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Does anyone have any suggestions for private - or public - game reserves that won't cost an arm and a leg to visit? Also, what will temperatures be like in NE South Africa during June and/or July? Wondering about using Pietermaritzburg as a jumping-off point, or, possibly, Nelspruit... Any thoughts on this? Don't want to find myself stuck in US$100+ a night accommodations. Prefer b&b's... Was in the Western Cape in Jan 2004 and it was quite reasonable. Can I expect similar in this rather different part of the country? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
June/July is winter and is the best time for visiting the game reserves Your cheapest option is almost certainly a public game park as opposed to a private one. Are you driving yourself? You can self-drive in Kruger and there are lots of options for accommodation. www.krugerpark.co.za will give you all the information you need re cost, availabilty, options, etc.
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June/July is MID winter in SA, so is chilly. NE South Africa has a cold and dry winter, as apposed to places like Cape Town (SW South Africa), where theirs is cold, windy and wet. The skies are still blue though so photos are still good :) Spotting animals during winter is easier as the foliage is not as thick and lush and the animals are roaming around freely and not seeking shade. However, it is not as nice for you. I always try and go during autumn or spring, when the African sun is neither too hot nor absent. The Parks often conduct controlled fires in the Park during winter as this is low season. It wouldnt be unsafe for you at all, but not as nice during mid winter imho. I would stay in Nelspruit - tons of super B&Bs and more central to the Parks than Pietermaritzburg. It's also more central to Johannesburg, where you could fly in. You can also fly into Nelspruit and Skukuza, the KNP's main camp. I would recommend the Kruger National Park first and foremost as it is the premier Game Park in Southern Africa, but there are quite a few others too, ranging in size, diversity of game and price. KNP would be less expensive though, and in my eyes, more natural and real. This area (Mpumalanga) has all types of accommodation, from the very basic of self catering to luxurious. The choice is yours and your pocket's :) Plse email me re any other specific info you need. hth!
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Privat game reserves are usualy very expansive. Only if you know someone from SA you can maybe find a cheap/free one. A public reserve is much cheaper, but not as exciting as a privite reserve! The animals in a public reserve are more used to cars. But at least you are sure you will see a lot of animals. In private reserves they often try to keep the same rate of animals like there was before European came to Africa. So there are less animals for a larger environment, but....realy wild!! About the weather, it can be very chilly in this period. I was in this region around the beginning of May. The night can be pritty cold. For accomodations look into the lonely planet. there are enough places to stay like smal hotels, smal bungalows etc. It's not high season so call one or two days before you arrive and they probably have a room available. Have a lot of fun! And, ... don't rush. Take your time to relax and enjoy. It's a great country to do so!
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