Kruger is a fantastic place to view wildlife -- yo...

Kruger is a fantastic place to view wildlife -- you've of course got the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo), but there's so much more than just those to see; just to name a few: giraffes, hippos, impalas, zebras, kudus (the symbol of Kruger Park), warthogs, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, crocodiles, and many more.

There are basically two ways you can do this, each with their advantages and disadvantages:

1. Self drive. You come in with your own car, either on a day pass, where you have to make sure to be out before the gates close in the evening (or be prepared to pay a hefty fine), or on an overnight pass, when you've booked accommodation in one of the public rest stations. The big advantage here is the price, as this is the cheapest option. The disadvantage is that you have to find the animals yourself. Everyone will see SOME animals of course, although it will be much more difficult to spot some of the more elusive ones (lions, leopards, cheetahs, etc). You basically just have to be lucky enough to be in the right spot at the right time. Even if you are though, chances are there will be quite a few other self-drive visitors at the same spot trying to see the same animal at the same time (forming mini traffic jams around such a spot). Note that you're not allowed to exceed 50 km/h or go off-road anywhere in the Park.

2. Private lodge. This is a more expensive option, but if you can afford it, don't even hesitate. In one of these, everything is taken care of for you. From accommodation to meals to game drives with an experienced guide. The advantages here are many-fold -- the guide knows where to take you to have the best chances of seeing the animals you want to see, and is allowed to go off-road (albeit only within the confines of the lodge concession, which are usually very large areas) to "chase" the more elusive animals. You will also usually be alone when viewing animals, although the rangers within the lodge communicate "interesting" finds to one another within the lodge area, so if your ranger finds, say, a leopard, he/she will let the others know, and you'll probably get 1 or 2 other game vehicles joining you -- but it's usually off-road with plenty of space for each of the 2-3 vehicles to position themselves strategically around the animal(s) to give the people in the vehicles a good view, and not like the huge traffic jams that form on the public Park roads outside the private lodges, with everyone trying to catch a glimpse of whatever it is the others are all looking at.

Either way, I'm sure you'll enjoy Kruger and what it has to offer. A safari in Kruger National Park is definitely an experience to remember!