Royal Malewane

Re: Camping in Kruger in April, arriving from Nelspruit before heading to Durban any tips?

by CatherineReichardt

Hi Matt
Can't comment on camp sites - havign spent a lot of my early career in a tent, I have to be paid to camp these days! - but would definitely trust Lynne's judgement.
Whether you fly or drive from Kruger to Durban depends primarily on how much time you've got. There is a direct flight from Nelspruit to Durban (South African Airways, 1 hour 20mins duration). However, as this is not a particularly popular route, so flights won't be very frequent and are likely to be comparatively expensive due to lack of competition on the route. As a starting point, consult www.flysaa.com for an idea of flight frequency and price.
If you drive, then you can either drive through Swaziland, or skirt its weatern border. This is an interesting drive, but as these are not highways, it's going to be slow going,(and, of course if you drive through Swaziland, you have the pleasure of two additional border crossings). I would say that you would have to drive pretty intensely to complete this journey in a day.
The beauty of the driving option is that you see what's en route, and it is very scenic along most of the route. I am a particular fan of northern KwaZulu Natal, so one of the great benefits of this route is the opportunity to stop off at Hluhluwe-Umfolozi game park (which will give you a very different - but equally rewarding - game viewing experience to Kruger) and then take a break in magical Eshowe or the Zulu War battlefields, depending on your interests. Have a look at my Hluhluwe and Eshowe pages to find out more if this sounds of interest.
Really there's no wrong answer: it's really a matter of what fits with your timing and priorities.
Happy plotting!
Regards
Cathy