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kruger vs namibia ! (1 Viewer)

Tony Knight

Tony Knight

Well-known member
United Kingdom
Which do you believe would generate a more impressive bird list in a 7-10 day visit ? Etosha and the Caprivi strip in Namibia, .....or selected parts of the kruger in SA ? (The Okavango delta had been recommended but is not an option as my wife couldn't cope with the "light arircraft" flights !).

Your thoughts ?

Tony
 
Hi Tony

I have only birded Etosha briefly, and never Caprivi, so cannot comment on a potential list in this area. However, I have birded KNP regularly, and a list of 200-250 species in 7-10 days is quite possible, depending on the time of the year you plan to visit. Obviously bird numbers are boosted significantly in the summer months when the migrants are around.
 
Not sure which will generate the bigger list but I would have thought that Namibia would involve a lot more travelling, so Kruger will give you more birding time in the field, and hence greater chance of seeing more birds.

Nick
 
TONY - I have been trying to e-mail you with Kruger information, but the e-mails are not getting through. Can you please confirm your address?

Dave Kennedy
 
Tony I would say Kruger. The bird list for Etosha is about 360. Not sure of that for Caprivi but I would imagine there is a large overlap. The bird list for Kruger is over 500 species and there is a very wide habitat range and easier access to the different areas.
 
Hi Tony,
I haven't visited Namibia (yet)so I can't comment on that.

I am a regular visitor to Kruger though (9.5 weeks to go;)) and it never fails to disappoint. On our first visit (5 days) we were not really looking for birds (shocking but true) but still managed 151 identified species. If you are on a birding trip then I agree with AndrewK that c250 species is readily achievable.

There is a wide variety of habitats within Kruger with appropriate specials, so you will need to think about where to stay in the Park, but with 7-10 days you should be able to cover a lot.

And there is the added bonus of seeing the furry things as well!

Wherever you go have a great time and let us know how you got on.

Allan
 
Thanks guys. Looks like Kruger might be the better option and would involve less flying which is relevant - my wife hates flying!

We would probably fly in and out of Joberg, hire a car and drive to and from Kruger. Presume the best bet is to visit 2-3 lodges for a couple of days each and go out on a drive with the in house guides at each lodge ? Can't be exclusively a birding trip as my wife will be looking for the cats, esp leopard.

Which parts of kruger and its concessions should we aim for ? and which would be best summer months to visit ?

thanks

Tony
 
The North is a particularly good area for birding. You could start there and work your way down, maybe as far as the area around Satara which is excellent for game but also supports a very varied bird-life. Diffferent people have their favourite places, I'm sure you will get a variety of suggestions. A useful website for looking at what the various lodges offer is

http://www.krugerpark.co.za/

You can also make bookings through it, although if you want to stay in SANPark camps you will probably book throught the SANParks website:

http://www.sanparks.org

which also has an online booking system. SANParks would be less costly but also much less luxurious and you would either have to eat in the concession restaurants or cater for yourselves. SANParks have some guided walks and day and night drives from the camps, but I'm not sure how many of them are birding specific. There is a guy called Raymond at Berg-en -Dal, right down in the south, who is starting dedicated bird drives for SANParks. Otherwise, if you want guides, the private concessions are a better bet.

Regarding time of visit - again, this varies. The summer months are very hot indeed, but of course there is a greater variety of bird-life. October - November is slightly cooler than later in the year and the vegetation might not be so thick. November to December is great for baby everythings! Unless you love the heat and humidity I would not go in Jan/Feb.
 
I think Sal has summarised pretty well your options in KNP. I would agree with you on driving from Jhb, there are options to fly closer to the park (e.g. Nelspruit), but sounds like your wife would not appreciate that!

Punda Maria camp in the North gives you easy access to Pafuri, probably the best spot in the park for birding. In my experience, Satara has proved to be the best camp for seeing cats, there is a resident pride of lions nearby (generally roaring at night!), and leopard is a good possibility nearby.

Enjoy the trip!
 
Hi Tony,
Starting in the north would be a good idea. I've stayed in Punda Maria once - lovely camp with an old-fashioned feel to it. It will get very hot in the summer though.

In the central area we are staying at Letaba and Olifants for a few days in July. These both come highly recommended.
In the south Lower Sabie is great.

As far as cats go I don't think you can beat the Lower Sabie - Croc bridge area. We have seen leopard there on many occasions, and see lion most days in the winter months - they congregate around the waterholes and rivers. Cheetah has been more difficult for us - only one spot. This area is also known for the densest concentration of game, so the chances of seeing rhino etc are much greater. There is also the possibility of seeing one of the big tuskers - Duke is regularly seen in the area.

On the guiding front it is very easy to do it yourself in your own car. You also travel at your own pace. You can get a lot of information about the best places from people here. If you go on a guided tour, try a sunset drive - you get a much better chance of seeing nocturnal or crepuscular animals.

Bounce as many ideas off us as you like - I'm always willing to talk about the Kruger, and people like Dave and Sal have an enormous amount of knowledge.

Decisions, decisions!

Allan
 
thanks guys. Is there much difference between kruger itself and the concessions ? The tour company "Rhino" has been pushing us towards the sabi and timbavati concessions - presume they make more money than if we go to Kruger itself or am i being to cynical ??! If I'm driving from Joberg, is Pafuri at the top of kruger a realistic option - sounds like its one of the best places to go ? How long would it take to get from the bottom of kruger to the top ?

Are the cats much less likely to see in the summer ? I'm trying to plan a compromise so that i get to see the migrants but my wife also has a good chance of seeing the cats esp leopard. Was thinking of late sept/oct....? Or is that wet season ?

thanks again

Tony
 
Hi Tony

I have not travelled the route from Jhb to Punda Maria (as I always come up from Durban), but the distance is around 550km, maybe somebody else can comment about the quality of the road?

Everybody will have their own "best times to see cats" opinion, I have always managed good sightings of cats in summer, including lion, leopard, cheetah, serval and caracal.


As far as camps go, if you stay in the main park (i.e. not the concessions - maybe somebody else can comment on these?), I think, as has been suggested, you should consider staying 3 days in the North (Punda Maria), 3 days in the central park (either Satara, Olifants or Letaba) and 3 days in the south (Lower Sabie or Crocodile Bridge). This will give you a good range of habitats, and a good overall view of the park. All of these camps mentioned are well worthwhile, and are nicely positioned for birds and mammals.

Enjoy the planning!
 
Andrew

thanks. Would it be feasible to start at the bottom of kruger and work your way up to the top and then back down again in a total 2 week holiday ? I guess i'd have to do a 10 day itinary something along the lines of;

3 days south,
2 days central,
3 days north,
2 days central

with 2 days at each end to fly from the uk and then drive from joberg = 14 days. Is that feasible or over-optimistic in terms of miles per day ?

thanks

Tony
 
Last edited:
Hi Tony

Indeed, up and down again in 10-12 days is quite possible. It involves some days of mostly travelling in the park, but that's not always such a bad thing, because there is still much to see!

The trip back to Jhb from KNP will be about 450-480km from the central park, and about 400-430km from the south, depending on where your last night will be in the park.
 
Andrew

thanks - the itinery is starting to take shape then....


Day 1 Fly to Joberg,overnight at Joberg
Day 2 Drive to sth Kruger, overnight at Lower Sabie or Crocodile Bridge
Day 3 South Kruger,overnight at Lower Sabie or Crocodile Bridge
Day 4 South Kruger,overnight at Lower Sabie or Crocodile Bridge
Day 5 Kruger central, overnight at Satara, Olifants or Letaba
Day 6 Kruger central, overnight at Satara, Olifants or Letaba
Day 7 Kruger north, overnight at Punda maria or Pafuri
Day 8 Kruger north, overnight at Punda maria or Pafuri
Day 9 Kruger north, overnight at Punda maria or Pafuri
Day 10 Sabi Sands Concession
Day 11 Sabi Sands Concession
Day 12 Blyde River Canyon
Day 13 Drive to Joberg
Day 14 Fly home
 
Last edited:
Looking good to me Tony. Your longest drives in the park will be from Central KNP to Northern KNP and back again from Northern KNP to Sabi Sands (+-250km), but is still quite manageable. The rest of the travel distances will be far more leisurely.

Feel free to keep asking as you need...
 
mmmn, guess i could minimise the distance by staying at Letaba rather than Satara or olifants ? However many have said that Satara is a great place to stay....
 
Tony Knight said:
mmmn, guess i could minimise the distance by staying at Letaba rather than Satara or olifants ? However many have said that Satara is a great place to stay....
Click to expand...

Staying at Letaba will only save you 69km, so i wouldn't let that sway your decision. All 3 camps (Letaba, Satara and Olifants) are excellent though, so you can't really go wrong. Out of the 3, Satara is my favourite for animals (cats especially), and Letaba for general setting (next to a river, as is Olifants) and birds.
 
Tony Knight said:
Andrew

thanks - the itinery is starting to take shape then....

Day 1 Fly to Joberg,overnight at Joberg
Day 2 Drive to sth Kruger, overnight at Lower Sabie or Crocodile Bridge

Day 13 Drive to Joberg
Day 14 Fly home
Click to expand...

Hi Tony,
which airline are you planning to use? If you fly direct (we use Virgin, but BA or SAA are also good) it's an overnight flight, meaning pick the car up at the airport and then drive to the Kruger, saving 1 day each way. It's easily done - about 4.5 - 5 hours from Joberg to Croc Bridge.
The flights back are generally late evening as well, so drive back on the same day.

Allan
 
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