Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
Safari's
Hazyview makes a good base for visiting the Kruger National Park. Prices quoted and conversions are correct as of April 2018, unless otherwise stated.
The Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa and to put in into perspective for those who know the UK, it is almost the size of Wales.
It is possible to take your own car into the reserve but it’s better if you can go on a safari tour with a guide as they know the best places to find the wildlife.
If going individually there is a mandatory conservation charge. For International visitors it is 331 rand (around £19) per adult and 166 rand (£9.50) for under 12’s plus a 1% community levy. For South African citizens and residents the charges are 83 rand (£4.75) and 42 rand (£2.40) respectively.
If you want a guided tour you are looking at paying around 4,770 rand (£235) per vehicle for a full day private tour. A full day shared tour, up to about 10 in a safari jeep, is from around 1,400 rand (£70) a head for a full day tour or 1,100 rand (£55) a head for a shared half day tour. A three hour evening tour is available from around 970 rand (£43.50) a head. These prices are only indicative and do vary from day to day and depending on which tour company you choose to use.
One of the joys of a safari is you never know what to expect and no two trips are the same.
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The “big five” Lion, Buffalo, Rhino, Leopard and Elephant are all to be found in the park along with many types of antelope, cheetahs, giraffe, zebra, warthogs and a myriad variety of glorious birds.
The park is open from 06:00 in the winter (April – September) or 05:30 in summer (October – March). If you arrive that early it can be very cold so wrap up well, conversely in the summer it can be blisteringly hot during the day. Also in the heat the animals tend to go for shelter at the height of the day so the best opportunities for sighting animals will be early morning or late afternoon / early evening.
A word of warning, the park is in a Malaria area in summer, so ensure proper precautions are taken.
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There are problems caused by the sheer size and popularity of the park, in that animals are spread out over a large area and there is no guarantee of seeing anything.
Having said that all the safari vehicles carry radios and are in touch with each other, so if there is a sighting they inform one another.
That in itself causes issues though, as a number of tour jeeps then converge on the one spot causing congestion, making viewing difficult and, potentially, frightening off the animals.
Visiting Kruger is one for the bucket list but, in my view it's too large and too commercial for my liking and the smaller parks offer a better experience.
Outside of the park and located in Hazyview is Elephant Whisperers which is a conservation and rescue centre for elephants. It is an enlightening experience and visitors have the chance to interact with these highly intelligent creatures.
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You can have your photograph taken standing between the front legs of the massive 6 ton Tembo. Staff will use your camera to take the picture so there are no hidden charges for the photographs. The one hour sessions are held daily at various times and costs range from 625 rand (£35) to 1,535 rand (£88) for adults and 315 rand (£18) to 825 (£47)rand for children under 14, depending on the experience you wish to choose.
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve
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The Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game reserve is the oldest game reserve in Africa, much smaller than Kruger I think it a better safari experience.
Home to the “big five” plus many other species, it’s main focus is conservation, especially in terms of the white rhino and the reserve is home to the largest population of white rhino in the world.
The park has a 300 km (190 mile) road network and has more contrasting scenery that Kruger. A range of escorted safari’s are available with a nine hour escorted tour available for 1,100 rand (£63) per person including breakfast, barbecue and refreshments. 950 rand (£54.50) will get you a 6 hour safari, including breakfast and water, whilst a three hour trip will cost you 690 rand (£39.50).
I have to say I found this to be a much better safari location than Kruger, being lesser known it attracts fewer visitors and the topology of the site makes finding and viewing animals much easier. On our safari we managed to get within ten feet of a white rhino mother and baby and had a giraffe walking right alongside the jeep, almost within touching distance.
