5 day Kruger Park Bungalow and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari

This accommodated 5-day Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Safari spends two nights in budget bungalow accommodation at Skukuza camp inside the Kruger National Park and two nights in a comfortable yet affordable lodge inside the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which shares an unfenced border with Kruger Park. 

Day 1: Johannesburg to Kruger National Park – South Africa

The five day Kruger Park Bungalow and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari starts off in the bustling city of Johannesburg where you will be collected from your pre-tour accommodation (hotel/guesthouse) or from the OR Tambo International Airport between 7:00 and 7:30am. Leaving Johannesburg we head east to the Kruger National Park, South Africa’s premier game park, in an air-conditioned mini bus. We stop for lunch in a small town along the way, arriving at the world-renowned Kruger Park at about midday.

Entering the wildlife rich Kruger game reserve we make our way to Skukuza rest camp, set on the banks of the Sabie River in the heart of this nearly 2 million hectare national park. The game viewing adventure begins as soon as we enter the gates of this diverse wildlife park, heading to Skukuza, the largest rest camp inside Kruger Park.

Upon arrival at Skukuza camp your safari guide will help you check into your budget Kruger Park bungalow accommodation within this top national park. All of the Kruger camps are fenced in to protect visitors from the predators found in this Big Five game park. Your safari guide will inform you of the game drive departure times and provide a brief orientation of the facilities at Skukuza camp, which features dining facilities, a shop, Internet café and swimming pools. After settling in at Kruger Park’s most popular rest camp we embark on our first exhilarating game viewing drive into the African bush in search of the abundant wildlife inhabiting this vast national park. 

The afternoon game drive is conducted in an open 4x4 safari vehicle for optimal game viewing, although if you prefer a closed vehicle can be used instead. You will be in good hands as the safari guides taking you on the game drives on this Kruger Park and Sabi Sands safari are all qualified and registered guides, as well as being experienced and knowledgeable. The afternoon game drives in Kruger usually depart from Skukuza between 2:30 and 3:00pm and take about 3 or 4 hours depending on the success of the game sightings. The exciting Kruger game drive ends back at Skukuza rest camp before the gates close for the night. 

Back at our Kruger rest camp there will be some free time before dinner, which is served at the dining facility shown to you by the field guide in the morning. Dinner will be the hearty culinary delight of a traditional South African meal, giving you a taste of truly South African cuisine, prepared by your hostess. This fine local meal includes complimentary South African wine or an alternative such as a soft drink, bottled water or beer, which can be arranged with your hostess. After dinner you are free to relax around the fire recounting the wildlife adventures of your first day of game viewing in Kruger Park, one of Africa’s best game reserves.

Meals included: Dinner 

About Kruger Park & Skukuza

South Africa's flagship national park, Kruger Park is world-renowned for its superb game viewing and is one of Africa's largest and best game reserves. Kruger National Park is home to an unrivalled diversity of African wildlife (including the Big Five) and is considered a world leader in terms of its environmental policies and management practices. Skukuza is a lush camp set among big trees along the Sabie River inside the Kruger National Park. Lions are frequently sighted in the area surrounding Skukuza camp, as well as a variety of other wild animals, including the Big Five, and wide variety of bird species. Within Skukuza rest camp, which acts as the headquarters for conservation and research in Kruger, you can spot the nocturnal fruit bat as well as tree-climbing bush baby and genets.

Day 2: Kruger National Park – South Africa

An early morning wake up call from your safari guide gets the day started with the rising time depending on when the park gates open. The opening hours of Kruger gates vary in different seasons according to park management practices. Once you are up you can head to the dining facility at the rest camp for coffee or tea and rusks (local tea biscuits). 

After the morning snack we set off on a morning game drive, an excellent time of day for game viewing, in an open 4x4 safari vehicle. The morning bush drive lasts for about three to four hours and follows routes that provide superb photographic and game viewing opportunities. Upon our return from the morning drive brunch will be served at one of the dining facilities at Skukuza rest camp. 

Brunch is followed by leisure time at the Kruger camp during which you are free to enjoy the camp facilities or take a rest. Facilities at Skukuza rest camp include a museum, swimming pools and a shop selling African curios, food and drinks. Otherwise you could relax on the restaurant look out deck enjoying the views of the Sabie River or explore the bush camp on foot.

The afternoon game drive takes you back into the Kruger Park bush in search of its abundance of wildlife at about 2:30 to 3:00pm, departing from the dining facility. The afternoon game drive takes about three to four hours after which we make our way back to Skukuza before the camp gates close. Back at the Kruger camp you have time to freshen up before dinner, which will be served in the centrally located dining facility.

Day 3: Kruger National Park to Sabi Sand Game Reserve – South Africa

On day three of the Kruger Park Bungalow and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari we pack up and leave Skukuza camp, heading south to the exclusive Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park wilderness area. An early wake up call is followed by some morning coffee and snacks before we venture back into the wilds of Kruger Park in search of its diversity of wildlife and birds. We stop for a picnic breakfast inside the Kruger enjoying some game viewing along the way and continue with our game viewing as we slowly leave Kruger Park. Once outside Kruger Park we drive straight to our affordable lodge accommodation inside Sabi Sand Game Reserve. This accommodated wildlife safari offers budget travellers the unique opportunity of experiencing the more exclusive Sabi Sand Park staying inside the game reserve at affordable lodge accommodation. There are no fences between the private Sabi Sand reserve and Kruger Park, which ensures superb wildlife sightings of the free-roaming wild animals, including several endangered species and the Big Five.

We aim to arrive at our comfortable, yet affordable lodge in Sabi Sand Game Reserve in time for lunch leaving some time to freshen up before our afternoon game drive adventure. The game drive in an open 4x4 safari vehicle lasts for about four hours taking us into the evening when we head back to the safari lodge. When we get back dinner is served out under the starry African skies around a welcoming fire. After dinner guests can relax around the fire and swap stories from another unforgettable day of game viewing in the Greater Kruger National Park.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

About Sabi Sand Game Reserve

Sabi Sand Game Reserve, a 65 000 hectare private reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park, offers a more exclusive safari experience than the main Kruger National Park wilderness area. The Sabi Sand Reserve shares 50 km unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park and generally offers upmarket safari accommodation for the discerning traveller. The Kruger Park and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari is unique in that it offers the budget traveller an affordable package with lodge accommodation within the Sabi Sand reserve, as well as staying inside the Kruger. Sabi Sand is famous for its superb leopard sightings, with the likelihood of sighting these large cats in Sabi Sand being higher than in the surrounding wildlife parks. Not only are the chances of spotting leopards in Sabi Sand very high, but safari vehicles also frequently get as close as three to four meters from these amazing predators making for excellent photographic opportunities.

Day 4: Sabi Sand Game Reserve – South Africa

Another early start, the day begins with a quick coffee before embarking on a morning open vehicle game drive in the diverse Sabi Sand Game Reserve, in search of Africa's fascinating wildlife. The morning game viewing drive is followed by a hearty breakfast back at our safari lodge inside Sabi Sand. After breakfast you have some free time to relax in this tranquil African bush setting and lounge by one of the lodge swimming pools or take an optional bush walk to get a closer look at the interesting flora and fauna in this part of the world.

At around 2:00pm lunch is served at the safari lodge after which we take an afternoon game drive that lasts into the evening. This thrilling night game drive gives you a chance to spot some of the interesting nocturnal wildlife in Sabi Sand. We return to our Sabi Sand lodge after this exhilarating adventure in the African bush to enjoy dinner and leisure time at the lodge.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included

Day 5: Sabi Sand Game Reserve to Johannesburg – South Africa

On the last day of the Kruger Park Bungalow and Sabi Sand Lodge Safari we rise early and have a morning coffee before venturing back out into the famous private reserve in search of Africa’s wildlife. This will be our final expedition into the African wilderness to photograph and sight the wild animals of Sabi Sand. 

The morning game drive is followed by breakfast back at our comfortable Sabi Sands lodge. After breakfast there is some free time to pack and get ready for our journey from the Sabi Sand Reserve back to Johannesburg. There is time for you to freshen up before we pack the vehicle and travel back to Johannesburg.

Our drive back to Johannesburg takes us along the Panorama Route, one of the most beautiful parts of scenic South Africa. The famous viewpoints and spots along this route, include Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels, Lisbon Waterfalls and our lunch stop, Pilgrims Rest. We arrive in Johannesburg at about 7:30pm when you will be taken to your hotel or lodge accommodation for the night. This brings the unforgettable African wildlife adventure of the 5-day Kruger Park and Sabi Sand Safari to a close.

Meals included: Breakfast

Choosing between Private and Public National Parks

So what's the difference between the Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve and other private game reserves?

Comparing the two types of wilderness areas is not straightforward because they offer a somewhat different safari experience. Kruger National Park is viewed as the “Great Unknown” - a vast game park full of wildlife surprises. In the Kruger Park the game watching is mostly a matter of being in the right spot at the right time to catch the action. The Kruger safari guides are however very knowledgeable about this diverse game park and have a good idea of where to look for the various wild animals, increasing the chances of sighting these animals. The Kruger Park safari guides readily share their knowledge enabling visitors to learn a lot about the flora and fauna of Kruger on a safari in the park. Kruger Park offers an element of surprise that attracts many visitors to this national park.

In a private game reserve like Sabi Sand you are almost guaranteed to experience excellent game sightings. In the private reserves the safari guides usually keep in contact via radio so that any game sightings are instantly shared by alerting those in the vicinity of the wildlife sighting.

On this Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Safari you don't need to choose as you get to experience the best of both public and private safari options, enjoying South Africa's leading Kruger Park and intimate game viewing experience of Sabi Sands Game Reserve. 

Please Note:

This five day accommodated Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Safari is also available as a three day safari and four day safari package. For more information please contact African Budget Safaris.

Check out other Kruger Park Safaris and Sabi Sands Safaris with African Budget Safaris or find out more about Kruger National Park or Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve.

Pre and Post Tour Lodge Accommodation:

Please note that we offer convenient pre and post tour lodge accommodation for before and after the Kruger and Sabi Sand Safari, which can be added to your tour booking upon request. The 4 star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and the rates include transfers between 08:00am and 8:00pm. The guest lodge rates also include breakfast.

2010 Lodge Rates: Valid until 30 September 2010

• R 455 per person sharing
• R 670 per single booking

2011 Lodge Rates: 1 October 2010 - 30 September 2011

• R 525 per person sharing
• R 770 per single booking

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