Kruger Self-Drive Road Trip
This five-day self-drive crosses Kruger from Malelane Gate to Phalaborwa Gate. Rocky southern country, riverside camps and central game-viewing roads give each section a different feel.
Highlights include:
- Entering Kruger through Malelane Gate
- Exploring the rocky hills around Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp
- Pausing beside the Sabie River at Skukuza
- Driving the game-viewing roads around Satara
- Booking a guided night drive from Satara to look for nocturnal wildlife
- Looking for elephant herds along the Letaba River
- Seeing the tusks and stories of famous elephants in Letaba’s Elephant Hall
- Refuelling at the park’s rest camps along the way
South Africa road trip from Malelane Gate to Phalaborwa Gate (274 km, about 7 hours driving). Plan this trip with Sideroads Africa.
Stops along the way
- Malelane Gate: Southern entrance to Kruger National Park — start of the classic south-to-north self-drive.
- Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp: Southern Kruger rest camp among rocky hills near Malelane Gate
- Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp On-site petrol station: Fuel stop inside Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp for self-drive safari vehicles.
- Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp restaurant: Camp restaurant for meals after a day of game viewing in southern Kruger.
- Skukuza Rest Camp: Iconic main rest camp in Kruger National Park along the Sabie River
- Skukuza fuel station: On-site fuel station at Skukuza Rest Camp — fill up before longer game drives.
- Satara Rest Camp: Premier game-viewing camp in Kruger famous for big cats
- Satara Rest Camp night game drive: Book a SANParks guided night drive from Satara for nocturnal wildlife after gate closing time.
- Satara Rest Camp fuel station: Fuel station at Satara Rest Camp serving central Kruger game-drive loops.
- Satara Rest Camp restaurant: Relaxed camp restaurant in big-cat country at Satara Rest Camp.
- Letaba Rest Camp: Central Kruger riverside rest camp known for elephant herds along the Letaba River
- Elephant Hall museum: Interpretive museum at Letaba Rest Camp celebrating Kruger elephants and famous tuskers.
- Letaba Rest restaurant: Riverside camp restaurant at Letaba Rest Camp.
- Phalaborwa Gate: Western Kruger gate near Phalaborwa — exit after the Letaba loop.