Kruger National Park, the largest national park in South Africa, and one of the largest parks in the world, is South Africa’s premiere safari destination. Spanning 200 km from north to south and 50 km from east to west, Kruger is home to the Big Five (elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, lion, and buffalo) as well as a multitude of other animals and birds.
Scattered throughout the park are rest camps, small clusters of lodges, tents and camping facilities, complete with restaurants and gift shops. Different areas of the park are known for their animal populations. For example, Satara is home to a large population of lions and Letaba is the place to see elephants.
It is recommended to stay in Kruger for a minimum of five days, in order to travel through the park, stay in several rest camps, and look for wildlife in the different areas.
Most people believe that a safari trip in Africa is out of their price range. When originally looking into “going on safari” I read that a “proper safari” would cost our family of four a minimum of $10,000 for a week or more. But with more research I learned that a budget safari is entirely possible. And this is what makes Kruger so special.
Kruger National Park as a Budget Safari Destination
Self-Drive Safari Park
Kruger National Park is known as a “self-drive park,” meaning you get in your car and drive down the road looking for lions. The roads are paved, although there are some gravel roads that can be used as well. By self-driving, costs are minimal, as you only spend money on gas and the rental car fee.
We spent 90% of our safari time in Kruger self-driving and we saw a lot! On our own we saw tons of giraffe, elephants, zebra, kudu, wildebeest, hippopotamus, baboons and impala. We also saw rhinoceros, buffalo, crocodile, and many more animals.
It may sound dangerous to be driving on your own through territory occupied by lions and leopards but we never felt unsafe. For the most part the animals just look at the cars with indifference and most of the time we were totally ignored.
Game Drives
Seeing the nocturnal animals requires going on one of the morning or evening game drives. On average, these game drives cost $25 per adult. For three hours you are driven in a safari Jeep by a Kruger guide on the inaccessible dirt roads.
Our family went on a sunset drive and a morning drive and the animals we saw were amazing. At night we spotted a pride of lions, an enormous herd of buffalo, hippos playing in the water, a porcupine, and so much more.
We hit the jackpot with the morning drive. Right after sunrise our guide spotted a pride of lions (the same pride we saw the night before) and a group of hyenas next to each other. As the lions sauntered down the road, indifferent to our presence, we snapped hundreds of photos. At times the lions were just two feet from our vehicle. It was an unbelievable experience and I felt like I was a kid on Christmas morning!
We turned back to revisit the hyenas, who were guarding over a carcass. Most likely they stole this carcass from the lions the night before. At our approach, the largest of the hyenas carried the carcass away from us, protecting it.
Accommodations in Kruger
Staying inside Kruger is also relatively cheap, depending on the accommodations you choose. Kruger does have luxury accommodations for those wanting a posh safari experience. We stayed in the budget safari accommodations.
We spent two nights in safari tents in Tamboti Rest Camp. Our tents overlooked the Timbavati River, where we could see elephants and hyenas, and at night we heard lions roaring off in the distance. These accommodations cost our family of four $58 per night (in 2014).
After Tamboti we spent two nights at Satara Rest Camp in rondavels, round houses with three twin beds and an ensuite bathroom. For six people (our mothers, Kathy and Valerie, were traveling with us), these two houses cost a total of $200. These were nicer accommodations than the tents which explains the increase in cost.
Finally, our time in Kruger ended with one night at Crocodile Bridge, again in safari tents. Once again we watched animals pass by our front door, this time hyena, buffalo, and a bush baby. For our family of four, we rented two tents at a cost of $92 per night.
Our family really liked staying in safari tents. There is something very cool about sleeping in tents in Africa and our favorite part was hearing the animals at night. I am really going to miss hearing lions and elephants outside of our door once we leave this part of South Africa.
For anyone who has a safari in Africa on their travel bucket list but thinks it’s outside of their price range, take a look at Kruger National Park. We had a fabulous experience here and highly recommend it.
More Information about South Africa
- SOUTH AFRICA: 14 Reasons Why You Should Visit South Africa
- CAPE OF GOOD HOPE: How to Visit the Cape of Good Hope
- GARDEN ROUTE: Road Trippin’ on the Garden Route of South Africa
- ISIMANGALISO: Awesome iSimangaliso Wetland Park in St. Lucia
Planning a trip to South Africa? Read all of our articles in our South Africa Travel Guide.
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- ICELAND: 20 Best Things to do on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula
- TRAVEL INSPIRATION: 10 Cool Spots to Put on Your Travel Wishlist
- ITALY: The Cinque Terre for Budget Travelers
- USA: 10 Days in the American Southwest: The Ultimate Road Trip
- NEPAL: How to Trek to Everest Base Camp: Your Questions Answered
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Comments 17
HI Julie, enjoyed reading our posts! We’re planning to visit in June w/ 9 people and realizing we’re already very late in planning. Initially looking all of the accommodations have come back over our budget, or they are already booked. We’re thinking about getting an Air B&B, and booking a safari. However, I’m not see where/how to just book a safari w/o accommodations. Any suggestions?
thanks in advance!
Author
We booked our safaris directly from the lodge we were staying in, usually the same day or the day before. How to do this from an outside location, I’m not sure. Maybe there is an email address on the Kruger National Park website where you can contact someone there for more information? Good luck! Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie, did you guys take antimalarial pills for this part of the trip? Thanks!
Author
We did not, but only because we visited Kruger in August during the dry season. However, during the remainder of the year, I think it is a good idea to take malaria pills. Cheers, Julie
Hi there! Wondering how you got to Kruger- did you rent a car and drive from Jo Burg? My husband and I are heading to South Africa in a couple of weeks and still undecided between flying into Nespruit or taking on the drive.
Author
We did a ton of driving in South Africa, however, we did not drive directly from Joburg to Kruger. We actually rented a car in Joburg, drove to Botswana, then back through Joburg to Swaziland, then to Kruger and then all of the way down to Cape Town. The drive from Joburg to Nelspruit should be rather easy and straightforward, but there are advantages to flying versus driving. Flying might save you some time, but don’t forget to factor in time associated with arriving to the airport early to get through security. Renting a car will most likely be cheaper. And if you pick up and return a car from the same place (Joburg or Nelspruit) you will avoid paying an extra drop charge. I don’t think there is much in the way of scenery on the drive, so that wouldn’t be much of a factor in your decision. You’ll have to research flight times and the cost of rental car to help you make your decision. Cheers, Julie
Hi! With who did you book the evening and sunrise safari with?
Thanks so much !!
Author
We booked the game drives at the Satara Rest Camp. There is a desk, like a concierge, where you can learn about and book the game drives. I believe we make our bookings one day in advance of the two game drives. Cheers, Julie
Great post, thank you so much for the information! Could you give me an idea how can one book a place at for example Tamboti Rest Camp? I found description on several websites, but nowhere a booking link..
Author
Here is a link to get you started. You can check the availability of lodges from this link and then proceed to booking your accommodations. Tamboti is listed as a satellite for Orpen. Cheers, Julie
You guys are amazing! Reading your posts has made us stop fantasizing about traveling the world and begin PLANNING it! We’re so grateful for you taking the time to share all of this.
Thank you!
Author
Thanks, Craig! It’s our pleasure. 🙂 Let us know if you have any questions along the way. Cheers, Julie
This is really a wonderful article. Please keep posting more about safari and tour related topics. For more info:- http://www.africaserenitysafaris.com/
Although perhaps not as budget as the options you discussed above, we loved Umlani bush camp which was a fraction of the cost of many other safaris and one of our best vacation experiences ever. Highly recommended.
https://wegowithkids.com/africa-part-ii-safariing-with-kids-our-experiences-at-umlani-bushcamp/
Author
Staying in that treehouse looks cool!
I love the pictures of the animals, just beautiful!!
So BEAUTIFUL………….wow!! Breath taking pictures………….