The Kruger National Park is one of the best places I’ve ever been to on a holiday. The weather was awesome (maybe a little on the hot side), the animals were out in force and the beds were super comfy.
Getting there
We drove, as always. My family prefers to take the scenic route to everything – even if it takes much longer to get there. For those with larger budgets, you can always catch a quick flight – from Cape Town, Durban or Johannesburg. If you’re visiting South Africa, I would recommend renting a larger car for the trip to the park – the higher up you’re sitting, the better!(so you can see the animals)
Prices
I must be honest, as I wasn’t in charge of the bill, I have no clue about the prices! I’ve looked on their website, and found the following:
2 bedroom bungalow, around R1380 per day (around £126,94) and this unit can sleep up to 4 people. This is the type of unit we stayed in, and I would say it was worth every cent! We only stayed for 2 days, so this isn’t too unreasonable.
If your budget is smaller (and you’re not scared of sleeping in tents) you would only pay R370 per day (around £34). This kind of tent can sleep up to 2 people. Keep in mind you would need to bring camping equipment!
The prices vary according to the type of accommodation, the length of your stay and possibly the time of year you decide to visit. There’s something to suit everyone’s budget.
More info can be found at: http://www.krugerpark.co.za/Kruger_National_Park_Lodging_&_Camping_Guide-travel/pricing_skukuza-camp.html
My experience
We visited the Kruger right in the middle of summer... BIG MISTAKE! It was unbearably hot, and very humid in the evenings – perfect conditions for mosquitoes. They say the best time to visit is in the middle of winter, so there are less mosquitoes and the weather isn’t as severe. (This also lessens your chances of being infected with malaria) I think I would have enjoyed the visit considerably more, if I hadn’t been drowning in buckets of sweat! Thankfully we only stayed for 2 nights, and there was a swimming pool to cool down in.
The main reason we chose to visit the park was to see the “Big Five” – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard. While you can see these in a zoo, there’s nothing like seeing them in the wild. They’re named the “Big Five” based on how difficult they are to track and hunt, as well as how dangerous they are, as opposed to their size.
Accommodation
My family ALWAYS chooses self-catering accommodation, I guess it makes sense as it’s cheaper but I always wondered why they would go on holiday to cook! There are different types of accommodation at Kruger, from rest camps, to private lodges and even luxury lodges – I have every intention of staying in a luxury lodge on my next trip (my hubby hasn’t been and would be a great romantic getaway).
We stayed at the Skukuza Restcamp, in a bungalow that had 2 double bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom with a shower. Sadly we didn’t have air-conditioning, but we did have 2 fans. My dad specifically requested a bungalow with a proper kitchen, as we would be cooking our own food.
The beds were very comfortable, and the unit was cleaned daily – it was so nice to come home to a freshly made bed every evening! The decoration is done in an African theme, which makes the trip feel even more authentic. Each evening you can hear the animals – hyenas laughing, jackals howling... it can be a little unsettling, but if you’re tired you’ll drift off quick enough in the cosy bed. To my father’s delight, there was no TV... he is a firm believer in totally disconnecting from the world while on holiday – you do get satellite TV in a few of the luxury units though.
My pet hate was showering... there was a huge spider that only seemed to come out when it was my turn to shower! Thank goodness for brave dads or I would have gone the whole weekend without a shower, and probably killed everyone on the way home in the car – with pure stench alone!
Outside the bungalow there was also a braai (barbeque), where we spent both evenings enjoying roasted marshmallows by the fire. I would recommend buying some boerewors (spicy South African sausage) to barbeque while you’re here!
There are quite a few facilities, including a Laundromat (just because you’re in the middle of the bush doesn’t mean you have to stink!), 3 swimming pools, 9 hole golf course, cafeteria, basic first aid etc. There is even a public phone, so no need to worry about being completely cut off from the world (unless you want to be).
What to do, what to do
Spending even 1 day in the middle of nowhere, with no TV, can get a little boring... thankfully this didn’t happen during my trip! There are lots of things to do – golf, walks through the park, swimming, game drives etc.
We went on 1 or 2 family walks along a trail, as my dad loves hiking and wouldn’t have anyone sitting at home – after all, who goes on holiday to relax?! The walks are very scenic, but don’t forget your sunscreen and a big bottle of water.
My dad – being the do-it-yourself type of person, elected to drive us around the park – using a map book and a well detailed guide on where to find all of the animals. The roads are well signposted, so getting lost wasn’t an issue. The roads are also very well maintained, for the most part, so you won’t need a four wheel drive. My parents drive a Toyota Previa, so we luckily had a high vantage point for optimum viewing. There are rest stops along the way where you can use the bathroom and grab a bite to eat. We saw some warthogs, buffalo, elephants... and lots of random buck!
We also chose to go on a night time game drive – in the hopes of seeing a leopard. They’re notoriously difficult to track, with the best time being at night. The cost for the sunset drive is R180 per person (around £16,50), and the drive lasts about 3 hours.
We all piled in to the back of an open top jeep/car, and set off with an experienced guide and an armed member of staff for safety. The guide was very informative, talking to us about the different plants and animals. The drive was mainly along a dirt road, where we would be more likely to see some wildlife.
The worst part of the drive was being eaten alive by the mosquitoes! I would definitely recommend using some mosquito repellent before you leave for the drive. The mosquitoes aren’t the only potential threat in the darkness – we also had bats swooping down at the jeep (I was terrified I would get one caught in my hair!). Thankfully nothing more scary happened on this trip!
We managed to see a pride of lions while they were eating, although we didn’t get too close for our own safety. The jeep had a spotlight that the guide used to highlight their activities out in the darkness. Sadly we didn’t get to see a leopard – the guide found a few tracks but they were too old to follow apparently, and once darkness fell we couldn’t see a hell of a lot in terms of tracks. The drive was a really exciting experience, and I would recommend it.
If you feel the Park itself doesn’t offer enough in terms of activities, there are plenty of places to visit outside of the park – and you can participate in things like elephant back safaris, hot air balloon trips etc... it may be worth doing some research before going to make sure you don’t miss out on anything exciting!
Some general info on Kruger National Park
The park is based in Eastern South Africa, on the borders of the Limpopo province. The park is nearly 20,000 square kilometres in size, making it one of the biggest national parks in the world. Several rivers run through the park too – making this a very natural habitat for the animals.
More information can be found on their website: http://www.krugerpark.co.za/
Conclusion
I loved my visit to the Kruger National Park – there was lots to do, the weather was great and the game drive was one of a kind (for me anyway). It was a brilliant escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, without having to give up my creature comforts – like a shower and bed to sleep in! This is defiantly a family friendly place, and the guides are very knowledgeable.
Into the bush we go! 
WE WENT A YEAR AGO AND STAYED IN SKUKUZA IN A TWO BEDROOM BUNGALOW TOO - A FANTASTIC PARK.