Half-Day Sunrise Safari
Experience the Dawn Chorus
Duration:Â 05h30 – 12h30
Price:From R1,250 per person.
(R1,195pp 4 – 6 guests / R1,050pp 7+ guests)
*Excl KNP entrance fees
Highlights
- Your own Professional Private Guide
- Private “Full” Open Safari Vehicle
- Go in search of the Big 5 at first light
- Explore the best areas in Southern Kruger Park
- Learn, see and understand so much more
- Wonderful Photographic opportunities
- Perfect for the Bird enthusiast
- Solo travel can be arranged
The Kruger National Park is a big place and takes time to explore. For the guest who wants the perfect safari experience in Kruger but only wants to spend half of their day in the bush, the Half-Day Sunrise Safari in the Kruger National Park is perfect. The early morning sunrise is something to behold and the sounds of the African bush coming alive is something you will never forget. An Early morning Kruger Safari provides for wonderful game viewing with the possibility of seeing the last nocturnal species before they rest for the day as well as all the general game preparing for the day ahead. It’s a good time for predators on the move and early mornings we will often find Lion, Leopard, WildDog and Spotted Hyena crossing the roads. A Sunrise Safari in Kruger is an incredible experience that you will never forget.
As this is a Sunrise Safari we leave very early in the morning to ensure that we get through the park gates as they open. During the summer months we will start from 05h15 and the winter months from 05h45 as Kruger gate times change to account for the later sunrise.
Prior to departure your guide Andrew will have already engaged with you via email and established your travel plan for the day. Guests that are staying within 10km of their nearest Kruger gate of entry can be picked up on Open Safari Vehicle or alternatively we will meet our guests at the determined gate.
On arrival at the gate we will manage all the administrative requirements on your behalf. All you will need to do is sign the indemnification and your guide will queue at the gate and confirm the entrance permit. At the gate there is secure parking should you need to leave your vehicle, there is also a bathroom for a final comfort break before departing. As soon as the permit is finalised we will head off into the Park. Being on a Open Safari Vehicle is a wonderful experience and will connect you and bring you so much closer to the incredible diversity of the Kruger National Park.
The first 2h30 of the morning are the most important and your guide will want to get you to as many of the best areas to maximise your opportunity of having wonderful wildlife encounters. That said the Kruger National Parks bio-diversity is incredible and offers so much more than just the Big 5. In comparison to the 151 mammals there are as many as 520 birds species in the summer months (380 in the winter months), 120 reptiles, over 2000 plant species, 50,000 insect species, 53 fish species and just recently a new species of fresh water jellyfish as been discovered. There is so much to see and so many wonderful stories to be told.
We will stop along the route at around 08h00 for a coffee break and a leg stretch at one of the look-out locations in the park. This is a perfect time to also enjoy some breakfast and guests are welcome to bring their own breakfast snacks along with them. Guests can also just enjoy a coffee or tea and take in the morning atmosphere as we will thereafter be stopping around 09h15 at one of the nearby camps where there will a restaurant, take away and park shop with a breakfast menu and a wide variety of snacks and beverages to choose from.
We will depart from the Camp and make our way back into the bush around 10h15. We will now start to make our way back to the gate of entry using an alternative route to ensure that our guests are able to take in as much of the natural beauty of Kruger as possible. Your guide has extensive experience in the area and will select a route that will pick up on game that hasn’t been seen or that is of particular interest to you. All of our Kruger National Park Day Safaris are private, making them flexible to your preferences and ensuring that your guide can focus on you and your personal interests.
Whether it’s on Half Day Sunrise Safari, Full Day Kruger Safari or Afternoon Kruger Safari, our Safari style remains the same. Our focus is your experience and your guide’s objective is to establish a wonder-filled storyboard around you and your expectations.
We don’t merely chase 5 species of game but rather tell a story that helps you to understand this incredible wilderness and exposes you to as many of the wonderful species that call the Kruger National Park home. Andrew’s extensive knowledge of the Park will bring you closer to its rich natural heritage as well as the many ancient wisdoms that make up the cultural diversity of Kruger.
We aim to have you back at the gate from 12h30.
Sunrise Safari –
Comfort breaks and Camp Stops
We will stop for both comfort breaks as well as breakfast and lunch stops. All the camps along our Day Safari routes have restaurants, take always and Kruger Park shops with a wide variety on the menu for you to choose from or purchase. Guests are also more than welcome to bring a pre-packed snack, which is often provided for by their accommodation (check if your accommodation provides). If you want to bring your own cooler-box with food and snacks you are also welcome to do so. Please note that no alcohol is allowed into the Park by day visitors as per SANParks.
Having taken hundreds of Safaris into the Kruger National Park we know from experience what’s important to pack. Here are a few items we recommend that you don’t leave home without:
- Mobile phone with charging cable
- Camera
- Binoculars (We will have complimentary pair on the vehicle)
- A good hat for summer months or warm beanie in winter
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Comfortable shoes
Summer Months: September to April
We recommend light functional attire preferably in natural colour shades to blend in with our environment and not stand out visually to game species. Summer can be hot and the direct sunlight dangerous so please remember a good hat as well as sunscreen. During the hottest summer months (Nov/Dec) the daytime temperatures can reach 35 degrees Celsius from 10h30 and from 13h00 the temperature can reach upward of 40 degrees. The summer months are also our rainy season so the afternoons can experience thundershowers but all vehicles are equipped with waterproof ponchos as well as canvas flaps that can enclose the vehicle.
Winter Months: May to August
During the winter months in the Kruger National Park, we will usually experience blue skies on most days but with a daily average temperature of 18 to 26 degrees Celsius. The early mornings on Safaris can be cooler with temperatures from 5 to 8 degrees and late afternoons again dropping below 18 degrees. Winter Safaris are fantastic because the visibility is very good but we do recommend that you have warm clothing as the wind on the back of an Open Safari Vehicle can make things chilly. On our Safari vehicles we do provide fleece blankets.
- Professional Safari Guide (FGASA qualified)
- Private fully Open Safari Vehicle
- Morning Safaris are 7 hours in duration
- Blankets and Rain Ponchos on vehicle should the weather change
- Children (3) three years and older are welcome
- Morning sunrise Coffee, tea and biscotti
- Natural still mineral water for each guest
- Safaria sightings journal to document all that you see
- Rates include VAT
- Excludes Kruger National Park Conservation & Entrance fee
- Transfer to Park gate (if further than 10km from gate)
- All meals
- Guide Gratuity
- All Kruger Park Camps have a restaurant and Park Shop where you can order a sit down meal or take away meal.
- Park shops do offer a wide variety of Kruger curio
- There ATM services at all major camps and cash can be drawn from the Park shops themselves should you need.
- As per SANParks we are may not exceed 10 guests per Safari vehicle and sadly children under the age of 3 years may not participate in a Open Vehicle Safari activity.
- In the event of a medical emergency your guide is a qualified medical first aider but also will have direct access to the closest and best medical facilities. Should there be a medical emergency your guide will ensure that you are taken care of and have access to the best and fastest medical attention.
- Please ensure that you have referenced our Terms and Conditions. It is accepted that clients which have booked and paid for their Safaris have reviewed and accepted our Safaria T&C’s.
- As a responsible tourism partner we are members of SATSA (South African Tourism Services) as well as SATIB (South African Travel Insurance) but this does not include personal travel insurance should your booking be cancelled at the last minute. We recommend that clients take out their own travel insurance to cover them in the eventuality that a sudden cancellation needs to be effected.
