Kruger National Park Travel Forum

Hi people.

Myself and a mate are gonna be arriving in Jo’burg on the 28th Nov. We will have 5 weeks in total in Africa. We have booked a flight from Jo’burg to Kruger Mpumalanga airport leaving on the same day. We booked this flight as a knee-jerk reaction after being told that it wasn’t safe to leave the airport in Jo’burg. In hindsight I think it was a mistake not to stay in Jo’burg for at least one night. I could do with some good advice from people that know what they’re talking about. I have some Q’s which I need help with.

Do we need a Visa for South Africa? We will only be there 5 weeks? 1 Irish citizen, 1 UK citizen. We have an onward flight booked.

We don’t have anything booked for Kruger as yet. Is it better to leave booking something till we get there, will we get better value doing so? Also, WILL we be able to book something when we get to Kruger? I’ve been told that many people book their trips when they arrive in Jo’burg, but we leave Jo’burg within a few hours of flying in there so won’t get a chance to explore that option. So we will basically be arriving at Kruger Mpumalanga airport and hoping to book a safari trip for the next day. Will this be possible?

Organised tour versus self-drive 4WD rental??? Opinions please. We will have about 8 days in Kruger. Is it feasible to do a self-drive rental? Or will we end up missing out on all the action? Is it safe to do a self-drive? And is it expensive to rent a 4WD? Can you go off the beaten tracks in Kruger, or must you stay on the roads?

Are there specified camp areas, or if you rent a 4WD with a roof-top tent can you set up camp anywhere?

We had planned on renting a 4WD and doing Kruger by ourselves and hoped to drop it off in Victoria where we had planned to join an Overland tour. Does anyone know if it’s possible to do a different place drop-off. Ideally we’d want to pick up at Kruger Mpumalanga airport and drop off at Vic Falls. Anyone know if this is possible? Is it a well beaten track? Someone else told me that it wouldn’t be same for us to drive this journey by ourselves. She said we would be “crazy”!!!

Oh and is Kruger Mpumalanga a town, a resort, or just an airport?

Sorry about all the questions folks, but I’ve spent the last 3 days online looking for information & it’s proving to be an arduous task. Any help much appreciated.

Brendan

Whoever told you you cannot leave the airport,does not know a thing.The Kruger Park in December is very busy,and if you do not have bookings in the park,you need to ensure that you are at the gate early,as only a certain number of cars are allowed in the park per day.
You need to book before you get there.
Victoria is in Zimbabwe,and most rental companies will not allow you to take cars accross international borders.You can drive,but then most people go via Botswana.Kruger Mpumelanga is an airport in the park.
I suggest you relook at your itenary,as 8 days in the park is way to long.
You need to spend some time in Joburg as well.You dont want to leave the airport,but you want to drive through Southern Africa???

You do not need 4wd in Kruger as you are not allowed off the roads. Break the rules and you are out. Some of the roads are gravel, but no problem at all. If you need a good car rental company, check out my South Africa Transport tips.

Have a great time.

All the best,

DAO

Hi Brendan

A bit more info. There is a wab site www.krugerpark.co.za which gives you a lot of info. If I was you I would try and cancel my flight to Kruger park, and hire a car at JoBurg Airport, and drive to the Kruger. This is about a 4 hour drive, but you will be seeing a lot of one of the most beautiful areas of South Africa.
November and December is peak season in South Africa,so I would not try and get booking in the Park at the last minute,as I dont believe you will be successful.
As mentioned by DAO, you cannot drive just anywhere in the park,and you may not get out your car unless you in a camp. You can drive to Victoria on tar roads all the way, but that is why I suggest you do a drive tour of this area, return to Jo Burg,and then fly to either Victoria in Zimbabwe, or Livingston in Zambia in order to see the falls, and maybe do a day or 2 trip to the Chobe Game reserve in Botswana. This is about a one hour drive from Livingston.

Hope you have a good trip.

Mate, Mike is right in that 8 days in the KNP may be too long. Keep in mind that the best viewing times are during the coolest periods of the day, in other words early in the morning and later in the afternoon. That is when the animals visit waterholes to quench their thirst - and is obviously the best spots to see game. During the middle of the day, with the sun beating down, most game will be seeking shelter and you will struggle seeing them.
A very good option is booking a night safari, when most of the predators are active. That is when you may see more lion, leopard, hyena etc.
Perhaps you could tack some days elsewhere on your itinerary.
With regards your comment on crime and skipping Joburg: it may be a knee-jerk reaction, but can't really say I blame you. Personally, there is absolutely nothing that would keep me in Joburg overnight. If you did want to spend a day in a highveld city, I'd prefer Pretoria. I believe it has more to offer from an architectural and cultural point of view. Voortrekker Monument, Union Buildings, Paul Kruger's house, etc. It also has Rietvlei, one of the largest urban nature reserves in the world.
You are not wrong to be concerned about crime. Only last week a local newspaper reported the arrest of two suspects for kidnapping a Swedish traveller from the airport after they had enticed him to South Africa in a 419-scam. In addition, several people have recently been charged with murder, armed robberies and kidnapping of visitors leaving the airport.
However, as Mike pointed out, crime is not limited to the airport or Joburg. In July, a young man was shot dead when eight armed robbers attacked a well-known lion park in Muldersdrift.
Study up on some crime prevention hints and tips and be sensible when traveling through South Africa.
Mate, not sure about the visa requirements. Contact your local embassy and they will be able to tell you.
Again, agree with Mike - make your bookings for the KNP now if you can. End of November/December is school holidays and you may struggle to find accommodation and/or tours.
For the KNP, I would definetely do self-drive. 4WD is handy because it is higher than a sedan, which increases your sightlines - more game to see! You won't miss out on any action. Wherever other vehicles congregate, that is usually where the lions are! Having said that, definitely book a night safari - you will learn a lot from the game wardens and see things you won't see during the day.
If you were going to drive to Vic Falls, I would go via Botswana. Probably the safest Southern African country. Quite stable, the Pula is stronger than the Rand and they have some great game reserves: Chobe, Moremi, Linyanti.
Mate, hope this gives you some ideas.
Africa is undoubtedly a great destination and you'll love it. Just do your homework and be careful.

Guys, the airport in JoBurg has just last week had its new international arrivals open. It has a police station next to the arrivals lounge, and many of the reported crimes were on South Africans returning to the country. You used to fill in your customs form with names addresses etc.The sindicate then new what you had brought in and where you lived. This has now been stopped, and no documentation gets filled in.
The guy that was kidnapped with the scam, was collected at the airport by the people who he thought was going to give him millions of dollars???
In the last 2 months I have flown in and out of both domestic and international, and have collected a number of people at the airport, and it is the best it has looked and felt in the last 10 years.

You problem driving through Botswana and Zimbabwe is your distances between places, that if you have mechanical failure, you have long distances to cross on quiet roads. That is why many holiday makers travel in groups of 2 or more.

Enjoy your trip

Hi Brendan
I trust my reply finds you well?
In reply to your questions above:

1. Visa requirements for South Africa....
Visas are NOT required for nationals of the following countries:
For stay of 90 days or less
· United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, British Islands Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey, Isle of Man and Virgin Islands, Republic of
Ireland, and British Overseas Territories
·United States of America
2. I would recommend Europcar (www.europcar.co.za) as the best option for your car rental. Being an international company, they have depots in various Southern African countries and may allow a cross border drop off. There is however a stiff fee available for them to recover and transport the vehicle back to SA.
3. It is definitly worth your while staying over in Johannesburg for a night or two, get on a Johannesburg day tour, etc.
4. It is far better to travel by road to the Kruger rather than fly directly, spending time in the spectacular Mpumalanga Highlands (Gods Window, the Potholes and the Mac Mac water falls) before you enter the Park.
5. Spending 8 days in the Park is a bit too long.... 3-4 nights is normally ample.
6. As far as the question of doing it alone or with a guide LOL... i am biased because I do guiding myself. I am doing a tour to the Park and mozambique for two SA ladies in September. It kinda takes the sting out of it all :D.
7. If you are doing it alone, a 4x4 with a rooftop tent is fine, but you still have to book your camping sites early. The best is to start in the south (where most of the game is), and gradually move northward. If you have your own vehicle its not necessary to do Game drives, but if not its best to pre-book them.
Oh, lastly, there is no town called "Kruger". Mpumalanga is the name of the Province in which the Kruger National Park is located. The airport is called the Mpumalanga Kruger International Airport and is located about 30 mins drive from the Kruger park.
If you are going to the Vic falls, are you going via Zimbabwe or via Livingstone in Zambia. Zimbabwe has specific visa requirements. If you are going to Zambia its best to drive via Botswana.

Please feel free to mail me with any further questions you may have.

Frank
25 Degreez