DMBTraveler

Starting the first week in November, 2011, I will be in S.A for at least ten days. I have a rental car reserved. Of course, KNP is on my list but I am looking for other suggestions from others that have done self-drive in S.A.

A side trip to Cape Town is also planned but I think I will fly from JNB unless a bus or train would be more interesting. Appreciate your input and will post a trip report once my South African experience begins.

christabir

Are you going to try a private reserve or just KNP? If you've not been on safari, it's helpful to be with guides before you try it on your own. They have lots of info to share. Definitely fly to CT. You're only in country for 10 days - not a lot of time!

qwovadis

www.enchantmenttours.com

Will give you an idea of what routes

you might do in a fairly limited time.

Kruger/Garden route for me probably

carrentals.com from airpots save me a lot in years past

Do my own lodging along the way

priceline.com booking.com otel.com for me saves a lot

Bus/Train not great especially since they have

run out of a lot of serviceable locomotives on many routes

seat61.com/SouthAfrica for what not great options there are.

Happy Planning!

qwovadis

Avis great for me from JNB Corolla for $175/wk all in last.

They took my business CC for the insurance.. so good luck!

DMBTraveler

christabir,

Was planning just KNP but your recommendation seems like a good one. I imagine I can hire a guide locally. What can I expect to pay for a guide or a private reserve? Thanks.

DMBTraveler

qwovadis,

My plan seems similiar to what you did. I have a car for ten days $199.00. Thanks for the links. I will modify some of the routes to fit my schedule.

Did you find accommodations easy to come by. I read a chain hotel "Don" is quiet reasonable.

pixelpower

I'd drop CT. If you only go for 10 days, and KNP is top of your list, stay in the east. Table mountain, Robben Island etc are nice but far less impressive than any day in the bush.

What I would do is fly to Jo'Burg and straight on to Nelspruit or Hoedspruit. Cars are available at both. Hoedspruit has the advantage that it is very close to private game reserves such as Timbavati and Klaserie. If you book lodges there than you don't need a car; they will gladly take you to and from the airport. So you'll only need a car when really going into KNP yourself, or when you visit the Drakensbergen area.

But since a visit to a private reserve can certainly be considered the highlight of your safari, you should do that last. So how about this;

- D1 Fly to Jo'Burg then to Hoedspruit (HDS). Rent your car. Sleep somewhere near Drakensbergen, like Otter's Den (that sure looks nice, sitting on an island in the river
- D2,D3 visit all Drakensbergen highlights like the 3 rondavels, Bourke's potholes, God's window,... do plenty of walks too. Unwind and get into the right rhythm
- D4 Drive to Nelspruit and then to KNP's Paul Kruger gate. Plenty of choice to sleep. Sleep at one of the restcamps like Skukuza or Lower Sabie.
- D5-D7 Explore KNP on your own. Halfway, trade your current restcamp with one higher up like Satara and Letaba for a bit of a change.
- D8 Leave KNP through Phalaborwa gate and drive back to HDS airport. Arrange for a lodge in a private reserve to come pick you up. I can certainly recommend nThambo. Or Africa On Foot, where you can also do foot safaris in a big 5 area - since by then you will be used to the bush a bit, it might be the logical next step; no more boundaries between you and the bush.
- D9-D11 stay at that lodge
- D12 Lodge takes you back to HDS and you fly back to Jo'Burg and then home.

Looks great to me! In fact, if I can ever convince my old folks to join us on a trip to Africa, then it will be a similar itinerary than this (me and the mss, we have seen the Drakensbergen so we dive straight into the bush).

B.regs,

J.

Neuman605

Ahh, DMBTraveler, I am so jealous. I want to return to Africa, instead I am off to the Cooks.
Make sure you post atrip report on your return, maybe I will get there this spring, or maybe off to Tanzania or Guam.

christabir

You can go to a private reserve like pixelpower suggests (as I said, I'd do the reserve before going out on your own). Anywhere from $250 and up per night. KNP also does game drives. For a single, I think getting a private guide would be expensive, but I have no idea how to do that.

Here is a list of guided drives, walks, overnights in Kruger:

http://www.sanparks.org/assets/docs/...ty-tariffs.pdf

Have fun planning!

cary999

Do you have room/hut reservations at Kruger rest camps? Some of these fill up. Here's one way to check, Skukuza main camp for Nov -
http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger...h=11&year=2011

A private safari camp in the (Kruger adjacent) Timbavati or Sabi Sand reserves will give you a much higher probability of seeing the big 5. For example, I've been in Kruger three times totaling 15 days and have seen lion about 5 times, leopard only once, rhino never. Elephant, buffalo, zebra, impala, giraffe, wart hogs etc several times a day.

regards - tom

DMBTraveler

pixelpower,

Thanks for the itinerary. Wow, very nice idea. I would like to also visit CT and will have to try and add days to my vacation.

I have some friends (family) from Italy that could persuade your old folks to take the trip with you and the miss. You both sound like fun travel companions. I promise my cousin Vinny would take it easy on them

DMBTraveler

Neuman605,

I'm jealous too Never been to Cooks, Guam or TZ. Until I get there I will share in your adventure.

For sure I will post about SA!

Safe Travels

DMBTraveler

christabir

Again, thanks for the info. I have gotten a lot of useful info here. I now have a good sense of the cost and how I want to arrange my time in SA.

DMBTraveler

cary999,

I will make KNP reservation in a few days. I am still trying to finalize my itinerary. Seems like a private reserve is the way to go to see more animals.

Thanks for the heads up.

cary999

Be aware about making Kruger NP camp bungalow reservations using the internet. Last I heard if you use the internet, they do not allow changes or refunds. Period. This caught one of our members here (christabir?) recently. My previous times there I called them, easy to do. And they will confirm via email.

You will positively see much much more of the big five in one of the private reserves. Those camps can go off road and find the critters. The game drive guides also are in radio contact so that the location of wildlife is shared. If your budget allows it, go to a private camp. And do it -after- Kruger.

regards - tom

pixelpower

@DBMTraveler,

You mean Vinny can make them "sleep with the fishes"? Hmmmm... I guess that's a type of eco-travel as well.

J.

christabir

tom - from what I understand, no matter how you make a rez they don't give refunds any more. If I had changed my rez instead of double-booking (I got too excited about availability!!) they would have done it. But no refunds for cancellations, which mine ultimately was (my fault). We were able to make a date change at a KZN park at no cost online.

DBM - I still think if you are going on your very first safari in KNP it's nice to have info on what you're looking for or at. I'd do the private reserve first. At the very least do the drives at Kruger. I am in the process of looking for a private guide for Kgalagadi (I thought I found one but didn't work out). I'll let you know what I find out if before you leave. I think it will run $100-150/day. At that price (plus KNP accommodation) you can go to some of the less expensive private reserves and get fed.
In Kruger, we loved Satara. We saw lots of rhinos, a leopard, all sorts of antelope and a whole pride of lionesses. We enjoyed Lower (river front tents) because of the serenading hippos at night, but the grasses were higher there and we weren't as lucky, but still found rhino, giraffe, ellies and some great predator birds.

Next time we'll probably stay Satara and north, but everyone else seems to prefer the southern part of the park. We never found the crowds overwhelming except at the lion sighting. We had some amazing sightings by ourselves. Get off the tar roads and enjoy the gravel roads almost to yourself. I am totally enamored with Kruger. They let you drive around a park with lions?! Amazing.

cary999

Thanks christabir for clarifying the Kruger reservation thing. I've stayed at Satara, Letaba, Olifants, all in south central and like them all. I too have heard more preference for southern area, but also heard it is more crowded.

The reason I say do Kruger first is because the private safari camp will spoil you for accommodations, meals, and game drives. Kruger I fear would seem anti-climax for all those. Although we sure do love Kruger and would go back any time. Like you say, drive the back gravel roads and watch most any critter wander out from the side and cross in front of you!!! But maybe not just one but a whole herd of elephant cows with calves !!!

regards - tom

PRLCH

Love KNP and we did not find self-drive at all difficult - an amazing experience. We did a week self drive in KNP and 3 nights in Gomo Gomo. If we had to choose one, it would be independent travel in KNP.

As far as hotels away from KNP go, you mention chain hotel "Don" . It is my understanding from an email I received from SAA recently that the Don chain has stopped operating.

DMBTraveler

PRLCH,

Think I will basically be doing the same itinerary that you did although I will be adding a side trip to Cape Town to swim with The Great White Shark.

Do you recall places you stayed? Glad to read you enjoyed KNP as an independent traveller