Cruising Kruger – Part 1

My best Sunday route…

Written with love by Shannon Rombi

I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to call Hoedspruit my home. Not many people can say that they are just popping into the Kruger National Park for the day, or for a night for that matter.

While the rest of South Africa is having a chilled Sunday at home, us Hoedspruit residents are packing picnics and cooler boxes, binoculars and cameras, games and pillows for the kids and heading into our most famous landmark … affectionately known to any South African as the “Game Reserve”

Its a easy 40 minute drive to our nearest gate which is Orpen Gate. From Hoedspruit follow the R40

towards Acornhoek (approx 25km), and then turn left onto the Orpen Road. Simply follow the road to the first security gate, receive a form from the gate guard and then head on over to Orpen Gate reception. You are sure to be greeted warmly.

At reception you will pay your entrance fees or purchase a Wild Card and receive your permit for entry. Drive to the security boom gate, they will check that your permit is correct and possibly search your vehicle for any alcohol (day visitors), wildlife or firearms. Please remember that if you are found n possession of any of these it is a treated as a very serious offence.

 Once through the boom gate drive approximately for 1km until you reach Orpen Camp. Perfect opportunity to purchase a coffee and have a bathroom break before heading into the park to see what you can find. The bathrooms are always spotless and the shop well stocked with luxury goods. And do not forget to check the sightings board, which is situated between the shop and the kiosk.

Drive out the gate via the H7 towards Satara Camp. As you drive through the gate look to your left. There is a beautiful waterhole out front of Orpen Camp and people frequently see elephants, lions, jackal, honey badger and plenty more species come down and drink here. The area is rich in game in general and the grasslands are particularly popular for good cat action. There is also a live webcam for us fanatics out there – click here to view.

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In approximately 8km, turn right onto the S106, which would be the second turn on your right. This leads past the old Rabelais’ gate that is still preserved until this day. You may alight from your vehicle here and explore the hut which holds many interesting stories and facts and has been turned into a museum of sort. The gate appears to have been named after the original farm on which it was situated. This gate was replaced in 1954 by Orpen Gate.

Once back on the road keep heading on the S106, and very shortly you will come across the S140 to your right, take this turn to the right. The S140 heads south east toward one of the bush camps called Talamati. Sadly there is no access for day visitors here, but it is great for an overnight stop, that is if you can get availability. Somewhere along the way you will come across a concrete causeway over a drainage line. I have had the most incredible leopard sightings here, in particular a very relaxed male who likes to lay under the bridge on very hot days.

The S140 eventually turns into the S145 and follows the bends and curves of the Talamati River. This is fantastic game viewing country. “Talamati” actually means “lots of water” in one of our local languages, however it is mostly dry, only running for flash floods after lots of rain. Look in the trees along the river banks, there are some very special ancient trees there that harbor a variety of life. Surely by this time you should be needing a bathroom break. At the t-junction turn left onto the S36 and head 11km to one of my favourite picnic sites in the centre of the park, Muzandzeni Picnic Spot.

Muzandzeni holds many special memories for me. It overlooks various drainage lines and a waterhole which you actually drive past on your left into the entrance. I recall someone saying to me early on in my life as to where my happy place is, and this is certainly it!

This is the ideal place to unpack your picnic, hire a “skottle” braai and cook up a well deserved brunch. Remember, you cannot purchase food here, only cool drinks. My most memorable experience here was being able to show my little girl elephants that were right by the fence. We stayed there for at least an hour enjoying being out the car and being in the presence of these magnificent pachyderms.

Once you have sufficiently fed and watered yourselves, head out of the picnic site and turn right back onto the S36 and take the very next right which is one of the most productive routes in this area, the S126 – The Sweni River Route. Once again magnificent trees adorn the banks of this dry river bed. Besides looking out for the Big 5, keep your eyes open for all sorts of species. The grasses here are rich and make perfect grazing for common plains game species such as zebra, impala and kudu. Keep your eyes on the road, especially when coming around a bend and crossing a drainage line, I have seen many leopards crossing the road in front of me. Take your time, go slower than 40km, take it all in, it is truly a spectacular route.

The dirt road spits you at at the main tar road, which leads to Satara Camp. Turn left onto this road and be prepared to blown away by yet even more spectacular scenery This is lion country! 

For around 4km the H1-3 hugs the N’wanetsi River…take it slow here, a great abundance of mammals and feathered species can be found. Stop as you cross over the bridges and have a good look down both sides of the drainage lines, many a leopard has been spotted here. The palm thickets are also a hive of activity.

Satara is the largest camp in the central region of the reserve and was created in around the 1930’s. There is a good reason that this is such a popular camp, simply because the game viewing is exceptional. The landscape is flat, but do not let this fool you, there is wildlife around every corner. You will find clean bathrooms, a sit-down restaurant, two take-away restaurants as well as one of the Parks Shops which offer semi-basic supplies for purchase. There are credit card facilities, an ATM machine and a petrol station that can assist with minor vehicle repairs. If you did not decide to picnic at the first stop there are also very well laid out day visitor facilities, offering braai’s, skottle (gas) braais, washing up facilities and secluded tables and chairs to enjoy some family time. Also, do not forget to take a walk-down to the fence line in front of the main reception and restaurant complex, the waterhole is very busy at all times of the day with a variety of species. Click here to view the Satara webcam.

Heading out of Satara go south, where after a short 2km take a right and head west towards Orpen Camp along the H7. This 50km stretch of tar road is not exceptionally ideal for the late afternoon as you are facing the sun, but oh my, the sightings you could receive in return could be well worth it. The first part of this road will be full of open savanna plains, making spotting from a distance an easy game. The Nsemani Dam is well worth sitting at for at least twenty minutes to see what comes down to drink, not to mention the hippos that more often or not call this dam home.

After around 24km, the Timbavati River joins to the north of the tar road. The vistas and views that you will experience from here are incredibly beautiful. There are two look out looks to your right; the first is a short road with a beautiful view point (please note that you may not alight from your vehicle at this point) and the second, the Bobbejaankrans. It may sound like a mouthful, but it simply means “baboon cliffs” and you will understand why when you arrive. You may alight from your vehicle and walk around the designated area, and there is even a bench which you can claim for the best view of the Timbavati River and the plains below.

The drive back to Orpen from here is truly beautiful. Huge old trees created a tunnel affect over the road, and once again the game is prolific in this area. As you get closer to Orpen keep your eye out for one of the worlds most endangered mammals, the African Wild Dog. There are a number of packs of various sizes that frequent this area, and more often than not they are lazing in the road late in the afternoon before heading on their final hunt for the day. It is truly a privileged to view these inquisitive and entertaining hunters, one certainly for the bucket list.

Orpen Camp is your last chance for a bathroom break before exiting the park. Please remember that there are strict gate times to be adhered to and heavy fines will be issued for late departures.

This route is approximately 130km in total and can take you anywhere between 4 and 8 hours to complete, depending on what you see, where you choose to stop and for how long.

If you need any further information or more tips about this route, please do not hesitate to contact the team at ShowMe Hoedspruit on hoedspruit@showme.co.za and we would be only to happy to assist.