Indaba Kruger Safaris

Flights to and from South Africa

Unless you live nearby you will most likely need to first look into getting to South Africa and the Kruger National Park.

The closest major airport is the O.R. Tambo in Johannesburg (JNB). You then have a couple of options as you can rent a car or hop on a short flight t to Nelspruit Airport/Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) that you can then rent a car or shuttle or get a transfer from us directly.

1.  Fly into Johannesburg and rent a car or shuttle

You can book a rental car with pick up and drop off at the Johannesburg airport or they also offer daily shuttles.  The drive from Johannesburg to Marloth Park is roughly 5 hours. If you rent your own car this also gives you the freedom to explore on your won to see the countryside.

Pros:

• A cheaper option than flying and gets cheaper if you find others to share your ride.
• The N4 highway is uneventful, but once you get off to the smaller roads, it’s quite the scenic drive.
• There’s the possibility of exploring more around Johannesburg and places in between.

Cons:

• You waste a lot of time driving/riding as you to need to account for a good chunk of a day at the start and end of the trip.
• The car rental option may end up costing more than you think once you add in insurance and tolls.

2. Fly into Nelspruit Airport/Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) near Kruger and then rent a car or shuttle.

Instead of driving from Johannesburg, connect on a flight to Nelspruit Airport/Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) and rent a car or shuttle from there.  A pretty straightforward option that cuts the driving from Johannesburg and brings you right into the heart of the action.

Pros:

• Saves you up to 10 hours in driving time of going to and from Johannesburg. Which is great if you do not plan to explore the city.

Cons:

• On average more expensive because you have to spend money on flight and car or shuttle rental.
• It can be restrictive depending on the flight scheduling and making everything align.

3. Pay for a transfer to Indaba Kruger Safari from Nelspruit Airport/Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP).

This is more of the all-inclusive option where you pay us to come to pick you up from the Nelspruit Airport/Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP).

Pros:

• No need to worry about driving at all.
• Be able to be a bit more hands-off when it comes to planning.

Cons:

• The cost will be the biggest tradeoff.
• If you’re looking for a more customized experience to explore other parts of the country, you’ll have to rely on another private transfer to a car rental company.

We hope that with these options you will be able to find something that works for your trip. If you do plan to be driving please note that it may be a little different then what you are used to.

Driving in South Africa

We elected to do the full driving experience in South Africa, having our own car starting from Johannesburg to Kruger and then all the way back.  While I can’t say that the driving was complicated in this part of the country, there were definitely a few key things I needed a heightened awareness of what you need to know.

Driving on the left side of the road – Not that big of a deal if you’ve done it before but if it’s your first time, just expect to take a day to get acclimated to it and just be weary of the slow drifts to the left.

Speed limits – Highways are 120km/h (75mph) and secondary (rural) roads it is 100km/h (60mph). In more built-up areas, it’s usually 60km/h (35mph), unless otherwise indicated.  If you get a speeding ticket, the rental company pays the fine and passes it along to your bill + admin fee.

Pay attention to the speed limits within Kruger as well which is typically at 50km/h (31mph) on tar roads and 40km/h (25mph) on dirt roads.

Traffic police – A sad reality of South Africa but essentially there are real traffic cops in certain speed trap areas on smaller local roads.  Especially coming down hills and as you approach small towns, you’ll notice that they drop the speed limit down to 80 km/h and then almost abruptly down to 60 km/h.  If you get pulled over by one of these traps and they want to give you a ticket, the key is that you insist that you take a ticket and that you’ll pay at the police station. This forces their hand and most will let you go because they don’t want to deal with the paperwork.  What they will try to do is tell you a sob story about how they’re looking for a few Rands to buy a sandwich and they’ll let you go.  Most tourists end up panicking and falling for this “bribe” but it’s not encouraged because it just reinforces this corrupt behavior.

Travel Alert –If you come to an intersection where the lights are not working you need to treat it as a four-way stop. You can be ticketed if you blow by it.

Passing Cars – On the single-lane roads, you’ll be tempted to pass.  All the regular passing rules apply except remember you’re on the left side of the road so pass to the right.  One thing I noticed is that South Africans always do is that once you’ve completed the pass, you always blink your emergency lights 2-3 times as a courtesy thank you.  Also, sometimes you’ll notice big trucks start lean to the left and that’s to let you pass more easily.

Filling up – The best place to fill up is roughly at the halfway point to Kruger at the Alzu N4 Petroport in Middleburg.  It’s a very new and modern rest stop that has a gas station, convenient store, a Mugg & Bean cafe, restaurants such as Nando’s, restrooms, and even a mini-zoo to go along with it.

The gas station there is a little bit intimidating because it’s full-service and a whole crew of people come out to fill you up and wash your windows.  You can certainly pay a tip if you feel like but it’s not mandatory.  Tipping 2-5 Rands is fine.  The other place you’ll definitely be filling up is in Kruger itself.  While it’s definitely marked up, this is the kind of trip where you really don’t want to push your fuel warning light to the limit.  I recommend always having your fuel topped up.

Self-Drive vs Private Safari

Once you get to our wonderful property we hope you will enjoy the great African Bush. It is not mandatory to book a safari with us and some people do prefer to do their own self-driving experience if they have rented a car.

The big advantage of private safari is that you’re not limited to the rules of Kruger National Park where you have to stay on the roads.  Our Safari trucks in private reserve lands just drive into the bush if there’s a need to and because all of the lodges in the region are on the same radio band, we know exactly where to go.  

What to Pack for the Trip?

Once you have figured out how you will get here and what you plan to do you will want to make sure to pack accordingly. Below are some items you may have thought of or may want to include when packing.

Sunscreen – It might feel nice and cool inside your air-conditioned car or our property, but the sun is extremely strong here.

Bug spray – Always smart to keep some handy when exploring the wilderness.

Water bottles for on the go – In both the private reserve and self-drive scenario, it’s a good idea to have your own bottle of water with you.

Sunglasses with strap– Great for keeping them with you if you need to quickly use binoculars.

Malaria pills – The Kruger is technically in a malaria area, but the risk is relatively low.  That said, we recommend you protect yourself with medication.

Moisturizer and Eye Drops– It’s very dry in this region.

Loose safari clothing – Are perfect for safari because they’re ventilated and provide sun protection

Vest – For bushwalks, I always wore my vest because I could put a lot of things in my pockets without having to carry a backpack which worked quite brilliantly

Warm layers – Mornings and evenings are chilly especially if you’re in a safari truck because of the wind.  Make sure to pack layers.

Binoculars/zoom lens/ and memory cards for your camera – These will help you see and capture the moments on your African Safari.

Headlamp – for walking around camp and sunset/night drives.

Lots of South African adapters – I recommend at least 2 per person.

USB cigarette adapter and chargers – Not all cars have USB outlets and even if they do, you could always use more.

We hope this helps as you plan your trip and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.