Help needed selecting Kruger area lodges

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
After a bit of a break, I am back to planning for our Southern Africa trip in Feb. 2015. If you want some background, take a look at the thread I started re: this trip:
https://saverocity.com/forum/threads/south-africa-and-namibia-for-feb-2016.163529/

In addition to carefully reading that thread as well as all the other Africa threads here, I've done internet research, read Lonely Planet guides, spoke to people who have traveled there recently, read trips reports and hotel reviews, looked at FT, etc. I contacted a few agents and I've been comparing the initial suggestions they have offered. At this point I am ready to decide which agent I will use to help with the bookings, and I'd like to give her (they happen to all be women!) some guidance re: our lodge preferences.

Although many folks here and elsewhere sang the praises of Satara, we've decided that we’d prefer to stay at smaller lodges with inclusive game drives. Since I am hoping for some lodge-specific advice, I thought it most useful to me and others who may have similar questions to start a new thread specifically devoted to private lodges in the Kruger vicinity.

After getting recommendations in that original thread, from friends, and from the agents, the following lodges/locations are still on my list:

In the Timbavati Private Reserve: Simbavati River Lodge
(Probably more aspirational and expensive than we need but we might spring for one luxury lodge)

In Sabi Sands:
Arathusa Lodge
Elephant Plain Game Lodge.
Umkumbe Safari Lodge
On the list but not real contenders: Nottens Bush Camp and Savanna Private Game Reserve both of which more aspirational and expensive than we need, especially if we do stay at Simbavati.

Balule Naure Reserve: Toro Yaka Bush Lodge

Klaserie Game Reserve: Nthambo Tree Camp

I would be most grateful for any advice/suggestions, for example:

1) Have you stayed at any of these lodges and would you recommend them?
2) Do you have other lodge recs?

I understand that the game drives cross back and forth between Kruger lands and the private reserves. But do they also go between different private reserves? In other words, if we decide to stay in Klaserie, do we need to also consider nearby Timbavati?

Finally, if we decide to include Victoria Falls on our itinerary, I am considering going to Chobe in Botswana. I know about the Chobe Game Lodge. Can anyone recommend any other lodges there?

Thanks!! And Happy 4th!
 
Last edited:

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
Here's one more possibility:

Bushwise Safaris Marloth Park near Crocodile River
http://www.bushwisesafaris.com/
A conservancy on the southern boundary of the Kruger National Park, with spectacular views of the Kruger National Park and Crocodile river.

I just found it on the net. What is appealing to me is that it is not an inclusive resort. My husband may be happy to do fewer game drives and here we could sign up for what suits us. Anyone know it?

Update: and here's another possibility:

The Kurhula Lodge, situated on the banks of the Olifants River in Balule, Parsons Nature Reserve.
The drives are not included but they "organize morning and afternoon game drives in Parsons Nature Reserve. Prices per person: R 250."

I am wondering how limiting it is, as it sounds like they stay within the Parsons section of the Balule area. If there are no fences, do the guides just know to stay within their home reserve? That sounds kinda limiting....
 
Last edited:

Barb

Level 2 Member
I'll be at Nthambo Tree Camp and Arathusa in mid July so I can give you feedback on those two properties later this month. And yes the private game lodges have traversing rights onto other reserve properties. Here is a map of the Sabi Sands reserves. Hover over the various lodges and you'll see their traversing rights.

www(dot) sabisand (dot) co.za/ssw-map.html
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
Thanks @Barb Your advice was among that I used when I was compiling my list. And this is what a travel agent said about it in an email:

"Nthambo tree camp (http://www.nthambo.com/) is a gorgeous small camp in the Klaserie Game Reserve, with just five thatched ‘chalets.’ It is good value for money and a very well run camp, and feels quite ‘bush’. "

And thanks for the map! Very helpful!

Update - your map got me looking for maps - here's another:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent[dot]com/u/29356003/Kruger_map.pdf
 
Last edited:

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
After more research, these are the finalists for the Kruger area:

In Timbavati Reserve:
Simbavati River Lodge

In Klaserie Game Reserve:
Nthambo Tree Camp
Gomo Gomo Game Lodge

In Sabi Sands:
Arathusa
Umkumbe Safari Lodge

I narrowed it down after lots of research; in particular reading this series of exchanges:
http://safaritalk.net/topic/7080-lets-talk-greater-kruger/

The safaritalk exchange really helped me understand traversing rights, the pros and cons of being in more/less popular areas, how newer lodges stack up against long established ones, and a myriad of other info.

My plan is to aim for one lodge in the Timbavati/Klaserie area and one in Sabi Sands.
 

Barb

Level 2 Member
Landed CPT today. Decided to give up my Radisson Blu waterfront reservations (with the BOGO) to rent a house in De Waterkant instead. It is gorgeous and $112/night. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms and plenty of room for my husband, and adult son and daughter to stretch out in. Figured even without the free night, my Carlson points are better value used in London or Paris. Just stayed last night in the Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt in London, one of the remaining 50K properties and while the rooms are small, the location is fantastic.
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
I'll be at Nthambo Tree Camp and Arathusa in mid July so I can give you feedback on those two properties later this month. And yes the private game lodges have traversing rights onto other reserve properties. Here is a map of the Sabi Sands reserves. Hover over the various lodges and you'll see their traversing rights.

www(dot) sabisand (dot) co.za/ssw-map.html
@Barb - I am wondering if you are back yet! Would love your feedback on Nthambo Tree Camp and Arathusa when you get a chance. If you prefer, feel free to DM me. Thanks!
 

Miles to the Wild

Level 2 Member
I know I'm popping in a bit late but in case you are still planning, I have several blog posts designed for visiting Kruger on a budget. http://www.milestothewild.com/tag/kruger/ You don't need to stay in the private reserves to have fantastic bird and animal sightings. Even though I was targeting birds, we still saw 4 of the Big 5 in 3 days of self-driving throughout Kruger. The rest camps are actually very nice, they have something for every budget from campers to furnished bungalows with kitchens.
 

occaa200

New Member
My wife and I stayed three nights at Elephant Plains in June. EP is right next door to Arathusa, and they share traversing rights with Chitwa and a few other lodges. Elephant Plains also shares sightings with a few of the other lodges, which is nice because the rangers are all in radio contact with each other and can give each other a head’s up when there is something exciting to see. E.g. we had a couple of leopard sightings and saw a lion kill because other rangers radioed our guy. It's not like the paths around Arathusa/EP are ever really crowded, though. The only time we really saw other trucks was when there was something spectacular to see, and then there might be three trucks around a sighting.

Arathusa has a huge watering hole right next to the lodge, and we once stopped in front of it during a break in one of our game drives and counted over 20 hippos right there!

We flew directly to EP from Johannesburg. Well, we actually took a larger (~15 passenger) plane from the Federal Air lounge in Johannesburg to another lodge, dropped off some passengers going to Mala Mala and Londolozi, and then got on a single prop Cessna to get to EP, since the air strip that serves the lodges in that area of Sabi Sands is quite small (actually a dirt strip). On the flight back to JNB, a slightly larger plane took us there directly.

We enjoyed the bush walks in the morning, and they were a chance to learn a lot more about vegetation and different tracks.

You come here for the game drives, though, and the game drives were amazing. Our ranger was phenomenal. On multiple occasions, he tracked down difficult-to-find animals (e.g., a large male leopard) that many other trucks were trying to find. He also did an excellent job of reading the animals' body language, so we were able to get as close as possible (in many cases, only about 8-10 feet away) without disrupting the animal. Overall, we were so pleased that we chose to spend the money on a private game reserve safari, and we thought Elephant Plains was just spectacular. We stayed there only three nights, and we saw elephants, rhinos, lions, zebras, giraffe, buffalo, hippos, leopards, African wild dogs, hyenas, all in the span of six game drives.

The rangers were saying that this was not the best area to view cheetahs, though (could be seasonal, not sure), so if you have enough time, it might be nice to go to a different area for a few nights.
 

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
Update - We decided on Arathusa and will be there for three nights in Feb. 2016. Thanks again for all the advice and comments; most helpful!
 

Barb

Level 2 Member
We loved Arathusa! I am sure you will have a great time. We were lucky enough to have a long viewing of a cheetah during our stay. But as @occaa200 stated, this is not the best place for seeing cheetah. You will, however, have non-stop animal action because of the watering hole (which is really a lake!). It is amazing to look out your window and see a kudu standing in front of your room. Or a herd (31!) of elephants all enjoying the watering hole.

And wrt to pricing, a South African couple from Johannesburg said they paid the same price as everyone else who was at Arathusa. Apparently some lodges will offer "south african resident" specials but they are for very specific weeks when lodges typically experience low occupancy. Both lodges we stayed at (Nthambo and Arathusa) were at capacity during our stay.
 
Top