Top 10 “padkos” ideas for day tripping in Kruger Park
A day trip to Kruger National Park is an activity loved by many South African’s and visitors to our country. Its a chance to relish the beauty of nature, smell the fresh air, spend some quality time with family or friends and if you are lucky, spot the Big Five.
Day tripping in Kruger National Park means spending a rather large part of your day in the car. Our advice is to make sure you pack some great grub for those times when all you can spot is another Impala. A cool box is a must have, but if you can afford to, a 12 volt camping fridge will make all the difference on a hot day. Here are our top 10 “padkos” ideas:
- Biltong and droëwors – this is a must have, we recommend stocking up from Mario’s Butchery in White River, our favourite! Tel: 013 751 1387
- Koffie en Biskuit – If you are an early starter, you will definitely need to pack your flask of coffee and some homemade rusks. This is usually your first stop of the day, sometimes even before you enter the park while waiting for the gates to open.
- Zoo Biscuits – Iced Zoo Biscuits by Bakers are great for kids and adults. Sweet, crisp biscuits with brightly coloured icing and white icing animals on top.
- Lemonade – Woolworths bottled lemonade is cool and refreshing, great for sipping on while staring out the window hoping to be the first to spot an impressive sighting.
- Dried Fruit/Fruit Kebabs – Packing a brown paper bag filled with a safari mix of dried apricots, peaches, pears and apple is sure to hit the spot or for something a little more fresh, try making some of your own fruit kebabs by placing some cubes of apple, strawberry, pineapple, mango or near ripe paw paw on a skewer stick. Remember to drizzle some lemon juice over them to keep fresh and place inside your fridge.
- Assortment of nuts – Cashews, Macadamias and Almonds, we recommend picking these up from The Nut Shop in White River Tel: 013 750 1192
- Fry up / Burgers / Boerie Rolls – For lunch, make a stop at one of the many day visitor camps to stretch your legs and show off your culinary skills in the bush. You can hire a Skottel Braai for a very reasonable price of around R35 (you do not need to worry about washing it afterwards). Take out your tools and fry up a brunch of eggs, bacon, tomato, pork sausage, mushroom and toast. Or bring along some beef burger patties and buns with lettuce, sliced cheddar cheese, tomato, onion and Pinky Sauce (tomato sauce and mayonnaise). Or just cook up a traditional boerewors roll with tomato sauce and mustard.
- Fudge – Some sweet, soft fudge with a hint of condensed milk is sure to cure that sweet tooth in the mid afternoon.
- Quiche/Sandwiches – A cold slice of quiche is a delicious snack, bacon and cheese, feta and peppadew… pick one up from Woolies or make your own! Another snack alternative is a ham sandwich made with seed loaf bread, a bit of mayo and some green leaves.
- Ice Cream – Treat yourself to an ice-cream from one of the campsite shops!
Don’t forget to pack in lots of bottled water!
Comments