This 3-day Kruger safari from Johannesburg offers a diverse Big Five safari experience, combining game drives in Kruger National Park with wildlife viewing in a private Greater Kruger reserve. Stay at a comfortable safari lodge, nestled in a beautiful private nature reserve, and enjoy a mix of classic Kruger safaris and more exclusive private reserve game drives. This is our best-value, quick Kruger Safari that exposes you to all parts of the Greater Kruger ecosystem with two safari experiences in one trip - a perfect combination of a Kruger National Park Safari and a Greater Kruger Safari.
-2__large.jpg "Safari lodge view")
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This affordable Kruger Safari, combining a Kruger National Park Safari and a Greater Kruger Safari in South Africa, departs from Johannesburg or Pretoria. Our shuttle driver collects you from the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 07h00, or the designated collection point in Pretoria at 07h30.
Leaving the city bustle behind, we drive east into the Highveld region of Mpumalanga. The shuttle stops at the Guernsey Boom Gate in Hoedspruit. You are met by your safari guide, who drives you to the nearby Panzi Lodge (located in the beautiful Guernsey private nature reserve bordering the renowned Thornybush Nature Reserve of the Greater Kruger region), where you will spend the next two nights.
Settle into your thatched chalet and enjoy lunch in the main dining area of the lodge, where you can keep an eye on the busy waterhole. After a tasty lunch, it's time for our first 4x4 game drive in the Greater Kruger area. Hop on board the open-sided safari vehicle and head out into the lodge's private nature reserve. Sit back and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the South African bush. Along the way, we stop at a scenic spot to watch the sunset with sundowners. Keep an eye out for nocturnal wildlife as night falls. After our first peaceful sunset in the bush, we return to the lodge, using spotlights to search for nocturnal animals.
Back at Panzi lodge, we have dinner in the lantern-lit dining area. Then you are free to relax around the campfire in the outdoor boma area, unwind in the comfortable lounge or have a drink at the bar. At the end of your first exciting day on safari in South Africa, retreat to your private chalet for a good night's rest.
On day two, we get up early for our exciting full-day Kruger National Park Safari. After a quick coffee and some rusks at our exclusive safari lodge, we board our open-sided safari vehicle and head to the Orpen Gate of Kruger National Park.
Spend the day exploring South Africa's leading national park on a guided 4x4 Kruger Safari. Your safari guide takes you in search of the stunning array of wildlife and birds found in Kruger Park. This morning, we pause at one of the rest areas in Kruger National Park to enjoy packed breakfasts from the lodge.
After breakfast, our Kruger Safari adventure continues. As we explore, your guide will tell you more about the untamed African bush and its rich habitats. At lunchtime, we head to a Kruger rest camp where you can stretch your legs and freshen up. There will be time to do a bit of curio shopping, take a nap in the shade, top up on snacks and cold drinks from the shop, and have lunch (own expense). Then we venture back out into Kruger Park on an afternoon game drive. Your guide takes you in search of the diverse wild animals, birds, and reptiles of Kruger National Park, pausing to observe interesting wildlife sightings and take photos.
Our afternoon game drive ends at one of the park gates, where we exit the world-famous Kruger National Park, making our way back to our Great Kruger lodge. Enjoy a delicious dinner and relax in the unspoiled bushveld setting of the private nature reserve. Choose a comfy place to unwind - the lounge, the open-air boma, or the bar, take a night swim, or retreat to your comfy chalet with its own deck overlooking the wilderness.
Day three of our budget Kruger Safari starts with an early morning coffee and rusks at the lodge. Then we set off on our final 4x4 game drive in a Big 5 private game reserve of Greater Kruger Park.
On this last game drive, you get to explore a third Kruger habitat - a renowned private reserve nearby that forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park and hosts large African mammals, including the Big 5 of Africa. It is also home to numerous birds, plants, and small creatures. Other animals that are frequently seen here include hippo, hyena, giraffe, zebra, kudu, bushpig, crocodile, and blue wildebeest.
Your expert safari guide tracks down various animals and birds in the private game reserve and shows you the fascinating details of this wild habitat. This Kruger Safari is about more than chasing Africa's Big 5 animals; it provides an immersive African bush experience. Along the way, your safari guide can tell you all about the animals, insects, reptiles, birds, and flora that make the Greater Kruger Park so special. Enjoy your last adventure out in the South African bush, discovering the marvels of this remarkable ecosystem.
After our last rewarding 4x4 game drive, we return to the safari lodge and tuck into a hearty breakfast. Then it is time to return to the Guernsey Boom Gate outside Hoedspruit, for the shuttle transfer back to Johannesburg or Pretoria. Back in the big city, you are transferred to the O.R. Tambo International Airport (between 18:00 and 19:00), bringing this affordable Kruger Safari in South Africa to a close.
Please note that we offer convenient pre-tour and post-tour lodge accommodation for before and after this Kruger Safari, which can be added to your safari booking upon request. This 4-star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
On this Kruger Safari, guests stay at Panzi Lodge inside the Guernsey private nature reserve within the Greater Kruger Park area.
The private nature reserve comprises about 400 hectares of prime bushveld. It includes a variety of ecosystems that provide diverse habitats for wildlife and bird species found here. Of the Big 5 animals, this private nature reserve is home to leopards and buffalo. In addition to leopards, there are also African wild dogs, honey badgers, African wild cats, genets, and civets here. The game reserve also hosts other large mammals such as giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, and other antelopes like kudu, klipspringer, and impala. The birdlife is also impressive, with over 200 species of birds recorded in the reserve.
Panzi Lodge is located a 30-minute drive from Kruger National Park’s Orpen Gate and about 30 minutes from Hoedspruit. It borders Thornybush Game Reserve, which is a renowned Big 5 private game reserve in the Greater Kruger Park. The lodge is thus ideally located for exploring the Kruger safari region and its many attractions.
Safari activities offered at the lodge include full-day 4x4 Kruger National Park Safaris, 4x4 game drives, and guided bush walks. Guests typically get to explore a private Big 5 game reserve in Greater Kruger Park, as well as the private nature reserve surrounding the safari lodge.
Panzi Lodge is nestled in a leafy valley in the heart of a private reserve. It provides understated luxury in a peaceful bush setting, surrounded by the jackalberry, marula, knobthorn, and leadwood trees of the bushveld savannah.
The lodge is next to a busy watering hole that attracts a variety of animals and birds. Three wooden viewing decks provide an excellent vantage point for watching the creatures at the waterhole while enjoying drinks. The nearby water tower is the ideal spot for sundowners, offering panoramic views over the bushveld. There is a swimming pool and a lush garden with an outdoor boma area for evenings around the campfire. The main lodge area features a lounge, dining area, and bar. A laundry service is available, and there's complimentary WiFi.
Accommodation is in stylish chalets tucked away in the trees. Each thatch-roofed chalet has a private wooden deck where guests can sit back and watch visiting birds and wildlife. The chalets have high ceilings and wooden floors. Expansive windows let in the light and showcase the natural scenery. The chalets have been tastefully decorated in calming, natural hues with touches of vibrant color and African art. Each chalet has a private bathroom with a shower. Wooden walkways connect the chalets with the main lodge and outdoor areas.
This is a tranquil and elegant lodge offering understated sophistication in nature. It provides a classical African safari experience that is simple yet comfortable.
The private game reserve that we explore on this South Africa Safari forms part of the Greater Kruger Park. Greater Kruger consists of over 20 private game reserves that share unfenced borders with Kruger National Park and/or each other. This enables the wild animals in the game reserve to roam freely between Kruger National Park and the neighboring private game reserves of Greater Kruger Park. The movement of people between the different game reserves and national parks in this region is, however, restricted.
The number of visitors allowed into the private game reserves of Greater Kruger is limited, so they provide a more exclusive safari experience. Our safari lodge is one of the few with access to the section of the Greater Kruger Park that we explore. You are therefore unlikely to see other safari vehicles while out on your game drives. Another advantage is that you get to take your time watching the animals without having to share wildlife sightings or make way for other vehicles and onlookers.
The private game reserve incorporates 23 000 hectares of bushveld bordering Kruger National Park. This lesser-known Big 5 game reserve lies between Sabi Sands and the Timbavati Game Reserve. With no fences separating these private game reserves from each other or from Kruger National Park, wildlife moves freely through the region. The Big 5 animals are regularly sighted on game drives here, including the shy leopard. But exploring the private game reserve takes you beyond chasing the Big 5 of Africa, even though they are all found here. Game drives in the private game reserve are all about experiencing the South African bush. Birders can look forward to spotting some of the over 300 bird species found in the private reserve.
Kruger National Park is South Africa's premier safari destination. This massive national park covers about 19 485 km² of wilderness, yet it offers outstanding game viewing because of the abundance of wildlife found here.
There are about 147 species of mammals alone in Kruger National Park! Then there is the multitude of birds, plants, insects, reptiles, and even fish! The large mammals of Kruger include impressive populations of Africa's Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo). Common wildlife sightings include herds of elephants, antelopes, buffalo, lion prides, packs of hyenas and wild dogs, hippo pods, and basks of lurking crocodiles. Giraffes, zebras, monkeys, warthogs, baboons, and impalas are very commonly seen.
On this Kruger Safari, your guide takes you on an adventure of discovery that is as much about the small details of the ecosystem as the large animals. The game drives give you insight into the animals, birds, insects, and plants of Kruger National Park and the Greater Kruger area.
If you are looking for an excellent-value Kruger National Park safari, this 4-Day Kruger National Park Safari spends four days exclusively game-viewing within the Kruger National Park.
This tour does take children.
Families with children under 11 are welcome but activities may need to be adjusted accordingly.
Please contact us for more information.
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