Kruger Safari staying in different lodges

[Letsnotargue]

I wonder if anyone has done this before? OH has been on safari in Tanzania and did a tour where they stayed at a different lodge every night so got to see loads of the area. I was hoping to do something similar in Kruger but can't find any tours that say they do this. I can find them in Tanzania but that doesn't really help.

There is the option of self drive but I'd really like to have a guide to show us the best places. Is Kruger set up differently?

Any advice or experiences gratefully received :-)

It’s the size of Wales, so you’re better off booking 2-3 nights in one lodge and then moving to another in a different eco system of the park. The natural environment varies greatly.
I haven’t heard of any places that do multiple one-night stays.

We did 3 nights one lodge 3 nights the next.

Self drive is not too tricky but you need to make sure you can get from lodge A to lodge B between the morning and evening drives. Lunch places are pretty thin on the ground.

Sorry no advice on a tour.

Thank you. I know it’s a big place and the choice is a bit overwhelming. We’re trying to arrange something for a couple of months time so it’s a bit stressful, but really exciting. I can’t wait.

Yes, you absolutely need to be with a driver and guide. You also really need to speak to a specialist provider. I would recommend Aardvark Safaris as an excellent company.
Also, for South Africa the best time of year to visit is July/August - it's their winter, so less foliage, which means you have much better chances of seeing animals.

Perhaps pick a starting lodge in the Sabi Sands group and ask them for driver assistance? I’m sure it’s something they’ve heard before.

Oh I’m very jealous! I wish I was planning another trip to Kruger .
If you are happy to stay in more basic accommodation you could stay in the Sans park accommodations. They are fairly basic but are at good convenient spots within Kruger . We stayed in a couple of different ones, there are several throughout the park with different potential for wild life spotting. Some have pools , most have restaurants, they are basic but are very affordable , inside the park itself, so no need for the travel in and out of the gates and we actually love the back to nature feel over the luxury of a fancier lodge ( We have done the fancier lodges too though and they are amazing) .
It is very very easy to self drive within the park, all the main routes are tarmac and being able to take your time and move on when you choose to is fab.
We traveled from one lodge to another, staying a night or two in each, with a leisurely game drive between, braiing ( barbecuing) at our rondavels and enjoyed some SA wine whilst listening to hippos calling from the river our accommodation overlooked. It is magical and I can’t wait to go again!

I would also recommend booking organised sunrise and sunset drives with a ranger which are easy to organise at the lodge .
Whatever you decide, I’m sure you will have an amazing time 😊

Sans park website in case you haven’t seen it..

@Cornishskies I didn’t realise you could book onto game drives at those lodges. Our friend is South African and was insistent that we should self-drive and stay at the rest stops but OH really wanted to have a guide for the game drives. This seems like it could be the best of both worlds. Thank you!

It's very easy to self drive, but it's a big area and you need to drive slowly to spot stuff. So a couple of nights in each area is better, especially in the south where its busier. San park accommodation is absolutely fine if you don't need luxury and within the park, which is great. You can book various morning/walking/evening guided tours directly from accommodation and get the perfect combo of guided and freedom. One piece of advice I'd give is take ALL your food and self cater. Don't even
bother with the restaurants.

I think lots of people worry about doing things independently in SA because of the talk about security risks but it is much easier to travel in than people expect. The guided tours are worth it for the extra knowledge they bring and they obviously get off the beaten track which you might need 4X4 but the animal viewing in Kruger is unbelievable and you see SO much you can easily do it independently.
I loved staying inside Kruger , seeing all the external lodge tours making their way to the gates at closing time and knowing you get to stay in the park.

I'm incredibly jealous!

I've done this four times with my hubby. Get an earlier flight into jo'burg, drive up to the Kruger, stop somewhere known to be safe (get following some groups on facebook or can give you some tips) to get food/drink. Then through the gate and you're sorted!

We stayed in different san parks accommodation- which is a bit centre parcsy but you dont need much in the bush.

The van den berg self drive book is a great self guide and you can book on drives and arrange things at the camps. Download latest sightings app and get familiar with the roads.

Personally would recommend the South camps - Oliphants, Skukuza, Satara, Crocodile Bridge - but we havent been north (on my wish list!). Chat to your neighbours and people round the camp when not on drives and check the sightings boards, they'll give you an idea of heavy animal traffic roads.

You could always start or end with a lodge that has everything there - but there's something really magical about being in the bush on your own with the sounds and smells not knowing what's round the next corner.

It's easily doable self drive, cheaper and very exciting. We have seen everything - maybe lucks been on our side - and often been the only car at the sighting.

If you contact the game lodge directly they should be able to help with a transfer between the two

Thank you all for your advice. We just got back from 7 days self driving in Kruger staying at Skukuza, Satara and Oliphants rest camps. We had an unbelievable time, I’m already longing to go back and see other areas of the park that we didn’t make it to this time. The rest camps were amazing, and reasonably priced considering the location. Everywhere was spotlessly clean, and where else can you eat filet steak for £5 while listening to hippos in the river below you?

Friends went to private reserves and saw more than us (we didn’t see any leopards or cheetah) but the freedom of being
completely autonomous with our plans and getting up at 4am for a bush walk if we fancied it, or spending an hour at a waterhole because there were hippos and elephants there, was well worth it. We flew in over Kruger which really brought home to me how little of the park is visible
from the roads, to the extent that it’s a miracle you see anything! But that made it even more special when we happened upon things.

Thanks again for your advice and experiences, we’ll definitely be going again.

@Letsnotargue

There is quite a good reason to do a mix of private and Kruger. There are great areas on the edge of Kruger which are vast but you might see leopards more readily. You can easy drive to an area like Sabi Sands and then move on after three nights.

It might also be worth looking at Hluhluwe Imfolozi which should have rhinos. Expert Africa is a great resource for camps and itineraries. We also like Wildlife Worldwide.