5 Day Tented Camping Adventure in Kruger National Park

February 8, 2017February 8, 2017admin

Summary of this Budget Safari Package

This 5 day Kruger Tented Camping Adventure is the ideal way to explore the bush in open safari vehicles with experienced rangers who are keen to share their extensive experience and knowledge.

Kruger National Park is home to the famous Big 5 and sighting these majestic creatures is a real highlight. The reserve also hosts an abundance of other wildlife and birdlife in the park is also a huge draw card, attracting birding enthusiasts from around the world. Accommodation is inside the acclaimed Kruger National Park at Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, which features a swimming pool, bar, restaurant and shop. Our eight simple safari-style tents are more comfortable and spacious than regular dome tents, with the added comfort of beds and a few basic amenities.

Come and experience an authentic bush adventure on this affordable tented camping safari in Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s most outstanding wildlife destinations.

Itinerary for this Tour

Day 1: Johannesburg to Kruger National Park – South Africa

We get an early 6am start on day one, collecting you from either your pre-tour accommodation in Johannesburg or from the O.R. Tambo International Airport. From Johannesburg we travel through some spectacular landscapes en route to Kruger National Park in the comfort of an air-conditioned Toyota Quantum. We reach the small farming town of Hazyview by midday and get to our tented camp at Pretoriuskop Rest Camp by around 13h00. Pretoriuskop Rest Camp is in the southern part of Kruger National Park and is the oldest camp in the park, located near some ancient and dramatic granite boulders.

Once you have settled in it is time to enjoy lunch (own account) at the Pretoriuskop Camp restaurant. After lunch we will prepare to set off on our first game drive, enjoying a cup of tea or coffee before we set off at 16h00. Your highly qualified guide will accompany you into Kruger Park in an open-sided 4×4 game viewing vehicle, giving you a great introduction to the vast bushveld and its incredible animals. The Kruger National Park is well known worldwide for hosting an impressive variety of flora and fauna across a wide range of habitats within its 19 485 km² area, making it one of the largest game reserves in Africa.

When the gates of Kruger Park close we will return for dinner at 19h00. Then it is time for the highly anticipated night game drive in Kruger National Park, which takes us back into the bush after dark, spotlights showing the way. We go in search of the fascinating nocturnal inhabitants – simply knowing that there are both big and small predators and a variety of wild creatures in the darkness around you is simply exhilarating. Nocturnal sightings can often include lions, jackals, bush babies, leopards, honey badgers, porcupines and civets.

Once our late night adventure comes to an end we will return to the camp for a well-deserved rest in our comfortable safari tents. The safari tents are more spacious and taller than conventional dome tents, and each one is furnished with twin beds, that offer more comfort than traditional camping beds.

Includes: Dinner

Day 2 – 4: Kruger National Park – South Africa

Day two sees a nice early start as the first few hours of daylight are usually the best for spotting wildlife and some of the 517 species of birds. After our morning coffee/tea and rusks we head off into Kruger National Park. Today gives you a more in-depth feeling of the sheer vastness of this huge area of protected wilderness. You can really begin to appreciate the diversity of the landscapes and animal populations of Kruger Park.

If the weather allows we enter the park as soon as the gates open and begin to explore the bushveld in the crisp morning air. We stop for a tea break along the way and take a moment to enjoy the beautiful early morning sights and sounds of the surroundings. After continuing with the morning’s game viewing and exploration we stop for breakfast at one of the established rest camps in Kruger (Skukuza or Afsaal.)

If there are guests on the game drive who are departing from Kruger today, we will have them back at Pretoriuskop by 11h30. Have lunch (own account) at the camp and relax around the pool area until tea time, before heading off on a late afternoon game drive at 16h00. We continue exploring the endless wild spaces of the Kruger National Park in search of the Big Five – African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and rhinoceros. Both the black rhino and the white rhino can be found in Kruger Park. Sighting these magnificent animals is an unforgettable highlight and well worth the hours spent in the bush.

Alternatively, if there are no guests scheduled for departure today options will be discussed with your guide and the game viewing drive will continue for the entire day with a lunch stop (own account) at one of the many rest camp options along our route through Kruger Park. At the end of a full day of game viewing in the Kruger National Park we return to the Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, arriving by about 16h00. Then, spend time unwinding and recuperating before dinner, which is served at 19h00, and enjoy a relaxed evening around the campfire.

Days three and four follow a similar itinerary: an early morning game drive including a breakfast stop and an afternoon game drive followed by dinner at the Pretoriuskop Rest Camp. The programme details will be decided according to whether guests on the morning game viewing drive are scheduled for departure on that day, which will determine if the vehicle will return to Pretoriuskop at lunch time so that these guests can be ready for the transfer at 13h00. Otherwise on the full day game drives we will make a lunch stop (own account) at one of the other rest camp restaurants in the park.

Your guides will happily assist you to book other optional activities conducted by the official SANParks rangers, including extra night game drives and accompanied bush walks. Any extra activities will be for your own account. There are also other adventure activities, walking trails and guided scenic drives available as optional extras that can be discussed with your guide.

Includes: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5: Kruger National Park to Johannesburg

This is the last day that you wake up surrounded by the untamed bushveld at Pretoriuskop Rest Camp. After another early morning coffee we will set off into the Kruger National Park as soon as the gates open (weather permitting). Take in the last few hours of game viewing and wildlife spotting under the guidance of your experienced ranger before heading back to civilization. We stop for breakfast at Skukuza or Afsaal – areas well-known as being excellent terrain for spotting lions and cheetahs, as well as an interesting variety of birdlife including large colonies of Red-billed Queleas, African Goshawk, Steppe Eagle and Black-shouldered Kites. This route also passes some spectacular granite outcrops set in the gentle rolling hills, looking out over Sabie’s southern area hosting prolific animal populations.

Returning to camp by 11h30 we have lunch (own account) before leaving Pretoriuskop Rest Camp for the drive back to Johannesburg. Departing at 13h00 we reach Johannesburg at about 18h00. You will be dropped off at your post-tour accommodation in Sandton or at the O.R. Tambo Airport where we say farewell.

Includes: Breakfast

About the Camp

The Pretoriuskop tented rest camp is set within the greater Kruger National Park. The rest camp is completely fenced in to prevent predators and large animals from wondering through, yet you are surrounded by natural bushveld which still allows you to experience the wild open space from the safety of the camp . The camp is an excellent base given its location inside Kruger. The actual camp differs from the other camps in Kruger in that it has been allowed to retain some of the nostalgia of the past, including exotic flowering plants and trees (instead of exclusively indigenous vegetation) and the Wolhuter Hut which was the first hut used in the 1920’s for tourists in Kruger National Park.

There are eight safari tents at the camp, each sleeping two guests. Each tent is furnished with twin beds, fans, bedside tables and lamps. The tents are more spacious and comfortable than the standard dome tents normally used on camping tours. The tents are fitted with wooden flooring, power points and electric blankets for cold winter nights. Each tent comes standard with linen, towels and bedding. The safari tents are designed with big windows which are fitted with mosquito netting, allowing you to open them and enjoy a cool breeze without being disturbed by insects. Every safari tent also has a small, lamp-lit patio area with two camping chairs, for enjoying the beautiful African night skies.

This is a simple, no-frills camp with a big lounge-dining tent and an open-air fire pit. The safari tents and shared bathroom facilities are serviced daily. Guests have access to the amenities at Pretoriuskop Rest Camp. These include a swimming pool, bar, restaurant and shop. There is no WiFi available but there is cell phone reception. Our experienced local guides take pride in making your stay highly enjoyable and enriching by sharing their extensive knowledge about the incredible surrounding flora, fauna and landscapes with you.