Your own Kruger National Park game drives

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Planning ahead for these Kruger National Park drives can significantly increase your comfort and enjoyment, even if you are not lucky enough to see animals

A well planned drive ahead of time (knowing estimated distance and time you'd like to get back to camp) is important. However, you need to be flexible as you may come across a sighting which consumes more time than you expect

• Maximise your opportunity of seeing animals use the sightings board located in the camps, talk with rangers or safari guides that you meet, use the latestsightings app 
• On your drive, feel free to flag down other cars and ask what they've seen
• A fellow tourist may tell you about a sighting seen on a different road to which you are planning
• Animals are most active around dawn and dusk, so plan to drive around these periods

Game drives can be as long or as short as you plan, but you could be sitting in the car for 3 to 5 hours

• Be sure to use the restroom before leaving for a game drive
• Ensure you have enough drinks for the duration of your drive
• Ensure you have enough food and snacks in the car with you
• Ensure the food and drinks are accessible in the car (and not locked in the trunk!)
• A brown paper bag or plastic bag for trash items
• Having your camera, map, binouclars all handy and in arms reach will add to your experience
• Sunglasses will add to your comfort, as will sunscreen if you're driving in the heat of the day
• Take a jumper for morning and evening drives, as it could be particularly cool if you're driving with your windows open

Remember, the animals are wild and roam freely 

• Prepare yourself for not seeing all of the big 5
• Drive slowly, listen for clues from nature, warning sounds
• Visit water holes, look in dry river beds
• Be careful of elephants, particularly when flapping ears or trumpeting
• Always keep your body (including arms) in the car, especially when close to predators, close windows if they get to close 
• Baboons and monkeys may jump on your car, try steal fruit through your car window, be sensible and close your windows if you see they’re jumping on cars
• Be quiet at sightings – you don’t want to scare the animals

If your car breaks down, or in the case of an emergency

• you should always stay in your car
• if you have cell phone signal, call 000 or the emergency number on your permit you receive when arriving
• flag down a car and ask them for assistance or them to contact the nearest camp

A game drive with kids can be one of the most rewarding (their joy when seeing an elephant) or your most frustrating (fighting and screaming in the back seat). A bit of preparation maximises everyone's enjoyment

• Plenty water and snacks, and less sugar, on game drives
• They love having their own cameras and binoculars, relatively inexpensive kids equipment can be purchased prior to you leaving
• A checklist of animals for each kid, with them ticking off animal and bird sightings when you see them
• A guide to animals so you can read interesting facts to them about animals that you see
• Colouring books, stickers and card games for long drives when game viewing is quiet