Lives of Wander

Theresa April 1st, 2009

So smack at the top of your dream trips list is an African safari. Yet whenever you flip through whatever travel magazine it is you subscribe to and see the prices listed for safaris, you whistle through your teeth, take a deep breath, and then renew your membership to the local zoo. Sure, seeing lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and more roaming freely across the plains of Africa would be awesome, but you just can’t justify throwing a huge chunk of your retirement fund or a year of your child’s college tuition at one trip…whether or not it’s the trip or a lifetime.

Fortunately, you don’t have to bankrupt yourself to make your dream trip a reality. Despite the fact that no one ever says so, going on safari doesn’t have to cost your life’s savings. In fact, it can be downright affordable. At Kruger National Park, one of the best known wildlife parks in the world, located in the east of South Africa, you can live out your safari dreams on a backpackers budget.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Book a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Sure this part won’t be cheap, but be on the lookout for good deals. And don’t worry about time of year and all that rainy season/dry season crap. March (their autumn), for instance, is an excellent time to go, as it’s a shoulder season, and the park’s not crowded. Technically it’s still the rainy season, but we had no rain. Everything is green, which they say makes animals harder to spot, but we managed to see tons and tons, so perhaps it’s harder, but it’s definitely not hard.
(Upgrade option: Go first class. It’s a long way to South Africa!)

2. Rent a car. Though plenty of safari outfitters will gladly let you pay them plenty of money for the pleasure of them driving you through the park, the beauty of Kruger is that it’s a self-drive facility. You are free to act as your own guide using your own car. And even better is the fact that all the roads are accessible to even the weeniest 2-WD, so book the cheapest car on offer (you don’t need AC when your windows are down the whole time so you can snap photos!) and call it good. We found the best deal through Around About Cars, with a daily rate of about $25.
(Upgrade option: Go ahead and get the 4×4 if riding in a VW or Kia doesn’t feel safari enough for you.)

3. Pack your bags. You don’t need much; a couple of pairs of comfy clothes (there are laundry sites in Kruger, which cost about $1 for wash and $1 for dry, so no need to overpack), a good pair of shoes in case you plan to do any of the walks (explained later), a camera with lots of digital memory, and a good pair of binoculars. That’s pretty much the essentials. A field guide to animals of South Africa (or Kruger in particular) is a nice addition, which you can pick up at home or once there.
(Upgrade option: Splurge on a nice zoom for your camera. Though many of the animals are close enough to snap good photos of with any point-and-shoot, you’ll need a good zoom to catch some of the more elusive animals.)

4. Land in Johannesburg, pick up your car, and head to the nearest Checkers Supermarket. This is where you’ll stock up for your self-catered safari. Camping is the way to go in Kruger. It’s the most economical option, and hey, this is a safari, after all. Being close to nature is part of the deal. So if you didn’t bring your camping supplies from home, then you’ll want to get what you need at Checkers: a tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, a pot & pan, and some dish soap and sponge. Don’t worry; it’s cheap. The tent at about $30 will be the big purchase. While you’re there, pick up a styrofoam cooler and some groceries, as you’ll definitely want picnic lunch fare and may wish to cook dinner too.
(Upgrade option: Splurge on the air mattress. Your back will thank you for spending the extra $20.)

5. Hit the road, destination Kruger National Park. About 480 kilometers from Johannesburg, you can reach the park in one day. The trick is deciding which of the many gates to enter the park from. My suggestion: head north, entering at Phalabora, and working your way down south, starting with sitings of elephants, giraffes, zebras, and the like and building up for what many consider to be the best of the animals–lions, leopards, cheetahs, and rhinos, which are found in larger numbers in the south.
(Upgrade option: With an extra day or two, make a stop at Blyde River Canyon, the third largest canyon in the world, on your way to the park.)

6. Pay your admission and enter the park. At just 140 rand per day, or approximately $14, visiting Kruger National Park is probably cheaper than a trip to your local zoo! Seriously, that’s all it costs to enter into over 2.2 million hectares square kilometers of wild lands filled with wild animals. Gate openings vary depending on the time of year, but aim to arrive as early as possible for your best chance at seeing animals.
(Upgrade option: Opt for the Wild Card if you plan to spend more than 6 nights in the park or will be having an extended holiday in South Africa and visiting other parks. At 1640 rand for a couple (900 rand for an individual), it’s a good deal.)`

7. Spend all day driving through Kruger. Buy one of the maps at the gates, which shows the various environments within the park and the animals most likely found in the respective environments, and pick your path based on what appeals to you. Mix the paved roads with the gravel roads (all 2WD accessible), but don’t overestimate what you can cover in a day. You won’t be moving very fast as you stop to search for animals and snap photos.
(Upgrade option: Spend part of a day or evening on one of the guided tours offered by the park. Options include morning and evening walks, as well as sunrise, sunset, and night drives. At between 120 rand and 270 rand per person, they’re pretty economical. To guarantee a spot, you’ll want to book ahead, especially for the tours leaving from the camps and gates in the south.)

8. Check into your overnight accomodations. If you plan on camping, there’s no need, except during highest holiday season, to book a spot in advance, so roll into whatever camp is closest as gate-closing time nears and hand over 130 rand to secure a piece of land for pitching your tent. If you’re worried about roughing it, ease your mind. The campgrounds here have nice, clean bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers; communal kitchen areas with electric burners, sinks, and hot water heaters; grill areas; and some even have pools. You also have access to the camp shops, where you can buy any food items you’ve forgotten or run out of, cleaning supplies, and souvenirs. And if you’re not feeling like cooking, head to the camp restaurant, where you can enjoy a nice multi-course dinner for 135 rands. The bigger camps also have delis, where burgers and the like go for about 35 rand.
(Upgrade option: Skip the tent and reserve lodging at the campgrounds. It’s all quite affordable with basic rondavels which share bathrooms and kitchen facilites with the campground starting at 275, while chalets begin at 640. The slight downside is that you must do some planning in advance, as it’s rare that you can roll into camp and get one of these without a reservation.)

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 to your heart’s content. Stay until you see all of the Big Five. Or you’ve counted over 100 elephants. Or you’ve witnessed a kill. At Kruger, every day’s an adventure, and you never know what the sunrise might bring.

• Africa , South Africa
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