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 The really, really uncomfortable questions!Malaria The entire Kruger National Park and surrounding area is a malaria area. Before visiting this area it very important that you consult with a medical practitioner and gain expert advice, best suited to you and your family. The best advice of all - is do not get bitten, use ample insect repellent and wear sensible clothing at night. The best results are achieved by dressing in lightweight, long sleeves and long pants and sufficient insect repellent is used. Climate The Kruger National Park is classified as a Summer Rainfall region. The majority of rainfall some 80% is in the form of quick thunderstorms lasting no longer than half and hour and is very erratic. The first rains arrive in September and the last rains usually falls in late April. The central regions of the Kruger Park has on average about 540 mm of rain or the equivalent of 23 inches per year! We do recommend that guests do bring along a raincoat or rain poncho when travelling in our summer months (September- April). The average day temperature in January is around 31’C and in July (Winter) a comfortable 23’C. Temperatures can soar to the early 40’C on the odd occasion. Tar Roads
The Kruger National Park has over 800 kilometres of tar roads. Research has proven that tar roads in wilderness areas actually have more advantages than disadvantages to the environment and wildlife. Generally the vegetation adjacent to tar roads is lush and very palatable due to the run-off from the road and often herbivores are found eating this sort after food source. Lions in the winter months prefer to lie on the tar roads to get warmth. Gravel roads if used extensively can have a impact that the vegetation adjacent to the road is covered with dust and thus very unpalatable to wildlife. The Kruger Park has some 1350 kilometres of gravel roads. Mass Tourism Often one hears of the point laboured that Kruger National Park is a mass tourist destination. The simple answer is Yes it is indeed. However the Park very strictly controls the number of guests entering at any given time. One must also bare in mind that the Park is almost 2 000 000 ha in size and from north to south is a distance of 350 km long and at its narrowest west to east is 80 km wide. The southern regions of the park can become busy at times but it by no means detracts from the wilderness experience one gets. Most guests are out travelling the many roads of park during the day. One does get “traffic jams “ at a spectacular wildlife sighting such as lions on a kill… but then so does one get the same traffic density at some of the Southern African private reserves also on spectacular wildlife sightings. The number of overnight visitors per rest camp is also controlled and yes one does find larger numbers of guests at the restaurant and shop area’s at around breakfast, lunch times and dinner respectively. In closing the Kruger National Park is able to offer a spectacular wilderness experience devoid of masses of people … you just need to go with the right folks. Not as luxurious as the private game lodge experience This is not a hard question to answer, depending on your interpretation of the world “luxury”.If luxury means spending time in a Park of almost 2 000 000 ha, that has 16 macro eco-zones or distinctly different vegetation zones and this is home to: 507 birds, 336 trees, 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 49 fish and 34 amphibians, different species. Then Kruger is certainly super luxurious! With regard to the accommodation well again Kruger offers some very private and exclusive accommodations coupled with our first class catering we can rival any private game lodge in the quality and luxury. I cannot do the same wildlife activities in Kruger as I can on a private reserve Simply not true, today the Kruger National Park offers bush walks, night drives, morning drives, sunset drives it even offers specific 4 X 4 Trails (4 wheel drive). At no time does the Park permit off-roading, this is a issue that is best debated by conservationists. But it has been proven beyond doubt that unrestricted off-roading is harmful to the environment, some bio-zones are far more susceptible to off-roading than others. How are our safaris different from that of our competitorsExpert guides The skill of your guide to interpret the signs of the wild by means of first hand knowledge coupled with the ability to skilfully impart knowledge and providing a first rate safari experience is key to enjoying a safari with us. Guests are asked what their expectations/ “wish list” and interest are – this information is used to make the safari more enjoyable for guests. Vehicle We only operate with a maximum of 6 passengers per safari vehicle. Thus each guest is assured of a window seat and ample space. Our vehicles we use are specially adapted vehicles in accordance to the standards set out by SANP. Radios We DO NOT USE RADIO’S in our vehicles, we find it unnecessary- in our experience guides are to do guide (find wildlife) and interact with guests and not spend time listening to the radio. Our safaris centres around a authentic wildlife experience and not rushing from sighting to sighting.. Our safari vehicles operate independently from each other– at times vehicles may meet up and sightings are then exchanged. All our guides do carry mobile/ cellular phones, which are set to silent mode and can be used in cases of emergency. Carbon Offset Guests on our safaris are asked to voluntary offset their carbon after completing the safari Young guides programme A young person accompanies each of our expert guides on each and every safari, they act as assistants on safari and learn their trade from the senior guide – benefits for all. Plus we have a extra pair of eyes on the vehicle thus a proportional increase in wildlife sightings. What to bring along with youRemember to bring a camera, binoculars, a hat and sunscreen lotion. Also remember to take along medicines such as anti-histamine and lotion for insect stings and bites. Clothing should be comfortable and durable. Neutral colors such as Khaki are ideal. Footwear should be worn at all times, ankle high boots are preferable especially when you are going to do a walk. Slip slops and totally open sandals are not really recommended particularly at night! Another good piece of advice is bring clothing that can be pealed off in layers- such as track suit. Night drives can be chilly so a warm jacket is essential. In our summer months it does indeed rain so if you are traveling with us in the months of September to March it is a very good idea to bring a light all-weather coat or raincoat along. What to ExpectWe deliver the following service to our guests -An authentic safari experience to the Kruger National Park – where guests can enjoy the spectacular wildlife sightings in comfort, first class meals and expert guiding.-SERVICE! How do we achieve the above Area of operations Generally we operate in the central regions of the Kruger National Park. This is done primarily to avoid the southern portions of the park, which can become busy at times. The central area is characterised by more open savannah thus increasing visibility and exponentially increasing the chance of seeing some of the numerous predators found in this area, such as lion, spotted hyena, leopard and cheetah. On these open savannah area’s we find a wide variety of herbivores such as; zebra, blue wildebeest, impala, giraffe etc…..All four the aforementioned animals feature highly on the preferred diet of predators. In the northern portion of the central region we find the Olifants and Letaba rivers with magnificent Riverine Forests offering great opportunities of seeing elephant and vast herds of buffalo, alongside a host of other wildlife in some of the finest scenery afforded by the Kruger Park. Types of accommodations offeredLuxury bungalow (standard on every safari)
Single bedroom units with a bathroom (Wc, hand basin and shower) all bungalows are air-conditioned and are serviced daily. A small veranda on the front of the bungalow affords you views of the surrounding area. This accommodation is perfect for overnight in Kruger Park. On some safaris we may vary the accommodation to suit clients requirements and this upgrade in accommodation type is at a extra cost. These superior accommodations are well worth the upgrade. Families and groups of friends traveling together should seriously consider this option. Guest Cottage
Usually two bedroom units with at least 2 bathrooms, of which one is en-suite. The central area usually consists of an open plan lounge, dinning and kitchen area. The verandahs are spacious with comfortable chairs. These unit are located some of the best locations in the respective camps. Guest House
Large and extremely spacious houses usually with four bedrooms most being en-suite. The central area has a lounge area and often with bar facility, dinning area and exclusive views. The Guest House definitely has the best views in the respective camps. Bushveld Camps
These are small intimate camps, offering a great deal of exclusivity and are for the sole use of the overnight guests. The camps do not have any public areas and thus have a “great” bush feel to them. Accommodation is in cottages varying from one to three bedroom units. Meals
We take great pride in presenting our guests with simple wholesome fare, often mixed with local or more traditional food. All mineral water supplied. Schedules
Generally we try and travel in the morning and the late afternoons when wildlife activity is heightened. On day trips we will obviously spend more time travelling than when we do on overnight safaris. Types of activities offered on safarisWith the exception of day trips we offer night drives on each and every safari as standard inclusion. On trips of longer than 3 nights we also offer you the opportunity to do a walk in the national park.
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