The Kruger National Park remains South Africa's most famous national park and probably one of the world's most famous national parks. Tourists come from far and wide to experience the magnificence the park has to offer. I was fortunate to experience this from a very young age. Long before I can even remember my parents have been visiting the park almost every year, only photos and videos of those days pays testament to a very young boy falling in love with the place.
I will never forget the smell of the offices at the gates when you arrive, excitement brewing. The reception and staff in their neat uniforms when you check in. The ambiance of the shops when you buy ice or wood for the night's braai, or an ice cream to enjoy along with a walk along the fence admiring the views of some of the rivers next to the camps. Waking up early before the gate opens to try and catch it before it opens to embark on a morning game drive. And best of all, the smell of the camp late afternoon as you return from an afternoon game drive and the people have all lit a campfire...
Since my traveling adventures as an adult started, I have visited the park numerous times and stayed at almost all the campsites (Malelane Satellite Camp being the only exception). One of the most memorable trips was a tour from the North to the South in 2013 for my 30th birthday, staying at 7 different campsites 7 nights in a row. This was my first attempt to tour the entire park and I have also done it on another occasion with my younger brother from South to North in 4 days.
On this trip we will be doing the same again but this time it is more for Lindie to experience the park with me and share the love I have for the place. It is also to show her how diverse the park is and how dramatic landscapes and vegetation can change over the approximately 650 km through the park. We will again be staying at 7 different campsites over 7 nights.
Every day a new horizon, new road, new camps, new adventures...
Our itinerary will be:
Skukuza Rest Camp
Tamboti Satellite Camp
Letaba Rest Camp
Tsendze Rustic Camp Site
Shingwedzi Rest Camp
Punda Maria Rest Camp
The majority of the trip will be camping in our newly fitted Howling Moon Tourer roof top tent with the exception of one night at Tamboti where we will be staying in safari tents.
Day 1
Early morning for us as we wake up at 4am, an hour before our alarm is set to go off, must be the excitement to hit the road and do something amazing again. After about an hour or more packing and getting everything on the roof rack, we set off to go fit the roof top tent. I use the Frontrunner quick release brackets so fitting takes less than 30 seconds. The roads out of Gauteng were busy but it is to be expected. We were just happy to say goodbye to the city. Roadworks are everywhere on the N4 so going was slow in some places. We nevertheless reached Malelane in 4 hours. I can just imagine how much faster it will be once all the roadworks are done.
Arrival at the gate. Wow what an amazing feeling and I will never stop loving this feeling. There were many other happy travelers but within about 10 minutes we cleared the covid checks, got the permit, wild card renewed and checked in, we were on our way. Malelane Satellite Camp is really not far from the gate so we didn’t see much on the way to camp. Just some impala. It is mating season for them so as we sit here in camp now you constantly here the males staking their claim for a harem of ewes.
Malelane Satellite Camp is the only campsite in Kruger I have never stayed at, so I made it part of this trip to tick that bucket list. On arrival not much can be said compared to other campsites in Kruger. Shade is few and far between, electricity boxes are far apart, and there are only 5 permanent braai stands. You don’t have to be a genius to guess that we didn’t have our own braaier. With the camp also almost full, options were very limited, in fact only two options remained. Both of them still without a braaier. So we parked the Hilux, in direct sunlight without setting up camp, and took the chairs and set in the shade overlooking the Crocodile river and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon with an ice cold refreshment.
Then sound of tent poles smashing each other as an inconsiderate camper packs up his camp rang loud and true in my ears. Relaxed senses turned into hyperactive senses as I quickly scoured the campsite to see who were leaving. Low and behold! The most private stand in the corner of the camp was ours for the taking. I even moved our chairs to the stand while they were finishing up to stake our claim on this lovely campsite. Thank you inconsiderate camper! Within 30 minutes after moving in the rooftop tent and awning were up and provided lovely shade we so desperately wanted. Perfect set up that every camper strives for...
We lit the fire early as the sun was setting in the west. A sunset in the bush is just something else. It is full moon this week, Tuesday to be exact. Braaibroodjies ready with lamb chops and boerewors waiting.
Dinner was delicious and we quickly cleaned everything and pack everything away. No day in Kruger is complete without a whisky around the fire. Its just a shame that you can hear the N4 highway and trains every now and again. As far as camps in Kruger goes, this one won’t see me again...
Day 2
A beautiful day greeted us as we made coffee in bed and watched the sun rise. It was chilly during the night, and in the early morning it was much easier to stay under the duvet just a little longer. Once we got under way it took us just under an hour before we set off. First destination, Afsaal, for a lovely picnic. The veld looks amazing and impala are in abundance.
We made our way to Stevenson Hamilton historical site where I had something special in mind... I found myself overlooking this amazing landscape, standing next to a beautiful woman whom I love and cherish so much- so dropped to one knee and asked the question. To my absolute delight (and after her shock) she said yes! We are engaged, and this has now become our engagement trip.
We had a great drive the entire morning, constantly seeing some game before finally reaching Skukuza by midday. Our tent and awning were soaked last night, so we were keen to get it up after checking in and getting the necessities from the shop-no wood unfortunately. Skukuza is crazy busy, as always. In fact everywhere we have been to in the South thus far has been busy!
No surprises either when it came down to finding a campsite... The place was packed, but we found one or two options. After settling in in under 30 minutes, we actually had a really nice setup.
As is custom when camping, you are always friendly with your neighbors, but we quickly become more acquainted with our neighbor Josh, from Northern Carolina. He was even kind enough to check if more wood arrived in the Park shop and brought us some and joined us for a late afternoon refreshment. Check out his bad ass Nissan Patrol which he bought and use to tour Africa!
After a lovely dinner we quickly tidied up and also put the awning away. Then climbed into bed and opened the back window to stare outside and listen to the symphony of the night in Kruger while enjoying some Coal Isla, my birthday gift from Lindie. We were even lucky enough to see a small spotted genet!
What an amazing place and how fortunate we are to be here and experience it and share it together and to get engaged. It truly was a very special day...
Day 3
Slow morning as we lay in bed while having our morning coffee and watching the sun rise once more and pleasantly surprised by a bunch of purple-crested turacos, jumping up and down the wall of the water tap. Big day ahead as we make our way further north. Next stop, Tamboti.
Before we go though, the reason why we are staying in Skukuza is to check out the new Selati Rail Road restaurant and bridge hotel. I have to say-they have done a superb job to make this place look old and classic yet new and stylish!
On the menu for us: Butter chicken vetkoek and a smoked trout with rocket, cottage cheese and tomato croissant. The food was superb, the setting even better. Absolute must do if you are ever in Skukuza!
But now it’s time to hit the road, hugging the Western part of the park. The veld still looking good and we could see standing water from recent rain. Game proved to be few and far between, but we expected this. And we aren’t here just for game-its about the trip, anything else is a bonus.
The roads were not too great and heavily corrugated in some areas, even with deflated tyres at 1.5 bar. We reached Orpen by mid day and completed the formalities before going to Tamboti. This camp, unique in its own compared to others will always be a favorite for our family. Everything was in order, apart from the fan not working, but just a little dilapidated. We also had zero shade in the afternoon and with temperatures in the early thirties, we quickly realized we did not have a rooftop tent to erect or struck in order to drive, so we jumped back in the Hilux and just cruised a bit of the tar road to Satara and back.
Monkeys! Bloody monkeys! They are a big problem in most camps. No different in Tamboti. A male and I had quite the stare off as it jumped over Lindie onto the roof and as I tried to chase it off by pretending to throw something at it, it came straight at me from the top of the roof right to the bottom edge. Hours (more like seconds) of aggressive, ready for battle staring engulfed the Tamboti river on this day. Both parties walking away with their dignities in tact.
Luckily they do go and sleep as soon as night falls and we had a spectacular braai under an almost full moon. Great dinner and just sitting on the deck, drinking in the splendor that is Tamboti on the Timbavati river.
The roar of a lion...
I am sure you all have heard lions roaring at night somewhere in your life. For me, it just doesn’t get any better than this! I am fighting sleep harder than a four year old just to have one more salvo of roars.
Got to love Africa...
Day 4
We were up even earlier than the previous days and no tent to take down, just some things to put away before we can hit the road again. Today will be even longer than yesterday, so we were happy to be on the road by 06:30am.
While enjoying our morning game drive and passing some other slower travelers (long way to Letaba remember), I nearly flipped the Hilux as Lindie saw a rare bird with a red face! Ground hornbill I asked? Big black bird with puffy red face? No. But rare bird I hear once more. I am intrigued... After making 4 cars pass us while we back up, we finally found this rare bird to have a look at it through the binoculars. Behold! Swainson’s Spurfowl. Very common throughout the park. Saw plenty throughout the morning. But loved your enthusiasm my fiancé...
Before we turned off the tar road, a large gathering of cars blocked our way. Usually a good sighting/ something special. As we worked our way through and asked fellow travelers what to look for, we soon found out that Leopards are close by. No one really knowing where, but they are here somewhere. After 30 minutes of searching with the binoculars and people trying to direct us to the spot, we were just in the wrong place and could not really move, we eventually called it and moved on.
Once we hit the gravel road everything just changes again. After a few kilometers we reached the Timbavati river once more, and followed it all the way to the main tar road. On the way we stopped at the Timbavati picnic site, Ratelpan hide and Grobler dam.
Roads were again average in places but cannot complain. At one river sighting, which looked conspicuous, I reversed back up some axle twisters in low range and ripped of a mud flap. Sorry Hilux...
I have to say, this is one of the most picturesque roads in Kruger national park. The scenery just doesn’t seize to amaze. Game again-shy, but we didn’t mind. This time now, Lindie at the wheel. Must say, she can drive a Hilux like a champ and look really good while doing it!
After reaching the Olifants river I finally got the keys to the Hilux back and we decided not to go past Olifants and the confluence of the Letaba and Olifants river, but try and get to Letaba earlier and find a good campsite. No sooner than a couple of minutes, a leopard jogged across the road just in front of us. Excited little girl sounds were uttered (uhm, by me) but by the time we reached the point where he crossed there was nothing, just disappeared. What a cool sighting- we were not expecting it at all!
After reaching Letaba and doing what we needed to do we went in search of a campsite. Hopes as high as crustaceans under the sea because it is a long weekend so we just tried to see what we can find. Some options were available and as we reached the end of the campsite we saw something that could be just amazing but we weren’t sure if we will intrude on another camper’s space. We took something further away and as I said to Lindie let’s take a walk and see what else is available, a very nice gentleman walked all the way in the searing heat to say we can camp there, he will make space for us. We have the campsite on the edge next to dense bush inside the camp, next to the fence where we will have hyenas walking past later on. Just a blessing.
Before setting up the tent we went for a hike and then to the elephant museum, a place I have visited many a time before, yet a little different now. Still showcasing the magnificence of our elephants but now paying tribute not just only to the original magnificent seven. Two more bulls gained their entry into this giant hall of fame. Nhlaguleni, and then the biggest of them all. The undisputed biggest tusker of Kruger, Mandleve... With both tusks weighing in heavier than any of the original magnificent seven, he truly deserves his place now in the hall of fame in the elephant museum in Letaba.
After returning from the museum we unpacked the hammock and got it up in the best shade for Lindie to have a rest and do some reading. Also put up the rooftop tent but no need for the awning today. Before Lindie could settle down in the hammock, I noticed that the nut and bolt on the right hand side of the tail gate came lose and luckily fell into the bucket I hung from the tow bar. After opening up the panel on the tail gate, I quickly realized this was not going to be an easy fix as you have to hold the nut in place at a position that is completely inaccessible with our hands, not even Lindie with her smaller hands could manage. My bush mechanic instincts kicked in and I took a thin tree branch, taped the nut to it with duct tape, Lindie held it in place and applied enough force so that I could get the bolt fastened from the outside. A task that initially seemed impossible took no more than 15 mins thanks a small piece of tree branch. Luck or a stroke of genius?
After that I got the fire going and prepped for dinner. We wrapped up the day with another delicious braai and spent some more time next to the fire watching the moon rise. Owls are in abundance and we managed to track down an African Scops Owl to share with the neighbors, before I settled in to my camping chair to enjoy a whisky and update our journey so far. Letaba is basically the halfway point for us.
Day 5
We enjoyed coffee in bed again while glaring out the back window of the tent into the bush, relaxing start to day 5. We packed up once more in no time and made our way to the Tindlovu restaurant for a quick coffee and some juice. But looking at the menu we decide to also have a giant buttered scone with jam and cheese. They weren’t kidding when they said giant! You can kill something with it if you throw it at it, like the monkeys! Or of you miss he can feed his entire family. For 7 days. Good thing we decided to share it, the quality again fantastic.
The drive today is by far the shortest and we have a reserved campsite in Tsendze, so we were in no rush whatsoever. As we came close to our destination and before checking in at Mopani, I showed Lindie some of the loops next to the Tsendze river and then proceeded to Shipandane hide and Pioneer dam hide. We were fortunate to stumble upon this old giant having a refreshing drink.
There is always pure excitement when I arrive at the Tsendze gate. I have been here many times but it is always great to open these heavy wood gates and go find your campsite. I called in advance and requested some good stand numbers that we know of and got 22. But at Mopani reception they told me other campers took a stand they weren’t supposed to which forced someone else to take mine. So they moved us to 24. We were not disappointed at all. It was again right at the edge with good privacy and ample shade. This place just never disappoints!
After setting up camp I made us a fire to braai some beef patties for burgers, then we started prepping to make a bush lamb curry which we let cook for several hours. Lindie got some shut eye in the hammock and I managed to doze of for a few minutes as well as we just relaxed in this amazing campsite.
While having dinner another small spotted genet came sneaking through grasses next to us. We heard him and just managed to get a glimpse of him as we shone the torch. Later we tidied up as much as we can and settled in for a good nights rest. However, some time in the early morning hours, Lindie frantically woke me up and as we looked down and out the window, we saw a hyena right at the back of the Hilux. HYENA IN THE CAMP! I said something along the lines of “HEY” (I think) but he grabbed the refuse bag that we hanged on the back bumper and ran of a short distance before starting to tear it open and admire his score. I got out the tent and slapped my hands together which seem to do the trick as he turned and bolted and went to pick up our rubbish and throw it in the dustbin before settling down again. Just goes to show, even in a fenced camp, one can never be too careful...
Day 6
Really slow morning as we got up early to visit the bathrooms but got back into the tent and again just enjoyed the view out the back window as the rays of the sun started to seep through the trees. It is also a misty morning and we are hopeful that temperatures will stay below 30 today. As we started to leave camp I showed Lindie the other nice campsites we have stayed at previously and then ran into Rodgers and Elina, the very friendly and well know caretakers of the camp and told him about the hyena. He did not believe me and said it was a honey badger. So I had to explain that I know the difference between the two very well thank you, I know it was a hyena. Only then he said that some one was doing maintenance and might have left s gate open. Go figure.
We stopped at Mopani for Lindie to do some work admin and enjoy another coffee and juice but again decided to get something to share from the menu. This time, peppered venison steak pie. Wow! What a surprise, even came with chips, gravy and coleslaw. Tindlovu impressing us once more and with a view like this, life is just beautiful.
The road to Shingwedzi is mostly uneventful and still not a lot of game to view. Our elephant sightings have picked up though and we were seeing more elephants than impala. We did a quick stop at Red Rocks pools before arriving at Shingwedzi to check in. Shingwedzi is the only camp where you need to book a perimeter view stand to be able to camp along the fence, but this also limits you if there no good ones along the fence but nice stands in the middle. We had a perimeter view stand and headed to the campsite hopeful for something decent. At first glance things didn’t look good but we managed to find something that will do for the night.
On the menu for lunch, bush pizza. Or I should actually say calzone. We took a pizza and stuffed it with more cheese, peppers and steak and folded it over to braai it over the fire. Feast your eyes on this...
What a way to end another day in Kruger.
Day 7
Our morning rituals has become quicker and easier as we continue our journey. After everything was packed away and we were ready to go, I took a quick shower and then we went in search of some fresh veggies for Lindie. She will never be a good pirate, always craving some form of vegetables. No luck though at Shingwedzi park shop and also no buns, it only arrives after 9:30 but we did manage to but cappuccinos from Tindlovu restaurant. So we decided to press on further north, destination, Punda Maria. Our last camp and last evening on this epic adventure.
It is another magnificent day and the weather is just perfect. As we stopped on the bridge over the Shingwedzi river, I said to Lindie I can hear a Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle Owl. We narrowed down the tree we thought it was in and went owl spotting once more. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts with the binoculars, we could not see it, just hear it.
When traveling from Shingwedzi to Punda Maria you simply have to take the Mphongolo road. It is a narrow and twisty road through incredible bushveld all along the river. We still saw elephants on a regular basis and had to sit and wait for a large breeding herd with several babies to cross the roads. It is easy to quickly find yourself on the middle of a herd if you don’t keep your wits about you.
For breakfast we made our way to Babalala picnic site. With no buns available we decided to make omelettes with left over fillet sosaties, feta, cheese, mushrooms and peppers. Excellent choice and a superb bush cooked meal...
We were able to get everything out we needed, prepared breakfast, wash up and pack it away within 30 minutes. Always nice when you are organized. But time to press on again, we want a nice campsite at Punda Maria and with the dense veld and low visibility, we didn’t see much the rest of the day. Have to say though it is great to see the change in vegetation with a lot more bigger trees in the form of Mopani and Tamboti trees starting to appear.
On arrival at the camp, I dived straight into the campsite to see what our options were. The prime stands are right on the fence to the left of the hide. No surprises as the first 3 were taken, but we were lucky enough to get the fourth with some sort of a view of the water hole. The first stand has to be the best stand in the entire park. Just look at this view...
You can see everything close up right from the comfort of your camping chair.
Our tent and awning were wet so we set up the tent but only one pole for awning to allow it to dry so that we can put it away. However the weather was quickly changing for the worse with strong winds and rain looming, so we decided to rather get shelter from the awning for when the rain comes. We then went to do the flycatcher trail which winds through the bush on the upper part of the camp and then had a look at the Safari tents. Which are magnificent! Would love to stay there some time. Just as we returned to the campsite it started to rain. Light rain at first but it got heavier for a while before settling into a light drizzle. Light enough to start the fire.
How low is this fence?
When we checked in I managed to find the vegetable sosaties I told Lindie about, so I had a very happy fiancé this evening. After another great meal cooked on an open fire we started to pack everything away so that we can leave as early as possible tomorrow morning. We wanted to be the first engine to start in the camp and be the first to wait for the gate to open.
It will be a long day on the road all the way north to Pafuri and Crooks Corner before exiting at Pafuri Gate...
As we lay in bed that terrible feeling of an adventure coming to an end struck the both of us. We did not want to go to bed and kept whispering to each other while overlooking the waterhole for anything that might come in to quench their thirst. Until sleep eventually got the upper hand and we slipped away into the night.
Day 8
A dark and cloudy morning greeted us as we climbed out of the rooftop tent one final time, still dark outside. After freshening up and putting away the final items, it was time to hit the road.
Were we the first engine to start???
No! We were third and left the camp at precisely 6:12. Ah well, not a bad effort.
The sun fighting to get through the clouds made for the most dramatic scenery with water puddles from last night's rains on the roads as we pressed on north one final time.
Again not too many game to spot but we did ran into a elephant bull in must. I immediately saw this old chap was not in a good mood and stopped several hundred meters to give him space to disappear into the bush. He had other ideas though. Once he raised his trunk to try and catch our scent, I quickly glanced to that grass stems along the side road and saw that we were upwind from him and that will smell us easily. Without warning he simply charged straight at us. Luckily I parked so far away (Punda Maria might have been closer) I could easily do a three point turn and had the Hilux facing the other way in no time. Just as we started to head in the opposite direction I saw him turning around with his head and trunk held high. Mock charge. But do we really want to play chicken with an elephant bull in must...
No sooner have we started to give him more space before another car arrived, a 200 series Land Cruiser. I tried to give him notice of this old giant in a fowl mood but he ignored us and moved in closer. Mexican stand off! The bull walked close to him and simply stood there. We had the choice of giving them all space and keep facing the wrong way, turn around and join the fun, or just sit here and take photographs if the bull decided to charge. We went with options 1 and 3 (facepalm). It seemed that the Land Cruiser was gaining the upper hand and the bull slowly started to move to the side of the road. He probably knows how expensive those cars are. But could this be our moment to get passed too. Another record time three point turn and we were quickly on the tail of the Land Cruiser, the bull not visible to us. Lindie spotted him to the left of the road not far, but we were past. Adrenaline pumping...
As we neared the Luvuvhu river, I made a last minute decision to show Lindie the Nyala road and the Thulamela heritage sight that we saw on the latest Voetspore episode last week. Still cloudy overhead, we saw plenty Zebra, Impala, Nyalas, warthog, and two buffalos. We took some pictures of the back end of animals (guess who) before setting of and no more than 500m down the road, around a bend, I saw something crouching behind a bush in the road. Leopard! This time though we had time to see her well enough and take a decent photograph of it. After it disappeared we moved on but quickly thought to ourselves that that leopard were heading for the Impala and Nyalas. If we turned around we maybe just maybe might be lucky to see it again, or even better, see a kill. But time was not on our side, unfortunately.
The road running along the Luvuvhu river has to be one of the most beautiful roads in Kruger. Huge trees providing canopies of cover that even elephants would easily fit in under. Crooks Corner also never disappoints with stunning views. At Pafuri Picnic site we made another delicious bush breakfast and sat down on one of the benches overlooking the river, with 4 elephant bulls on the opposite side. It was clearly an older bull with three younger askari bulls for company. Two of them were playing around mock fighting with each other with the odd trumpeting every now and again ringing loud in our ears.
But now it is sadly time to say goodbye to this magical place, drive to Pafuri Gate and leave the park for good. For now. A somber feeling rained heavy in the Hilux as we drove the final 25 kilometers before arriving at Pafuri Gate. To tour the Kruger National Park from the most Southern point to the most Northern point has to be on the bucket list of any adventurer of avid Kruger lover. What a privilege to have spent a week here and share it with my, now fiancé...
Sightings list:
Warthog
Waterbuck
Hippo
Crocodile
Dwarf mongoose
Giraffe
Hyena
Zebra
White Rhino
Buffalo
Elephant
Small Spotted Genet
Steenbok
Blue wildebeest
Bushbuck
Leopard
Nyala
Sightings Gallery:
Gear Review
We are not sponsored in any way, but we proudly support Frontrunner and had some new additions on this trip. In my Rivers of Africa adventures I already had the load bin slide along with water tank, battery box and roof rack fitted. On this trip we had the double jerry can bracket with jerry cans, extra gas bottle with roof rack mounted bracket, solar shower with shower arm, dropdown table and modular awning providing ample shade and cover from the rain. Also had the cargo rails fitted to the canopy to house the quick release tent brackets for the Howling Moon roof top tent. Everything worked seamlessly, giving us the perfect touring setup.
Big thank you to the guys at Frontrunner for all the fitments over the last two years. I will proudly display the branded stickers on the Hilux.
