Kruger Full-Day Safari from Hoedspruit

Hoedspruit, the quiet gateway to the central Kruger

Hoedspruit is a small farming and safari town in Limpopo, set at the foot of the Drakensberg escarpment among mango and citrus orchards, and it is the most convenient base for the central Kruger. How to get to Hoedspruit: the town has its own airport (HDS) with flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town, and it is about two hours by road from Hazyview along the Blyde River Canyon, or roughly six hours from Johannesburg. We can arrange private transfers to and from the town.

Because the Orpen Gate lies under an hour to the east, a Hoedspruit safari puts you inside the park within the first hour of the gates opening, without the long drives that southern bases sometimes require. The town is also the gateway to the northern half of the Panorama Route, with the Three Rondavels viewpoint and the Blyde River Canyon within easy reach, which makes it a strong two- or three-night stop on a Kruger itinerary.

Orpen Gate and the road to Satara

The Orpen Gate is the central Kruger's western entrance, named for the family who donated the land in the 1930s. From the gate a tarred road runs east for about fifty kilometres to Satara, crossing the Timbavati River and passing waterholes and open plains where giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and impala graze in large numbers. Kruger opening hours follow the seasons, with gates opening between half past five and six in the morning, and our early pickup means we arrive as they open.

The first hours along this road are the best of the day. Lion prides are often found near the road after a night of hunting, elephant herds drink at the river crossings and the dawn light is soft for photography. Your guide drives slowly, stops the engine at every sighting and reads the morning's tracks to decide which side roads to explore, with loops such as the Timbavati picnic site road and the gravel routes north and south of the main road.

Satara and the central Kruger plains

The central Kruger is a different landscape from the south: wide, open savannah on fertile basalt soils, with knobthorn and marula trees scattered across grassland that supports the park's largest herds of zebra, wildebeest and buffalo. Where there are herds there are predators, and the Satara area has long been known as lion country, with cheetah on the open plains and leopard along the drainage lines. Is the central Kruger worth the drive from Hoedspruit? For big cats, it is arguably the best region in the park.

Satara rest camp sits in the middle of this grassland and is our lunch stop. It has a restaurant, a shop for snacks and souvenirs, shaded picnic tables and clean restrooms, and lunch is at your own expense. The roads around the camp, including the loop to the Nwanetsi viewpoint and the route south towards Tshokwane, are productive at any hour, and the afternoon drive back towards Orpen often brings elephant and buffalo to the road.

Wildlife of the central Kruger

The Big Five, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino, all occur in the central Kruger, with lion and elephant the most frequently seen on this route. Beyond them, the plains hold cheetah, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, giraffe in large numbers, kudu, waterbuck and tsessebe, while the Timbavati River brings hippo, crocodile and a rich birdlife of hornbills, rollers, eagles and vultures. Sightings are never guaranteed, as these are wild animals in a vast area, but a full day in such open country gives excellent odds.

The best time to visit Kruger for game viewing is the dry season from May to September, when the grass is short and animals gather at the waterholes along the road; mornings on the open vehicle are cold, so bring layers. The green season from October to March is hot with afternoon storms, lush grass and many newborn animals, and the birding is at its best. Kruger is a malaria area, so consult your doctor before you travel.

The open safari vehicle and the small-group format

Our custom-built open safari vehicles have tiered rows of seats raised above the driver, a canvas roof for shade and no windows, so every traveller sees over the bush and hears the alarm calls, bird song and the crunch of elephant feeding. Photography is easy from any seat, and the guide positions the vehicle for the best angle at each sighting. The group is limited to ten, which keeps the vehicle quiet and the guide able to answer everyone's questions.

The day runs about eight and a half hours from pickup to drop-off, with roughly six hours of game driving split by the lunch break at Satara. Conservation fees are included, so the only expenses are lunch, snacks and anything you buy at the camp shop. Bring a hat, sunscreen, binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens, and wear neutral colours.