Trip report with photo and video highlights from our recent visit to Ngwenya Lodge and Kruger National Park: May 2024
#nomadsnature #krugernationalpark #safari #travel
Introduction
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Kruger National Park (KNP): "Best place on earth", as it is fondly referred to, and we had the opportunity to spend 7 incredible days whilst making use of Ngwenya Lodge as a launchpad to access the Park.
Knowing we'd be exploring for several days, obtaining a Wildcard made financial sense.
Recent rains and warm weather in the area prompted us to take malaria tablets as a precaution.
Ngwenya Lodge wasn't new territory for us. Fond memories from a prior KNP trip made it an easy choice for our home base again.
Travel & Check-in
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We set off for our destination with moderate traffic along the way. A considerable number of trucks were travelling in the same direction, but they didn't slow us down much. Road conditions were good overall, with just a couple of minor delays due to construction. We took the Schoemanskloof route as it is more scenic, in our opinion.
When we arrived at Ngwenya Lodge, checking in went smoothly and without a hitch, and soon, we were settled in our spacious unit overlooking a small pond.
Self-drive Routes
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Our point of entry to the Park was to be the Crocodile Bridge Gate, roughly 15 km from Ngwenya Lodge. I plotted out 4 self-drive routes making use of a detailed map sourced from krugerpark.com. I captured the waypoints on the map in Google My Maps, which was then exported and imported into Garmin BaseCamp for transferring to our Garmin GPS as "Trips".
These are the routes I had planned originally:
Saturday, May 4, 2024
* Route 1 - Lower Sabie Rest Camp
Sunday, May 5, 2024
* Route 2 - Afsaal Picnic Site
Monday, May 6, 2024
* Route 3 - Skukuza Rest Camp
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
* Route 1 - Lower Sabie Rest Camp
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
* Route 2 - Afsaal Picnic Site
Thursday, May 9, 2024
* Route 3 - Skukuza Rest Camp
Friday, May 10, 2024
* Route 4 - Berg en Dal, Malelane Gate, Pretoria
Sadly, after driving our routes set out for Saturday and Sunday, the poor road conditions of most of the secondary roads ("S" roads), forced me to adapt our trips, adhering mostly to the tarred roads ("H" roads).
This was our revised routes:
* Monday, May 6, 2024
Route 3 - Lake Panic Bird Hide
* Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Route 4 - Tshokwane Picnic Site
* Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Route 5 - Renosterkoppies Dam
* Thursday, May 9, 2024
* Route 6 - Lower Sabie, Skukuza, Afsaal, Malelane Gate
Friday, May 10, 2024
* Departure - Pretoria
This still allowed ample time for wildlife viewing and we were fortunate to have excellent sightings and experiences. The majority of the facilities and establishments we visited inside the Park were well maintained and staff were always friendly and helpful. Entry and exit via Croc Bridge and Malelane gates were smooth and hassle-free. It helps to complete all the paperwork required beforehand.
Check out & Travel
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Checking out and returning home happened way too soon and we were on our way, subdued but content and rejuvenated by spending time in nature. The return trip was a breeze - lighter traffic allowed us to make good progress, arriving home safely and without incident.
Places visited
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En route, we had a quick pitstop at Alzu Petroport but did not stay long as it was extremely busy. Milly's is our stop of choice whenever we travel to Mpumulanga and we did so again this time.
We drove to Komatipoort on one occasion to stock up on some critical supplies and were overwhelmed by the number of trucks waiting to enter Mozambique at the border post.
On our return trip, we stopped at Joubert and Sons Farmstall to purchase some treats for ourselves and friends and family back home. We also had our compulsory stop at Milly's.
We can not fault any of the places we visited and would recommend a visit.
Reflect
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Leaving Kruger is always bittersweet. The fellowship among park visitors, united by a love for nature, creates a sense of community and belonging. Spending a week in this environment was truly priceless. The experience instilled a sense of mindfulness, making every moment spent photographing wildlife and exploring the park unforgettable.
We've already made reservations for October when Sanbonani will be our launchpad for exploring the Central Kruger. We can't wait to be back!
Resources and Acknowledgments
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Garmin Basecamp
Garmin Express
Google My Maps
Google Earth Studio
Milly's Farmstall
Joubert and Sons Farmstall
Ngwenya Lodge
SANParks Kruger National Park
SANParks Wildcard
i-Traffic
N4 Toll Route Updates
Driving Cost Calculator
Photo Ephemeris
Weather Atlas forecast for 10 days
Weather Underground forecast for 10 days
Komatipoort Information
krugerpark.com
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Music track: Distant River by Epic Spectrum
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