The Kruger Park is a self-drive reserve, offering self-catering accommodation. This means that you drive yourself around the reserve and you look after your own cooking needs.
However, the Kruger Park does offer guided game drives by experienced rangers. These game drives are great activities, which compliment your stay at the park, especially when you are new to the African wildlife experience. It allows you a chance to ask questions about the wildlife and habitats found in the Kruger Park.
These game drives offer the following benefits:
The rangers take you to areas that are not accessible to the public. The ranger and tracker know the habitats found in the Kruger Park, and have a good knowledge of its wildlife and birds. This information is freely shared by them on the game drive. The rangers also communicate with each other using radio equipment, advising each other of wildlife activity.
You benefit by seeing wildlife that you might not see during the day. Early mornings and late evenings are good times to view animals. This is when they are most active. The morning game drive leaves camp before the camp gates officially open and the sunset drive enters the camp after the camp gates have closed for the evening. Night drives allow one to see the nocturnal animals that only come out at night and these can only be seen on a night drive.
The vehicles used allow passengers to sit higher which gives better viewing opportunities than a standard motor vehicle.
Things to bear in mind when planning to do a game drive:
Days are generally hot all year round at the Kruger Park; early mornings and late afternoons can get chilly. The evening drives can also get very cold. If you are visiting the Kruger Park during winter months, this is definitely the case. You’ll need several layers to stay warm.
Early morning drives leave camp around 4:30am in summer to 5:30am in winter. Early morning game drives must be booked or checked at the camp reception the previous night, as the game drive leaves before the gates officially open.
Evening game drives leave just before sunset. The time varies from summer (around 4:30pm) to winter (3:30pm). The game drive leaves before the sun sets and gets back once the sky is dark.
The night game drive departs from camp around 6.00pm. Wildlife is spotted using the spotlights on the vehicle. The night game drives are a very enjoyable experience, especially when one encounters the predators and seeing either a pride of lions on the move or a leopard out hunting.
The duration of a game drive in the Kruger Park is around 3 hours.
The cost of a game drives vary according to the camp and type of vehicle used. Prices range from R120 to R165 per person.
Children under 8 are not allowed on the night game drives.
Copyright © 2008 Mark Thomas
