As the northern parts of Kruger National Park recover from devastating floods early this year, what awaits visitors planning to visit in the coming weeks — particularly the two long weekends?
My family is very fond of the park’s Mopani camp, between Letaba and Shingwedzi — to the extent that my older son has a shoulder tattoo depicting the view of nearby Pioneer Dam from the restaurant/bar balcony. So we were disappointed to arrive last week and find that section of the camp closed for renovations.
We’d half-expected something of the sort after the floods. We’d seen pictures of submerged cottages and campsites at Letaba and other camps. In the weeks leading up to our visit, we tried to check regularly not only if Mopani was open but also which park entrances and roads offered access.
We got most of our information by asking other travellers on Kruger’s Facebook page. South African National Parks’ official advice has been vague — and sometimes wrong. Two days before we drove to the park, I rang to ask if the direct tar road from Phalaborwa Gate to Mopani was open. “Yes, it is,” I was told confidently.
It wasn’t. Instead, we were faced with an extra 90 minutes’ travel, east towards Letaba then north to Mopani. It was no problem for us because we’d reached the park very early and relished the opportunity of extra game-viewing. For others with tighter travel schedules, such incorrect information could result in being stopped at the park entrance because they won’t reach their camp before the gates close.
Nevertheless, the closure of so many dirt roads was disappointing. Many of the best sightings are off the beaten track, away from traffic
Mopani itself was as relaxing as ever. One of the reasons we usually stay there is that the layout is more intimate than some other camps. Cottages are more secluded, so when you braai you’re not surrounded by dozens of other fires. We arrived with most of our provisions, but however well we plan, we usually find we forgot something. No problem. The shop was as well stocked as ever and the staff were friendly.
Though the camp suffered some damage, its hilltop position protected it from the worst. Staff told us that the restaurant/bar closure was driven mainly by the need for routine renovations and upgrades. They expect it to reopen in August. Potential visitors for whom the Mopani dining/drinking/outlook experience is a major draw may want to check before they book.
They should also try to find out which Kruger roads are open. Tar roads were generally OK last week (not, obviously, the Phalaborwa Gate-Mopani route), but many of the northern dirt roads were off-limits. Sometimes, we found out only when we got there. For example, we travelled over 20km on an open dirt stretch, then found the final 5km stretch to Mopane was blocked. We had to go back the way we came.
Once again, it was no problem for us; we were in no hurry and saw more game on the return journey. Overall, we had no complaints about the variety of animal and bird life on view.
Nevertheless, the closure of so many dirt roads was disappointing. Many of the best sightings are off the beaten track, away from traffic. Fortunately, there were relatively few vehicles on the tar last week; perhaps people are still waiting for clarity on what awaits them in the top half of the park.
The lack of dirt driving was disappointing for a second reason. We drove to Kruger in a Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana bakkie — though perhaps “bakkie” is the wrong word for a vehicle costing just shy of R1.1m. Expecting dirt roads to be open but in bad repair after the floods, I figured they would be a worthy challenge for a top-of-the-range 4x4 test vehicle.
No such luck. Apart from a couple of mildly lumpy sections where I might hesitate to drive my wife’s 20-year-old hatchback, everything was flat and friendly. So instead of informing readers that the PanAmericana easily conquers the most difficult terrain, all I can say is that it flies along flat national highways, as well as Kruger tar and dirt roads, handles like a car, is very comfortable and has surprisingly good fuel consumption.
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