After we booked our tickets to Cape Town, we didn’t even know there were safaris in South Africa. (How naïve, I know…) So we did some research, there is a safari closer to Cape Town or we could fly two hours to Kruger National Park. Our thought was, we have already flown 23+ hours- what’s another 2 for a more authentic experience.
Before you leave, some shots are RECOMMEDED. Key word- recommended. Since Ross and I are both last minute procrastinator types, we both went to the doctor the day before we left. Ross somehow got a combo-shot of Hep A / Hep B but my travel doctor told me it was a little late for me and I wouldn’t die from it so I opted to just get the malaria pills and some antibiotics just in case we got severe food poisoning. If you want to be on the super safe side, you should take the vaccinations at least 4 to 6 weeks ahead of your travel. Check out this website for more travel vaccination information.
What to pack
- Bug Spray or Bug Bracelets
- Hiking shoes/ tennis shoes
- Wind proof jacket
- Anti-Diarrhea pills
- Linen Shirts/Pants
- Camera with Zoom Capability
- Binoculars even though we never needed them because the animals were so close!
Looking up where to stay can be pretty confusing because there are so many different options!
Option ONE: Self Drive and stay in a tent
This is what the roads look like, very easy to drive.
Option TWO: Stay at all inclusive resort with private drives
Option THREE: Stay at a luxury resort with private drives and ball out $$$$$
Camp Jabulani, a relaix & chateaux resort with an orphaned elephants sanctuary
After doing extensive research, we decided to go with an option between two. We flew in from Johanneburg to Hoedspruit and rented a car with Avis from the Hoedspruit airport, if you want a car with 4wheel drive you have to book early. We rented a VW golf and it was fine, the roads were all in great condition.
When booking your flights, make sure you book the closest airport to your lodging because there are 3 airports that border Kruger National Park.
About 5 minutes after we left the airport, I had already seen an Zebra and a giraffe! At the entrance of Kruger National Park, there is a toll of 150 RAND to enter. Don’t worry, they take credit card. Once you are in the park, you must drive 50 kph which is around 31 mph aka VERY SLOW. There are signs that say there are fines but we were not convinced that there were cameras but tons of animals were walking back and forth along the road so it is for the safety of the animals!
Before we got to Motswari, we had already seen tons of impalas, warthogs, a leopard, and elephants! I think if you don’t care to see the “Big 5” you can do self drives because the animals were everywhere!
It took about an hour and a half to get to Motswari from the airport due to the speed limit, Motswari can also arrange transportation to and from the airport but it was around $60/person/way. Our rental car was only $38 for the 3 days we had it.
The daily itinerary at Motswari was:
5 AM wake up and do first drive
9 AM breakfast
10:30 AM guided hike
2:30 PM lunch
4 PM second drive of the day
7 PM sundowners
8 PM dinner
Andeis and Petro, our guide and tracker, were amazing! We safely saw the big five and loads of other incredible animals.
The other incredible part was how close the animals got to the safari defender, our only two scares were when a Rhino tried to ram into our car and when a leopard came so close to Ross he could have reached his hand out and touched it!
If you read our Cape Town post, I wrote that I had a revelation while at the safari and it was that challenges and adversity keep life interesting. When I thought that Rhino was going to ram into our safari defender, I had never felt so alive. If everything was just fine and dandy, you wouldn’t remember anything about your life or feel anything. So let’s be grateful for the challenges that make life interesting!
We shared our drive with Daniele and Suzy from Switzerland, Daniele had already been on 15 safaris and it was Suzy’s first time. They were hilarious and definitely made our trip more memorable. You know that saying, it’s not about where you are but who you’re with? Yep, hopefully one day we’ll go out to visit Daniele and Suzy and ski the Alps with them!
Not sure what Ross liked better, seeing all the animals or being in the defender. It’s his DREAM car! 
Overall our first safari was AMAZING and we can’t wait to go to another one with different landscapes, Daniele said that Botswana was her favorite.
First time experiencing the moon rising, it was incredible!
We just LOVED everything about Motswari, their slogan is come as strangers, leave as friends! The food, service, and location of the reserves was amazing. We highly highly recommend it!
Would love to hear your thoughts on safari tips and favorite safari landscape!
Xoxo,
Nina & Ross
Never Travel Without My Butler 