South Africa in Three Trips (page 4 of 5)

Then Berg en Dal, charming and a rhino spot.

Lower Sabie



This one is *really* big and *really* close!

About elephants...

When you see elephants in the distance... On the road.

You approach very slowly, stop at 50 meters, and wait. If the elephants come closer, bingo.

They cross. You stop at a respectful distance and then turn off the engine and wait. It’s common to see a female stand facing the vehicles to make it clear you’re not passing, and the last elephant to cross will leave the way clear. If they’re going to cross... try to see their path and position yourself not right in their way but nearby. Turn off the engine and wait.

That’s the easy part.

Now, there’s the elephant—the big boss—who comes toward you on the road. There are elephants that will take a detour and those that will go exactly where they’ve decided to go. Since it’s not written on their foreheads... You park on the other side, turn off the engine, and let them pass.

An elephant comes toward you on the road... Stay well back. Don’t even try to pass it. In fact, the general rule is never to go behind an elephant—or if you must, do it *very* slowly, and only if it shows no sign of irritation (like turning its head, slightly annoyed).

And sometimes... you end up surrounded by elephants... well, then you turn off the engine and wait calmly.

Two or three situations I’ve experienced that I really didn’t like at all.

The cute little baby elephant twirling its trunk and getting all excited. Isn’t it adorable? Well, yes, except its mother might get scared and charge at you.

The narrow path lined with trees... sure... and then suddenly you’re surrounded by elephants...

The lone elephant, young and nervous. The one that backs into the bush... Be patient, don’t pass in front of it.

The elephant dripping with musk...

The idiots in cars who block you. Drive too fast past them.

Animals have a reaction speed ten times faster than ours.

A lion snoozing 10 meters away will be on you in one second. An elephant can turn around in no time. Movement triggers movement, and in that game, you’re the loser.

You can easily find videos online of elephants charging—mostly Indian elephants. Very, very rare in South Africa... Recent charges: A managed group with rangers was charged by an elephant, and they were lucky to have steady nerves. There were long discussions about this incident in South Africa. I’m among those who think a too-quick approach and an irritable elephant caused the drama.

At Pilanesberg... that one’s easy to find. A "ranger" in a big truck handled things so poorly that the elephant nearly destroyed everything... That was sheer incompetence.

To wrap up this medley of three stays inside Kruger...

There’s a Kruger spirit.

Those often slightly older folks who arrive at Balalala, rent a sort of gas stove with a hotplate on top for 2.5 €, set up with a tablecloth, a wicker basket, cutlery, napkins, and all the rest. They grill their eggs and bacon, toast their rolls, and whip up an English breakfast on the go.

All those people who stamp their feet with impatience when the gates open.

All those campers, more and more equipped, crisscrossing the park.

Those folks who actually spend their holidays in KNP (it’s not very expensive, and it’s as safe as can be).

And then, who’s passing by—could it be the famous French?

There are rules:

You don’t get out of the car (if you get a flat, you call for help), or if you do, several cars create a secure space. Windows stay closed as soon as an animal appears, and you don’t stick your arms out of the car. You don’t throw anything away. You respect the animals (some idiot got a hefty fine... he pushed a lion that was blocking his way). Watch your speed—checks are pretty frequent, and do you *really* want to flatten an elephant or turn an impala into mush? Be careful, full stop... The mentality is, "We told you there were risks, you stayed, so don’t complain." So even in places where getting out is allowed, stay *super* alert... no peeing in the bushes. Same goes for even the larger spots where you can stop—stay *very* vigilant! Especially if you have small kids. You’re always in an open space where animals are around, opportunistic. It’s common for a hyena to circle the braai grills... and a hyena won’t hesitate for long if a young child is within reach... (so parents, keep your little ones within a meter of you!)

Personally, whenever possible, I stay 2 nights in one camp—sometimes 3. Then a "transfer" day to another. That lets you get a feel for the place instead of just packing and unpacking the car.

The crowds can be unbearable at certain times of the year—school holidays!

Visitors are more diverse... diplomatically, I’d say that before, a person of color was assumed to be American, but today, the Black population is more and more present... because they have more means and find greater interest in it. Plus, you’ll definitely come across school outings.





The vehicles that maintain the tracks...

A few photos

Photos of accommodations:

Skukuza





Berg en Dal



Police checkpoints in the park





You’ll likely also see these heavily armed foot patrols... it’s all part of the anti-poaching effort. No mercy. Trained dogs are now used to track and hunt down poachers.

Sirrheni





An anti-poaching group

Chalet Shingwedzi



Room at Sirheni



Satara



Satara again



The view from Olifants





At your own risk



A lion to finish!

There you have it, the Kruger part is done.

From north to south (2022), then south to north (2023), and just the northern part (2024).

A bit of chit-chat now.

Kruger National Park, the Greater Kruger and its scams, private reserves.

KNP. As big as Belgium. A protected area under the authority of SANParks. It includes the national park’s facilities (the various camps, official rangers) with free movement by your own means and opening/closing hours. You can also do game drives and game walks. Within this area, a number of approved private operators offer personalized game drives in open vehicles. It’s an option, certainly more expensive. These private operators can take you for x days of game drives either directly in the park (you stay in one of the camps) or they pick you up from accommodations outside the park. Be careful, not all operators are equal. There are advantages, of course... you’re in an open vehicle, you don’t have to drive, they know the park like the back of their hand and share tips among themselves... But watch out—an operator picking you up from Sabie or elsewhere outside the park... the park could be 2 hours away from your accommodation... so either you leave at 4 AM to arrive at opening time or you miss a big part of the morning and the golden hour... Same in the evening—if you’re staying far away, either you leave late and arrive very late or you miss the evening golden hour. Plus, in an open vehicle, a 2-hour drive... you’ll arrive frozen. So pay close attention to that!

Try to stay INSIDE the park or at least *right* next to it!

Within the park, there are private concessions with more or less exclusive access to certain areas (I said *more or less*)... however, night driving is still generally prohibited, and vehicles can’t leave the same paths as regular visitors... (There *might* be a tolerance of 400 meters (?) to get closer to a particular sighting, maybe). The advantage is that you’re in an open vehicle, inside the park, with a (supposedly) qualified ranger, and especially the accommodations range from luxurious to extravagant (master paintings, fine wines, etc.). Obviously, the price isn’t the same. I’ve done it. In the far south of the park... a great ranger... who didn’t hesitate to go off-road (in a very quiet area, and he made sure no one was watching). In the middle of the park... beautiful accommodation, etc., but a terrible ranger... we left early after realizing going off-road was complicated... well, he was just bad.

So, in terms of value for money, I’m not doing it again.

The Greater Kruger... Here’s where the scams start... I’ve seen "Greater Kruger" lodges 50 km from Kruger... The connection to KNP is more than distant. Originally, there was KNP, enclosed by fences. Just outside, separated by those fences, were private reserves. The fences came down. A huge area combining KNP + adjacent reserves now forms a whole where all animals roam freely. However, this space is still bordered by fences.

Inside this area, you’re in the *real* Greater Kruger. Outside this area, you’re not. Private reserves—we’ll talk more about them later—operate independently for humans, but not for animals. The big private reserves without fences bordering Kruger: Sabie, Manyeleti, Balule, Timbavati, plus a few smaller ones. EVERYTHING else is *not* "Kruger."

Tourist enthusiasm for wildlife and the Kruger name has turned this region (and all of South Africa) into a wildlife machine. Not always *wild* wildlife! From 400,000 wild animals in 1970, we’ve gone to over 10 million!

Especially around this zone, countless game reserves have popped up... with the word "wild" in their name only. With 5,000 ha, it’s impossible to have lions unless you feed them, elephants, etc. They sell a dream and lie shamelessly! That’s the truth! Under 20,000 ha, a game reserve is just a zoo—very beautiful and very large, but still a zoo. Beyond that, it starts to get serious. I got scammed a long time ago near Addo. The only truly wild and wildlife-rich areas (and even then, humans intervene in KNP to sterilize elephants, vaccinate giraffes or lions, etc.) are: SANParks and KZN Wildlife areas, iSimangaliso, the big reserves mentioned earlier, and... the very large private reserves like Kwandwe, Welgevonden, Marakele, Madikwe, Tembe, Phinda, Tswalu, and a few others... For example, there are no (or almost no) real game reserves in the entire Western Cape.

Those TV documentaries often drive me crazy on this topic...

Private reserve, so...

We choose carefully.

In a vast space with no barriers alongside Kruger, or if you're not in that area, a large reserve—a real one. You choose based on your budget. Opt for the spa, fine wines, luxurious rooms (you deserve it!), or go for great rangers and beautiful reserves. The most expensive ones supposedly offer both.

In a large reserve, the establishment has a concession. A concession it can't leave. Just as there's no "human" communication possible between the private reserve and KNP, animals roam freely, but not people—and certainly not tourists! Everything depends on the concession: its size, location, and the rangers.

I've tried quite a few... In Sabie, Djuma (old-school style—nowadays, you privatize it with rangers and a chef, bringing your own food and drinks. It's worth it for a group of 10–12 people!) and Nkhoro (a leopard paradise right on the KNP border). Both are amazing. A TERRIBLE experience at Ukhumbe... in Sabie but low-cost with lousy services. In Timbavati: Kings Camp and the famous Shindzela, which I knew back when it had no fence and was very spartan (much more civilized now... you MUST read my old travel journals). In Manyeleti (the only reserve accessible to Black people during apartheid): Ndzakha, Buffelshoek, and Honeyguide. The first two remain pretty basic (community-run and... spartan). The latter stays wild but is much more comfortable.

Perks... Well, you're fed and lodged (ranging from very well to decent). You get rangers who are great to excellent. A huge concession in Manyeleti, smaller in other cases but within a vast borderless space alongside KNP. With a bit of luck, you’ll see most animals—lions, cheetahs, elephants, leopards—up close and personal... You see them in incredibly good conditions, and they’re truly WILD!

In my opinion, if you’ve got the budget, it’s an experience worth having, even just for 2 days. (You can imagine that after 20 years, my list of contacts and recommendations is pretty extensive...) Manyeleti and Timbavati in 2023. No private reserve in 2022, and another at Welgevonden in 2024.

To be continued! !

Ah Shindzela... In 2016, we spent 2 amazing nights there. The ranger was really knowledgeable, and the vibe was super friendly.

We’re planning to go back in June 2025. Is it really different now?

Hi there, When I first heard about Shindzela, I was a newbie on the forum, and only Ms. Attila knew of it (by name only, if I recall correctly). It was run by a bush runner who had just acquired it. No more tents or chalets than today, but his first job had been to add toilets to each chalet… before that, you had to go outside… No generator, so no refrigeration. No fence… so hyenas wandering through at night was guaranteed. Leaving your shoes outside was pretty risky, so going out to the toilets… A common room for meals… not exactly gourmet. The rifle and cartridge belt were always within reach. And to get back to your tent or chalet, you had to be accompanied and with the rifle. As soon as we arrived, we went on a game drive and saw a rhino. Next thing we knew, we had to get out and approach it on foot, hiding behind bushes. That’s the kind of atmosphere it had! Today, there’s an electric fence on the ground. Though I don’t think it’d stop a lion from jumping over… The food is much better now. There’s electricity, a boma, a small pool, a lounge, a bar. In short, it’s a lot less wild roots. Still, the ranger was fantastic, and we saw so much, in a really great atmosphere. I still recommend this place. They’ve built another upper-class lodge on the concession. More details to come soon!

To my reader eager to return to Shindzela...

Well, this speaks for itself





On the other side, there’s a lit waterhole...



You can see the fence lying down





View of the chalet-tent





And this is the jeep stuck in the dry riverbed...

Because we’d spotted it...

We saw it better than we photographed it...

Back then, the area was barely developed (airport, roads, gates)... but now it's very well developed. Long and beautiful road, modern airport (small but modern), Timbavati gate newly renovated.

This whole area has evolved ++++ thanks to tourism.

Here’s how it works: You have one or two gates to enter the reserve (in this case, Timbavati)... sometimes you have to pay an entrance fee. You’re now in a wild space open to Kruger National Park (KNP). Either someone picks you up at the gate (you leave your vehicle there) or you do your first game drive solo in your vehicle to the concession (it takes almost an hour to reach Shindzela)... yippee! You’re still expected to arrive before the evening game drive departs (so before 3 or 4 PM).

A typical day: Up at dawn, quick coffee, a rusk (dry biscuit), and off we go—into the open 4x4. Three hours with breaks for coffee, tea, or amarula in the bush... Back for a full breakfast, and then? Often, a game walk is offered midday. Or you can relax, swim, read, or chat...

A light snack before heading out again...

And off you go for another 3 hours—roughly 2 hours in daylight, then a sundowner with drinks in the bush, followed by an hour of night driving.

Back for dinner (either outside in the boma or inside... sometimes at the same table, sometimes separate tables per couple or vehicle... with or without the ranger), and then? Depending on how you feel, you might end the night by the fire or head to bed!

Be warned: it gets cold—really cold, even *very* cold—in an open vehicle, except maybe in the middle of summer. Don’t trust the daytime temperature! Layers, a windbreaker, a hat... I’m telling you now!



The tracker on the jump seat (there are fewer and fewer trackers these days). If I tell you they’re there to track, you won’t be surprised! The other person is the ranger...

**Anecdote**

My first game drive with a Black ranger, "Pete," at the old Djuma. Amazing! Back then, rangers were mostly white (you also had to speak English well) and male... Now it’s more diverse—there are even quite a few female rangers. Trackers were all Black... today, they’re still mostly Black.

Tradition says the Shangaan are the best trackers... well, the Shangaan used to live all over this area before being pushed back by the Zulus. To become a tracker or ranger, there are different schools... not all at the same level. And not all "game reserves" necessarily hire real rangers or trackers... (Example: Umkhumbe, where the "tracker" was from Zimbabwe, swept the floors, and handled the spotlight at night like a maniac... the ranger was at the same level).

To be a tracker on the jump seat, you’ve got to keep your cool... you’ll find plenty of videos online of rangers dealing with more or less nervous elephants, lions getting too close, or bold rhinos...

**Anecdote**

We regularly had to deal with the vehicle getting stuck in sand, stuck in a hole, a flat tire, or not starting... If they ask you to get out, stay grouped and close to the vehicle, please...

Tradition dictates that animals are named in Zulu or Shangaan (on the radio between rangers when they cross paths and share info)... to keep tourists from getting too excited over a lion, leopard, or cheetah...

So now, my favorite game... Speaking Zulu even with the Shangaan (who understand it very well)... catching them when they talk among themselves... And the ultimate mischief... Kruger: 3 rhinos to the left of the road, 10 meters away. On the other side, a private ranger’s vehicle. He also stopped. I backed up a bit to give them space and turned off my engine. Same for him. And our rhinos crossed calmly between our two cars.

Usually, they ignore tourists... but this time, he stopped, window down, and asked if we’d seen anything. I answered in English but used the animal names in Zulu... (plus, the ranger was Black), and I saw a look of utter astonishment in his eyes...

Less talk, more photos!

What’s it like over there?



Lions

🙂 I went just before COVID—it was a disastrous experience for me. The camp was okay, the food was mediocre, but I didn’t really care about that. However, the ranger we had was a walking disaster—he didn’t see anything and kept asking his colleagues where the animals were. At one point, we even had to tell him there was a kudu in the middle of the road. In short, a really bad experience. I’ve been to a few private reserves since, but never again there.

If you’re going to splurge, you might as well make the most of it and go to reserves that are actually worth it. One I really liked was https://www.pungwe.co.za. No fences, great tents, and a nice family vibe with reasonable prices. You feel like you’re in *Out of Africa* times 🙂

You should be able to find the details in one of my travel journals.

Happy planning!

When I first heard of Shindzela, I was a beginner on the forum and only Mrs. Attila knew of it (by name only, if I recall correctly)

I think it was actually Régis!

I’ve only been to one lodge in Kruger. A long time ago! MOHLABETSI SAFARI LODGE in Balule. It was really nice (open vehicle, great ranger, great tracker, good meals, and other discreet and enthusiastic guests!), but I still prefer self-drive...😇

Thanks for your feedback.

A feast for the eyes, and you’re not stingy with them!

By the way, have you seen those three amazing "Serengeti" series that aired starting in 2019 on F5 and Arte? Visually stunning. You’ve gotta see them at least once in your life. The use of drones is absolutely remarkable