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In this post, we will walk you through the 16-night itinerary for a self-drive safari from O.R. Tambo International Airport to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, to Kruger National Park and back to the airport.

The itinerary is based on renting a 4x4 with a rooftop tent and a combination of camping and chalets & bungalows in the parks and hotels in the cities, but could easily be adjusted to camping only or chalets & bungalows only as most camps also have chalets or bungalows beside a campsite. However some rest camps in Kruger only have a campsite and in that case, we will mention the closest main rest camp that you could use.

We are starting and finishing this itinerary at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. So you will need to add additional days to your itinerary to get to Johannesburg and to travel back home from Johannesburg.

Itinerary overview

Before we get into all the details about the camps and route of this 16-night self-drive itinerary from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park to Kruger National Park here's a quick overview of the itinerary including distances and driving times between the camps. Here we’ll mention km in a straight line between camps and driving time but in the detailed sections per day, we’ll mention how many km we actually drove that day and how long it took us.

Flight to O.R. Tambo International Airport

Day 1 - Arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport
// Stay at Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo Airport because we arrived late at night.

Day 2 - Flight from O.R. Tambo International Airport to Upington Airport + Pickup rental car
// 250km and 2.30 hours drive from Upington to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
// 120km and 3.5 to 4 hours to Mata-Mata Campsite

Day 3 - Stay at Twee Rivieren Campsite // 120 km and 3.5 to 4 hours

Day 4 - Stay at Nossob Chalet // 150km and 4.5 hours

Day 5 - Stay at Kieliekrankie // 118km and 3 hours

Day 6 - Stay at Kalahari Tented Camp // 82km and 2.5 hours

Day 7 - Last morning in the park - Stay at Protea Upington
// 3.5 hours from Kalahari Tented Camp to Twee Rivieren
// +250km and 2.30 hours drive from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park to Upington

Day 8 - Driving day 1- Stay at ANEW Resort Hunters Rest Rustenburg
// 860km and 8.45 hours drive from Upington to Rustenburg

Day 9 - Driving day 2 - Stay at Berg-en-Dal Camp in Kruger National Park
// 500km and 5.30 hours drive to Malelane Gate + 30 min to Berg-en-Dal

Day 10 - Berg-en-Dal Camp to Skukuza // 72km and 3 hours

Day 11 - Skukuza to Maroela (Camp close to Orpen) // 140km and 5.30 hours

Day 12 - Maroela to Balule Rest camp (Camp close to Olifants) // 102km and 4 hours

Day 13 - Balule Rest camp to Satara // 55km and 2.30 hours

Day 14 - Satara to Lower Sabie // 100km and 4 hours

Day 15 - Lower Sabie

Day 16 - Last morning in the park - Leaving from Crocodile Bridge Gate // 30km and 1 hour
// Drive to O.R. Tambo International Airport - 475km and 6 hours

Big male lion in Kruger National park South Africa by TravelTaale

Important considerations for this itinerary

There are a couple of things we want to elaborate on for this itinerary that had a large impact:

The dates for our trip were based on availability in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It is so difficult to book a stay in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (you can find more about this in our Kgalagadi Guide) so this is where we started. We then decided to start in Kgalagadi and from there go to Kruger National Park.
There were not a lot of flights available from Glasgow to Johannesburg so we had to go with a day flight from Glasgow to Amsterdam to Johannesburg. But this meant that we arrived at 22.00 and had to stay the night around the airport. If you have a nightlight and arrive very early, you have the option to catch the early flight to Upington
We knew that the itinerary for Kgalagadi was not ideal at the time of booking with 3 nights in Twee Rivieren and 2 in Kalahari Tented Camp, but you take what you can get. Since booking, we kept an eye on the SANParks website to check for cancellations and were able to also include nights in Mata-Mata, Kieliekrankie and Nossob. So it’s worth to keep checking, even a few days before departure.
Then the choice we had to make was how we were going from Johannesburg to Kgalagadi and then from Kgalagadi to Kruger. There were a couple of options:

We could pick up a car in Johannesburg, drive to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, drive to Kruger and then hand in the car again in Johannesburg
We could fly to Upington, pick up a car, drive to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, hand in the car in Upington, fly to Johannesburg, drive to Kruger and then hand in the car again in Johannesburg
We could fly to Upington, pick up a car, drive to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, drive to Kruger and then hand in the car again in Johannesburg

We decided to go with this last option as driving both ways would mean we needed to limit the days in the parks and that’s the whole reason we were going. While this last option meant we had to pay a one-way fee for the car, for option 2 we needed to consider the cost of the flight back to Johannesburg as well as staying overnight around the airport because of the times of the available flights. And it would not get us quicker to Kruger.
Originally we had booked 6 nights in Kgalagadi, but when researching the route from Kgalagadi to Kruger we were advised by several people not to take the route past Kuruman and Vryburg due to a lot of criminality and smashing of car windows. The alternative was to drive via Kimberley but when driving from Twee Rivieren (this was our original last night) to Rustenburg (this was our overnight stop on the way to Kruger just before Pretoria) the route via Kimberley added another 1.5 hours to an already 10- hour drive. That was not realistic so to shorten the route via Kimberley we decided to cancel our last night in Kgalagadi and book a night in the Protea Hotel in Upington.
Another consideration for the route from Kgalagadi to Kruger, but this might be more of a personal one, is that we wanted to drive as far as possible on day one so that we would have less driving time on day 2, which meant more time in Kruger on the first day. But we also did not want to drive into Johannesburg or Pretoria as we are not that familiar there and it might be almost dark by the time we would arrive. So ANEW Resort Hunters Rest in Rustenburg was a great alternative.
We were mindful of the distances in Kruger (which we did not always do in the past). This itinerary takes you back south to Lower Sabie so that you can leave via Crocodile Bridge. This was necessary because we had to hand in our car in Pretoria, and then catch a transfer from the car rental company to catch our flight to Johannesburg. If you don't have this restriction you could go as far north as Tsendze Rustic Camp or leave the park at Orpen and take the scenic route to Johannesburg past Burke's luck potholes and the Blyde River Canyon.

Day 1 - Arrival at O.R. Tambo International Airport // Stay at Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo Airport

Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo Airport is only 8 minutes away from the airport and during the day they provide a shuttle from and to the airport. If you arrive late, like we did the hotel can also arrange a taxi for you. Just make sure you arrange this for a fixed price.

Because we arrived late and left with the first shuttle, we did not see much more than our aeroplane-themed room. The reception staff was not that friendly, but the room had a good bed and shower and that was all we were looking for after a long flight.

Location: The hotel is 5km from O.R. Tambo Airport. The hotel offers a complimentary airport shuttle which runs from 05:15 AM - 11:00 PM.

General: Protea is part of Mariott.

Facilities: There’s a fitness, restaurant and outside swimming pool

Day 2 - Flight from O.R. Tambo International Airport to Upington Airport + Pickup Toyota Hilux with rooftop tent // Drive to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park // Stay at Mata-Mata Campsite

// ROUTE: 252KM AND 2.30 HOURS FROM UPINGTON TO KGALAGADI
// ROUTE: 140KM AND 4 HOURS FROM TWEE RIVIEREN TO MATA-MATA

In the morning, we took the first shuttle to the airport to catch the early flight out to Upington. The flight is only 1.5 hours and because it’s a small airport you have your bags in no time.

At the airport, we were met by the car rental company Bushlore. Because you’re renting a car with a rooftop tent and camping equipment, you need to consider additional time for the handover. The first time we rented a car like this, the handover took almost 2 hours and they showed us how to open and close the tent, walk through all equipment and how to change the tire.

Because we were not at their depot for handover and we mentioned we have experience, we were on the road an hour after landing.

If you’ve read our Kgalagadi Guide, you know we advise you to stock up on groceries before heading to the park (the first time we learned the hard way when we did not). So from the airport, we went to the Kalahari Mall (8 min drive) where you have a Superspar and a lot of other stores in case you need it. We came prepared with a list but it still took us 90 minutes to shop for the whole week and get it packed up in the car.

We had also ordered meat from the Kalahari Guesthouse, which is a farm, guesthouse and farm shop located 50km outside of Upington on the way to Ashkam. You can find them on Facebook or email them. They had packed and frozen the meat so we were able to put it at the bottom of the fridge and use it for the full week that we were in the park. The biltong and droewors, however, were gone in a few days ;)

We arrived at Kgalagadi at 14.00 so including picking up the meat, it took us 2.5 hours to reach the park. Check-in and deflating the tires took us about an hour. This was a bit longer than hoped for but the air compressor at the gas station was out of order so we had to stand in line at the technical department to get this done.

While the SANparks map mentions that the route between Twee Rivieren and Mata-Mata is about 2.5 hours, we knew that having 4 hours to get there was not leaving us with much time as some of the sections were flooded. Luckily most sections of the roads were just having some large puddles but there was a lot more water on the road between Dertiende and Viertiende boorgat.

Along the way, we spotted gemsbok, jackals, wildebeest and giraffes but were not able to take a lot of time to stand still and watch and arrived just before gate closing time at 19.00 at Mata-Mata.

MATA MATA REST CAMP

Location: Mata-Mata rest camp is located in the western part of the park and is about 3.5 to 4 hours from Twee Rivieren gate.

In this camp, you have the border crossing with Namibia, which makes it a great first or last overnight stay upon entry from or to Namibia. The camp is situated and is on the dry Auob riverbed and is just a couple of km from this camp you have the Kalahari Tented Camp.

Accommodation: This is the smallest of the traditional rest camps. The camp has 15 chalets, including ones with a riverfront (just remember it's a dry riverbed) view and has a campsite with 20 spots with electrical points. Each site allows a maximum of 6 people and the campsite has shared ablution facilities.

Where to eat: The camp is self-catering and only has a shop

Facilities: Swimming pool, filling station, bird hide at the waterhole, there is only electricity from 05:00-23:00 and border to Namibia.

Cost*: At the time of writing; the cost ranges from R400 for a campsite without power with power, and R1300 for a cottage and from R2200 for a riverfront chalet. These prices are based on 2 people staying in the accommodation, each additional adult and child increases the price. For this trip, we paid R342 for a campsite.

Activities: Morning, sunset and night drives

Day 3 - Stay at Twee Rivieren Campsite

// OUR ROUTE - LEFT at 7.15 AND ARRIVED at 17.00 - 180KM

This was our first safari in March. Normally we have some trouble sleeping because of the heat in November and December, but we now had to close the windows and sleep inside the sleeping bag. We had set the alarm for 6, but after all the travelling we had a bit of a slow start as we struggled a bit with taking the tent down and drove off at 7.15.

There’s only one way to go from Mata-Mata to Twee Rivieren when leaving the camp. There are loops towards the waterholes like at the 13th and 14th boreholes but these roads were even more covered in water than the main road so we just kept to the main roads.

On the main road, we saw gemsbok, jackal and red hartebeest. We also saw our first cheetahs just before Kamqua, but they were quite far away as they were walking over the dune.

We had a quick bathroom break at Kamqua Picnic Spot. We also planned to have our breakfast here, but as we arrived around 10.00 every picnic spot was taken (as we were not the only ones with the idea to have breakfast) so we quickly grabbed our breakfast and drove on.

After Kamqua we stayed on the main road as we knew we would be able to take the dune road later on, and spotted a giraffe behind the dune. Not much later we also saw our first lions sleeping on the side of the road (close to Kamfersboom). While you often see pictures of them sleeping in the middle of the road, our only sign was a small piece of the tale. The picture of the cub gives a good insight into how difficult it can be in March to spot them.

We arrived at Twee Rivieren around 15.00 and decided to not go to the campsite just yet but take the road to Nossob. But we only drove to Rooiputs waterhole and then turned back again.

TWEE RIVIEREN REST CAMP

Location: Twee Rivieren rest camp is the main rest camp and is located on the dry Nossob riverbed as well as that it is right after the Twee Rivieren entrance gate, which is the gate you will arrive at when in South Africa. This makes it a great camp for your arrival and departure day, but because of this, it is also the busiest camp.

Accommodation: It is the administrative centre and biggest rest camp with 31 air-conditioned chalets that have a small patio with tables, chairs and braai facilities. There is also a campsite with 24 spots with electrical points and 6 without. Each site allows a maximum of 6 people and the campsite has shared, but quite large, ablution facilities. If you want to come with a caravan, this is the best place to set up your base camp.

Where to eat: This camp is the only one that has a restaurant and a small takeaway. There is also a shop, which is the best-stocked one in the park

Facilities: Swimming pool, filling station (closed between 13-14.00) this is also where you'll need to go to deflate your tires, 24 hrs electricity, cell phone reception, laundry and border control

Cost*: The cost ranges from R335 for a campsite without power (with power +R65), to R1425 to R2200 for family cottages and R2200 for a Family chalet. Prices are based on 2 or 4 people staying in the accommodation, each additional adult and child increases the price. For this trip, we paid R342 for a campsite.

Activities: Morning & sunset drives and guided morning walks.

View of camp site at Twee Rievieren Rest Camp in Kgalagadi Transfrontier park in South Africa by TravelTaale

Day 4 - Nossob Chalet

// OUR ROUTE - LEFT at 6.45 AND ARRIVED at 17.30 - 237KM

On our first trip to Kgalagadi, we had to cancel our night in Nossob and did not get any further than Kij Kij. So we were looking forward to this day and made sure we left at 6.45.

It was a quiet morning on the main road until we spotted 4 cheetahs (mom and 3 cubs) on the left side of the road just before Kij Kij. We spend the next 30 minutes with them and it was amazing to see how serious mom was while the cubs did not seem to care too much as they were more interested in playing. Once they had crossed the road, we lost them a couple of times in the high grass but in the end, saw them going over the dune.

The picnic spots are located perfectly spaced along the road to Nossob to have breakfast at Melkvlei and lunch at Dikbaardskolk. But before we left I had said to Sam ‘You will not get me out of the car at one of these unfenced picnic spots in Kgalagadi’. I had seen too many pictures of lions lying in the shade behind the bathrooms at Melkvlei. So the first 2 days I did not get out at any of the picnic spots between Twee Rivieren and Mata-Mata unless Sam would drop me off in front of the bathrooms. On day 3 our first stop was ... Melkvlei. And I was amazed to see all these people walking around, crossing the road and making breakfast (as in cooking sausages and bacon on a braai).

We parked on the other side of the road (when coming from Twee Rivieren you have picnic spots and the bathroom on the left-hand side and more picnic spots on the right-hand side of the road) and I only opened my door a bit. That was enough for me.

From Melkvlei onwards it was a quiet afternoon and besides gemsbok, we did not see anything else. This was definitely impacted by the long grass and because some parts of the road to Nossob have high banks, making it difficult to spot anything.

We arrived at Nossob at 14.15, checked into our Chalet, bought some cool drinks and ordered our braai broodjies for dinner (definitely recommend these, they tasted great) and then decided to drive up north as we were going back south again the next day. We drove as far as Bedinkt but did not see anything so we were back in camp at 17.30.

Our chalet was facing the fence and even though we did not see anything, it was a great spot to sit and enjoy the braai and a glass of wine and watch the sun go down.

NOSSOB REST CAMP

Location: Nossob rest camp is located in the middle of the park on the banks of the Nossob River and about 3.5 hours from Twee Rivieren. From there it's another 3 hours to Union's End. This makes it a great location to explore both the North and the South.

At Nossob you also have the 1-way 4x4 trail to Bitterpan (you can only use this if you're staying at Bitterpan) and from here you can cross over to the Botswana side.

Accommodation: This camp is the largest of the traditional rest camps. The camp has 18 chalets, including ones with a riverfront (just remember it's a dry riverbed) and a campsite with 20 standard spots with electrical points and 10 premium campsites. Each site allows a maximum of 6 people and the campsite has shared ablution facilities for the standard spots, while the premium spots have private ablutions.

Where to eat: The camp is self-catering and only has a shop. But if you're at the shop before 17.00 you can order fresh braai broodjies that you can pick up later in the day. For some reason we got ours brought to us and they were still warm, and they were a great accompaniment to our dinner.

Facilities: Swimming pool, filling station, bird hide at the waterhole, electricity from 05:00-23:00, predator information centre and laundry

Cost*: The cost ranges from R400 for a campsite with the use of the general ablutions and R715 for a site with private ablutions. And from R1300 for a Chalet to R2200 for family chalets and R2200 to R3375 for a riverfront chalet. Prices are based on 2 or 4 people staying in the accommodation, each additional adult and child increases the price. For this trip, we paid R1235 for a chalet.

Activities: Guided morning walk and sunset & night drives

Day 5 - Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp

// OUR ROUTE - LEFT at 6.50 AND ARRIVED at 16.00 - 218KM

We had another early morning start but as we did not have to pack up the tent we had some time to have a coffee while watching the sun come up. We left Nossob at 6.50 and travelled back the same way we came as we were going to spend the night at Kieliekrankie.

We had a little bit more luck then on our way from Nossob to Dikbaardskolk and spotted a jackal, lots of ostriches with chicks, springbok and gemsbok, and a smaller herd of red hartebeest. As the route was reversed, so were our stops so we had our breakfast at Dikbaardskolk. As there were a lot of people walking around again (which gives you a false sense of safety), I did step out of the car to sit at one of the picnic spots. But that was till someone yelled at us that they had spotted a puff adder underneath the tree next to the bench. So we drove to another spot and I had breakfast close to the car.

After Dikbaardskolk we were in for an exciting afternoon. It started with a sighting of 2 cheetahs at Kameelsleep. They first sat underneath the tree behind the waterhole before walking over very slowly, constantly standing still and looking around. One of them stood on watch while the other one drank (the first image in this blog is from one of these cheetahs taking a sip at the waterhole). Then they came straight towards us and crossed the road behind the car before going over the dune.

From there we saw a large herd of gemsbok at Jan se Draai, spotted a couple of jackals and witnessed our first ostrich fight. We were not sure what was going but we saw a mom and dad with 12 chicks, who were sitting on the road, and they were being attacked by another male and female. Upon a little research, it seems ‘normal’ ostrich behaviour that when 2 different families meet, they challenge each other. If one of the families is very submissive, the other family takes over the chicks so they have a larger family and their chicks are better protected from being eaten.

So it was already an exciting day, but it became even better when we spotted 4 lions sleeping underneath a tree just before Kransbrak and came across the same 4 cheetahs again close to Kij Kij. We spend over half an hour with them while they were walking around until we lost them in the long grass.

Because of Kieliekrankies’ secluded location between the dunes, you have an amazing view that you can enjoy from the deck (which is also overlooking a waterhole) we aimed to arrive early. So after we had lost the cheetah we did a quick stop for supplies at Twee Rivieren and then drove to Kieliekrankie and arrived around 16.00.

Unfortunately, it was quite windy and we could not get our fire going, but it was great to sit on the deck, watch the waterhole and watch the sun go down.

KIELIEKRANKIE WILDERNESS CAMP

Location: Kieliekrankie is located on one of the highest dunes in the Kalahari on the lower dune road. You can reach it from Twee Rivieren in about 1 hour. The camp has its own road, which you are only allowed to enter when staying overnight.

General: This camp is not fenced but there is always an armed ranger on-site and the camp is on stilts. There are 4 units with a maximum of 2 people per chalet. So the number of people per night can not exceed 8 people per camp to keep it exclusive and quiet. The chalets overlook a waterhole. Power is through solar power and gas so there are no conventional plugs

Where to eat: The camp is self-catering and each unit has a kitchen and is fully equipped with cooking utensils, cutlery and a fridge/ freezer. You also have a deck with braai. But you must take your own wood and drinking water as there are no shops

Cost: The cost is R2125 based on 2 people staying in the accommodation. For this trip, we paid R2018 for a chalet.

Entrance to Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park South Africa by TravelTaale

Day 6 - Kalahari Tented Camp

// OUR ROUTE - LEFT at 8.40 AND ARRIVED at 19.00 - 225KM

We stayed up quite late to watch the waterhole and got up around 05.00 to watch the sun come up. As we only need to go to Kalahari Tented Camp, we decided to take it easy and have breakfast on the deck. We left Kieliekrankie at 8.40 and took the lower dune road towards the road to Nossob.

The first part of the lower dune route was quiet with only a steenbok in the first hour. But the second part brought a bit more excitement with an ostrich family. When they saw us Mom ran into the grass, shortly followed by Dad but they failed to see the chics had not followed them and were still running on the road. Luckily Dad realised it just in time and got all the chicks in the grass before another car came rushing down the corner.

Because it was so quiet we were already at Dikbaardskolk before 12.00. We continued to the upper dune road, where we had a slightly nerve-wracking encounter with a small herd of red hartebeest. When we came across another small herd earlier in the week and we had already noticed how they can go a little bit crazy and start running from one side of the road to the other. So we kept some distance while they were having a drink at one of the puddles on the road. But again, from nowhere, they all started running from one side of the road to the other. After a while, we thought they had run off but all of a sudden they were right in front of the car. Luckily we were driving very slowly and nothing happened but it was a good lesson to give red hartebeest enough space.

After the upper dune road, we followed the road to Mata-Mata to check in for Kalahari Tented Camp. In the meantime, it had started raining and we did not see much until we spotted a cheetah in the high grass close to 13th Boorgat. But 1 became 2, and 2 became 3 (mom and 2 cubs). We spend about 90 minutes with them while they were sitting up and laying down again while watching a herd of wildebeest in the distance. By that time many other cars had already come and gone but had the time so we decided to keep waiting.

And it proved to be worth the wait. All of a sudden the wildebeest stood up, formed a line and started to come closer. So Mom decided to walk off and crossed the road, but the 2 cubs were having none of it. When the herd of wildebeest started running they started to charge and mom came running again. Unfortunately, we lost them as they went over a hill. We tried to follow them to see if the 2 cubs caught something but the hill was too high and we could not see them anymore. So we turned around and went on our way to Mata-Mata again.

But to our surprise, Mom was sitting on the road catching her breath. The 2 cubs had already walked ahead and were followed by all the cars so we had mom all to ourselves (see the image below). We followed her while she went after her cubs and they disappeared, once again, over the dunes.

After checking in at Mata-Mata we arrived at Kalahari Tented Camp at 19.00. By that time it rained so hard that we did not even see the waterhole from our dec so we cooked and ate inside the separate kitchen tent.

KALAHARI TENTED CAMP

Location: Kalahari Tented Camp is only a couple of km from Mata-Mata camp and is about 2.5 hours from Twee Rivieren and is on the dry Auob riverbed on the western boundary of the Park. While this is classified as one of the wilderness camps, it's much larger than the others

Accommodation: Kalahari Tented camp has 15 safari tents (including family tents and a honeymoon tent) each with en-suite facilities, a private veranda and a separate tent with cooking facilities. Because it is an unfenced camp, there is a small gate at the front that you'll need to open to park your car. The tents are set on wooden decks and raised above the ground to provide panoramic views of a waterhole.

Where to eat: The camp is self-catering and you'll need to go to Mata-Mata for the shop

Facilities: Swimming pool, central lounge and dining area

Cost*: The cost ranges from R2090 for the standard tents and R2370 for the honeymoon tent. For this trip, we paid R1985 for a chalet.

Activities: Guided morning and sunset drives can be arranged from here.

Cooking tent as part of your unit in Kalahari Tented Rest Camp in Kgalagadi Transfrontier park South Africa by TravelTaale

Day 7 - Last morning in the park - Stay at Protea Upington

// OUR ROUTE - LEFT CAMP at 6.35 AND LEFT TWEE RIVIEREN at 11.00 - 130KM
// 250km and 2.30 hours drive from Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park to Upington

And our last day in Kgalagadi had arrived. We left Kalahari Tented Camp at 6.30 as we not only had to drive to Twee Rivieren but we also had to stock up for the second part of our trip.

Well, only 1 way to go and that was towards Twee Rivieren. We had calculated how much time we had for game viewing and it wasn’t much as we were very aware that we still had to drive to Upington. But when you come across the same 3 cheetahs again, you can not do much else but stop and watch. And again, we were not disappointed.

They were on the hunt again and were coming towards us on the road. The long road provided great cover for them to come upwind from 2 springbok. Once they made sure they were in the right spot the cheetahs also disappeared into the long grass waiting till the springboks had come alongside them. They were almost on the same line, but one of the cubs was too impatient and popped its head above the grass. Instantly the springboks spotted them and ran off. Another failed hunt for the cubs but an amazing sighting for us.

The rest of the morning was quiet besides the 5 giraffes we spotted close to the 13th boorgat. And after a last picture of the Kgalagadi sign, it was time to say goodbye. Hopefully, it will not take another 6 years before we can come back.

From Twee Rivieren Gate we drove back to Upington in about 2.30 hours. Here we stocked up at the same supermarket for the second part of our trip and stayed at Protea Upington.

Want to get insight into all Kgalagadi Camps? Continue reading this post

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park sign at Twee Rivieren Camp in South Africa by TravelTaale

Day 8 - Driving day 1- Stay at ANEW Resort Hunters Rest Rustenburg

// ROUTE: 859KM AND 8.45 HOURS

We left very early because we knew it was going to be a long day as we did not take the direct route through Vryburg but took the detour through Kimberley. We left so early, that there was no breakfast yet at the Protea Hotel in Upington but they provides us with a great breakfast package.

It was easy to get out of Upington and on our way to the N8 at Groblershoop. From there the roads were not that busy all the way to Kimberley but there were a lot of trucks. Kimberley was easy to navigate and from there we took the N12, which became progressively busier the closer we got to Johannesburg. We left the N12 before Klerksdorp and took the route past Hartbeesfontein. As you’re going from the N road to R roads you can notice the difference in the quality of the roads and it’s slower driving.

We followed the R507 till the R30. Then followed that road through Ventersdorp towards Rustenburg. Just before Anew Resort, the R30 runs over into R24. The resort is easy to find and has a lot of facilities but we had a lot of trouble from the moment of booking. Even though the full room price was due 3 days before arrival (in March) they kept sending us messages from the moment of booking (in October) that we had to pay and that they would otherwise cancel our room. The payment was made before we left and received a payment confirmation but during our trip, they again were sending us messages we needed to pay or they would cancel.

At check-in, we showed proof of payment and all was sorted. Well, we thought, because at checkout they were again saying we did not pay. This felt like a lot of hassle for one of the most expensive nights of the trip, in a small room with average food. Needless to say, we won’t be going back here.

Day 9 - Driving day 2 - Stay at Berg-en-Dal Camp in Kruger National Park

// ROUTE: 500km and 5.30 hours drive to Malelane Gate
// OUR ROUTE - arrived at the gate at 13.00 AND ARRIVED at 19.00 at camp - 225KM inside the park

Another very early morning, but we were excited that we were heading towards Kruger. We did a quick 5-min detour and returned the way we came to fill up the car so that we could reach Kruger without another fuel break. From there we took the R104 till we could enter the N4 and continue our way to Pretoria. You don’t have to go into Pretoria centre and stay on the N4 that goes around the city.

Be sure to check the signs once you are close to Machadodrop. Just after, you have 2 different routes you can take that come together again a bit later on. But there has been a lot of road work here but you can also run into that they have closed one of the routes, which does impact how busy it is and how long the route will take.

We continued on the N4 and were able to drive around (instead of driving through) Nelspruit as we were heading for Malelane Gate. This was the easiest gate because our first night was at Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp. But in general, this is our favourite gate because you can stay on the N road for much longer than when you would drive up to Paul Kruger gate and this gate is not as busy.

After arriving at Malelane Gate, we were greeted by elephants, warthog, impala and zebra on the way to Berg-en-Dal. We went into camp for a quick coffee (you can get one at the restaurant) before we continued to the Matjulu Loop around the camp.

Looking back, this first afternoon was when we spotted the most animals in the shortest amount of time. We moved to the other side of the H3 and followed the S114 and S25 to the second crossing with the S119 to go to the Gardenia Hide. From the hide, we followed the loop back to the S118 and took the H3 back to Berg-en-Dal. On this quite small section of the park, we spotted impala, elephants taking a mud bath, zebra, kudu, buffalo and giraffes.

The type of visitor to Kruger is quite different to the average Kgalagadi visitor, so we had not noticed before that it was a holiday period. Well, we did as soon as we arrived at the campsite as it was busy with long-stay guests and families. As you don’t get a spot assigned, it’s up to you to find one but not every rest camp makes it clear what is and isn’t an actual spot. After driving a few rounds, we were waved over by other campers who directed us to a spot.

Berg-en-Dal Rest CAMP

Location: Berg-en-Dal is one of the main camps and is close to Malelane gate (12km) which lies along the N4, which makes it a great first-night stay upon entry to the park.

General: It is one of the larger main camps with a campsite with 72 spots and communal bathrooms & showers and communal cooking facilities, 69 bungalows, 23 family cottages and 2 guest houses.

Where to eat: This camp has one of the 4 Tindlovu restaurants, a shop and a takeaway.

Cost: we paid R1680 for 1 night for a bungalow with a perimeter view but at this moment prices range from R410 for a campsite to 1610 for a standard bungalow. But prices are depending on the season.

Activities: There are a lot of activities in this camp: you can participate in a guided walk, game drives, bush breakfast & braai, rhino perimeter trail and wildlife films.

Day 10 - Skukuza Rest Camp

// OUR ROUTE - left camp at 05.30 AND ARRIVED at 17.30 at camp - 160KM

We left Berg-en-Dal early and drove up the Matjulu Loop around the camp again as it’s a known spot for leopards but we only saw an impala and an elephant. From there we took the S110 to the H3 and crossed over to the S114 and S25 again as this section is known for lions, leopards and cheetahs. We followed the road all the way to the S26 and S108 and while we saw zebra, a dark-coloured giraffe, waterbok, elephant, kudu and buffalos, we did not cross paths with any of the cats.

We took the H4-2 to Lower Sabie for a quick coffee break and a muffin from Mug & Bean and sat on the deck overlooking the river. We often eat our breakfast in the car or at a hide or dam and then take a break later in the morning and pick up a coffee if we can. But this trip we did decide, to head into camp a bit earlier in the afternoon than we used to do as we generally felt quite rushed. Putting your tent up as it was getting dark, quickly make some food, do the dishes and off to bed. During this trip, we wanted to take more time to relax at the end of the day.

After our break, we continued on the H4-1 from Lower Sabie towards Skukuza and took the turn unto the S21 heading towards the H3. There was a big sighting at the Mhlupheka waterhole but there were so many cars (2 to sometimes 3 rows) at the waterhole that besides a yellow tale there was nothing we could see. So before we would be boxed in by other cars, we continued on the S21 seeing giraffe, elephant, kudu and a steenbok.

From the S21 we continued on to the S112, up north on the H3, a left onto the H1-1 towards Pretoriuskop and then up the S65 as in this section lions are often seen but again no luck.

At Skukuza, we found another very busy campsite with unclear and unmarked spots. After several rounds around the site, we turned into a section surrounded by trees and figured it was a spot because there was a braai and a bin. There were large ablutions but they were a bit hidden away up several steps.

There are a lot of vervet monkeys on the campsite, and while coming back from the ablutions I (Stephanie) was almost surrounded by them just before I was back at our tent. But with a short detour, I reached our tent where Sam had already put on the braai.

Skukuza Rest Camp

Location: Skukuza is close to Paul Kruger Gate (about 12 km) and is still considered to be in the southern region. This is the busiest part of the park that has the most rainfall and therefore a greater chance of seeing animals. If you only have 1 to 3 days in the park, this is the area you want to stay in.

General: It is the largest camp in the park and has 80 campsites, 12 safari tents, 178 bungalows, 20 luxury bungalows, a family cottage, 15 guest cottages and 4 guest houses. It also houses the main administration of the park. This means this is the largest camp and you can also find a bank, ATM and a doctor here and you can post your mail. If you want to fly to Kruger, this is also where the airport is.

Where to eat: The camp has the Cattle Baron Restaurant, a large shop and a takeaway.

Cost: we paid R390 for 1 night. At this moment the price ranges from R390 to R410 depending on the season

Activities: You can participate in bush walks, game drives, bush breakfasts & bush braai. But next to safari-related activities, there is also a golf course and a spa

Day 11 - Maroela Satellite Camp (Camp close to Orpen)

// OUR ROUTE - left camp at 05.30 AND ARRIVED at 16.00 at camp - 245KM

Leaving Skukuza we took the H4-1 towards the H12 where we saw impalas, hippos and kudu. From this point on you will notice that there are already fewer roads and it’s getting less busy as most people stay in the South. As we had left early again, we were able to take a lot of the S roads towards Orpen, where we had to check in for our campsite at Maroela.

We followed the H1-2 to Tshokwane, this is a good place to take a bathroom break, get a coffee or have lunch. Just before the picnic site, we saw quite a few giraffes.

From here we follow the road to the H 10 onto the S 32 to go to Orpen Dam where we sat for quite a while and have our breakfast. Most people come into a hide or lookout point, have a quick look and leave if they don’t see anything. But we love to just sit and watch and besides that, it is nice to stretch the legs for a while and be out of your car, often our patience is rewarded.

Lookout spot in Kruger National Park in South Africa by TravelTaale — Lookout spot at Orpen Dam in Kruger National Park

After the loop, we drove back towards Tshokwane to take the S34, S36 and then the S33 where we saw zebra, wildebeest, kudu and elephants. For lunch, we went back again to Tshokwane.

From there, we followed the H1-3 for a short while and came across a lot of elephants at a waterhole just before turning off at the S125 and decided to sit and watch for a while. On the S125 we saw zebra, wildebeest, elephant and a small group of giraffes.

From the S125 we turned onto the S36, another section known for lion, cheetah and leopard, but again no luck. We followed the S36 up towards the H7. And then continued on the H7 to Orpen to check-in.

As Maroela is one of the satellite camps, there is no reception, shops or restaurant and you’ll need to check in at Orpen Rest Camp. From Orpen, you need to drive back for 1km before you hit the road that will lead to the campsite. When we enter the camp, we saw a lot of people setting up the tents on the dry riverbed but we decided to put ours behind the ablutions blocks and close to the fence. As we were the only ones, it was a nice and quiet spot.

maroela satellite CAMP

Location: Maroela is a satellite camp and lies along the Timbavati River. The camp is close to Orpen (2km) and only has a campsite.

General: It is one of the two camps in the park that only has a campsite and therefore does not have a reception. You can check in at Orpen. It has 20 spots and has communal bathrooms & showers and communal cooking facilities. At the corner of the campsite is a viewing platform that looks out on the bank of the Timbavati River.

Where to eat: The camp has no shop but you can go to Orpen for a small shop and takeaway.

Cost: we paid R390 for 1 night. At this moment the price ranges from R390 to R410 depending on the season

Activities: You can participate in a morning, an afternoon and a river walk

Day 12 - Balule Satellite Camp (Camp close to Olifants)

// OUR ROUTE - left camp at 05.45 AND ARRIVED at 16.00 at camp - 160KM

One of our favourite moments from one of our part trips had been at Sable Hide, close to the Phalaborwa gate. As Balule was the highest we would go up north on this trip, this day was the only day we would be able to head up to the hide. So we knew we had a long drive ahead of us and therefore mainly stayed on the H roads this day.

We did take our time to cover the H7 from Orpen to Satara as we had come across a few hyenas that we wanted to follow and also spotted zebra, wildebeest and giraffes. We grabbed a quick coffee and muffin at Satara and then drove back on the H7 to turn off to the S40. From the picture below you can see how high the grass was at this section, so it was hard to spot anything for more than an hour.

We continued onto the S40 to Ratelpan Hide where we saw a few giraffes across the water but also one on our side who wanted to drink. From the hide, we took the S127 to the main road (H1-4) towards Olifants. We got out of the car for a quick stop at the N’wamamzi lookout where we saw elephants crossing the river.

Then it was on the to H1-5 to Letaba and then on to the H9 to Sable Hide where we had lunch. And this time we saw nothing at the hide. We heard elephants across the water so we waited in the hopes of them showing up but we had to do with just the sounds this time. On a previous trip, we watched elephants bathe and play here for over an hour. When we walked back to our car, there was an elephant there that was eating from a tree just next to the wooden fence. So I tried to pull myself up on the fence a bit and just kept watching.

Slightly disappointed, but there are no guarantees on a safari, we hopped back into the car to check in at Olifants for our stay at Balule.

High grass almost covering zebra close to Satara in Kruger National park South Africa by TravelTaale

Just like Maroela, Balule is also a satellite camp, so again no reception, shops or restaurants with the difference that this camp does not have power. So when it is getting dark, you’ll notice that the light comes from paraffine lamps at the ablutions.

As you’re close to the water, this camp does attract a lot of bugs but on the flip side, you can fall asleep with the sound of hippos in the background.

This was quite a busy camp, but we found a spot at the fence. Where it did not take long after starting our braai and getting some snacks on the table before the first hyena paced the fence. This is something that definitely has gotten worse over the years.

Balule Satellite Camp

Location: Balule is a satellite camp and lies close to the Olifants River. The camp is close to Olifants which is one of the main camps (10km).

General: It is one of the smaller camps with a campsite and several huts. Therefore it does not have a reception and you can check in at Olifants or Satara. It has 6 huts and 15 camping spots and has no power points. The huts and the campsite need to use the communal bathrooms & showers and communal cooking facilities.

Where to eat: The camp has no shop but you can go to Olifants or stop at Satara on your way up for groceries.

Cost: we paid R280 for 1 night. At this moment the price ranges from R300 to R390 depending on the season

Activities: You can take a bushwalk and game drives.

Day 13 - Satara Rest Camp

// OUR ROUTE - left camp at 05.50 AND ARRIVED 15.00 at camp - left again at 16.10 to go back to the lions till 17.30 - 288KM

From this day, we were heading south again, so from Balule we took theS91 to get to the H1-5 and then H1-4 down to Satara. After the quiet afternoon from the day before, we had the opposite this morning spotting kudu, zebra, impala, hyena, jackals, wildebeest, elephants, buffalo and giraffes.

From Satara, it was much quieter on our way to Tshokwane, where we grabbed a coffee but still saw wildebeest, jackals and zebra. From there we made our way back up via the S35 and S37 to have lunch at the Sweni hide. Besides a hippo and a croc, the hide was quiet but we love to just sit, listen, watch and enjoy our lunch.

Little did we know that just around the corner from the hide (where you need to step out of your car to enter the hide) were 2 male lions. But they were having a bit of a lay-in and besides taking a few steps and laying down again, they stayed in the same spot for over 45 min.

We left the lions for an early check-in at Satara to see if they had any chalets left. While we love camping, after almost 2 weeks of mostly camping, the thin mattress was giving us a few aches. Luckily they had a chalet left so we unpacked our stuff, had a cooling drink and went back to the lions in the hopes that as the temperature started to come down they would get a bit more active.

That is one of the perks of staying in chalets, as you’re not ‘stuck’ at the camp once you’ve put up your tent. The lions were still there (1.5 hours later) but unfortunately for us, they were still mostly sleeping and yawning. One of them did go for a shrink, but the bushed provided cover for him so we could not see anything. After another hour with them, it was time to head back to camp if we wanted to make gate closing time.

It had been a good choice, to switch from tent to chalet as it had rained all night. Some roads had large puddles and some of the smaller rivers were overflowing.

Satara Rest Camp

Location: Satara is the central region and is about 4 hours from Skukuza. Here the distances are becoming larger between the camps and there are fewer roads. Which also means fewer people.

General: It is a large camp with 100 campsites, 95 bungalows, 1 guest cottage and 3 guest houses.

Where to eat: This camp has one of the 4 Tindlovu restaurants, a shop and a takeaway.

Cost: we paid R390 for 1 night. At this moment the price ranges from R360 to R410 depending on the season

Activities: You can participate in bush walks, game drives, bush breakfasts and braai and Mananga 4x4 trail.

Giraffe in Kruger National park South Africa by TravelTaale

Day 14 + 15 - Lower Sabie Rest Camp

// ROUTE: OUR ROUTE - left camp at 05.40 AND ARRIVED at 16.30 at camp - 233KM

From Satara, we were heading to Lower Sabie where we were going to spend our last 2 nights at a chalet with a river view. A bit more expensive but as it was Sam’s birthday it felt like a good location to do so.

From Satara, we took the H1-3 to S100 to the Sweni hide. This hide is also a great spot to have your breakfast or lunch. On the way to the hide, we encountered large puddles on the road and smaller rivers flowing over the road. So we were quite happy we had a car with high clearance. From the hide, we took the H6 to the H1-3. In this loop, we spotted zebra, wildebeest, elephant and jackals.

We continued down the H1-3 and passed Tshokwane again for another quick coffee break. When you get up so early for 2 weeks in a row, that morning coffee feels much needed. After the break, we headed to Lower Sabie for lunch. It’s just such a lovely spot to sit on the deck, looking over the Lower Sabie River. But it’s best to be a bit ahead or after the lunch period as it can get quite busy.

After 2 weeks, the car was covered in mud and as it was almost time to head to the airport, we took a bit of time this afternoon to clean the outside of the car. And get all of our luggage out of the car, ready to pack up again in our backpacks.

We did head out in the afternoon and took the H4-2 down to the S28. A quick stop at the Ntandanyathi hide but there was nothing to see. From there we turned onto the S137 where we saw giraffe, hippo, crocodile, elephant and our first pofadder. We took the S130 down to the H4-2 where we saw zebra, wildebeest and warthogs. On the way back to Lower Sabie we saw a large group of giraffe.

On the second day at Lower Sabie rest camp, we also left early at 5.30 but as it was Sam’s birthday we did decide to take a long lunch and enjoy our last night with some snacks and wine and burn up the last firewood at the camp.

So we did not drive a lot and stayed quite close to camp following the same route as the day before, S28 to S137 to S130 to H4-2 leading to Crocodile Bridge Camp. On this stretch, we spotted wildebeest, giraffe, warthog and zebra. From the camp, we headed up the S25 and continued on to the S108 but the only thing we saw was giraffe.

We then took the S26 to the S114N and the S21 back to Lower Sabie. Here we did spend quite a bit of time with a hyena young that was sleeping on the road to see if any others would show up. At a time one adult did, but paid no interest in the young, crossed the road and wandered off. But as that happened we heard other sounds from the long grass and this turned out to be our first encounter with a pack of wild dogs. But the grass was so long we could not see much.

Lower Sabie Rest Camp

Location: Lower Sabie is one of the main camps on the Sabie River and lies between Skukuza and Crocodile Bridge.

General: It is a large camp with 33 campsites, 30 huts with communal ablutions, 24 permanent furnished safari tents, 60 bungalows, 2 family bungalows and a guest house.

Where to eat: The camp has a large Mug & Bean restaurant with a deck overlooking the river and there is a take-a-way for coffee and pastries

Cost: we paid R361 for 1 night. At this moment the price ranges from R360 to R410 depending on the season

Activities: You can participate in morning, afternoon and riverwalks and game drives.

Day 16 - Last morning in the park - Leaving from Crocodile Bridge Gate

// our ROUTE: left camp at 5.30 and arrived at gate at 8.30 -100km
// ROUTE: 475km and 6 hours from Crocodile Bridge Gate to Bushlore

Our final day in the park. As we were pressed for time and had to be at the Bushlore depot to hand in our car and get a ride to the airport, we left as soon as the gate opened and made our way down to Crocodile Bridge for a quick coffee and bathroom brake before leaving the park.

It was a fairly quiet morning but loved saying this baby giraffe, who was trying to hide behind a tree. Not sure if he understood he was not hidden at all.