Tour Guide, Kruger National Park, South Africa
| 13 mins read
Well fans, another year has come and gone! 2013 was a great year for us here at Moriti Private Safaris, many great sightings and lots of new friends were made.
What I wanted to do is actually do a full review post for you on the best Kruger Park sightings we have had in 2013! I have looked at all our tours and safaris and put together a list of the best roads for animals sightings as well as dams, camps you name it! Look at this as your guide to Kruger Park and as always, we are always here to answer any questions you may have!!
So, here we go!! The roads marked in red are our favourites:
Best Lion Sighting Roads:
H1-1 – This road runs from Numbi Gate all the way through to Skukuza and is 55km long! This route can be quiet, but I have had some amazing lion sightings on this road, especially at Transport Dam.
S65 – 13km dirt road between the H1-1 Pretoriuskop/Skukuza road and the S1 Doispane road between Phabeni Gate and Skukuza. This road produced some great lion pride sightings!
S114 – This road runs from just off the H1-1 for 52km until it reaches the H3 main road 4km from Malelane Gate. What can I say, with the many dams and tributaries that are found along this route as well as the prey species, you would be a very stupid lion if you didn’t find a place in the shade on this road. We have had many mornings game drives on this road where we’ve seen two different sightings!
H3 – This road runs from just off the H1-1 all the way to Malelane Gate… Also, seen two sometimes three prides in a mornings drive, especially during the off season when the roads are a bit quieter
S25 – This 43km road which starts 2km north of Croc Bridge and meanders along the river all the way to the S114, some 11km from Malelane Gate… What a treat this road can be, at the time of writing this review we often see a large pride hanging around the Hippo Pools turn off!
H4-2 – I’ve often heard people say, if you want to see lion, stick to the H4-1 from Skukuza to Lower Sabie… They have a point, but the H4-2 running 34km from Croc Bridge to Lower Sabie is a serious lion road! The number of game species around here is awesome, which in turn makes the number of lion in the area all the more sweeter Again, best driven on the off season
H4-1 – Had to mention it, it’s still a cracker of a road for lion! Runs for 42km from Skukuza to Lower Sabie
S28 – This road runs off the H4-2 for about 24km until it reaches the H4-2 again. The first 7km from the Lower Sabie side is just crazy! This is Kruger Adventures go slow road! If sightings are bad, hit this route and turn off onto the S137… Trust us!
S100 – Many old Kruger hats will say – if you’re a lion person, go to Satara and drive on the S100 all day… Sounds a bit crazy, but they have a point. Every time we have been on this road, we see lion. In fact, a mega pride of about 20-30 lions hang around this area and just destroys the wildebeest population! Don’t argue with old people The road runs for 19km from the H1-3, just south of Satara until the S41
Best Lion Sighting Dams:
Nyamundwa – on the S1 Doispane road
Renosterkoppies – on the S114 about 15km south of Skukuza
Transport – just off the H1-1 Pretoriuskop road. Great dam for kills!
Hippo Pools – Just off the S25 about 8km west of Croc Bridge
Ngotso – on the H1-4 about 23km south of Olifants. There are two, Ngotso North and Ngotso
Kanniedood – Massive dam on the S50 close to Shingwedzi. Often see prides on the bank
Best Leopard Sightings Road:
S1 – this road runs from Phabeni Gate for 29km until it reaches the H11 main road. One of my favourite roads, I know of three females and one male leopard that frequent this road very often! The first 6km from Phabeni and the first 4km from the H11 are the areas you need to scan!
H11 – the first 8km of this road from Paul Kruger is leopard ally!
S65 – My favourite road in Kruger! As with lions, this road produces plenty of leopard sightings and kills
S114 – Same with the lions, this road runs through absolute prime leopard territory! The Biyamiti Weir area is a good place to look, I know of a big male that loves this area and we see him often in the late afternoon
S110 – this 22km road looping around Berg En Dal is very well known for great leopard sightings due to the terrain!
S28 – Again, our go slow road! We know of three different leopards in the 8km stretch we touched on earlier… Take me there now!!! Found 5km south of Lower Sabie
S137 – This road runs off the S28 for 8km until it reaches the S130… Another prime route, we often see leopard at Dukes Waterhole
H4-1 – The famous Skukuza/Lower Sabie road… I took my favourite leopard pics on this road two years ago
H7 – This road runs for 44km from Orpen Gate to the H1-3. Every time I stay close to this road, especially at Tamboti Tented Camp, we see amazing leopard sightings!
S51 – This is an 8km ring road around the H-9 main road from Phalaborwa Gate to Letaba. Every day, this road produces leopard sightings, its great!
Best Leopard Sighting Dams:
Transport – just off the H1-1 Pretoriuskop road
Matjulu – on the S110 ring road around Berg En Dal
Duke – Found on the S28, 17km south of Lower Sabie
Sable – Found on the S51 ring road, 8km east of Phalaborwa Gate
Kanniedood – Massive dam on the S50 close to Shingwedzi. People with a sharp eye often see them in the undergrowth around the dam
Best Cheetah Sightings Road:
S1 – Again, like the leopard, the entire 29km route is great for cheetah sightings!
S28 – Down south, this is cheetah hunting territory and they can be spotted on the entire 24km route
S137 – Go slow road, what can I say…
H7 – This road is probably the best road in Kruger to see cheetah due to the open plains… Many kills have been photographed here, love it!
S100 – You would think that a road which produces so many lion sightings would not be good for cheetah, but alas, you see them often
H1-4 – this 39km road moves north from Satara to the H1-5 south of Olifants… Again, open plains and lots of game!
Best Cheetah Sighting Dams:
Nyamundwa – on the S1 Doispane road
Duke – Found on the S28, 17km south of Lower Sabie
Best Wild Dog Sightings Road:
S1 – We have had some great late afternoon sightings on this route, especially close to the H11
S7 – This road has produced some amazing sightings of wild dog! I remember tracking dogs for three hours around this area until we picked them up here… It can be found running just off the S3 14km south of Phabeni Gate for 6km until the H1-1 tar road
S10 – this is a short loop of 2km that loops around the S7… The dogs often den here during the breeding season and sightings are often magnificent!
H4-1 – This famous route often produces short, but worth while sightings of these endangered beauties
S114 – The first 7km of this road from the Skukuza side is prime! I had my most memorable sighting on this road…
S110 – there is a den site in this area as well which makes sightings all that more amazing!
H7 – I have seen large wild dog packs on this road… Again, as with the H4-1 its a busy route so the sightings are sometimes a little short
H-9 – In recent years, this 50km route has started producing great sightings, especially around the Phalaborwa Gate area
S99 – This 25km ring road around Punda Maria is very well known for very relaxed wild dog sightings and is worth while spending some time on!
H13-1 – Again the first 5km from Punda Maria Gate can produce some amazing early morning/late afternoon sightings
Our Best And Most Productive Camps:
We would list all the camps as they all have their own ‘feeling’ and charm, but to prevent your eyes from falling off, here they are ending with our favourite:
Pretoriuskop – one of the oldest camps in Kruger and the best for kids due to the amazing pool they have! Very quiet and unassuming, but is a little gem sometimes as you can easily spot the big 5 around the camp
Lower Sabie – easily the best camp to use if you’re hunting for the big 5! The beautiful location on the river plus the massive grassy lawns makes this a very popular camp, which in turn makes it rather busy during high season…
Tamboti Tented Camp - a small satellite camp to Orpen, this place is so wild even game rangers are scared at night! Leopard, porcupine, civets, bush babies you name it are seen at night all the time. It is inexpensive and if you don’t mind sharing facilities, a top camp!
Balule – If you’re a camper, this is the best camp in Kruger! Sightings are great and the location is amazing. We use it often on our budget safaris
Mopane – Shame, this camp gets forgotten about often, but is a beautiful camp! The chalets are face-brink, very different to the normal chalets and the scenery instils peace in ones soul
Shingwedzi – Due to its location up north it is quiet, but don’t let it fool you! It is in the best area in northern Kruger to see lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo!
All The Bush Camps – I could not leave them out, our most favourite places to stay on safaris due to the locations and peace!
However, our favourite camp for 2012 is:
Biyamiti Bush Camp – I cannot tell you how much I love this camp!! Situated on the Biyamiti River, the 15 secluded chalets are very private making the park seem peaceful even in high season! Game in the area is prolific, every road has something on it and the road that the camp is situated on, the S139 is the best Kruger Park sightings road for spotting the elusive black rhino Ah, I love it!
Road With The Most Potential:
I would have to award this to the northern S3 route that runs from the S1 Phabeni road 29km to the H11 road right next to Paul Kruger Gate… I have traveled this road often and have had a few sightings, but nothing hectic. It baffles me, this road is quiet, runs along the Sabie River and traverses some great game viewing area… Maybe its the activity over the river, but at the same time the same could be said for the S25, yet that road yields many great sightings! Maybe 2013 will be its year
Most Surprising Road:
The 27km S21 that runs in a westerly direction from the H4-1 to the S114… I have had a few lion sightings as well as leopard sightings on this road, especially the first 6km from the S114 side which traverses some boulders. Hopefully, things get better this year!
Our Best Picnic Spot:
Ah yes, that has to be the Nhlanguleni Picnic Spot on the S36 that runs between the H7 Satara road and the H1-2 Skukuza/Tshokwane road. Its quiet, has some great game viewing and is the perfect lazy stop over to enjoy a pre-packed brunch
Our Best Entrance Gate:
For us, Croc Bridge. As you enter you are thrust into the best big 5 country in Kruger! This is the perfect day visitor gate
Best Area Outside The Park:
Well, we have been around, but I think Hoedspruit takes this one… There are many places to stay and also things to do besides going into Kruger. In my mind, the best private lodges in South Africa are located in and around the reserves that make up the Greater Kruger Park
Our Most Popular Private Camp:
Our guests all agree, our White Lion Safari Camp in the lower Timbavati takes this one. ALL our guests saw the big 5 plus wild dog and some even caught a glimpse of the rare white lion that is found close to camp It’s affordable and very private, only you and your friends or family stay there. If you want to know more, check out the camp by clicking here…
Best Drives:
Sometimes just driving at 20km/h and admiring the beauty of Kruger is the way to go! Our top drives:
S64/S63 – located right up north near the Luvuvhu River, these two routes are just absolutely amazing! The scenery couldn’t be written about, you have to see it and the bird species are even better…
S139 – This is a private road used by Biyamiti guests only… On a good day, the big 5 plus black rhino are easily achieved before settling down to a good brunch We do it all the time! Oh, and the scenery isn’t bad too…
So there is our Kruger Park sightings 2012 review! I love my job Remember, these views and advice expressed in the post are reserved and given by professional guides operating in the Kruger Park. You are welcome to comment on any of the info!
Hope to see you soon on one of our private Kruger Park tours in 2013 – cheers!!