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Sat on the deck overlooking the Sabie River reflecting on a magical day whilst the sun casts a golden glow over the hippos frolicking in the water below, it really is a pinch me moment.
I can’t begin to explain this feeling of absolute contentment, a mix of awe over what I have already witnessed and an excitment about what tomorrow may bring.
Kruger National Park in South Africa is truely a mystical place, and I place I had only dreamed of going, never thinking I would be lucky enough to experience the natural beauty with my own eyes. However, this was until I discovered some of secrets of South Africa’s national parks and how accessible they actually are. Only a few years ago I thought safari in South Africa was way out of my budget and I would need to win the lottery in order to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience. How wrong I was! Having now enjoyed the beauty of South Afrcian safaris multiple times on such a low budget that wouldn’t even buy me a cocktail in most safari places, it’s now time to spill the beans and let you know about how you can do this “once in a lifetime experience” multiple times.
The secret to experiencing Kruger on a budget… self drive! Yes that’s right, drive your rental car down road surrounded by elephants, take photos of lions out the window of your VW polo and stay within the park itself from as little as £20pppn.
If you want to plan the most magical trip to Kruger then check out my Kruger guides, these double both as an informative guide to exploring and staying in Kruger as well as a journal to record your precious memories from your trip. There’s also an animal section so you can be your own safari guide!
What is Self Driving?
What is Self Driving?
All South Africa National Parks (SAN Parks) are designed so that any South African, no matter what car you own can enjoy the beauty of their own country! Therefore these parks are very accessible and any rental car can go and explore these parks, including Kruger. You'll be surprised by the incredible experiences you can have in you VW polo rental car. You can travel the whole length of Kruger just sticking to tar roads as these connect all the gates into Kruger and the rest camps that are dotted throughout. There is a lot of gravel roads for you to explore as well, these vary massively in their condition, most being easy to drive in any vehicle whilst some do have you wishing you took the upgrade from the small hatchback.
How does Self Driving work?
How does Self Driving work?
You simply drive to a gate, explore Kruger at your own pace and either arrive at a rest camp to stay the night or exit through a gate before closing time. It really is as simple as that.
You can easily find maps online but I would recommend getting a Kruger official map from one of the rest camps when you get to the park (these can also be bought in various service stations between Johannesburg and Kruger, see our getting to Kruger page).
It might seem like you are alone in the middle of the bush at times but with rest camps approximately every 50km on the tar roads, you are never too far from a petrol station, a shop and a coffee. The main rest camps and gates are very well sign posted with the nearest rest camps being pointed out at every junction (remember to check all sides of the signs as the rest camp you want might be on 2 sides but one is quicker than the other).
Top Tip:
Top Tip:
If you are heading on a self drive with multiple cars, take walkie talkies with you! They are so much fun to use while you are wiping around the Kruger. We had one car with a book on the Kruger so was giving us all the animal facts as we were cruising around - basically became our own personal guide.
If you are heading on a self drive with multiple cars, take walkie talkies with you! They are so much fun to use while you are wiping around the Kruger. We had one car with a book on the Kruger so was giving us all the animal facts as we were cruising around - basically became our own personal guide.
Cost of Self Driving
Cost of Self Driving
This just costs you entrance into the park and car hire. This doesn't need to be a fancy car, the national parks in South Africa are built so that any South African no matter their car can drive around, so if you've got a small VW polo then don't worry, you can absolutely do safari with that.
Park entrance fees:
International: Adult (over 12yrs) R602, child R300
SADC national: Adult R275, child R137
SA residents: Adult R134, child R67
If you are planning on doing multiple days in Kruger >7, it might be worth a Wild Card, check out the link above.
Gate Opening & Closing Times
Gate Opening & Closing Times
The gates to Kruger open around sunrise so depending on the time of year the times will be different. Opening will be between 04:30 to 06:00.
Closing is often before sunset, again varying on time of year but closing is between 17:30 and 18:30.
They are pretty strict on closing times so do make sure you know when it closes and leave plenty of time to get to the gate or you might get a fine.
Don't trust google maps for the timings as it doesnt allow for the herd of elephants blocking the road, use Kruger drive times or estimate your average speed being 25km/hr.
Self Drive v Guided Tour
Self Drive v Guided Tour
There are many pros and cons to both, and personally I love doing a bit of a mix. Having a good guide can really make the experience but unfortuneately sometimes the SAN Parks guides aren't the most enthusiastic.
You can book onto different guided tours around Kruger and these usually run for sunrise and sunset so you have access to teh park when the cars have to have left, so you get the added privalage of being the only few in the park.
You can then use the normal opening times to drive yourself around.
For more information on this, check out the page below.
The world is your oyster with Self Driving in Kruger
The world is your oyster with Self Driving in Kruger
You have so much more freedom around where you stay and which activities you do. Check out my other pages on accommodation and acitivities within Kruger to sweeten the deal with self driving Kruger, as if it wasn't magical enough.
Still not convinced by Self Driving?
Still not convinced by Self Driving?
Self Driving can be daunting and a scary thought but it could also make the best trip of your life. Check out my socials for upcoming posts on self driving and what to expect.
My Kruger Guides explain a bit more about Self Driving and the routes you can take. So why not take a look...
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