Feedback on our 15-day self-drive trip in South Africa

Hi there

We’re planning to do this route as a self-drive trip. There’ll be six of us, so with a large car—is the drive between Durban and Johannesburg manageable? Thanks for your feedback! Day 2: Cape Town Day 3: Cape of Good Hope Day 4: Hermanus, Cape Agulhas Day 5: Wine Route Day 6: Cape Town → Durban (flight) → St. Lucia Day 7: St. Lucia Day 8: Hluhluwe Day 9: Mlilwane Day 10: Sabi Sand Day 11: Sabi Sand Day 12: Kruger Day 13: Panoramic Route Day 14: Balule → Johannesburg

Hi,

It’s a bit of a whirlwind between Durban and Kruger.

For the Kruger part, if I understand correctly, you’ve got 3 days in private reserves (2 different ones) and 1 day in the park? With a day in Blyde River Canyon in between?

I’d rather do just one private reserve for 2 days and 2 days in Kruger itself. And save the last day for Blyde.

Thanks, I might be able to add a day or two to the trip. Maybe one day in Hluhluwe? So not Balule but Kruger.

Yeah, one day in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi would be great too.😉

Ok, thanks—is the route through Mlilwane not dangerous? Since we’re doing a self-drive, I want to be sure it’s safe 😅

Unless the situation has changed drastically, I don’t see the issue with going through Eswatini (the country is marked in yellow on France Diplomatie maps, so it’s a green light).

It’s certainly not Norway, but it’s not Iran either!

Just like in South Africa, drive during the day, avoid lingering in townships, and keep your doors locked.

Hello! What time of year are you going? Whale or no whale, Hermanus is worth a short stop, but not much more. Are you staying in Agulhas? The national park is beautiful and inexpensive. Cape Town to Agulhas with a stop is still quite a trek. Agulhas is worth it for the symbol and the park chalet… for the rest… In the area with vineyards? Would your route be Cape Town → Agulhas → Vineyards → Cape Town? Just my opinion, but it’s your trip. That’s not much time in Cape Town. I’d skip Hluhluwe given what you’re doing afterward in the private reserves around Sabie Sand (may I ask where?). I love iSimangaliso, so I’d stay two nights in St Lucia… Still a long way to go… Milwane is nice, but will you have time to dedicate to it? For this kind of route, I’d prioritize Hlane—it’s worth a cheap stop, and you’ll see plenty of rhinos… even on foot. Joining a private reserve in Sabie Sands before the evening game drive starts… you’ll need to plan carefully. Same for leaving Sabie Sands after the morning drive to get into Kruger National Park… timing will be tight. I wonder if doing Kruger before the private reserve would be easier and less stressful. From there, I’d skip Balule. Not much driving time, and it takes you away from Johannesburg (?) for the return trip. I’d end slowly with Panorama Route, leaving from there for the return, or if you’re stressed, take a break near Dullstroom… Anyway, Just my two cents… Sorry! 😅

No problem

We usually arrive at the end of June, from 24/06 to 08/07, which is whale season, hence the stop in Hermanus. I’ve since removed Agulhas from the itinerary. From Hermanus, we head back to Cape Town via the wine route. We’re spending 2 nights in St Lucia. We’ve planned a visit to Hluhluwe for the rhinos. For Sabi Sand, we’re going with Umkumbe Bush Lodge—the others are way over budget! The reason for stopping at Mlilwane is to break up the drive to Sabi Sand given the travel times. I looked into flying to Nelspruit, but the flight tickets are ridiculously expensive for the distance—it’s cheaper to just return to Johannesburg.

Hi there, I have a very poor opinion of L’Umkhumbe. I totally get it, but for much better services, you can find "affordable" camps in Manyeleti like Buffelshoek, Ndzhaka, Honeyguide, and Pungwe.

Okay, I also saw Elephant Plains Lodge—is it better? It’s still within the same budget. Otherwise, we can’t link to this reserve because the other hotels are way too expensive. 😅

Is the Manyeleti Reserve as good as Sabi Sand?

I’ve got another question about whales—is Hermanus or St. Lucia better?

Otherwise, isn’t Timbavati better than Manyeleti?

Hello, I have a very poor opinion of Umkhumbe... I completely understand, but for much better services, you can find "affordable" camps in Manyeleti like Buffelshoek, Ndzhaka, Honeyguide, Pungwe....

Hello, I stayed 3 nights in 2023 at Umkumbe Bush Lodge, chosen for the price. The safari area is small, but I was lucky enough to see leopards, lions, and a huge herd of buffaloes... The value for money seemed reasonable for the accommodation. My only complaint, which applies to the private reserves in Kruger I visited, is that the drivers get too close to the animals. It’s perfect for clients with only smartphones (the majority), but not for those with photography equipment. I had to tell them on every outing (starting from the 2nd one—too late for the first). Best regards,

Good evening, Everyone forms their own opinion, and I’m really glad it worked out for you. I didn’t have the same experience. Sabi Sands is a certain standard. When I shared my negative feedback at the exit, here’s the response from Sabi Sands: They let us down. In one of my travel journals, I explain why.

Good evening, Elephant Plains is really not bad at all. Manyeleti is less luxurious than some in Sabi Sands, but the animals and rangers are fine. Buffelshoek and Ndzakha are significantly less luxurious. Honeyguide is very good. Manyeleti is excellent. It’s true that Nkhoro and Djuma are superior for leopards. Hermanus is really THE whale-watching spot. But St Lucia is really okay. I’ve done both.

Okay, thanks! Not sure if we'll end up going to Sabi Sand after all because the 2026 rates for Nkhoro are 12 500 € per person per night—ouch for the budget! So we're thinking about Timbavati instead. I saw Sindzela, and it looks really nice. For Manyeleti, Honey Guide seems like a good option. I was thinking of 2 nights in each and 1 night in Kruger for a self-drive.

Having been there before and going back to Shindzela this year, I can only agree!

Hi, I also stayed at Shindzela in 2023—great value for money. Best,

Hi there, So personally, Honeyguide and Shindzela I’d recommend Milwane since that’s where we’ll be going instead of Hlane. Do Kruger first as a stop, Then Manyeleti, Then Shindzela. The timing works out between the two if we don’t get too sidetracked. Just a reminder: No Google Maps— especially for Shindzela. Entrance = Timbavati Gate at the end of the road from Hoedspruit Airport. And for Manyeleti, exit via Orpen and turn left. For Hluhluwe, Leave super early to arrive at the gate right when it opens. For the return to St Lucia, if you’re heading back to St Lucia, be extra careful on the road because of pedestrians. If going straight to Eswatini, the Golela border should be the natural entry point. The road is nice.

Okay, so I decided to tweak our itinerary by adding a few days. Here it is—I’ve included the names of the hotels we’ve chosen: 23/6 Nice Le Cap (Qatar) 24/6 Le Cap Finchley Guesthouse 25/6 Le Cap Finchley Guesthouse 26/6 Cape of Good Hope Finchley Guesthouse 27/6 Hermanus Misty Waves Hotel 28/6 Wine Route Antrim Villa 29/6 Cape Town–Kruger Airport Dreamfields Guesthouse Hazyview 30/6 Kruger Dreamfields Guesthouse Hazyview 1/7 Panoramic Route Little Bush Private Lodge 2/7 Timbavati Shindzela 3/7 Timbavati Shindzela 4/7 Manyeleti Honeyguide Tented Safari Camp 5/7 Manyeleti Honeyguide Tented Safari Camp 6/7 Ezulwini Matenga Lodge 7/7 Ezulwini Matenga Lodge 8/7 Hluhluwe Ama Zulu Guesthouse 9/7 Hluhluwe Ama Zulu Guesthouse 10/7 St Lucia Bhangazi Lodge 11/7 St Lucia Bhangazi Lodge 12/7 St Lucia Bhangazi Lodge 13/7 Durban Nice (Qatar)

Camps Bay Beautiful spot. However, don’t walk down to the restaurant at night unless your host says it’s okay. The City Bus stops right at your doorstep. Super handy for exploring Cape Town. Based on the idea of hopping on and off whenever I want at different stops. Lion’s Head is my must-do (then Signal Hill). Table Mountain is second. The Peninsula in 3. Boulders in 4 (the small entrance to the south, which you access right at the start to reach the little beach, then follow the path to the main entrance—there’s a parking lot). Best time to go is when it opens. Misty—I know where that is. Hermanus is very safe. A cliff walk was recently completed there (didn’t do it last year). Opposite Misty, more or less, there’s a great restaurant with a view at the bottom of the stairs. Don’t know the next two. I know Hippohollow and Chestnut Lodge. Watch out—there’s a lot of road between Honeyguide and Matenga. Don’t know Matenga, but it’s well-known. Staying in Milwane? St Lucia—why not? My address: The Sandpiper GH. Why not stay in Hluhluwe? Hiltop, for example. Flight tickets booked yet? Domestic flight: Cape Town to Hoedspruit. No return via Richards Bay? Three nights in St Lucia—yeeesss! Isimangaliso Western and Eastern Shores, so Cape Vidal (the monkeys are a pain with food). But it’s worth doing. Hippo tour with Shakabarker. Whale-watching boat trip with Advantage Tour. Anyway... I’ll be there in October. For a chat... Joburg, Marakele, Waterberg, Mapungubwe, West KNP, Shingwedzi, Mopani, Satara, Shindzela, Graskop, Pretoriuskop, Berg-en-Dal, Hlane, Mseni in iSimangaliso, St Lucia. Return: Richards Bay, Joburg, France. I

We didn’t book any tickets, not even the international ones. For Cape Town, if we can’t go out in the evening, I’ll change plans—is there a place in CT where that’s the case? For the flight between CT and Kruger, do you recommend Hoedspruit over Kruger Mpumalanga (Nelspruit)? We really don’t want to drive from Johannesburg—it’s too long. For the distance between Honeyguide and Matenga, we saw it’s about 5 hours, so that should be doable. For Hluhluwe, I didn’t see any options inside the park on Booking—I’ll check again. I don’t know Richards Bay either—we could potentially stop there, but what’s good about it? Anyway, thank you so much for all your advice—it’s been a huge help! Do you go there often?

Accommodations in public parks can't be booked on Booking.com (they're not listed there) or other platforms—they have to be reserved directly on the parks' websites.

Sanparks (Kruger) and Kznwildlife (Hluhluwe-Umfolozi)

I recommend Mpila for the latter—you’ll need to bring your own food and drinking water since there’s no restaurant.

Good evening, Ms. Attila covered everything. Sanparks and/or Kzn Wildlife for the parks. She’s also right about Mpila. I’d even have suggested Mselweni. But I’m not sure our travelers’ profile isn’t more Hiltop instead.

Camps Bay is a great choice. Nowhere in Cape Town would I have said otherwise—walk there!

Hoedspruit! Cem Air or Airlink as the airline

Richards Bay has an airport A direct flight to Joburg It’s closer to St Lucia than Durban

Yes Michel.

I get the feeling that Hilltop, with its hotel version, offers more of the comfort you're looking for.

But why not try something different for once and really dive into the wild side?😛

In terms of bed comfort and bathroom facilities, Mpila shouldn’t be an issue.

It’s more the cooking-for-yourself part that might be a challenge...

Good evening,

Personally, I went a long time ago… a *very* long time ago to the Hiltop. I discovered Mselweni. That’s where I’ll go back if old age doesn’t catch up with me too soon.

Have a good evening, Michel 😊

We didn’t book any tickets, not even the international ones. For Cape Town (CT), if we can’t walk around in the evening, I’ll change—is there a specific area in CT where that’s the case? For the flight between CT and Kruger, do you recommend Hoedspruit over Kruger Mpumalanga (Nelspruit)? We’d rather not drive from Johannesburg—it’s too long. For the distance between Honeyguide and Matenga, we saw it’s about 5 hours, so that should be doable. For Hluhluwe, I didn’t see any inside the park on Booking—I’ll check again. I don’t know Richards Bay either—we might stop by, but what’s good there? Anyway, thank you so much for all your tips; they’ve been a huge help. Do you go often?

Often? Is going almost every year for 25 years a lot, often, or too much? Mrs. Atila is also very knowledgeable on this topic—and others! 😊

It’s not the comfort side that bothers us, but rather the fact there’s no water or food. Shopping for 6 people for 2 days to store in the car along with all our luggage could get complicated—especially since we don’t know the area at all and have no idea where to find supermarkets. So, we’ll probably go with Hilltop instead of Mpila.

Nselweni will have the same issue as Mpila—no food available in the area. I saw that Hlatikhulu Bush Lodge seems to offer meals. Have you heard of it?

Hlatikulu seems to be mainly for groups

There’s water available. It’s just the drinking water you need to bring along.

There’s a SPAR in the town of Hluhluwe and a Pick n Pay in Mtubatuba. Everything is marked on Google Maps. 🙂

Groceries will only need to be stored in the car for half a day on the way there.

Hilltop has a gorgeous view. I hope they’ve hired a new kitchen team because that was my worst experience in South Africa. But that was a *very* long time ago! !

I went to take a look. It doesn’t look bad at all. 😉

Afterwards, it’s not the same budget as Mpila. 😇

There are a lot of supermarkets in these areas Spar and Pick n Pay Generally no problem Often There’s an unspoken but noticeable divide between the "white" supermarkets and the "black" supermarkets Same with gas stations Some supermarkets are frequented almost exclusively by Black locals, but I’ve never had the slightest issue—in fact, it’s been the opposite You can find everything there Having a cooler is a good idea A BBQ grill too But it’s true that with so many people… At 6, Hlatikulu becomes an option

You can find everything there

I still got the impression that the shelves were stocked based on the local customer base.

If it’s a low-income area, you’ll see some weird stuff on the shelves (more giblets and chicken feet than steaks... Rice and cereals in 10-kilo bags...).

That’s not wrong

However, I think I read that a 4x4 is needed to get there, like for Mpila and Nselweni. We’ll have a big vehicle like a Mercedes Vito, so I’m not sure it’ll be easy to access 😅 Is Flysafair not great? That’s why you’re recommending Hoedspruit over Kruger Mpumalanga (Nelspruit)?

Beautifully renovated and fully equipped chalets Most have river views Not really fenced, so be careful Secluded in a lush area but very few travelers around A charming bush pig came to say hello from *very* close up during a braai We saw lots of white rhinos from *very* close up too—amazing!

No need for a 4x4 for Mpila.

No 4x4 needed Hoedspruit to Joburg Cem Air or Airlink

Thanks! Which book is this from—I can I find it in France? One more quick question: which part of Kruger is best to visit on a self-drive trip?

Hi there, It’s a booklet sold in Kruger. Self-drive is… everywhere. This booklet has ideas for short drives with routes and travel times.