Julian H
Well-known member
Thanks Mike,I was there on a solo trip last year and I quite enjoyed the drive from joburg to the camp, it took me 4.5 hours to Pretoriskop and the last couple of hours are through quite pretty countryside. The roads were all very good and very quiet (coming from the UK!) The shops at the camps are OK, pricing is pretty good considering but it's definitely worth looking for a pick&pay en route to the park for non perishables, there will be much more choice.
I really liked Skukuza, the camp is good and the hide really close to camp at Lake Panic was brilliant and is well worth sneaking out to as early as you can, although I'd say it's far better to suffer the pain and get the family up too; most of my cat sightings were in the first hour or so, I'd be in the queue to leave camp 10 minutes before it opened every morning!
Satara is a lot smaller but I had some brilliant sightings nearby, including wild dog, all the big cats and rhino plus ground hornbill and ostrich. The bird hide at Nwanetsi also lovely, although quieter for me than @ Panic Lake (and an hour or so away from camp). I paid for a brilliant night drive from Satara.
I was there in April / May so everything was very green, you might see more in August because it'll be dryer. I'm not an expert in any way but will help if I can - ping me if you have any other questions!
Yeah, I may have to balance getting some birding in vs getting the family out sin e birding from the car may be less leisurely with three non birders in the car!
I definitely want to optimize the time to see the cats, but not sure I want to enroll in the stories of people leaving their cars at the gate overnight (akin to leaving a towel on the sun lounger) so they can be at the front before the gate opens.
If bird activity in August in the camps is still ok, I may chance it and bird after the morning game drive.
Decisions, decisions.
😃