800 per guest per day.

   

This range is offered as a general guideline for a mid-range safari lodge in Kruger; recommendations can go higher or lower depending on the level and cost of the lodge.

If you would like to recognize those who have made your safari memorable, it’s recommended that you tip all at once, at the end of your stay (rather than meal by meal or to individual porters). Tips can generally be added to your bill at the end of your stay at the lodge, and paid by card if you prefer. The people you can consider in your gratuity are:

• Guide: R100-R200 per guest per day
• Tracker: R100-R200 per guest per day
• Waiter / bar staff: R100-R200 per guest per day
• General staff: porters, housekeepers, chefs: R100-R200 per guest per day
• Spa staff: 10-15% of service cost
• Total: R400-R800 per guest per day.

This range is offered as a general guideline for a mid-range safari lodge in Kruger; recommendations can go higher or lower depending on the level and cost of the lodge.