Hi all...long time lurker, first time poster :)
Hubby and I have three days to drive from Kruger (south end) to Durban in November. We leave Kruger Nov 28th and need to be in Durban for a flight to Cape Town Dec 1st. We'll have a rental car, so obviously will be driving. I've planned the rest of our trip completely, but am at a bit of a loss as to what to do with these 3 days. I'm thinking of going through Swaziland, but no idea which part or where we should stay...and do we do one night in Swazi then 2 in Durban, or vice versa?
Ideally, I'd like to see some nice mountain scenery....but I'm also a huge fan of hippos and would love to see them....would St Lucia be a viable option perhaps??
I really just want someone to plan these three days for me lol We're travelling for 8 weeks in total, and I'm all planned out!!
Thanks in advance for any suggestions :)
I did this last year. I went from Nelspruit to Swaziland, where I stayed for 1 night, then on to St Lucia, where I stayed for a week.
I'm looking at the map and trying to remember the route I took. I was advised to avoid the "bad road" leading to the Bulembu border gate, so I did a bit of a detour and went in through the Oshoek gate, via the N17.
I think if you're a hippo fan you might want to head straight down to St Lucia. Try to stay at one of the guest houses right on the estuary, where hippos roam on their lawns. I didn't see any hippos roaming around the centre at night, but the locals will tell you stories about this.
SL is a bit 'touristy' but it's a lovely place.
Thanks for the reply Leo :) Hmm, now I'm tempted to go straight to St Lucia and not stay overnight in Swaziland - the more I read about it the more it seems like the kind of place we'd enjoy.
Can anyone tell me how long it would take to drive from Kruger to St Lucia? I'm wondering if we could leave early a.m. on the 28th, spend the night of the 28th & 29th in St Lucia, then drive to Durban on the afternoon of the 30th & stay overnight, to fly out midday on the 1st.
Does that sound do-able?
That's definitely do-able Aussie Girly. Go for it, and then put your planning brain to bed!
Kruger to St Lucia is a long haul in one day. Whether it is do-able at all will depend on which camp you stay at. You could split the trip at Mlilwane in Swaziland, which is also a good place to see hippos up close, then head on to St Lucia for the 29th and 30th. Mind you, there are plenty of hippos in Kruger and depending on your itin there you'll see them as well as you would at St Lucia
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<hr>Kruger to St Lucia is a long haul in one day. Whether it is do-able at all will depend on which camp you stay at. <hr></blockquote>
Our last camp in Kruger is Biyamiti. I think I'll plan to get to St Lucia in a day, and if it doesn't pan out at the time we'll stop over in Mlilwane.
Thanks for the advice all!!! :)
What I did last month was:
I flight from Cape town to Durban. In Duban airport we rented a car and drove to St Lucia around 6pm. We had a walk and we saw many hippos eating grass just in the town center. The following morning we booked a trip tour to see cocodriles and hippos, then we drove to Imfolozi Park and stayed in Mpila Camp. You if you leave St Lucia at 13pm you can reach Imfolozi at 2pm, have a drive to Mpila and surronding areas and book a night drive. If you leave Imfolozi at 9 am you will be able to reach Kruger (melelane gate) around 6pm.
I hope I help you
I agree that Kruger to St Lucia is a long haul for a day, but of course, can be done. I also second that you can see hippos at Mlilwane in Swaziland. You can also walk through Mlilwane from the backpackers (Sondzela) and see the Nyala and zebra monkeys and birds and impala and hippo up close, without being in a car. Also, the cooking there is spectacular.
I also can't say enough good things about St Lucia though. It's a very laid back (and touristy) place, with a lot of wildlife and good weather. The backpackers there (Bibs) was nice, but not as good as a lot of other places.
Wherever you choose to stop, it's going to be great. So, have fun!
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