The concessions in the KNP are having trouble living up to their guests' expectations. They market themselves as private lodges and make much of the fact that they are located within the boundaries of the national park. However, this also means they are subject to stringent SANParks rules and regulations. With the exception of Singita Lebombo, they have very limited road networks, which means that the blocks are very big, and animals therefore that much more difficult to track and locate. That's why one regularly sees the concessions' game viewing vehicles on the public road network in the KNP. If I were paying R 7,000+ per night at say Tinga, I wouldn't be too pleased!

I have not been to all of the concessions (yet. still working on it), but I would venture to say that they are better suited to walking than driving. Pafuri/Makuleke is an exception because of its sheer size, which makes a certain amount of driving unavoidable, and Singita Lebombo has 132 km of roads, but the rest . . . Unfortunately, only Plains Camp currently offers real walks (as opposed to the 45 minute amble on a full stomach in the heat of day that all private lodges offer, with a greater or lesser degree of reluctance). Pafuri offers walking trails too, but their trails camp has yet to be built.

In sum, anybody short on time looking for a big & hairy / fangs & claws experience is best advised to select a lodge on private land, where the chances having them lined up are much greater. Prefer to stretch your legs? Try the SANParks trails or a lodge that does real walks.

For those who know their stuff the challenge of spotting the animals yourself on a self-drive in Kruger is an option, but I gave up on that some years ago, when the number of motorized morons exceeded my tolerance level.

Johan