Would I be missing out on anything if I skipped going to Kruger Park in South Africa. What If I just did Addo, Schotia, Pilanesburg? Any other suggestions? Late June, early July is when I am going.

It depends completely on what you're looking for from your safari park.

No two parks are the same. Infact, in a park as large as Kruger, there are significant differences in the various areas of the park.

So, in one sense, yes. If you don't go to Kruger, you will miss out on ... Kruger!

BUT if what you are asking is whether or not you can have an enjoyable and varied safari experience without including Kruger in your itinerary, then the answer is yes!

To help advise on which combination of parks might suit you best can you provide more information on just what you are looking for?

Are you intending to stay at private camps/ lodges or in the government-run camps/ lodges?

Do you want to self-drive or are you looking for guided experiences?

Do you have a limited budget and/ or limited amount of time?

Are there any specific animals/ birds that you particularly want to see?

What about scenery? Are you looking for open savannahs punctuated by thorn trees, dense scrubland/ woodland, striking mountainous landscapes?

Have you been on safari before; if so where?

hi bunchee,

having been to addo and schotia last year, I suspect that they are not in the same league as Kruger.

both are small reserves by SA standards. Schotia can easily be "done" in a day and a night, and Addo in a day. Pilanesburg is obviously in a completely diferent area and looks a lot bigger, but again, probably can't compare to Kruger.

as others have said, it depends what you are looking for. if your main object is to see the Big 5 in an authentic safari setting, then Kruger seems the obvious choice. if on the other hand you want to combine a safari with other holiday activities, eg CPT and the garden route, addo and schotia could be the way to go.

as Kavey says - over to you.

regards, ann

I have never been on a safari. We are planning to start out in Cape Town,Garden Route, Port Elizabeth,Sun City and Krueger. We want to have the ultimate South African Experience. Animal viewing is of utmost importance-especially the big 5. We want to experience the bush. We want to experience a "real safari" in the bush and see as much animal life as possible.We would like to experience a couple of different types of safari experiences-we are open to suggestions. Do not want the most expensive-but do not want to feel we missed anything while in South Africa.

You won't be disappointed in Kruger that's for sure. It is a big park and easy to self-drive between camps. Thousands of elephants, lions, some rhino, hippos, giraffes, hyena and others. It is not a real bush experience as all (but 2 I think) of the camps are fenced with shops and restaurants, bungalows, gas station etc, but the game viewing is phenomenal. One of the nice things about staying there is you can stay out all day game viewing as opposed to a lodge where you go out in the a.m., back to camp and out again in the afternoon.

For the true bush experience, you'd have to stay at a lodge or bushcamp-much more expensive than Kruger but an entirely different experience.

We stayed at Pafuri lodge in northern Kruger and loved it! Saw so many animals and fabulous birds-also had night drives with sightings of owls and other creatures. Great food, beautiful pool and awesome 'tents' with indoor/outdoor showers.
we were there in october. Amazing.

It is not realistic to want to travel on a short trip to a country so diverse in culture, flora, fauna, and landscape and expect to be able to "not want to feel we missed anything".