If you enjoy the bush and hours in a car spotting wild life then Kruger National Park – one of the largest game reserves in Africa – is a definite must. We have visited this wildlife paradise for years and have stayed at the various camps. This holiday we booked a year in advance and managed to secure the Wells Guest House at Satara Camp for a week. Satara is well known for its predator sightings so our expectations were high and we were not disappointed.
Packed to capacity with food, drinks, condensed milk and a couple of yoga mats (not sure why those were included), we drove into Kruger through the Malelane Gate. We had the park pretty much to ourselves as we were some of the first visitors back into Kruger since the onset of lockdown in March – slightly surreal but amazing nevertheless not to see another vehicle for miles. Bear in mind that the speed limit is 50 km/h but if you don’t want to miss anything then going at 20 km/h gives time to spot animals and birds.
Settling into the daily routine of eat, laugh a lot, eat, spot animals, eat, laugh a lot, eat, repeat comes easily and the time flies by. Early morning condensed milk and evening braai’s under the African stars are hard to beat. Wells Guest House has 3 en-suite twin bedrooms, a dining and living area, kitchen and beautiful large patio. It is situated close to the reception area which makes trips to the shop a little easier.
Some tips – for what they are worth:
Buy a Dometic Electric Coolbox
Preferably you would want to buy your meat at your local butcher for quality purchases. Travelling from George up North has always been problematic when it comes to transporting frozen meat so we invested in the Dometic 82 l CFX3 95DZ. It’s lightweight so there’s no need to hurt your back when lugging it out the back of the car. Its dual storage compartments and independent temperature control for simultaneous cooling and freezing allows freezer and fridge space and better still temperatures can be checked and controlled via WiFi or Bluetooth so you can check it whilst driving or reading your bird book without having to physically check it. It’s definitely our best buy this year.
Take an extra hard cooler box
Fill this one with plenty of ice to ensure “brews” are ice cold – very important!
Book a year in advance
Kruger is popular and securing consecutive nights in one spot challenging. We booked Wells Guest House a year in advance, but you have to be on the ball and check the availability daily.
Do not take Yoga Mats
Although a nice thought, unless you are a Yoga Guru there is a very good chance that after a long day of animal spotting you won’t be in the mood for exercise!!
Take a table cloth
Always a good thing to have when you arrive at a picnic spot.
No Comments