Kruger National Park and surrounds has so much to offer and there are many ways to enjoy it, you can stay in the Kruger National Park Sanparks accommodation which has various options. You can camp, you can stay in Bungalows with shared ablution facilities, you can stay in bungalows with your own bathroom and they also have lovely houses that can accommodate quite a few people which is great for family get togethers or even if you have your own small family. they can run around and play on the lawn and they normally have a great view over the river so you can sit and watch the animals coming and going in between being out on your drives. Many people choose to go out as soon as the camps gates open and and then come back to camp around midday and then go out late afternoon again as many animals seek shade during the heat of the day and its nice to relax a bit between, I have found that driving the whole day gets tiresome for me and you start falling asleep, its also not a great option with kids as they will get bored at some stage. the negative side to this is that you cant drive to far from your camp area if you plan to go back so a solution to that would be to stay at a few different camps for 2 or 3 days at a time so you get to explore other areas. We did a combination of staying at a private reserve and staying in Skukuza a few months ago so we could experience both with the kids and it was really great to fly straight from Cape Town to Skukuza airport and start our trip straight away. We had a great time at both, we saw a lion kill from start to finish at Honeyguide which wasn’t something that i enjoyed or that my kids loved but hubby was in heaven and its definitely not something you see every day and we spend alot of time in the bush. My highlight was seeing a bushbaby walking around on the ground at Skukuza camp which might not be a big deal for some but we do love the shyer, smaller animals and it was not something i had ever seen before.
Staying at Private lodges in the Greater Kruger area is a really great way to relax and do a safari and there are so many different lodges in different areas which range from budget to super luxury that i know it gets very overwhelming for some. We have experienced many and thoroughly enjoy them, we love meeting new people and learning about where they from and their experiences of South Africa, the meals are always great and the early morning and late afternoon game drives with the sundowners and nature around you are unbelievable. We have become a little more limited now that we have small kids as not all lodges welcome them and then some that do still don’t allow them on the drives. I fully understand this and some kids just don’t enjoy it or don’t behave on the drives, it really is dependant on the child you have and what they are used to. I never really thought about it until we went to Phinda with my 9 month old daughter and suddenly i had to leave her with a complete stranger to wake up with or to put her to sleep and i could not do it, that holiday we took turns to go on game drives or stay with her. We now choose lodges that welcome them on drives and both my kids are love it so behave but i am sure we will get to a point where they will be happy to stay behind and take part in the Kiddie programmes and mingle with other children. Its also tough as we have withdrawal symptons if we dont get to the bush a few times a year and we have no one to look after them if we away and we love showing them new experiences so we do enjoy taking them with.
Whichever way you choose to see the Kruger National Park, it is an experience you will never forget and will ache to come back. If coming to South Africa you could have a fantastic safari experience and then fly straight to Cape Town and experience the winelands, Sharks, whales and so much more that Cape Town has to offer.
