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Leopard drinking greater kruger

4 Day South Africa Safari - Kruger & Balule Tented Camp

Tour Length4 days
Priced from pps $894 R17050 £709 829 A$1378 C$1216 NZ$1500 Full pricing info
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Summary of this Lodge Safari

  • Max. Group Size 8 Travellers
  • Starts & ends in Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Accommodation Tented Lodge / Luxury Camping
  • Transport Microbus / Open 4x4 Game Viewing Vehicle
  • Wildlife Big 5, Elephant, Exceptional Birding, Leopards, Lions, Rhino & More
  •  See Departure Dates

Quick Itinerary Overview

An affordable short South Africa Safari to Kruger National Park and Balule Nature Reserve in Greater Kruger Park. This budget Kruger Safari offers the ideal opportunity for a genuine African bush experience, staying at an unfenced tented camp in Greater Kruger Park.

Enjoy the intimacy of a private reserve, where you are unlikely to come across other vehicles whilst out on your open 4x4 game drives. Relish the knowledge and professionalism of your guides and trackers who will take you off-road for the best sightings and photo opportunities, keeping in contact with other guides to ensure that no exciting experience is missed. Immerse yourself in the African bush in this wild landscape, the silence occasionally broken by the sounds of wildlife and birds.

You may wonder why this tour includes a day spent in Kruger National Park with all the benefits of staying in Greater Kruger Park. South Africa's national treasure, Kruger National Park is a long-established national park hosting a dizzying array of animals, plants, and birds. The habitats in both parks differ and wildlife gravitates to the habitat that suits their needs, so it's quite possible that you may spot an animal in Kruger National Park that you haven't spotted in Greater Kruger.

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Itinerary for this Tour

Day 1: Johannesburg to Greater Kruger National Park – South Africa

This 4-Day South Africa Safari to Kruger & Balule begins with an early morning pick-up from OR Tambo in Johannesburg. From there, the air-conditioned shuttle transfers you to Three Bridges in Limpopo. Here you are greeted by your guide from the tented lodge and transferred to the camp in an open safari vehicle.

Our tented camp is located in the private Balule Nature Reserve of Greater Kruger Park. Upon arrival, lunch is served at the leafy camp. Then you are free to rest and settle in at the tented camp. Later this afternoon, when it cools down, we set off on our first exciting game drive in the South African bush. Our specially designed safari vehicle is ideal for wildlife spotting and taking photos, with its elevated seats and an open top. It's also designed to take us off-road and as close to any wildlife action as is safely possible.

Your guide is extremely familiar with this vast wildlife area and knows exactly how best to position the safari vehicle for optimal wildlife viewing. Sharing open borders with the twenty private reserves in Greater Kruger National Park and Kruger National Park itself the possibility of spotting the Big 5 and all the diverse creatures that traverse this vast terrain is exceptionally high. We take a break from our three-hour exploration to toast our African adventure. Enjoy a spectacular sunset with sundowners in the bush and then head back to camp as darkness falls. With our vehicle's spotlight turned on keep an eye out for the nocturnal creatures as they begin to wake from their daytime sleep.

Back at camp enjoy a pre-dinner drink from the cash bar and then tuck into a delicious dinner in the lantern-lit boma area around the campfire.

  • Meals included: Lunch & Dinner
  • Activities Included: Sunset game drive with sundowners

Day 2: Kruger National Park – South Africa

Wake up to the sounds of the African bush early this morning. Start your day with a quick coffee and light snacks before we head to Kruger National Park. Today our South Africa Safari spends a full day exploring Kruger National Park, South Africa's top wildlife destination.

We set off for Kruger National Park in a comfortable 4x4 double cab or minibus early in the morning. Our drive to the Orpen Gate of Kruger takes about an hour and a half so we arrive at Orpen Gate shortly after it opens. As soon as we enter Kruger National Park the game viewing begins. Our exploration begins in the Orpen area which features open grasslands. The grassy plains attract white rhinos, cheetahs, and African wild dogs, along with herds of zebras and wildebeest, among other grazers. After exploring for a while we stop to enjoy a picnic breakfast and coffee in the bush.

Then we continue our game drive to Letaba Camp. Here we have lunch (own expense) at the camp's restaurant overlooking the Letaba River. The river attracts a variety of animals and birds to keep an eye on while we enjoy lunch. Then you can pop in at the elephant museum which is well worth a visit. After our lunch break, our game-viewing adventure continues. Our game drive takes us west to the Phalaborwa Gate where we exit Kruger at dusk.

The routes on our game drives in Kruger National Park change slightly based on the movement of wildlife and seasons. Regardless of the exact route, you'll get to see a variety of habitats with different plants, animals, and birds on our full-day safari. With luck, you will also see some of the Big 5 animals of Africa (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant), if not all five of them.

Back at the tented camp a tasty dinner, hot shower, and welcoming campfire await.

  • Meals included: picnic Breakfast & Dinner
  • Activities Included: Full-day Kruger Safari (4x4 double cab or minibus)

Safari Travel Note:

Today we cover a lot of ground, with most of the day spent driving. With our game drives in Kruger National Park and the transfers from the tented camp to Kruger, and back, we do a lot of driving. Thus, transport is in a 4x4 double cab or minibus that provides a more comfortable journey.

Day 3: Greater Kruger National Park – South Africa

Awake to the sound of birds, your safari alarm clock, inviting you for coffee and a light breakfast. Today our South Africa Safari explores Balule Nature Reserve in Greater Kruger Park on game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles.

The day begins with a sunrise game drive in the 12,000-hectare private game reserve. We set off early to catch the animals at their most active, with drinks and snacks on hand. This three-hour game drive takes us to active waterholes visited by wildlife and birds, as well as the winding Olifant's River that attracts a host of wild creatures. The undulating landscapes and rocky outcrops of this wild terrain host many habitats, home to various birds and animals. Along the way, you'll stop to admire the beautiful views over the unspoiled bush.

Back at the tented camp, a scrumptious full breakfast is served, followed by free time to relax. You can take a refreshing dip in the camp's splash pool, have a siesta, freshen up with a hot shower in your private, open-air bathroom, or head to the lounge platform for some rewarding bird watching. Be sure to keep an eye on the wildlife and birds at the waterhole of the unfenced camp.

After a light lunch at the camp, we embark on an afternoon game drive in the Greater Kruger game reserve. The Balule part of Greater Kruger Park is known for its exciting lion sightings and the abundance of elephants. With luck, we'll get up close to some big animals as we explore. During our afternoon game drive, we pause to enjoy sundowners and salute another serene African sunset.

  • Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Activities Included: Morning & Afternoon Game Drives in Greater Kruger Park (open 4x4 safari vehicles)

Day 4: Greater Kruger Park to Johannesburg – South Africa

On the final morning of our South Africa Safari, we get up before sunrise. The day starts with a quick coffee and light snacks, as is customary on African safaris. To make the most of our last game drive in Greater Kruger Park we head out early in the morning.

Sit back and enjoy the tranquil bush in the early morning hours. Many animals and birds are at their most active at this time so keep your eyes peeled. After our morning game drive in the northern area of Balule Nature Reserve, we return to the tented camp for a delicious full breakfast.

Then your guide transfers you back to Three Bridges where the shuttle collects you for the return transfer to Johannesburg. Arriving at the airport in Johannesburg, it's time to say farewell.

  • Meals included: Breakfast
  • Activities Included: Morning Game Drive in Greater Kruger Park

About Balule Nature Reserve in Greater Kruger Park

On this safari, we explore the northern part of Balule Nature Reserve, where our tented camp is located. This part of Balule is called the Maseke Game Reserve. It is about 9000 hectares in size and forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park which is made up of privately owned game reserves in South Africa. Maseke is in the northern area of Balule Nature Reserve and borders Olifants North Reserve. The terrain is undulating with prominent mountain ridges and rocky outcrops which make it an interesting area for wildlife viewing drives. The Olifants River courses through the reserve attracting wildlife to its banks.

All of the private reserves in Greater Kruger share open borders with each other and with Kruger National Park, which creates a vast landscape traversed by a huge collection of wildlife, including the Big 5. Open plains attract wildebeest and zebra while elephant herds crowd forests of tall mopane trees. Rocky outcrops are home to rare klipspringer antelope, baboon troops, and dassies - a magnet for leopards. All in all a diverse area that makes for an interesting, exciting safari.

About Kruger National Park

Named for Paul Kruger, it is thanks to his vision that this wildlife sanctuary was finally proclaimed as a national park in 1898. Long before tourists arrived at the park there is much archaeological evidence, which includes examples of ancient rock art, that it was home to prehistoric man, The first modern-day tourists arrived by train, as an overnight stop was included at Sabie Bridge on the train's journey to Lourenco Marques (now Maputo). In 1926 it was finally decided to build main and secondary roads through the park, but it wasn't until the early 30s that accommodation facilities were provided. All visitors were accompanied by a ranger and charged a fee for this service and a fee was charged for taking photographs. Since these early days, the park has progressed and today hosts millions of visitors, both local and international, and is celebrated as a national treasure.

Covering an area of almost two million hectares of varied landscapes and habitats, Kruger National Park shares open borders with Greater Kruger National Park, which allows wildlife to roam freely through this vast area. The single most remarkable thing about Kruger is the diversity of African wildlife species it hosts. Kruger is home to sizeable populations of Africa's famous Big Five and numerous rare and endangered animals including African wild dogs, black rhinos, and pangolins. The birdlife in Kruger is exceptional which includes what has become known as the 'Big Six' birds. These are Lappet Faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Saddle-billed Stork, Kori Bustard, Ground Hornbill, and the reclusive, seldom seen Pel's Fishing Owl.

About our Tented Camp in Greater Kruger Park

Our safari camp, located in the northern part of Balule Nature Reserve, offers simple tented accommodation in a wild environment. The tented camp provides a genuine African bush experience with basic facilities. It is an unfenced bush camp where animals can roam freely. The camp overlooks a flood-lit waterhole visited by wildlife and birds, day and night. This is the ideal place to get close to nature and immerse yourself in the African wilderness.

Camp facilities include a small splash pool and hammocks, and a shady, thatch-roofed lounge area set on a platform. As often as possible meals are served al fresco, either in the lantern-lit boma around the campfire or in the well-established garden under shady trees. There is a cash bar available for drinks. The experienced, professional guides offer nature walks if there is time available, noting that only guests sixteen years and older may participate. And if you can't bear to be separated from the outside world, there is wifi available at the camp.

Guests are accommodated in Meru-style tents with electricity. Each has a private bathroom adjacent to it and a small patio area under canvas. The patios have two comfortable hand-made chairs and overlook the waterhole. These are walk-in tents under canvas, in traditional African safari style. Each tent has its own open-air (yet private) bathroom where you can take a hot shower under the stars. The bathrooms have basins and flush toilets, with towels and amenities provided. The tents have two windows with mosquito netting to allow the breeze in but keep the insects out. The tents are fitted with sturdy beds with quality linen, and basic furnishings (side tables, bedside lamps, luggage racks, and mats).

Kruger Safari Shuttle Transfers

Collection and drop-off will be at OR Tambo International Airport (Bus Terminal Building). Transport to and from this pre-appointed location is not included in the tour price.

Collection times on the first day:

  • 07h30 OR Tambo International Aiport

Drop-off times on the last day:

  • 17h30 - 18h00 OR Tambo International Airport

Pre- and Post-Safari Lodge Options:

Please note that we offer convenient pre- and post-tour lodge accommodation for before and after this Kruger 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. Follow the link for information on rates.

Child Policy

This tour does take children.

Children over the age of 10 years are permitted on this safari. The minimum age that young adults may participate in bush walks is 16 years old.

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+Where does the tour go to?
+Included in the Tour Price
  • Meals as per the itinerary
  • Transfers from Johannesburg to the camp and back
  • Open vehicle game drives in Greater Kruger
  • Full-day Kruger National Park Safari in enclosed vehicles
  • Tented safari accommodation
  • Experienced, professional guides
  • Tea, coffee and filtered tap water
  • Maseke Game Reserve Conservation Levy
+Not Included in the Tour Price
  • Lunch in Kruger National Park (day 2)
  • Drinks
  • Kruger National Park Conservation Levy & Entry Fee
+Departure Dates

This tour departs daily with a minimum of two guests.

Scheduled Tour Departures
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